* 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.
          [00:00:01]
          ALL 
          [A. Call to Order ]
RIGHT, WELL WELCOME EVERYONE TO THIS, UM, SPECIAL MEETING, JOINT MEETING OF THE TOWN AND THE COUNCIL, AND MR. HENDERSON. 
          UM, I'LL CALL THE MEETING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, PART OF THIS MEETING TO ORDER. 
          UM, WE DON'T USUALLY DO A ROLL CALL, BUT WE CAN PRESENT. 
          PRESENT. 
          MAD CHAIR. 
          PRESENT. 
          DEAR PRESENT. 
          ALRIGHT, MAY I, MAYOR, FATHER, ORDER THIS SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL THIS EVENING, AND I BELIEVE, UM, I'M GONNA DO THE ROLL CALL FIRST. 
          OKAY. 
          MAYOR, CALL CALLS HERE. 
          VICE MAYOR AL. 
          HERE. 
          COUN. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER MELISSA DECO PAYNE. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAPPAPORT. 
          HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER OCK IS ABSENT. 
          AND COUNCIL MEMBER WOOD HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. 
          MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPOINT JOE PETTY AS CLERK PRO TEMPUR FOR TONIGHT'S SPECIAL MEETING. 
          JUNE 4TH, 2026. 
          SECOND MOTION. 
          AND SECOND, A DISCUSSION. 
          OKAY. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          UH, VICE MAYORAL. 
          YES. 
          COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER DE DOMENICO PAY? YES. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER RAPPAPORT? YES. 
          UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HAWS ABSENT. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER WOOD? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. 
          ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS? MADAM CHAIR, MAKE A MOTION TO PROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. 
          SECOND, SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MR. HENDERSON. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          MADAM CHAIR? AYE. 
          AYE. 
          A. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I'M ASSUMING, DO I NEED TO DO IT AS WELL? I DON'T THINK SO. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD WITH THE AGENDA, SO, ALL RIGHTY. 
          UH, FIRST 
          [B. Discussion - Joint Tow Board]
UP IS THE JOINT TOW BOARD. 
          MR. PETTY, ARE YOU TAKING THAT? SURE, I CAN, I CAN TAKE THIS ONE. 
          THIS WORKING? YEAH. 
          UM, SO AT THE LAST LIAISON MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT THE JOINT TOW BOARD AND REALLY THE BIG DISCUSSION WAS WE HAVE THE TERMS THAT ARE EXPIRING ON AUGUST 31ST AND ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW WE REAPPOINT OR APPOINT NEW, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS OR TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR THAT. 
          SO WHAT I DID PROVIDE IN FRONT OF YOU AS PART OF THE PACKET, JUST KIND OF A FRAMEWORK OF A SUGGESTION THAT I'VE PUT OUT THERE. 
          ESSENTIALLY THEY, THEY NEED TO BE REAPPOINTED OR APPOINTED BY AUGUST 31ST. 
          SO THE IDEA IS WE WILL ASK THE CURRENT MEMBERS IF THEY WANT TO BE REAPPOINTED AND WE CAN PUT THEM INTO THE POOL. 
          CURRENTLY, THE COUNTY DOES HAVE AN APPLICATION FOR POTENTIAL APPOINTMENTS ON THE WEBSITE. 
          WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THAT AS POSSIBLE AND THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY CAN PROMOTE THAT. 
          JUST SEND EVERYBODY TO THAT PORTAL. 
          AND WHEN THOSE ARE RECEIVED, THOSE WILL BE SENT TO BOTH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE TOWN MANAGER WHO WILL THEN SHARE THOSE WITH, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
          AT THAT POINT, WE CAN SET UP AN INTERVIEW PANEL AND FURTHER INTERNAL DISCUSSION, MAYBE IT ONLY NEEDS TO BE ONE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER, ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, TOWN COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES, AND WE CAN INTERVIEW POTENTIAL CANDIDATES IF WE GET THEM. 
          UM, IF WE, IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE REAPPOINTED AND NOBODY APPLIES AT THAT POINT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO INTERVIEWS, BUT WE'LL INTERVIEW ANYBODY NEW. 
          AND THEN THAT INTERVIEW PANEL WILL MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WHO TO BE REAPPOINTED, WHICH WILL BE DONE BEFORE AUGUST 31ST. 
          AND THOSE WILL BE JOINTLY APPROVED AFTER WE HAVE THE BOARD REAPPOINTED AND THE NEW BOARDS THERE IN PLACE. 
          WE DO FEEL THERE'S SOME ORDINANCE AND BYLAWS CHANGES, BUT AT THAT POINT WE'LL WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THEM ESTABLISHED. 
          UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING UP, JUST BECAUSE THEY'VE BROUGHT IT UP THE LAST COUPLE TIMES THAT THE JOB BOARD HAS, UM, SPOKEN BEFORE THE LIAISON MEETING. 
          SINCE WE'RE ALL HERE, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION INSTEAD OF US SEPARATE, YOU GUYS SEPARATE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE TOW BOARD ASKED ABOUT WAS CAPPING THE AMOUNT OF TOW COMPANIES THAT ARE ON THE TOW BOARD. 
          I DON'T, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHO HAS BEEN TO A LIAISON MEETING WITH ME WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT WE, BUT THEY'VE DONE IT MORE THAN ONCE, SO IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME OTHERS AS WELL. 
          RIGHT. 
          I KNOW MR. HENRY AND I WERE AT THE LAST ONE. 
          OKAY. 
          FOR THE SIDE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, THAT DEPUTY HAD SOME INPUT ON SOME OF THE RULES. 
          YEP. 
          AND THEN IT WAS SOME OF THE TOW PEOPLE WERE HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND IT WAS, YOU GOT TOO MANY, IT WAS HARD TO MAINTAIN A PROFIT MARGIN, BUT THEN IF IT'S NOT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU LET FAIR MARKET DECIDE THAT OR, UH, DUNNO 
          [00:05:01]
WHAT THE BEST AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS EXACTLY. 
          AND BEFORE YOU TWO WERE THERE, THEY SPOKE AT A DIFFERENT LIAISON MEETING. 
          SO I'M THINKING IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN, UH, SOMEBODY ELSE, BOARD SUPERVISORS THAT WAS THERE THEN. 
          BUT, UM, THEY, IT WAS THE, THE PROS AND CONS WERE THAT IF THEY CAPPED IT, THEN IF YOU WERE A COMPANY THAT WANTED TO BE ON THE LIST AND YOU WERE ON THE LIST AND YOU WERE INVESTING IN YOUR EQUIPMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU WOULD BE AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIVE MEMBERS THAT MIGHT BE CALLED THAT WAS THE PRO. 
          AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT, LIKE FOR ME, MY CONCERN WAS THAT WHO DECIDES WHO THOSE FIVE ARE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE TOW BOARD ARE ACTUALLY PART OF THAT, UM, THAT BUSINESS. 
          AND SO I WAS, YOU KNOW, I, I SAW BOTH SIDES OF IT. 
          AND I BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU JUST SAID THAT ABOUT FREE MARKET, THAT THAT WAS MY ONLY THING IS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THEY'VE NOW ASKED ABOUT THAT MORE THAN ONCE. 
          SO I DON'T, I WOULD BE VERY CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT OTHER MEMBERS, BECAUSE WHEN THEY'VE TALKED TO US, IT'S ONLY EVER BEEN LIKE MYSELF AND WHOEVER WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THE TIME, AND ONE OTHER SUPERVISOR AND ONE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          SO WHILE WE'RE ALL HERE, LIKE, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? ABOUT CAPPING IT TO A CERTAIN, UM, AND I KNOW WHEN I ASK, LIKE, SO THEN WHO, WHOEVER GETS A CHANCE, LIKE, LIKE IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE FIVE, AND THEN LIKE, DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO NOT BE PART OF IT TO GET YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE ROTATION? IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          SO JUST CURIOUS WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT THAT AFTER BEING AT THE MEETING. 
          I UNDERSTAND THE COMPETITIVENESS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT, UH, A FLOOD TOO MANY, UH, MORE THAN MEETS THE MARKET DEMAND, UH, IT KIND OF SPLITS THE PIPE TOO SMALL. 
          BUT, UH, I, I PERSONALLY, I DON'T LIKE GOVERNMENT REGULATING THAT. 
          I USUALLY LEAVE IT OPEN TO, UH, I HATE TO SAY SURVIVAL, BUT UH, 'CAUSE I'M IN BUSINESS MYSELF, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU EITHER HAVE TO OUTPERFORM OR, OR WIN ON YOUR OWN. 
          UH, SO, BUT, AND, AND IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T THINK IT, HOW WOULD YOU EVER LIMIT IT FARE? SO UNLESS I COULD FIND UP A WAY TO LIMIT IT OR ROTATE IT FAIRLY, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T IMPOSE A LIMIT. 
          'CAUSE UH, THEN YOU'D BE SHOWING BIAS SOME WAY OR THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T YOU OR UP THE QUALIFICATIONS MAYBE TO, YEAH, TO LIMIT THE MOST HIGHEST QUALIFIED ALL MAY BE FAIR. 
          BUT AS FAR AS I THINK YOU'RE OKAY AND YOU'RE NOT, UNLESS YOU'VE REALLY GOT SOME KIND OF INFORMATION ON THEM. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE REALLY FAIR. 
          IS THERE A WAY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA BE WORKING MOST DIRECTLY WOULD BE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE USUALLY THE ONES THAT IF IT'S AN ACCIDENT THAT YOU NEED IT FOR, UM, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THEM. 
          SO I, I THINK AN EVALUATION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW QUICKLY THEY GET THERE, THE RESPONSE TIME AND, AND THAT THING MIGHT BE A WAY OF FIGURING WHO'S ON THERE AND WHO STAYS ON THERE. 
          I, I, I DON'T KNOW ANY, I, I TOO AM UNCOMFORTABLE SAYING CAP IT, IT'S SO MANY, OR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. 
          I, IT'S AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT AGAIN, IS RULE OF GOVERNMENT TO MESS INTO PEOPLE'S, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES THAT WAY. 
          BUT I DO BELIEVE THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME CRITERIA OF, YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU HAVE SOME THAT ARE GIVEN EXCELLENT SERVICE AND OTHERS WHO ARE NOT, THEN THAT'S A WAY OF MAYBE BALANCING WHO STAYS ON AND WHO DOESN'T. 
          I, I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          IT'S JUST A THOUGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          ELSE I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF PUTTING A CAP ON IT BECAUSE TO SPEAK TO THE FREE MARKET, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE POINTS TO THAT. 
          ONE, IF YOUR BUSINESS IS DEPENDENT ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PROP YOU UP, UH, THAT'S AN ISSUE. 
          TWO, UM, CERTAIN COMPANIES HAVE MORE EQUIPMENT OR DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT THAN OTHER COMPANIES. 
          AND I THINK THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ARE PROBABLY PRETTY WELL AWARE OF WHO CAN HANDLE WHICH TYPES OF CALLS, WHETHER THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A DUMP TRUCK THAT'S LOADED DOWN, WHICH IS A HEAVIER HAUL THAN, YOU KNOW, A VEHICLE. 
          UM, AND THEN IT KIND OF DISCOURAGES NEW BUSINESSES. 
          I KNOW THAT WAS A POINT OF CONTENTION WHEN I JOINED COUNCIL. 
          UM, IT 
          [00:10:01]
CREATES THIS GENERATIONAL SEAT ON THIS THAT DOESN'T OPEN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY OTHER COMPETING BUSINESS. 
          AND I'M A BIG FAN OF ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND, UM, THE MORE THE MERRIER, IT DRIVES DOWN COST AND IT INCREASES SERVICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO OUTPERFORM THE OTHER COMPANIES TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESS. 
          OTHER THOUGHTS, IF ANY? I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THAT. 
          UH, ONE THING I WOULD SAY THOUGH, IF, IF THERE WAS A, A SMALL, IF THE MARKET REALLY WAS SMALL AND, UH, THERE WEREN'T TOO MANY IN QUOTES, TOO MANY, UH, PARTICIPANTS, THEN THERE WOULD'VE TO BE SOME KIND OF ROTATION OR A LOTTERY, WHICH, WHICH EVERYBODY WHO'S CURRENTLY ON THERE WOULD HAVE TO SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO. 
          I MAY OR MAY NOT END UP IN THE POOL. 
          AND IF THEY WANNA LIMIT THE POOL, KNOWING THAT THEY MAY NOT BE IN THE POOL ONCE THAT PROCESS IS EXECUTED, UM, THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW. 
          UM, THAT OVERALL, I, I, THIS DID COME BEFORE A FULL BOARD. 
          THE TOW BOARD CAME BEFORE FOR SUPERVISORS MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO. 
          AND, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO, THERE WAS NO FINANCIAL INFORMATION, THERE'S NO METRICS, THERE'S NO, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY CALLS ARE PER YEAR, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF MISSING INFORMATION THERE. 
          UM, I THINK THE, UM, THE MANAGEMENT AND OVERHEAD OF, OF REGULATING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE ROTATION IS AND WHAT THE LOTTERY IS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF STARTS TO GET FAIRLY BURDENSOME. 
          SO I THINK, UH, IN THAT LIGHT, I JUST IN FAVOR FOR LETTING, LETTING THE PARTICIPANTS COME. 
          AND, AND LIKE I, UH, SOMEONE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY INVEST IN EQUIPMENT, THEY CAN PERFORM THE JOB, THE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE, AND THE FIRE AND THE, THE FIRST RESPONDERS SHOULD KNOW WHO HAS WHAT EQUIPMENT. 
          I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, BENEFICIAL. 
          SO I, I BELIEVE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, BETWEEN THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE FROM THE TOW BOARD AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE, THERE'S A QUITE A STRINGENT CRITERIA THEY HAVE TO MEET WITH, YOU KNOW, STATE LAWS AND, UM, VEHICLE INSPECTIONS AND ALL THAT TOO. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA LIMIT THE, YOU KNOW, THE POOL. 
          IT'S NOT LIKE I COULD HOOK UP A RIG TO MY PICKUP TRUCK AND SAY, I'M A TOW SERVICE NOW. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE QUALIFICATIONS TO JUMP THROUGH TOO, IS, WILL, WILL HELP IN THE MANAGEMENT SIDE, I WOULD THINK SO. 
          I WOULD, UNLESS THE, THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE, THE ONES WHO SAY ANYTHING. 
          I WOULD SAY THEN THAT AT THIS POINT, IT SEEMS LIKE FROM THOSE WHO'VE SPOKEN, THAT THEY JUST ASSUMED NOT CAP IT. 
          IS THAT WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE ARE, I ONLY SAY THAT. 
          'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE COME AND ASKED A COUPLE TIMES AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY ADDRESSED IT. 
          SO IT'S LIKE WE SHOULD EITHER MAKE A DECISION OR, YOU KNOW, OR NOT SO THAT THEY DON'T FEEL, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DETERMINE AT THAT TIME, LIKE YOU SAID, DO WE STILL WANNA BE PART OF IT OR NOT? UM, I THINK THE OTHER IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE MAY HAVE FAILED TO REALIZE, 'CAUSE IT DAWNED ON ME AFTER ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION, IS JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE MAY NOT HAVE A CAP. 
          THERE MAY BE, UM, SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES WHO DON'T WANNA BE A PARTICIPANT IN THIS. 
          SO JUST BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO CAP IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY COMPANY'S GONNA JUMP ON THIS LIST. 
          I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CERTAIN CLIENTELE THAT THEY WISH TO SERVICE AND A CERTAIN CLIENTELE THAT THEY DON'T WISH TO SERVICE. 
          SO IT MIGHT NOT OPEN THE FLOOD GATES TO TOW COMPANIES, EVEN IF WE DO IT WELL. 
          IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN THAT THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, YOU KNOW, TOW COMPANIES IN THIS HAS BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? OR? SO YEAH, I JUST, I DON'T, I KNOW IN DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, WITH THE LIAISON MEETINGS I WAS IN, I KNOW I WAS, UH, UM, IN THE FIRST ONE THAT MAYOR COCKRELL HAD REFERRED TO, UH, WHEN ONE OF THE MEMBERS CAME HERE AND SPOKE. 
          BUT IT WAS JUST, UM, I THINK WE HAD, I THINK CHIEF CHIEF WHITE WAS HERE, I THINK, AND IF, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUT OF INCORRECTLY, BUT I DON'T RECALL ANY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WAS SAYING THAT THERE WAS, I MEAN, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE GOING FINE THE WAY IT WAS. 
          YEAH. 
          AS FAR AS, AT LEAST THAT'S AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS WHAT WE UNDER, AT LEAST WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. 
          SO, UM, YEAH, SO YEAH, I'M, I'M, IF THE THOUGHT HERE IS TO KEEP EVERYTHING REALLY AS IT IS AND NOT NECESSARILY PUT A CAP, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THAT. 
          'CAUSE I, I'VE, EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SPOKEN HERE BY EVERYBODY ELSE SO FAR ON THE POINT, I, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH. 
          I, I WOULD ALSO AGREE WITH NO CAP. 
          UM, 
          [00:15:01]
HOWEVER, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, WHICH IS, IS IT ALREADY RESTRICTED THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR BUSINESS ADDRESS IN THE COUNTY AND A, A BUSINESS LICENSE IN THE COUNTY? BECAUSE THAT IF YOU WANTED TO CAP IT, AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THAT WOULD BE A PLACE TO START. 
          I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. 
          I, I THINK THAT WAS RAISED AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          AND A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES OPERATE IN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS. 
          THEY OPERATE HERE, THEY'LL HAVE A LICENSE HERE. 
          AGAIN, THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THE SAME BOTH IN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY. 
          THEY'RE THE EXACT SAME, HAVE A LOT OF THESE REGULATIONS WITH THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE, THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED TO HAVE, HOW THEY SCHEDULE THEM, AND THEY HAVE, IF THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WHAT TIME THEY NEED TO GET THERE, HOW QUICK, AND THEY CAN, UM, REVOKE THEIR PERMISSIONS. 
          AND THERE'S AN APPEAL PROCESS. 
          SO AGAIN, NO, WE WILL HAVE THE, UM, AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UH, LIEUTENANT VIS WHO WAS HERE LAST TIME, HE DID RECOMMEND A NEW APPLICATION PROCESS, BUT THAT'LL BE WHEN THE NEW BOARD IS, YOU KNOW, PREPARED. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YES. 
          UM, I, UH, I, I, I AGREE THAT, UH, CAP WOULD BE THE WRONG, WRONG WAY TO GO. 
          HOWEVER, UH, I FIND IT INTERESTING, UH, WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR JAMESON'S COMMENT ABOUT THE LOTTERY. 
          UH, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW, IF THE POOL WOULD BE LARGE ENOUGH, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT WORK. 
          UH, LIKE IF IT, THE, UH, TERM LIMIT, A TERM LIMIT, AND THEN YOU GO BACK INTO THE LOTTERY. 
          UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE NEW BUSINESSES MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN RATHER THAN THE SAME, SAME, UH, UH, TOWING COMPANIES BE THERE FOR 20 YEARS. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, THAT, THAT TO ME IS A, A LITTLE CONCERNING, UM, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE FREE MARKET ENTERPRISES, A SUPERVISOR HENRY, UH, NOTED EARLIER. 
          SO, ALRIGHT, I THINK THAT, I THINK WE ANSWERED OUR QUESTION  THAT AT THIS TIME IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WOULD BE, UM, THERE WOULD BE SUPPORT TO CAP THE NUMBERS. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          UH, IF 
          [C. Discussion - Economic Development]
WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON THE AGENDA, UM, DISCUSSION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DR. MARTIN. 
          YES. 
          UH, MADAM CHAIRMANS, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MR. PATRICK BARKER. 
          HE'S GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH, UM, WHILE HE'S PASSING THIS OUT. 
          UM, UPON HIRING MR. BARKER, I ASKED HIM HOW HE WOULD BE SPENDING HIS FIRST SIX MONTHS AND TO TAKE SOME THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          ONE BEING, UH, HOW WILL YOU, UH, COLLABORATE WITH EXISTING BUSINESS TO BE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING OKAY? HOW WILL YOU COLLABORATE, UH, WITH THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND THEIR INTEREST IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? SO WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING NOW IS A DRAFT PLAN, UM, THAT HE'D LIKE TO WORK YOU THROUGH AND TAKE YOU THROUGH TONIGHT. 
          AND, UM, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS GOT A PREVIEW OF THIS, UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING. 
          SO THIS IS HIS SECOND RUN. 
          HE SHOULD BE BETTER TONIGHT  THAN HE WAS THE FIRST TIME. 
          I'LL LET YOU KNOW. 
          WE'LL TRY, WE'LL TRY. 
          SO AS, AS DR. MARTIN. 
          UH, SO, SO WE'LL PUT IT, WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THIS KIND OF A SIX MONTH KIND OF WORKING WORK PLAN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO HERE IS BE REALLY PROACTIVE, A REALLY DATA, DATA DRIVEN APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, IT REALLY HAS FOCUS ON FIVE MAJOR PILLARS. 
          UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, DR. MARTIN COMMENTED ABOUT OUR EXISTING INDUSTRY, MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING HOLD OF THOSE AND TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY HERE. 
          AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY GROW HERE. 
          AT THE SAME TIME, IMPLEMENTING SOME STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS THAT ARE KIND OF BASED WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO HELP US MOVE THINGS FORWARD. 
          MAKING SURE GETTING THE SITES IN A, IN A READINESS STA STANDPOINT, AT LEAST FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE AND TRY TO FIND WAYS TO MOVE THEM FORWARD. 
          WE'VE GOTTA MODERNIZE OUR DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE BY THAT MEANING WEBSITES, SOCIAL MEDIAS AND SUCH. 
          AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'VE GOTTA FOSTER TRANSPARENT COMMUNITY ALIGNMENT, WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, BEFORE KIND OF GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THE PLAN, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS FOR YOU ALL. 
          UM, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE TO DO THIS, UH, IN, IN A REALLY PIVOTAL TIME FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, I'M DEEPLY COMMITTED TO WORKING ASIDE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU, ALL OUR BUSINESS PEOPLE, OUR, OUR CITIZENS, TO REALLY UNLOCK THE FULL 
          [00:20:01]
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS FOR THAT. 
          SO, UM, AND SO BEFORE WE GOTTA GO INTO JUST KIND OF THE CLIFFNOTES VERSION OF WHAT THE PLAN KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS ON, I DO WANT TO REALLY STRESS AND UNDERLINE THIS, IS THAT COMMERCIAL YOU HEAR AT THE END OF, OF A LOT OF PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THINGS MAY CHANGE. 
          THIS IS ENTIRELY MEANT TO BE A WORKING PLAN. 
          IT, IT IS, IS GOING TO BE A LIVING DOCUMENT. 
          IT'S GONNA BE FLUID. 
          UM, AS WE GO FORTH IN THIS PLAN, WE MAY SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED THAT WE MAY NEED TO MOVE AROUND OR ADD OR REMOVE AND, OR THINGS MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN WE ENVISIONED. 
          SO JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME BACK IN TWO OR THREE MONTHS AND SOME THINGS ARE SHIFTED, JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S SOME RATIONALE FOR THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS. 
          SO, SO AGAIN, UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF RUNNING ON THE FIRST ONE OR TWO MONTHS AND REALLY, UH, KICK OFF BY DOING KIND OF A BENCHMARK STUDY AND LOOKING AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA THAT THIS AREA CAN COMPARE THEMSELVES TO, TO TRYING TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, HELP KIND OF BUILD, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE STORY THAT WE WANNA START TELLING OR JUST FINDING SOME ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO WORK ON. 
          WE'RE GONNA START HITTING OUR, OUR EXISTING COMPANIES, UH, UH, HARD AND QUICK TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WE'RE HERE AND WE WANNA KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S KEEPING THEM HERE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT ARE SOME BARRIERS THAT WE CAN HELP MAYBE KNOCK DOWN TO KEEP THEM HERE. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA OBVIOUSLY KICK IN AND DO A MODERN PRESENCE OF, OF A, OF A WEBSITE AND BRAND IDENTITY. 
          AND THEN WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT COMMUNITY ALIGNMENT FROM DAY ONE. 
          AND THAT WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS DEDICATED TO, YOU KNOW, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO THE CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES CAN GO TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING. 
          THEN OBVIOUSLY START DOING A LOT OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY CIRCUIT TRICK, UH, UH, UH, TRICK A LOT OF SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES, REALLY MORE TO LISTEN THAN TO TALK, JUST TO GET A PULSE ON WHERE EVERYTHING IS. 
          UM, FROM THERE, WE MOVED TO MONTH THREE. 
          THIS IS WHERE THE REAL STRATEGIC PLANNING STARTS TO TAKE PLACE. 
          UM, WHEN WE START REALLY FORMALIZING KIND OF THE LONG TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, WE START GOING THROUGH IDENTIFYING OUR TARGET INDUSTRY SECTORS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IDENTIFYING MEASURABLE METRICS ON HOW ALL THOSE ARE GONNA BE LOOKED AT. 
          AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE TOWN SPECIFIC, SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE GONNA GO AND INVENTORY AND LOOK AT THE UNDER UNDERDEVELOPED UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TRY TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TOP SITES THAT WE CAN REALLY USE TO COME UP WITH AN ATTACK PLAN TO TRY TO FIND SOME, YOU KNOW, BRING A ROADMAP ON HOW WE CAN GET, POTENTIALLY GET THOSE PROPERTIES BACK INTO SUCCESS. 
          AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND DO A FORMAL PRESENTATION AT AT LEAST TO THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT TO THE TOWN AS WELL, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE. 
          AS WE GO INTO MONTH FOUR AND FIVE, THIS IS WHEN WE START REALLY DOING THE OUTREACH AS IT RELATES TO OUR, OUR B AND EI MEAN, EXPANDING THE COMPANIES THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, DOING THINGS LIKE BUSINESS BREAKFAST ROUND TABLES, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE SOME JOINT CONCERNS OR TOPICS THAT WE CAN WORK ON COLLECTIVELY WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS. 
          AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, EVERY COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE IS AN INCENTIVE POLICY, UM, CHART THAT FRAMEWORK FOR THAT KIND OF DOCUMENT THAT WILL GOVERN KIND OF HOW INCENTIVES WILL BE USED, UH, AND MAKING SURE THOSE THINGS ARE IN LOCKSTEP AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT ROI METRICS THERE IS SOLID WORKFORCE IS A BIG ISSUE. 
          IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE. 
          IT PROBABLY STILL IS AN ISSUE. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF, OBVIOUSLY SOME KIND OF EMPLOYER ROUND TABLE THAT WILL WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOLS AND, AND THE, AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE HEARING THE NEEDS OF THE EMPLOYERS. 
          AND THE EMPLOYERS CAN ALSO HEAR SOME OF THE OFFERINGS THAT THE SCHOOLS AND, AND, AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE MAY HAVE AS WELL. 
          AND THEN FINALLY IN MONTH SIX, THIS IS WHEN WE'RE REALLY STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, DIVE INTO SMALL BUSINESSES AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO A SMALL BUSINESS BUSINESS CONNECT EVENT WORKING WITH THE REGIONAL SBDC. 
          WE'RE STARTING OUR OUTREACH TO THE, THE SOME KEY SITE CONSULTANTS ABOUT THE AREA. 
          AND THEN REALLY STARTING TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT HAVE WE DONE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS? AND THEN COMING BACK TO THE BOARD AGAIN TO TOWN COUNCIL THAT'S DESIRED ABOUT WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHERE WE'RE GOING, AND WHAT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          SO A LOT OF THIS PLAN IS REALLY MEANT TO PUT YOU ALL FROM OUR REACTIVE POSITION WHERE YOU ALL ARE CURRENTLY INTO MORE KIND OF A PROACTIVE ECONOMIC FORCE. 
          UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE SITES THAT WE HAVE HERE AND GETTING THE BEST THAT WE CAN OUT OF THEM, INSTALLING THE APPROPRIATE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS THAT'LL GUIDE US AS WE GO FORWARD. 
          AND KEEPING THAT DIALOGUE GOING OPEN BETWEEN YOU ALL OUR CITIZENS, OUR BUSINESSES, SO WE CAN ALL BUILD THIS ECONOMY IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE RESILIENT. 
          IT'S GONNA CREATE A GREAT FOUNDATION, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MEASURABLE RESULTS AND OUTCOMES FOR THE CITIZENS IN THE OVERALL COMMUNITY. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'LL PAUSE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF THE PLAN OR JUST ANYTHING IN GENERAL. 
          UH, IT'S BEEN A, IT, I WON'T SAY, SOMEONE ASKED ME EARLIER IF IT'S LIKE DRINKING FROM A FIRE HOSE. 
          I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S BEEN THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF CREATIVE JUICES GOING ON. 
          UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT REALLY IS PROFESSIONALLY A LOT OF FUN. 
          SO, QUESTIONS, PATRICK, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [00:25:01]
WE THINK THAT, UH, WELL, I CAN'T SAY WE, UM, I THINK THAT YOU ARE PROBABLY THE PERFECT PERSON FOR THIS JOB WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA AND, UH, ASSETS THAT WE HAVE, PLUS YOU LIVE LOCALLY, I THINK IT MAKES YOU MORE INVESTED THAN SOMEONE COMING HERE FROM AFAR. 
          I THINK THAT YOU'RE WELL THOUGHT OF IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY STATEWIDE, BUT FROM WHAT I'VE READ AND TALKED TO PEOPLE, YOU HAVE, UM, A GOOD REPUTATION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. 
          UM, MY QUESTION FOR YOU WOULD BE, UM, WHAT ROLE WOULD YOU SEE THE CURRENT FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, EDA, IF ANY, UM, WORKING WITH YOU? I MEAN, SINCE THEY DO HOLD SOME ASSETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE ENCUMBERED, BUT THEY ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE PORTFOLIO, YOU'RE GONNA PRESENT. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDER. 
          AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY HAVE PROPERTY AND THEY CAN PERFORM FUNCTIONS THAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS CAN'T. 
          SO I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH THEM AND, AND, AND HOW ARE THEY AND HOW THEY TRY TO, UH, MOVE THEIR PROPERTIES AND HOPEFULLY IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, ALIGNS WITH WHERE THE, WHERE THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO GO FOR SURE. 
          UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF OPPORTUNITY PRESENT THEMSELVES THAT ARE BEYOND THAT OF THE, WHAT THE, THE TOOLS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS, THEN, YOU KNOW, TRY TO USE THEM IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. 
          BUT AGAIN, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR OWN MISSION AND FOCUS. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY GONNA BE SOME OVERLAP AS IT AS IT'S APPARENT. 
          BUT JUST TO BE 1000% CLEAR, UM, UNLESS SOMETHING'S CHANGED, MY, I'M REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT'S WHERE I TAKE MY DIRECTION FROM HIM AND FROM YOU ALL. 
          UM, THE EDA BOARD IS JUST ANOTHER TOOL THAT'S OUT THERE TO USE IT, THAT IF THAT NEEDED TO BE CLEARED UP. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THANK YOU. 
          OH, WHEN I READ THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT A LITTLE BIT THOUGH, YEAH, I'M GOING, OH, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THE BOARD DONE. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING PATRICK'S DONE. 
          AND, UH, AND IT'S GOOD THAT HE DONE IT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A FUNCTIONING EDA, UH, THE BOARD DOESN'T CURRENTLY, I DON'T THINK THE TOWN'S BEEN IN A, A REAL GOOD PLACE EITHER. 
          UH, HE HAD ASKED ME, HE SAID, UH, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OUT OF AN EDA? AND, UH, I HAD TO TELL HIM, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A BAD ONE TO, TO, TO TELL HIM HOW TO IMPROVE ON IT. 
          SO, UH, THIS IS A START FROM SCRATCH AND THE, UH, AND HE'S GOT THE EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, I WOULD HOPE, UH, GOING FORWARD, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO, UH, WELL, LET ME, LET ME REDO THIS ANOTHER WAY. 
          I WAS, OH, THE TOWN SHOULD TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF, UH, PATRICK. 
          UH, YOU NEED TO GIVE HIM DIRECTION, YOUR, YOUR PLANNING STATEMENT. 
          YOU NEED TO TELL HIM WHAT YOU WANT. 
          UH, HE, HE'S NOT GONNA BRING SOMETHING IN THAT YOU DON'T WANT. 
          UH, HE, HE, HE, HE WANTS WHAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR TOWN, THE SAME AS HE WANTS WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR COUNTY. 
          SO IT'S UP TO US TO LEAD HIM INTO DIRECTION, NOT, NOT NOT HIM TO LEAD US, UH, BUT HE'S GOT THE TOOLS AND THE CREDENTIALS TO PERFORM THE TASK. 
          I WOULD HOPE GOING FORWARD THAT, UH, MAYBE THE TOWN COULD HELP FUND, WE COULD GO BACK INTO A JOINT MISSION ON EGA, UH, BECAUSE THE TOWN AND COUNTY, UH, OBVIOUSLY OVERLAP. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALL WARREN COUNTY TAXPAYERS, AND THEN THE TOWN'S GOT ITS OWN LITTLE PART TWO IN ADDITION, ALL, SO I, I BRING, TELL HIM WHAT YOU WANT ALL, YOU KNOW, GET, GET YOUR TOWN TOWN PLANNING, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT YOUR INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, LOOK AT YOUR OTHER BUSINESSES, GET 'EM, GET 'EM IN FRONT OF PATRICK AND, UH, AND, AND LET HIM, LET, LET HIM DO WHAT HE DOES, YOU KNOW, USE HIS PROFESSIONALISM MATTER WAY. 
          UM, AND IF SO, I KNOW IT'S A NEW THING. 
          YOU PROBABLY, IF YOU'RE LIKE US ON BUDGET SEASON, YOU DON'T HAVE A BIG POCKET FULL OF MONEY JUST TO HERE, LET'S WRITE YOU A CHECK TODAY. 
          BUT, UH, WE DON'T NEED THAT FOR YOU TO USE IT BECAUSE, UH, GOOD DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN, EVERYBODY IN TOWN PAYS COUNTY TAXES AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, UH, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, UH, WHETHER THE TOWN CAN FUND IT CURRENTLY OR NOT, LET'S USE IT ANYWAY BECAUSE, UH, GOOD COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, BOTH OF US, UH, WHETHER IT'S IN THE TOWN OR THE COUNTY. 
          SO, UH, I, I WOULD JUST, AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'D LIKE TO, UH, EXTEND IT THAT WAY. 
          I FEEL THAT WAY. 
          I'M ONLY ONE BOARD MEMBER. 
          OF COURSE, THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE TO, TO AGREE TO THAT. 
          BUT, UH, UH, I, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE HERE NOW. 
          SO I, I, THAT'S JUST WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, AND I'LL DO ANYTHING I CAN TO HELP, BUT I DON'T HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE IN THE TOPIC, SO THAT'S WHY I'M COUNTING ON PATRICK. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHO CAN ANSWER IT. 
          UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT 
          [00:30:01]
THE, THE LEGAL LIMITATIONS. 
          SO THERE MIGHT BE IN TERMS OF, UH, IF, UM, I KNOW THAT THE, THE IDA OR THE EDA AS AN AUTHORITY HAS ITS OWN, YOU KNOW, UH, SCOPE OF WHAT IT CAN DO, ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS THEN ON PATRICK'S POSITION WHEN THAT IS EXISTING IN OUR COMMUNITY? WHEN THE EDA OR THE IDA IS EXISTING, DOES ANYBODY KNOW, OR IN OTHER WORDS, DOES HE HAVE ANY LIMITATIONS ON HIS POSITION AS FAR AS BROKERING DEALS OR ANY OF THAT? UM, WELL, I THINK FOR, FOR STARTERS, UH, I WANT TO CORRECT PATRICK FROM THE GET GET GO HERE. 
          AND THAT IS, UH, JOE AND I HAVE KIND OF GONE INTO THIS TOGETHER, AND I'M HOPING THAT, UH, JOE AND I WILL BE YOUR EVALUATORS BECAUSE WE, WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERYTHING, UM, WORKS FOR BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY. 
          UH, THE OTHER THING IS BECAUSE PATRICK WILL REPORT TO THE TWO OF US, HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EDA IN TERMS OF REPORTING PROCEDURES. 
          UH, IT'S ONLY COMING RIGHT HERE. 
          I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S ANY, ANY PRODUCT THAT COME ALONG THAT ARE, ARE LOOKING FOR EXTRA, EXTRA ASSISTANCE TO COME TO THE AREA, THE BOARD'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WHICHEVER BOARD'S INVOLVED IN THAT IS GONNA BE FULLY, FULLY BROUGHT IN THE LOOP ON THAT PROJECT. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S STANDARD PROCEDURE. 
          SO THERE I, THERE, THERE'S, THERE, I WON'T BE BROKERING DEALS THAT, THAT INVOLVE TAXPAYER MONEY WITHOUT INVOLVEMENT FROM YOU, THE COUNTY BOARD. 
          SO JUST TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. 
          YEAH, NO, I WA WASN'T FOR THAT, WAS JUST, I KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE THE OVER PARENT THAT, THAT THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY JOB WITH, WHEN I HELPING WITH HELPING DO BUSINESSES IS LISTENING TO WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND RESPONDING TO THOSE NEEDS. 
          SOMETIMES IT'S AS SIMPLE AS FINDING, YOU KNOW, FINDING SITES, CONNECTING FOR WORKFORCE OPTIONS, HELPING WITH THE PERMIT PROCESS SYSTEM. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE MORE COMPETITIVE IN NEED. 
          THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE ME, I'M, I'M ENCOURAGING TO HAVE THAT INCENTIVE FRAMEWORK. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET INTO HOW DOES THAT ALL PROCESS COME ABOUT? WHO, HOW DO, WHO, WHO CHECKS THE BALANCES, THAT WHOLE PROCESS. 
          IT WON'T JUST BE ME. 
          I THINK THAT PART OF IT TOO IS, AND OF COURSE YOU'LL FIND THAT OUT AS YOU DO YOUR INVENTORY. 
          AND FIRST OFF IS TO FIND WHAT PROPERTIES ARE OUT THERE. 
          THE NEXT THING WOULD BE WHO OWNS WHAT. 
          UM, AND I, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY, BUT I THINK THE IDA STILL OWNS A GOOD PORTION OF PROPERTY AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT LIENS THERE MAY BE ON THAT. 
          UM, THE OTHER, WELL, I WON'T SAY COULD BE KIND OF AN ADVANTAGE WITH THE IDA, WHAT, WHAT I REMEMBER IS THE ONE THING THAT THEY COULD DO, AND YOU, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME AT ONE POINT THEY COULD FLOAT BONDS MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND I THINK FREDERICK CLARK, THEY'VE DONE THAT BEFORE FOR WHOEVER, AND THAT, THAT GENERATED A LITTLE BIT OF REVENUE. 
          BUT I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE IDA. 
          WE COULDN'T DO IT. 
          CORRECT. 
          I MEAN, THE FUNCTIONS WE TALK ABOUT AS INDUSTRIAL REVENUE BONDS, RIGHT? AND OR BUYING PROPERTY AND SUCH. 
          THOSE ARE FUNCTIONS, UNLESS I STAND CORRECTED, ARE REALLY THAT THE LOCAL, THE, THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY CANNOT DO. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO THAT IS WHY EDA ARE USED AND OR FOR, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER, THERE'S OTHER ASPECTS OF THOSE ARE KIND OF THE TWO BIG ONES THAT ARE USED FOR THAT. 
          AND SO, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID IN MY COMMENTS, THE EDA FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE JOINT EDA IS GONNA BE LOOKED AT, IT'S JUST ANOTHER TOOL THAT'S OUT THERE. 
          THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENT ARE. 
          YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S GONNA BE TALKING WITH THE LAUREL RIDGE AND THE WORKFORCE PEOPLE THERE AND COMING UP WITH A CREATIVE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS. 
          AND SOMETIMES IT'S GONNA BE HOW DO WE BROKER AN INCENTIVE DEAL? AND, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THE WAY THE STRUCTURES ARE IN VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ENTITY HAS TO BE INVOLVED IN TO MAKE THAT PROCESS WORK. 
          I THINK MR. HENRY TOUCHED ON IT TOO, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A A, A LOT OF POTENTIAL DEVELOPABLE LAND IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, THERE'S SOME OUT ON, WELL, EY CREEK INDUSTRIAL PARK, WE'VE GOT, UH, THERE'S ABOUT 600 ACRES OUT THERE TOO THAT, UH, DEVELOPER BEEN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH FOR YEARS MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE LEFT ON THE, UH, THE CORRIDOR MM-HMM . 
          AND I KNOW IN SOME FASHION THERE MAY HAVE, MAY BE ALMOST MORE LAND IN TOWN FOR POTENTIAL INDUSTRY OR COMMERCIAL, WHATEVER. 
          SO, AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IS TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, TOWN, COUNTY, WHATEVER, BOTH OF 'EM, TO SEE WHAT CAN BE MARKETED. 
          YEAH. 
          I'VE ALREADY, I'VE ALREADY HAD THIS CONVERSATION. 
          I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH JOE, HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH ROB, WITH EDA, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY PLANNING STAFF TO KIND OF COME UP WITH JUST KIND OF A, A 10,000 FOOT LEVEL ON WHERE THINGS, SO I MEAN, AGAIN, THAT PROCESS IS OUR, I AFFECTIONATELY REFER TO AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JIGSAW PUZZLE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE, TRYING TO GET THE PIECES TO FIT CORRECTLY AND FIND OUT HOW BEST TO GO FORWARD TO SOLVE IT. 
          I CERTAINLY 
          [00:35:01]
AM NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. 
          AND I TOO GLAD THAT YOU'RE ON BOARD. 
          APPRECIATE IT. 
          APPRECIATE BEING HERE. 
          DR. MARTIN, WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE FUNDING AND THE FINANCIAL CONTROLS FOR THE EDA? BECAUSE I, I THINK THE AUDIENCE, UH, SETTING YOUR TONIGHT IN AT HOME ON THE HEELS OF THE EMBEZZLEMENT AND ONE PERSON HAD THE CHECKBOOK AND EVERYTHING, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE FINANCES WILL WORK IN THIS, IN THIS ARRANGEMENT, PLEASE. 
          SO AT THIS POINT, UM, PATRICK AND, UM, PATRICK SALARY, UH, SUPPORT PERSON SALARY AND SOME OTHER FUNDS ARE PART OF THE WARREN COUNTY BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED TO DURING OUR BUDGET PROCESS. 
          THESE ARE TAX DOLLARS THAT WE APPROPRIATE SPECIFIC FOR THIS, FOR PACKET AND THE STAFF SUPPORT AND SOME OTHER MONIES TO SUPPORT HIS POSITIONS. 
          BUT IT'S, IT'S ALL UNDER OUR BUDGET AND IT'S ALL UNDER THE WARREN COUNTY CONTROLS OF OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          SO, UM, CERTAINLY AS WE GET INTO THIS, UH, WE WILL BE MONITORING BECAUSE I FORESEE THAT PATRICK AND JOE AND I WILL BE HAVING FREQUENT CONVERSATIONS, AND ONE OF THOSE WILL BE ABOUT HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THE BUDGET? UM, DO WE NEED ANY MORE MONEY? UM, UM, AND HOW ARE THINGS GOING? YEAH. 
          I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IF AT ANY POINT YOU'RE MORE OF A CONSULTANT TO THE CURRENT EDA, BECAUSE IT HAS TO STAY IN EXISTENCE, BUT YOU DO NOT WORK FOR THEM, THAT'S YOU. 
          THIS IS A WHOLE SEPARATE DEAL. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ANOTHER TOOL. 
          RIGHT. 
          I CAN'T BE ANY MORE CLEARER THAN THAT. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIKE THE AIRPORT, THEY'RE LIKE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THERE'S THIS PART OF THE PUZZLE, RIGHT. 
          SO I, AND I KNOW THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE AS A COMMUNITY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          YOU KNOW, AND ONE THING THAT I LIKED TO, FOR YOU TO STRESS, UM, IS THAT YOU DON'T GO OUT AND JUST LOOK FOR ANYTHING. 
          MM-HMM. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE PART OF WHAT YOU HAVE MAPPED OUT HERE IS THAT YOU WANNA GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY DON'T WANT, AND WE HEAR THAT. 
          AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO USE ALL OF THAT MM-HMM . 
          TO STRATEGICALLY LOOK AT WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE LAND THAT'S HERE AND GET, AS WE USUALLY SAY, THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK THAT IS ALSO GONNA WORK AND BE VERY COHESIVE WITH WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT THIS COMMUNITY TO BE AND TO THRIVE FOR THE FUTURE. 
          I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT PEOPLE HEAR THAT TOO. 
          I, I'M A, I'M A HUGE PROPONENT OF TARGETED INDUSTRY STUDIES. 
          UH, IT IT, IT TAKES THE WISHLIST OUT OF, OF THE KIND OF COMPANIES THAT YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO, TO TELL SITE SELECTORS AND STATE PROJECT MANAGERS WHO YOU WANT, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. 
          AND, AND BASICALLY THAT, THAT IS A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF QUALITATIVE IN THERE, IN THERE TO, TO ADD IN FILTERS. 
          TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, FOR COMPANIES THAT DON'T HAVE SMOKE STACKS? DO YOU WANT HIGHER WAGE EMPLOYMENTS? YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ALL WHERE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS WILL LEND US TO. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, THAT PROCESS IS MEANT TO BE KIND OF A, A STANDALONE QUA, YOU KNOW, QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS THAT WAY. 
          'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO PSYCH SELECTORS AND STATE PRACTICE MANAGERS AND YOU, THEY'RE GONNA ASK YOU WHO ARE YOUR TARGETS? YOU'VE GOTTA BE EFFECTIVELY STRONG AND AND DILIGENT ON HOW YOU GOT TO THOSE AND WHY, WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR STORY? WHY, WHY, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT JUST BECAUSE, WELL, WHY SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER COMMUNITY? WE THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT HERE. 
          IT WON'T, IT WON'T CUT IT. 
          YOU, YOU KNOW, IN THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU HAVE GOTTA BE SO ARTICULATE. 
          YOUR STORYTELLING HAS TO BE JUST RIGHT ON, ON, ON CUE. 
          UH, BECAUSE IF, IF YOU'RE NOT, THEY'RE GONNA KNOW. 
          I MEAN, THEY, THEY'VE HEARD, THEY'VE HEARD THE PITCHES. 
          UM, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I MEAN, EVERYONE'S, WELL, HOW TO WORKFORCE, EVERYONE WANTS HOW QUALITY OF LIFE. 
          THOSE, THOSE DON'T WORK. 
          I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PART OF THE OVERALL PACKAGE, BUT THEY'RE NOT YOUR LEADS. 
          YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHY THE BENCHMARKING STUDY IS SO IMPORTANT IS TO TRY TO START REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE, WHERE YOU DO YOU HAVE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES WITH 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GOING GONNA RESONATE WITH, WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, WHO ARE DEALING WITH CLIENTS. 
          YOU KNOW, IN MY EXPERIENCE, I DO HAVE ONE STORY TO TELL YOU ABOUT PATRICK. 
          I'M SURE THERE ARE GONNA BE MANY MORE IN THE FUTURE. 
          SO I DROPPED BY HIS OFFICE AND I SAID, HOW ARE THINGS GOING? AND HE SAID, I'M BUSY PUTTING YOUR AVAILABLE PROPERTIES ON THE VIRGINIA WEBSITE. 
          AND I SAID, WHAT? HE SAYS, WELL, YOUR PROPERTIES HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE VIRGINIA WEBSITE. 
          SO THE PROSPECTIVE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW 
          [00:40:01]
WHAT YOU HAVE. 
          NOW THEY DO START, START. 
          IT'S A START. 
          START. 
          I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. 
          UM, WELL, I THINK YOU TOUCHED HIGH LEVEL AND ONE OF THEM IS FOR YOU AND WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BARKER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE MET, UM, I KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT WORK FOR THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY EDA, BUT I WAS INTERESTED TO SEE IF YOU HAD MET WITH THEM JUST TO KIND OF START THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND GET AN IDEA OF WHERE THEY'RE AT. 
          YEAH, I'VE MET WITH THE CHAIRMAN, THE CHAIR TWICE SO FAR. 
          UM, AND I WILL BE AT THEIR, THEIR NEXT MEETING JUST TO KIND OF LISTEN AND SUCH AND, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, THE CHAIR AND I HAVE A GOOD FLUID OPEN CONVERSATION. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL IN SYNC ON WHAT THEIR ROLE IS, WHAT HIS ROLE IS, AND WHAT MY ROLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE. 
          FANTASTIC. 
          UM, I, THERE IN MONTH TWO, UM, THIS SIX MONTH DRAFT LAYS OUT, UH, SITE READINESS, WHICH I KNOW MR. CARTER TOUCHED ON AS WELL, THAT A LOT OF DEVELOPABLE LAND IS IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL OR THE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS NOT THE TOWN. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BUT ONE THING THAT I JUST ASK THAT THE COUNTY BE MINDFUL AND OPEN AND TRANSPARENT IN THEIR CONVERSATIONS GOING FORWARD IS THAT THE TOWN SUPPLIES THAT WATER, UM, DESPITE IT NOT BEING IN THE TOWN'S LIMITS. 
          AND SO I KNOW ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THIS COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY FACING A LOT OF BACKLASH FOR IS A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE THAT WE WOULD BE PROVIDING WATER OR TWO THAT I KNOW MYSELF AND SEVERAL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN PRESENTED WITH AND KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. 
          SO JUST THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP. 
          WHICH LEADS ME INTO MY QUESTION FOR THE COUNTY, I GUESS MAYBE DR. MARTIN. 
          UM, TWO QUESTIONS. 
          ONE, UM, I KNOW I LOOKED AT THE BUDGET LAST YEAR, BUT IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, IS THE COUNTY CURRENTLY FUNDING ANY OF THE WARREN COUNTY FRONT ROYAL EDA AND THE NEW BUDGET? WAS IT A LITTLE BIT IN THERE TO, FOR THE, LIKE, TO KEEP THE ATTORNEY AND STUFF? UM, AND YOU CAN GET BACK TO ME BY EMAIL. 
          NO, I'M TRYING TO THINK BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS. 
          WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S THAT, WHAT'S IN TAP? RIGHT? I KNOW THERE WERE SOME MAJOR SLASHES LAST YEAR, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT, UM, I I THINK I I, IT IT'S A VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT TO SMALL. 
          IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          SOME OF IT, UH, IS ATTRIBUTED TO SOME ATTORNEY FEES. 
          UM, UH, I'VE HAD A REQUEST FROM, UH, FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE HE'S LOOKING FOR MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY. 
          AND, UH, I, AND THAT REQUEST WOULD COME TO 4 4 6. 
          OKAY. 
          AN ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OTHER THAN WHAT WAS APPROVED. 
          OKAY. 
          IT WAS, CAN I, CAN I ADD ONE THING, UM, JUST SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS IS LISTENING OR, OR READING ABOUT THIS LATER, THAT THE, THE MONEY THAT THE COUNTY GIVES THE EDA IS MAINLY TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON. 
          IT'S, IT'S NOT GOING TO DEBT. 
          UH, IT'S NOT GOING TO THE ADA'S DEBT FROM ANY PAST THINGS THAT, THAT HAPPENED BEFORE. 
          THAT IS THEIR DEBT. 
          IT'S NOT THE COUNTY'S DEBT. 
          IT'S NOT THE TOWN'S DEBT. 
          AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO DEAL WITH IT. 
          BUT TAXPAYER MONEY IS NOT GOING TOWARDS THAT. 
          I UNDERSTAND. 
          IT'S NOT FUNDING THE DEBT SERVICE. 
          I WASN'T IMPLYING THAT UNFORTUNATELY IT IS, UM, ONLY HARMING THE DEBT OF THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN BECAUSE THOSE PROPERTIES WERE PAID FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS BY THE TOWN AND COUNTY. 
          AND NOW THEY'RE NOT GENERATING ANY TAX REVENUE. 
          UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON. 
          THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE ON THE FRONT, ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, EDA BOARD WHO I THINK VERY HIGHLY OF, AND THEY'RE VERY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE. 
          UM, BUT AT SOME POINT, PAYING TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON FOR AN INSOLVENT BUSINESS IS ALSO A NET NEGATIVE. 
          BUT MY NEXT QUESTION THAT I WAS LEADING INTO WAS, HAS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OR THE COUNTY STAFF DISCUSSED WHAT WOULD JOINT FUNDING LOOK LIKE, UM, WITH THE TOWN PROVIDING, UM, FUNDING? I KNOW MR. HENRY TOUCHED ON THAT AND IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED HIGH LEVEL HERE, BUT OBVIOUSLY MR. BARKER IS HERE AND HE HAS JOINED THE COUNTY, SO THAT WASN'T A STIPULATION OF HIS EMPLOYMENT. 
          UM, BUT HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS ON WHAT JOINT FUNDING WOULD LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GIVE US ? WELL, OUR MONEY TREE IS NOT GROWING. 
          WELL, THAT'S, I'M HOPING THAT AS, UH, AS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROWS AND THAT'S HOW WE FUND OURSELVES YEAH. 
          THAT THE MONEY MAY BE THERE THEN. 
          WELL, AND I DO KNOW YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY. 
          THAT WAS WHAT WAS LEADING ME INTO ONE OF MY FINAL QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AT THE MOMENT. 
          IT'S A LOT TO, UM, PROCESS. 
          UM, 
          [00:45:02]
BUT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL HAS RECENTLY RENEWED ITS CONTRACT WITH RETAIL STRATEGIES. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR. 
          I KNOW YOU AND I DISCUSSED AT HIGH LEVEL, UM, AND THEIR JOB IS IN PART WHAT YOUR JOB IS TO GO OUT AND PROMOTE FRONT ROYAL AND MAKE US LOOK ATTRACTIVE TO EMPLOYERS, BUSINESSES, UM, DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT ANY CRITERIA. 
          UM, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE OR NEW NEWS TO ANYBODY HERE THAT I WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF RENEWING THAT CONTRACT BECAUSE WE HAVE A SIX MONTH PLAN IN FRONT OF US HERE, AND THAT'S A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH NO PROMISE, TANGIBLE POSITIVES. 
          BUT, SO MY QUESTION IS, WOULD YOU BE, UM, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE OR WOULD YOU BE ABLE AND WILLING TO, TO TALK WITH AND BE INCLUDED IN THE RETAIL STRATEGIES, CONVERSATIONS IF THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE? UM, BECAUSE LIKE YOU MENTIONED, PROPERTIES THAT PROSPECTIVE BUYERS AREN'T EVEN AWARE OF, UM, IN MY TIME SERVING AS A COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING US ON THAT BOARD, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF SOME PROPERTIES THAT THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF. 
          UM, AND THEN YOU'LL KIND OF HAVE YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF WHAT THE APPETITE AND DESIRE OF THE ELECTED BOARD IS, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT. 
          UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT OPEN FOR ALL BUSINESS, UH, IN MY OPINION. 
          UM, WE, WE DO NEED TO BE AND WANT TO BE SELECTIVE IN WHAT WE REPRESENT AND WHAT REPRESENTS FRONT ROYAL. 
          UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, BUT PERHAPS A CONVERSATION. 
          I THINK WE DO A MONTHLY CALL AND IT'S ZOOM 30 TO 45 MINUTES. 
          MR. WELL, I'LL GO BACK. 
          WELL, I GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND I THINK WHAT'S KIND OF INDICATED IN HERE AS WELL, UM, WE WANNA MAKE THIS AS COLLABORATIVE, AS PRO, UH, AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, WE DON'T, WE WANT TO USE, AND HOPEFULLY NOT ABUSE PATRICK, BUT UM, WE WANT HIM TO GET HIS FEET WET. 
          AND I THINK ALL CONVERSATIONS ARE ON THE TABLE OF HOW DO WE ENHANCE THE WARREN COUNTY FRONT ROYAL COMMUNITIES, UH, IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S THE OVERALL GOAL FOR BRINGING HIM ON IS YOU ALL LIVE IN THE SAME AREA AND WE'VE GOTTA BE SURE THAT WE'RE ENHANCING EVERYONE AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS, THIS COMPANY, IS IT LIKE A STUDY GROUP TO HELP? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          THEY'RE A CONSULTING FIRM. 
          SO THEY REPRESENT, UM, MANY LOCALITIES. 
          THEY GO TO, TO TRADE SHOWS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHERE THEY HAVE A TABLE AND A BOOTH AND THEY PUT OUT DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL. 
          UM, WELL, THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE INFORMATION, THEY'RE KIND OF POLLING INFORMATION, I'M SURE. 
          INFORMATION, AND THEY REACH OUT AND WORK DIRECTLY WITH SOME ORGANIZATIONS. 
          UM, SO I JUST THINK THEY MAY HAVE INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, NOT YOU JUST BEING A WELCOME KNOWLEDGE TO THEM, BUT I THINK THEY MAY HAVE STUFF THAT WOULD BEN BENEFIT THE COUNTY PERHAPS BECAUSE YOU GUYS DO HAVE COMMERCIAL SPACES OUT IN THE CORRIDOR THAT ARE MORE APPROPRIATE USE FOR SOME BUSINESSES VERSUS THE TOWN OF CURRENT ROYAL. 
          AND, AND THAT'S CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THAT IS A STRICTLY FOCUSED ON RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL ENTITIES, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          AND WE, WE HAD A CALL TODAY WITH THEM AS PERFECT TIMING 'CAUSE IT WAS ANNOUNCED, WE TOLD THEM TODAY THAT THE COUNTY HAS HIRED YOU. 
          AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR BIG GOALS IS TO MAKE THAT INTRODUCTION. 
          'CAUSE WE FEEL LIKE THERE WOULD BE A GOOD SYNERGY THERE BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. 
          RIGHT? YEAH. 
          I'LL TAKE A TURN. 
          GO RIGHT AHEAD. 
          TURN . 
          SO FIRST JUST WANNA SAY THANKS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR AGREEING TO JOIN US HERE. 
          UM, FOR THOSE OF US WHO BORN AND RAISED HERE AND LIVED HERE OUR WHOLE LIVES, WE KNOW WHAT FREDERICK COUNTY AND, AND WINCHESTER LOOKED LIKE. 
          UM, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN ARGUE THAT IN THE LAST 25 YEARS THEY'VE MADE QUITE A BIT OF PROGRESS. 
          UM, AND SO I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO COME HERE AND HOPEFULLY, UM, SEND US ON OUR WAY OR PUSH US FORWARD, I SHOULD SAY. 
          UM, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO SAY TOO, LIKE AROUND THE TIME WHEN AV TECHS CLOSED, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD GO BACK AND SEE OUR HISTORY OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU KNOW, WE FRONT ROYAL WAS HURTING MM-HMM . 
          AND, UM, WHILE WE HAD SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE THINGS WERE BUILT HERE. 
          INDUSTRIES DID COME HERE UNTIL IT DIDN'T MM-HMM . 
          UNTIL, UM, PEOPLE WERE DOING THEIR JOB. 
          UM, AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT. 
          RIGHT? SO, UM, AND WE KIND OF HIT A PAUSE AND THAT'S REALLY HURT US. 
          UM, IT'S HURT ALL OF US, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WE HAD SOME MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. 
          AND WHEN I THINK THAT IF SOMEBODY LITERALLY SIX MONTHS AGO HAD SAID, 
          [00:50:01]
LET'S LOOK AROUND AT THESE, WHERE MIGHT WE WANNA GO? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY WOULD'VE CALLED IF THEY WANTED TO COME HERE. 
          I MEAN, I, I MEAN, JUST TO BE HONEST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO DO YOU CALL? YOU KNOW, DO YOU CALL THE CHAIR? DO YOU CALL THE MAYOR? DO YOU CALL IT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, TOWN MANAGER? LIKE, AND, AND BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT DIDN'T EXIST, THAT'S WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE PROBABLY MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. 
          AND I'M SURE IN YOUR LINE OF WORK, AND FOR ME, LOOKING AT THINGS THAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED, LIKE YOU WERE TO PICKED UP THAT CALL, YOU KNOW, AND IF IT WAS GOING ON IN FREDERICK COUNTY AND WINCHESTER. 
          SO, UM, SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO GO FORWARD. 
          I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THAT IN MY OPINION, BOTH OF THESE BOARDS ARE AT A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO DO THAT ON THE TAX DOLLARS. 
          IT JUST IS. 
          AND WE CAN'T, AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA PULL OURSELVES OUT OF THIS WHOLE IS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED THAT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS, COULD BE, UM, A MAJOR PATH FORWARD. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. 
          I'M GRATEFUL YOU'RE HERE. 
          AMBER BROUGHT UP RETAIL STRATEGIES. 
          I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AND I'M SURE YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, WE HAVE, UH, FRIDA AND, AND FRONT OIL AS WELL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WANNA TALK TO ALL THE, ALL THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS AND THE PIECES. 
          UM, AND I WAS GONNA BRING UP RETAIL STRATEGIES, CHARITY DID MM-HMM . 
          UM, BUT THEY HAD SOME KIND OF LIKE A PLAN OF HOW THEY WOULD DO THIS THE FIRST YEAR. 
          THIS, THE SECOND YEAR, THIS THE THIRD YEAR. 
          UM, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THIS EXCEPT SLOW PACE, RIGHT? LIKE, IT WAS LIKE WHEN SLOW MOTION, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THESE PLACES AND WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. 
          SO, UM, I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEM AS WELL. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL KEEP GOING FORWARD WITH THEM. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT, BUT WE ARE PAYING FOR THEM A SECOND YEAR, SO ANYTHING WE CAN GET OUT OF IT WOULD BE GREAT. 
          1000%, RIGHT? LIKE, YEP. 
          SO THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT AGREED. 
          BUT, UM, BUT I'M EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU AND I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE ALSO EXCITED ABOUT YOU BEING HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          I WANTED TO ADD, UM, SOMETHING, I THINK IT'S, YEAH, I KNOW THAT IT'S A FEW MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT LIKE WHEN YOU GET TO THE PART ABOUT INCENTIVES MM-HMM . 
          UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY, OH, IS IT NOT ON, SORRY. 
          GETTING CLOSER. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I I, WHEN YOU'RE DOING YOUR STUDY NOW, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY BE THINKING IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND ABOUT WHERE COUNTIES ARE THAT REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO INVEST IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT KIND OF INCENTIVES CAN BE OFFERED THAT WON'T INVOLVE US, YOU COMING TO US, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS A YEAR FROM NOW AND SAYING, WELL, YOU'VE GOTTA PUT, YOU KNOW, X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYTHING. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND ALSO FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CREATIVELY PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO THEM THAT WON'T COST US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, WE DON'T HAVE. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT, UM, IT, IT IS ALMOST THE INDUSTRY STANDARD THESE DAYS THAT EVERY INCENTIVES ARE USUALLY DONE POST PERFORMANCE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE, THEY'RE WEIGHED. 
          NO, WE, NO ONE'S PUT IN A CLAWBACK SITUATION. 
          SO, UH, FROM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, ANY, ANY COMPANY THAT IS ASKING FOR SOMETHING SIZABLE UPFRONT, IT'S KIND OF A RED FLAG. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE, THE SITE CONSULTANTS AND MOST TOP TIER COMPANIES UNDERSTAND THE INCENTIVE PROCESS, AND THAT'S THEIR PREFERENCE. 
          BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY THERE'S NO MONEY UP FRONT. 
          YOU'RE NOT CHASING MONEY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ONLY DOING IT AFTER THEY'VE SAID THEY'VE DONE THINGS AND YOU CONFIRM THEY'VE DONE IT. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT HAS BEEN THE STANDARD. 
          AND IN MOST EVERY DEAL THAT I'VE WORKED ON IN THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS, THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN. 
          AND THEY'VE ACCEPTED THAT. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          I MEAN, AGAIN, SOMETIMES IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S PHASED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. 
          LIKE THEY DO A LITTLE BIT, WE STOP, CONFIRM IT, HERE'S A LITTLE BIT, GO ALONG, STOP, CONFIRM, GIVE A LITTLE BIT. 
          BUT THE COUNT, THE, I HAVE ALWAYS HAD IT. 
          SO THE COUNTY WAS ALWAYS IN THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BLACK WHEN IT CAME TO THAT PROCESS. 
          IF THAT, IF THAT HELPS AT ALL. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE STANDARD. 
          ANYONE WHO DOES OTHERWISE, I, I, I'D LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM. 
          THANKS. 
          JUST ALONG THOSE LINES TOO, AS FAR AS FOLLOWING UP ON THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS, I THINK THE TOWN'S EDA AND THE COUNTIES, WHATEVER, EDA, UH, THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO ANSWER THE PHONE. 
          SO I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION. 
          CAN YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? ALWAYS ANSWER THE PHONE. 
          NO. 
          YOU KNOW, EMAILS, EVERYTHING. 
          I, I'M, I'M A, I'M A BIG BELIEVER. 
          AS LONG AS I'VE GOT THE, ANY KIND OF CELL PHONE COVERAGE, I'LL RETURN TO ANYBODY'S 
          [00:55:01]
CALL. 
          BUT YOU'VE ALREADY CAUGHT ONE THING AS FAR AS LISTING THE PROPERTIES ON THE VIRGINIA SITE MM-HMM . 
          AND BACK IN THE DAY, I REMEMBER TOO, ANOTHER BIG, UH, CONNECTION IS VEDP. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT SHOW A LOT OF STUFF. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE THROUGH CONNECTIONS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ALREADY YOU'VE HIT THE RUN ROAD, UH, THE ROAD RUNNING. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S A, THIS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THESE DAYS, SO MUCH IS DONE BY THE STATE AND BY COMPANIES BEFORE THE, WE, WE GET THAT PHONE CALL MM-HMM . 
          AND, AND, AND IF YOUR PROPERTY'S NOT ON THE SYSTEM, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET THE CALL OR GET THE EMAIL ASKING TO COMPLETE THEIR RFI, I MEAN, IT'S JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          SO, I MEAN, IF YOU, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE CURRENT INFORMATION UP THERE AND, AND THEN FROM THERE IT'S A PROCESS TO, TO GET THE, DO YOU HAVE WHAT THAT PERSON, THAT CLIENT NEEDS. 
          BRUCE, DID YOU, UH, YOU ACTED LIKE YOU HAD A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? WELL, WELL, I, I WAS JUST GOING TO, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO A BUNCH OF DETAILS. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S JAMES. 
          UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE, I'VE, UH, BEEN REVIEWING THE DOCUMENT AND IT IS REALLY AN EXCELLENT CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM. 
          I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. 
          A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          UM, SO THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT IT. 
          UM, I LIKE THE IDEA OF, I DON'T THINK WE'RE CONNECTED TO THE VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP. 
          UM, I THINK FREDERICK COUNTY IS, UM, I THINK SHENANDOAH COUNTY IS, BUT I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT WARREN COUNTY WAS PART OF, PART OF THIS ONE MONTH. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD START. 
          AND, UM, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO FOR BUSINESS RETENTIONS IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. 
          I WORRY ABOUT SOME OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN, LIKE IN, UH, MOM AND POP BUSINESSES THAT ARE LIKE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK. 
          MM-HMM . 
          DON'T HAVE GOOD SIGNAGE. 
          UH, I KNOW THEY, UH, THEY'RE PROBABLY USING SOCIAL MEDIA, HOWEVER, UM, I DRIVE BY THESE BUSINESSES ALL THE TIME AND THE PARKING LOTS LOOK EMPTY. 
          AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I COME FROM A BACKGROUND OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND THEY'RE REALLY THE BACKBONE, UH, OF OUR, UH, COMMUNITY. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          UH, SO, UM, I'M GONNA JOIN EVERYONE ELSE IN WELCOMING YOU. 
          I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE. 
          UH, AND, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO GOOD THINGS. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UH, YOUR CHARACTER, UH, KIND OF REAPS, UH, THAT I'M A GO GETTER AND I'M GOING MAKE IT HAPPEN. 
          SO APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, THANK YOU, MR. JAMESON. 
          I THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE HASN'T SAID ANYTHING, SO I DO YOU THE OPPORTUNITY CARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, PATRICK. 
          YES, SIR. 
          I THINK, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, I GOT AN ORANGE HIGHLIGHTER HERE, AND WHAT I HIGHLIGHTED THE MOST WAS, UH, IDENTIFIED TARGETED INDUSTRIES. 
          YES. 
          UM, OTHER PEOPLE HERE HAVE, HAVE SAID TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND IT, I THINK THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT TO MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR, UM, YOUR, YOUR MISSION IS TO DO WHAT THE BOARD'S MISSION IS. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND, UH, THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LAID OUT HERE. 
          UM, CONDUCTING INDUSTRY, TARGET INDUSTRY ANALYSIS AT TARGET STRATEGY AND SO ON. 
          AND, AND THEN, UH, FACILITATING STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, YOU KNOW, ARE, IS A WIDE, A WIDE NET. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TO ANSWER THE PHONE, I, I READ IN THIS, AND I, I DON'T WANT YOU TO CONFIRM IT JUST, JUST FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BEING HERE, IT'S NOT JUST BEING HERE TO ANSWER THE PHONE, BUT IT'S GOING OUT TO GET THEM WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TARGETING. 
          GO GET IT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IT'S NOT, I'M HERE TO ANSWER THE PHONE 'CAUSE WE'RE ON THE SOMEBODY'S, UH, WE'RE IN SOMEBODY'S DATABASE. 
          RIGHT. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          I, I TOLD DR. MARTIN EARLY ON, ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, LOW COST, UH, WAYS TO GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE IS, YOU 
          [01:00:01]
KNOW, IT, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE STATE COME OUT AND VISIT THE MAR THE MARKET AND EVERYTHING. 
          BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE BUSY PEOPLE. 
          THERE'S, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF PROJECT MANAGERS, UH, THEY SIMPLY JUST GO TO THEIR OFFICES AND JUST LITERALLY SET UP FOR A HALF A DAY IN THEIR, IN THEIR CONFERENCE ROOM AND JUST HOLD A LOT OF QUICK BURST MEETINGS, IS ONE OF THE SIMPLEST WAYS THAT YOU GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE. 
          AND PARTICULARLY IN AREAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE AREAS THAT ARE FURTHER AWAY FROM RICHMOND THAT THEY DON'T GET OUT TOO MUCH. 
          SO, I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS OF SMALL TACTICS THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEM TRIVIAL AT THE END, BUT THEY, THEY COLLECTIVELY MEAN A LOT OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME. 
          SO, THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WELL, I MAY, UH, JUST, I GUESS JUST ASK ONE GENERAL QUESTION HERE. 
          AND I KNOW PATRICK, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR YOU OR FOR DR. MARTIN OR FOR JOE PETTY, OR IF THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE BOARD, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'LL FIRST START BY SAYING A COMMENT ABOUT WELCOME, UH, A BOARD TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS GOOD THAT WE'RE MAKING A STEP, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A CLEAN SLATE AS BEEN STATED BEFORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UH, HOPEFULLY IT'S A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. 
          'CAUSE THIS COMMUNITY NEEDS IT, YOU KNOW? SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD FROM THE PAST, UH, FROM RECENT, UH, HISTORY THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BLACK EYE UPON COMMUNITY. 
          BUT, UM, I GUESS TO GET TO MY QUESTION IS THAT, UH, I KNOW RIGHT NOW OF COURSE YOU'RE REPORTING TO, TO DR. MARTIN MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, AND DR. MARTIN, OF COURSE, AND JOE, JOE ARE, UH, MR. PETTY ARE, ARE COLLABORATING. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY OUR, OUR, OUR BOARDS HAVE JOINT COMMITTEES MM-HMM . 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, FOR INSTANCE. 
          UH, OUR, OUR CURRENT MEMBERS ON THESE BOTH BOARDS, UH, FORMED, FORMED THAT COMMITTEE. 
          AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE'VE HAD STAKEHOLDERS. 
          I THINK JUST, I BELIEVE, UH, CHAIRMAN CALLERS IS STILL CHAIR OF THAT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. 
          I, I DON'T THINK I'M, I'M NOT A MEMBER OF IT AT THIS POINT. 
          I BELIEVE VICE MAYOR AND I BELIEVE YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU GUYS ARE ON IT FROM, FROM THE TOWN. 
          UM, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE A, A JOINT T TOURISM MM-HMM . 
          COM, UH, COMMITTEE AS WELL. 
          UH, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT OUR BOARDS COMBINED COULD MAYBE DO ANOTHER COMMITTEE FOR, PERHAPS, I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE. 
          UM, HAVE A MEMBER OF EACH AND PERHAPS WE CAN MEET QUARTERLY WITH DR. MARTIN AND JOE AND YEAH. 
          GET DIRECT INPUT. 
          I'M, I'M JUST THROWING THE IDEA OUT THERE. 
          I, 'CAUSE NO, I, I WAS A LITTLE REMI. 
          I, I, I, I MENTIONED IT AT THE, THE BOARD MEETING, BUT MY, MY PLAN DESIRE IS NOT IMMEDIATELY, BUT AT SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS WE GET GOING, IS TO HAVE A COMMITTEE, ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHATEVER MADE UP OF THE APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS THAT INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD THINK OF EDUCATION, WORKFORCE BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT LEADERS, TO BE KIND OF THAT, THAT CHECK AND BALANCE, UH MM-HMM . 
          WHAT, AND, AND PROVIDE INPUT. 
          AGAIN, I'M, I'M ONE BRAIN, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE EYES AND MORE BRAIN POWER, IT'S GONNA BE NECESSARY. 
          SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM TO GIVE FEEDBACK AS WE'RE GOING ALONG WITH THE WORK PLAN, UH, TO GIVE MORE POWER AND MORE, MORE ENGINE TO IT. 
          SO YOUR COMMENT'S RIGHT ON THAT, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT, NOT MENTIONING NO, NO, THAT'S OKAY. 
          NO, I SAY THAT TOO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY I HAD MENTIONED PUBLICLY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AS WE AS, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE, ARE, ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF, OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR US. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YOU KNOW, SO, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO US WHEN THEY WENT FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING THE MM-HMM . 
          THE QUESTIONS ASKED. 
          SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAKE OF OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT, I MEAN, THERE'S STILL, THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME SENSITIVITY THERE, YOU KNOW, FROM TO HAVING A, A QUOTE UNQUOTE BOARD, IF YOU WILL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, WE MAIN MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY AND MAINTAIN US. 
          I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE. 
          AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD THINK, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR OPENNESS TO COLLABORATIVE. 
          I WOULD, I WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY WANT THAT. 
          I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST TO HAVE SOMEONE AGAIN, TO, TO LOOK AT THINGS BEFORE THEY GO LIVE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO FIX SOMETHING BEFORE YOU ROLL IT OUT VERSUS TRYING TO BRING IT BACK INTO THE SHED AND TRY TO FIX IT. 
          SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT AND BOOK AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MORE VOICES MAKE A STRONGER MESSAGE TO GET MORE COMMUNITY BACK BACKING. 
          I MEAN, THAT KIND OF ELEMENTS IS VERY MUCH A TEAM GAME. 
          WELL, IT KEEPS US, IT KEEPS US INVOLVED TOO. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I MEAN, OR IT KEEPS US INVOLVED, BUT IT ALSO KEEPS IT ROLLING. 
          'CAUSE IF WE, AH, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE A MEETING THIS MONTH. 
          OH, LET'S NOT DO THIS NEXT THING. 
          YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING HERE TWO, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS OF LIAISON MEETINGS AND LIKE, WELL, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH WITH THIS NOW? YOU KNOW? SO, YOU KNOW, AND LIKE I SAID, DISTINCT TO KEEP THE, KEEP THE WHEEL GREASE THERE, YOU KNOW, TO MAINTAIN SOME, WE MAY WE BE PROACTIVE WITH THIS BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING. 
          AGREED. 
          AND WE BOTH, 
          [01:05:01]
BOTH BOARDS HAVE HAD TO RAISE TAXES. 
          UH, AND AS OUR DELEGATE SAID, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY, AND SHE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE CANNOT TAX OUR WAY OUT OF OUR, OUT OF OUR ISSUES. 
          WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH BLOOD YOU CAN GET FROM A TURNIP. 
          SO, UH, SO TO SPEAK. 
          BUT ANYWAYS, THAT'S THE END OF MY QUESTION SLASH COMMENT AND WHATEVER Y'ALL, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO TAKE AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THAT  GOOD QUESTION. 
          NO, AND I, I, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED IT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD BROUGHT THAT UP IN THE PAST AND, UM, AND IT WAS KIND OF MISSED OUT OF ALL OF THIS, BUT IT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE, THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP, AND I THINK WE DO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          I, YOU KNOW, GREW UP WITH SOME OF YOU AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE BECOME FRIENDS WITH YOU, OTHERS THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE COMMITTEES AND DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          AND WHAT'S GOOD FOR ONE IS GOOD FOR THE OTHER AS FAR AS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWN, UM, AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COUNTY. 
          AND I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL EVENTS AND THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING. 
          UM, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS START GETTING INVOLVED IN WORKING WITH BOTH OF US AS WELL. 
          AND, UM, I, I ALWAYS SAY WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER. 
          SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. 
          SO AGREED. 
          IF DR. MARTIN OR MR. PETTY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO? YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T HAVE YOU WAITING SIX HOURS LIKE WE DID TUESDAY. 
          I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. 
          IT'S ALL GOOD. 
          THANK YOU'ALL. 
          ALL RIGHTY. 
          SO WE ARE GOING 
          [D. Discussion - Tourism]
FROM ONE JOINT ADVENTURE TO ANOTHER. 
          WE'RE UP GOING TOURISM, SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MS. MEADOWS, I MAY COME UP FROM THAT. 
          AND COULD WE ALSO INVITE LIZZIE, UH, SHE'S PART OF TOURISM AS WELL. 
          YES. 
          SO BOTH JANE AND I WAS LOOKING AROUND TO SEE WHERE SHE WAS AND COULDN'T SEE HER FOR WHERE SHE WAS SAYING. 
          SO, UM, AND I KNOW WE DISCUSSED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AND AGAIN AT, UM, LIAISON MEETINGS. 
          SO WE HAVE UP THE LAST LIAISON MEETING BECAUSE WE GAVE DIRECTIVES AND AT THAT MEETING, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MINUTES FOR EVERYBODY TO PASS OUT, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO. 
          BUT I THOUGHT IF, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WANTED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT THE DIRECTIVE WAS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE END PRODUCT OF THE DIRECTIVE, WE CAN ROLL THAT. 
          SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST WATCHING IT? I DON'T THINK IT'S, I LIKE WATCHING MYSELF. 
          I DON'T LIKE WATCHING MYSELF EITHER, BUT I DON'T THINK IT TAKES VERY LONG. 
          SO IF YOU, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND, AND ROLL IT AND, AND GET THAT PART OVER. 
          AND THEN, UM, I THINK MS. MEADOW, YOU MIGHT AS WELL COME ON UP IF WE, BECAUSE YOU'RE A BIG PART OF OUR, PART OF THE TOURISM, AND I KNOW MR. WOOD AND I ARE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON THE, UM, TOURISM COMMITTEE FOR KIND OF FEEL LIKE IT'S, IF YOU STARTED COUNTY, BUT IT'S, IT'S GROWN TO TOWN AND COUNTY. 
          SO IT WAS ON, YOU PUT IT ON. 
          SO DO YOU HAVE SPECIFIC THINGS YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS ABOUT IT? SO I FEEL LIKE IT WAS EVEN AS FAR BACK AS THE OCTOBER MEETING WAS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING, JUST BRINGING UP ABOUT TOURISM. 
          AND THEN IN JANUARY WE, UM, BROUGHT IT UP, YOU KNOW, JUST TALKED AGAIN ABOUT THAT, UM, HOW TOURISM HAD HAD BEEN ON MULTIPLE LIAISON AGENDAS AND JUST THAT THE TOWN WAS INTERESTED IN COLLABORATING WITH THE COUNTY ON JOINT MARKETING MATERIAL. 
          UM, AND, AND REALLY JUST JOINTLY WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING. 
          AND SO WE THOUGHT WE'D BRING IT BACK UP JUST TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY UPDATES. 
          I KNOW AT THE MEETING IN OCTOBER WE TALKED, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE LEFT IT THAT NIGHT AS WE WERE GONNA, UM, THE CHAIR AT THE TIME. 
          AND I, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT LIKE, WELL, COULD WE JUST DIRECT OUR STAFF TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND OR SUGGESTIONS? AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER SUPERVISOR AT THE TIME FELT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE 
          [01:10:01]
TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WANTED BEFORE WE TELL OUR STAFF WHAT TO DISCUSS OR WHAT TO DO. 
          I PERSONALLY THINK, I STILL THINK IT WAS A BETTER IDEA TO SAY, LET OUR, OUR STAFF TALK ABOUT LIKE WAYS IN WHICH THEY COULD COLLABORATE. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE THE ONES TO SAY, THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD DO IT, BUT RATHER JUST DISCUSSING HOW, WHAT, HOW ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE COULD COLLABORATE. 
          MR. PETTY, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANY MORE TO THAT THEN? I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK. 
          UM, I KNOW, YEAH. 
          I THINK, UM, OBVIOUSLY ALSO WITH SOME OF THE RECENT TRANSITIONS AND STUFF, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, STAFF WAS WORKING TOGETHER AND I KNOW LIZZIE AND AND JANE COMMUNICATE A LOT AND WITH DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME TRANSITION AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL AND WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE RIGHT STEPS. 
          IS IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THIS FUTURE. 
          BECAUSE WE HAD MET WITH THE FORMER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND KIND OF HAD SOME IDEAS AND THEN WITH THAT CHANGE, WE, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GOING DOWN THAT RIGHT PATH IF IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, WELL I KNOW, UM, I INVITED ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS TO COME TO ONE OF THE MEETINGS TO GET A, A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE, AS FAR AS WHAT, WHEN I SAID I WANTED TO, WHAT, A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO AGO, WE NEEDED TO START DOING SOMETHING WITH TOURISM 'CAUSE IT WAS JUST LAYING THERE. 
          NOBODY WAS DOING ANYTHING ON OUR SIDE. 
          AND, UM, IT HAS GROWN A LOT, IT SEEMS LIKE NEW PEOPLE COME IN TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS AND UM, AND I'M GONNA LET YOU KNOW, UM, JANE MEADOWS TALK TO IT MORE. 
          BUT I DO THINK, AND, AND MR. WOOD CAN ADD IN THERE TOO, THAT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, GOOD FOR EVERYONE. 
          I MEAN, WE COME AND WE GIVE REPORTS AND SO FORTH OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND IT IS A GOOD COLLABORATION. 
          AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION. 
          I KNOW THAT I ASKED, UM, THE MAIN PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH IT, UM, JANE MEADOWS, LIZZIE LEWIS, UM, MICHAEL WHITLOW TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A PLAN, A SIX TO 12 MONTH, WHATEVER THEY WANTED AS FAR AS A TIMELINE, BUT A PLAN OF HOW THEY'RE EXECUTING THINGS AND TO KIND OF BUDGET IT AS THEY GO TYPE OF THING. 
          AND I, I'M GONNA LET HER TALK TO THAT AS WHERE THEY ARE AND SO THAT THEY COULD PRESENT IT TO BOTH THE BOARD AND THE TOWN SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND HOW THE DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT. 
          SO OF COURSE I'M THE NEW ONE. 
          I WASN'T HERE IN OCTOBER, BUT, UH, MET WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING STUFF MET WITH CHAMBER OF CONVERSE, UH, THE COUNTY HAS TRADITIONALLY NOT DONE A GREAT JOB AT TOURISM. 
          NOT, NOT NOT TO ANY STAFF'S FAULT, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FUNDING THING. 
          AND OH, OUR WEBSITE'S NOT VERY FUNCTIONAL. 
          OH, THE TOWNS IS BETTER, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT PERFECT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT FUNDED. 
          OH, IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU BRING UP DISCOVER WARREN COUNTY ON YOUR PHONE AND IF, IF YOU'VE GOTTA DO THIS THREE OR FOUR TIMES TO FIND IT, IT'S NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL. 
          SO I THINK THE COLLABORATION IN PUTTING COUNTY, PUTTING TOURISM DOLLARS WITH THE TOWN TO PROPERLY IN IT, IN, I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, BUT I, I THINK AT SOME POINT, UH, YOU KNOW, DOES IT SAY FRONT ROYAL OR WARREN COUNTY OR, YOU KNOW, I, IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN YOU LEAVE FAIRFAX COUNTY, IT DOESN'T SAY 53 MILES TO WARREN COUNTY. 
          IT SAYS 53 MILES TO FRONT ROYAL. 
          SO I DON'T MIND FRONT ROYAL HAVING THE HEADLINE THAT DOESN'T, THERE'S NO EGO OR ANYTHING IN THERE THAT, OR I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FEEL THAT WAY. 
          UH, WARREN COUNTY NEEDS A MISSION, UH, A MENTION IN THAT OF COURSE. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE MISTAKE THAT, FROM WHAT I WAS UNDERSTANDING AT ONE TIME, I DUNNO IF IT'S STILL LIKE THAT OR NOT, THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE DIDN'T LIST THE TOWNS AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS INCREDIBLY UNFAIR BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN TOWN PAY COUNTY TAXES TOO IN THOSE BUSINESS TO PAY TAXES AS WELL. 
          UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY BAD INTENT THERE, BUT IT WAS LIKE THE TOWN'S LISTING THE TOWN STUFF, YOU KNOW, SO THE COUNTY WAS JUST LISTING THE, THE COUNTY STUFF AND, AND IT, IT JUST, IT JUST SEEMS ALMOST COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. 
          UM, SO AT SOME POINT, UH, I WOULD BE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH A LARGE PORTION, MAYBE EVEN LINE SHARE, NOT ALL, BUT UH, UH, 'CAUSE WE, WE'VE GOT SOME, UM, OUR TRANSIENT LODGING TAXES HAS TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM ALL, AND WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS WE CAN SPEND TOURISM 
          [01:15:01]
DOLLARS FOR BESIDES, YOU KNOW, JUST A WEBSITE AND A, A TOURISM DIRECTOR. 
          BUT I, I THINK HAVING THE TOWN, HAVING ONE, THE COUNTY HAVING ONE IS REDUNDANT. 
          BUT, UH, I'D BE VERY COOPERATIVE WITH, UH, PUTTING A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT MONEY TO THE TOWN. 
          UM, WE NEED A LIAISON MEMBER, STAFF OR SOMETHING TO ACCOUNT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR OWN ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THOSE, 'CAUSE WE, WE'VE GOT THOSE AS TOURISM DOLLARS AND IN FAIRNESS, IF THAT'S THE RULES WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BEING SPENT THAT WAY. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, PROOF THAT IT WAS, IT WAS DONE THAT WAY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF OVERSIGHT FOR, FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH. 
          BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK EITHER TEAM AND, AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT ANYBODY'S FAULT. 
          I DON'T, DON'T MIS UH, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND MY CRITICISM AS AN ATTACK, BUT IT, UH, THE GAME CHANGES ALL THE TIME TOO. 
          SO YOU COULD HAVE A, A PERFECT TOURISM PLAN AND HAVE IT ENACTED TODAY AND IF IT DOESN'T EVOLVE, EVOLVE IN THREE YEARS, IT WOULD ALSO BE IMMEDIATELY OUTDATED. 
          UH, SO THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A MOVING TARGET. 
          UH, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON THAT TO DO A GOOD JOB. 
          BUT, UH, I JUST DON'T SEE THE REDUNDANCY, YOU KNOW, BEING A GOOD IDEA OF WARREN COUNTY HAVING A TOURISM AND FRONT ROYAL HAVING A SEPARATE TOURISM, ALMOST LIKE WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER AND WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT. 
          WE DEFINITELY COULD BE MUCH STRONGER TOGETHER ON THAT. 
          I, I THINK WHEN, WHEN YOU HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU'LL FIND IT. 
          THERE'S NO REDUNDANCY, IT'S COLLABORATION. 
          SO, UM, I'M GONNA ADDRESS THE WEBSITE FIRST. 
          UM, THE WEBSITE WAS FUNDED THROUGH ARPA FUNDING, SO IT WAS NOT FROM TAXPAYER DOLLARS OR FROM THE TO T TAX. 
          UM, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANYONE IN THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS. 
          SO NO, I DON'T MESS WITH THE WEBSITE. 
          UM, I DO OTHER STUFF, UM, THAT IT'S NOT MY WHEELHOUSE. 
          WE HAVE REPEATEDLY BROUGHT IT TO THE BOARD AND IT HAS NOT BEEN THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD TO FILL ANYTHING WITHIN TOURISM. 
          SO IT HAS BEEN, I JOKINGLY SAY MY PART-TIME JOB. 
          IT'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT HUNDRED TAKING FOR STAFF VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERS. 
          I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA CUT THIS PART AND JUST START THE DISCUSSION. 
          UH, WHAT COMES LATER IS, UH, I WATCHED THIS TODAY AND, UH, LORI HAD SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT, UH, WORKING TOGETHER AND DOING A STRATEGIC PLAN AND LETTING STAFF BEGIN TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER, WHICH BROUGHT US TO, UM, HAVING STAFF FROM BOTH SIDES TOWN AND COUNTY WORK TOGETHER WITH A PLAN OF COMING FORTH TO THIS DATE JUNE 4TH WITH A PLAN OF HOW WE WERE GOING TO COLLABORATE AND DO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. 
          SO, UH, WE DID MEET ON MAY 5TH, THE 12TH AND THE 26TH. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, UH, THESE WERE REALLY BRAINSTORMING QUESTIONS ON, UH, WE KNEW WHAT THE, WHAT WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, BUT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT COLLABORATIVELY. 
          UM, BOTH FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY. 
          UH, WE SUSPENDED, UH, WELL ALSO DURING THAT TIME THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A TOURISM MANAGER FOR THE COUNTY. 
          SO THAT OCCURRED AS WELL, UH, ON MAY 6TH. 
          UM, JOE AND I, I GUESS, AND I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR HIM, BUT A SENSE TO SAY, UM, I GUESS FROM THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT I WAS HERE, HE AND I HAVE THIS, UM, WELL, JOE HAS A BOOTH AT THE THAI RESTAURANT DOWNTOWN WITH HIS NAME ON IT. 
          AND SO WE, WE HAVE KIND OF MET THERE FOR LUNCH SEVERAL TIMES JUST TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THINGS AND HOW TO WORK TOGETHER, THINGS THAT ARE GOING IN THE COUNTY AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THE TOWN. 
          OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A LARGE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. 
          SO BEFORE UM, THIS HAPPENED, WE SUSPENDED, UH, THE LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS JUNE 1ST, WHICH WAS TO COME GET READY FOR THIS MEETING. 
          AND I GUESS THE LAST CONVERSATION WE HAD WAS WE, THERE'S MORE THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON THAN WE HAVE THINGS NOT IN COMMON, IF THAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU. 
          AND SO WE HAD A COUPLE THINGS TO WORK OUT, UH, TO HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK COLLABORATIVELY. 
          UM, BUT AFTER THAT, ON MAY 29TH, UM, WE HAD, 
          [01:20:01]
UH, THE GREAT FORTUNE, UH, JANE DID ON THE TOURISM COMMITTEE AND I'M GONNA LET HER TAKE IT FOR HERE TO TALK TO KELLY WEAVER, WHO'S THE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH THE VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION. 
          LIKE DR. MARTIN MENTIONED, I DID MEET WITH KELLY WEAVER. 
          UM, SHE HAS BEEN, UH, INTEGRAL PART WITH UM, DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL AND ACTUALLY AT THE TOURISM SUMMIT THAT LIZZIE PUT TOGETHER, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO CONNECT, UM, MAINLY 'CAUSE I WANTED TO GET HER EXPERT OPINION ON IS IT REDUNDANT TO HAVE TWO TOURISM DEPARTMENTS? BECAUSE IF IT IS THEN A HUNDRED PERCENT LET'S SHIFT IT FUND DISCOVER FRONT ROYALS SO THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO REALLY MARKET AND MAKE TOURISM SUPPORT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A 9 CENT TAX INCREASE FOR THE COUNTY AND TOWN RESIDENTS. 
          UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE TOWN HAD TO IMPLEMENT AS WELL. 
          UM, SHE SAID, NO, IT'S NOT REDUNDANT BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE COLLABORATIVELY SO THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERLAPPING AND STEPPING ON EACH OTHER'S TOES. 
          UM, AND SHE WENT INTO, AND I GAVE A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW TO THE BOARD ON TUESDAY NIGHT. 
          UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REALLY STRATEGICALLY PLANNED SO THAT YOU'RE NOT BEING REPETITIVE OR WASTING TIME AND ENERGY AND FUNDS ON THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF ONE PERSON IS GREAT AT THIS, THEN LET THEM RUN THAT IF ANOTHER PERSON NEEDS THIS. 
          SO THERE ARE GAPS IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND YOU KIND OF FILL IN THE GAPS AND SEE WHERE YOU CAN FILL IT OUT. 
          UM, YES, DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL IS WELL ESTABLISHED, UM, BUT TO KIND OF REWIND, 'CAUSE I'VE PUSHED AGAINST THE BOARD ABOUT A STAFF PERSON, UM, WHEN IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH AND THE TOWN STEPPED AWAY, THE COUNTY WAS STARTING FROM SQUARE ONE AND IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO EVEN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. 
          UM, AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO SAY, HERE, TAKE IT. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, THE COUNTY NEEDS TO NOT BE STARTING FROM SQUARE ONE AGAIN. 
          THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. 
          UM, SO THAT'S MY CONCERN, UM, REGARDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, KELLY ACTUALLY WATCHED THE VIDEO AND SHE'S LIKE, HEY JANE, LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. 
          UM, SHE'S LIKE, IT'S ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S NOT JUST THE TWO BOARDS. 
          THE TWO BOARDS ARE WELCOME, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE THE CHAMBER, YOU HAVE BUSINESSES, EVERYBODY WHO IS A STAKEHOLDER IN TOURISM IS A PART OF THAT. 
          AND THEY HELP TO DEVELOP THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AND ACTION ITEMS AND BASICALLY HELP US TO KNOW WHAT THE PATH FORWARD IS. 
          UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, 'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, WE'RE NOT A DMO, THE TOWN IS A DMO. 
          IS IT REDUNDANT TO HAVE 2D MOS? NO IT'S NOT. 
          THERE ARE PLACES THAT YOU HAVE MULTIPLE D MOSS AND THERE ARE PLACES THAT NOBODY'S A DM, DMO. 
          THERE ARE CERTAIN RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET, UM, UNDER THAT. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE I DO THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE EXPLORED FURTHER. 
          UM, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S REDUNDANT TO HAVE DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL AND EXPERIENCE WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, IF YOU'RE SAYING DISCOVER WARREN COUNTY, IT IS GONNA TAKE YOU A COUPLE PAGES 'CAUSE THERE ARE 14 OF US. 
          UM, SO THAT WAS SOMEONE ELSE'S WEBSITE, NOT OURS. 
          UM, BUT IF YOU GO TO EXPERIENCE WARREN COUNTY, I HAVEN'T TOUCHED A WEBSITE, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE IN THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT. 
          WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS. 
          UM, THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING. 
          SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY FOCUSED ON UPDATING THE WEBSITE AND THAT'S WHY DR. MARTIN IS LIKE, WE DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH A TOURISM MANAGER SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SOMEONE DEDICATED TO DO SOME OF THESE HOUSEKEEPING THINGS. 
          UM, BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS UP TO THE BOARD AS TO WHETHER WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. 
          OH, SOMETHING  AFTER THE, UH, AFTER I MADE MY COMMENTS, YOU COULDN'T HEAR JANE. 
          OH, SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND. 
          OH, WAS IT THEY NEEDED SOME MORE HELP? UH, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME I WAS THINKING THE TOWN HAD ENOUGH HELP AND WE COULD JUST HELP WITH THE FUNDING. 
          UH, BUT IT HAS BEEN MADE VERY CLEAR THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE AND THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE WHERE WE DEFINITELY NEED ANOTHER HIRE. 
          ALL IS WHERE I'M STILL TORN IS WHETHER THAT SHOULD BE A TOWN HIRE AND WORK UNDER LIZZIE. 
          AND WE STILL HAVE SOME TYPE OF MOU SIMILAR TO THE EDA, WE'RE, WE FEEL LIKE THE COUNTY'S BEING REPRESENTED FAIRLY OR DOES THE COUNTY HIRE ITS OWN TOURISM 
          [01:25:01]
PERSON TO WORK WITH LIZZIE? UM, BUT WHEN I MADE THOSE OTHER COMMENTS, I WAS, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEEDED ANOTHER HIRE. 
          UM, BUT AS I'VE DONE SOME MORE RESEARCH AND AFTER THE COMMENTS THAT YOU COULDN'T HEAR, I GOT A GOOD EDUCATION AFTER THAT. 
          UH, KIND OF WHERE WARREN COUNTY TOURISMS FELL SHORT. 
          UM, NOT BEING FUNDED AND NOT HAVING ANYBODY TO, TO, TO, TO RUN IT, YOU KNOW, UH, IS IS WHY IT'S IN A DISARRAY. 
          SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE IT'S NOT DONE WELL, UH, THERE'S GOTTA BE, UH, IF WE FUND IT AT THE TOWN, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, FOR THOSE DOLLARS BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TOURISM DOLLARS THAT WE COLLECTED. 
          SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY GET REPRESENTED. 
          BUT I, I'M STILL MIXED WHETHER WE SHOULD FUND A TOWN HIRE AND ADD TO THEIR TOURISM PLAN AND WE WORK COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATIVELY. 
          BIG WORD FOR ME TODAY, UM, BUILD A VERY STRONG SINGLE WEBSITE. 
          UH, I THINK FOR FRONT ROW, I STILL THINK FRONT ROW SHOULD BE BIG ACROSS THE TOP OF IT. 
          WARREN COUNTY SMALL 'CAUSE UM, FRONT ROW IS WHAT YOU LOOK FOR ON A MAP, NOT WARREN COUNTY. 
          UM, SO I, I'M OPEN TO INPUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT, WHAT THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND WHAT THE TOWN COUNCIL THINKS, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE A TOWN HIRE OR COUNTY HIRE. 
          AND THEN IF IT IS A TOWN HIRE, HOW DO WE GUARANTEE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, THE JANUS MISSION, IF YOU KNOW THESE COUNCILS AND BOARDS CHANGE A FEW ELECTIONS LATER AND ARE NOT AS COLLABORATIVE AS THEY SHOULD BE. 
          LEMME SHARE A LITTLE, I'M SORRY. 
          UH, LEMME SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS, UH, THAT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY STAFF HAD RELATED TO PERSONNEL, UH, HOW THAT MIGHT WORK. 
          UM, WE RECOGNIZED, OR I RECOGNIZED THAT LIZZIE HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN THE TOURISM PIECE. 
          WE NEED A TOURISM CENTER. 
          UM, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE, I THINK AS WE TALKED, THAT UM, THE COUNTY MAY NEED TO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO HELP MAN THAT CENTER AND ALSO CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO ENSURE THAT THE PRINTED THINGS THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA CONTINUE. 
          BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT, YOU'RE ALSO PROMOTING THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN. 
          SO ALL THAT'S COLLABORATIVE. 
          UM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS TOURISM MANAGER, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT, SO WHAT SKILLS DOES THE TOWN HAVE VERSUS, UM, MAYBE SKILLS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE COULD SHARE. 
          AND ONE OF THOSE IS, UH, DIGITAL MARKETING, UH, AND LOOKING FOR, UM, A TOURISM MANAGER THAT HAS DIGITAL MARKETING SKILLS THAT COULD ASSIST BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY. 
          UM, WE'RE LEARNING AND CERTAINLY I LEARNED IN SATURDAY, UH, AT THE FREEDOM FLOWS THAT WHEN PEOPLE CAME BY THE WELCOME 10, I SIMPLY AT STARTED TALKING TO THEM, WHERE ARE YOU FROM? OH, I'M FROM FALSE CHURCH. 
          HOW'D YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? OH, FACEBOOK DIGITAL MARKETING, DA DA DA DA. 
          SO WE'RE SO GLAD WE'RE HERE. 
          UM, AND THE OTHER COMPLIMENT THAT I SAID TO THE BOARD THE OTHER NIGHT, I HEARD THIS, WHAT MAKES THE PEOPLE IN WARREN COUNTY SO FRIENDLY? SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ONCE YOU THEY GET HERE, THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WE'RE VERY HOSPITABLE. 
          UH, AND I THINK PEOPLE THAT I TALKED WITH SATURDAY CERTAINLY FELT THAT. 
          SO I THINK IN TERMS OF, UM, CAN WE WORK TOGETHER, UH, THERE'S NOT A QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT WE CAN'T WORK TOGETHER. 
          UM, IF WE BEGIN TO FEEL, UM, HOLES THAT MAY EXIST ON THE TOWN SIDE, ON THE COUNTY SIDE, IT MAKES US COLLABORATE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO THINGS TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FILL THE HOLES. 
          UM, REMEMBER, AND I KEEP SAYING THIS TO MYSELF, YOU ALL ALL LIVE IN THE SAME COMMUNITY. 
          YOU KNOW, DO, DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING OUT, WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN LIMITS AND YOU'RE IN THE COUNTY? WELL, I GUESS YOU DO IF YOU'RE OUT IN ROCKLAND PARK, BUT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 
          BUT I THINK PEOPLE HERE, WHEN THEY'RE COMING, THEY'RE COMING TO FRONT ROYAL, BUT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THIS COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. 
          I WANT, I WANTED TO JUMP IN ON A COUPLE THINGS BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE DOES BEFORE WE CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS JUST TO, UM, ADDRESS WHAT JANE HAD SAID ABOUT LIKE WHEN, SO I KNOW I WAS HERE, CHERYL WAS HERE, AMBER WAS HERE, WAYNE ABSON, BUT HE WAS HERE, UM, WHEN THE WHOLE TOURISM THING FELL APART, UH, BEFORE, AND AGAIN, I DON'T LIKE 
          [01:30:01]
TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE, SO WE WON'T GO BACK, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, THE TOWN NEVER STOPPED PROMOTING THE COUNTY WHILE I RECOGNIZE YOU ALL FELT LIKE YOU WERE STARTING FROM SCRATCH. 
          THEY DIDN'T. 
          AND I MEAN THEY, THE, THE, UM, I'VE TOLD PEOPLE THIS BEFORE, LIKE IF YOU GO IN THE VISITOR CENTER, WHICH I HAVE GONE IN THERE AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ESPECIALLY NEW STAFF, THEY DON'T KNOW WHO I AM. 
          LIKE THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT PUTTING ON A SHOW IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. 
          AND YOU CAN HEAR THEM TALKING ABOUT ALL THE PLACES AND THEY'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IN FRONT ROLL, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WARREN COUNTY. 
          SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC IS THAT AS FAR AS WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE VISITOR CENTER AFTER WE DIDN'T HAVE THE JOINT TOURISM FOR A WHILE AND THE MOU AND THAT JLL AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF THAT YOU KNOW, IS, IS WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE, THE TOWN ITSELF NEVER STOPPED PROMOTING WARREN COUNTY. 
          LIKE THEY, UM, I FEEL LIKE THEY CONTINUED TO DO THAT. 
          UM, SECOND THING YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT FRIENDLY, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, UM, THAT UM, WHEN JOE, LIZZIE AND I WENT TO THE BRITISH EMBASSY ON MAY 9TH, WE GOT TO HEAR MORE THINGS ABOUT THEM PICKING US. 
          UM, AND I'VE HEARD ALL KINDS OF THINGS. 
          I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAID, OH, IT'S 'CAUSE ROYAL WAS IN THE NAME MY DOC, MY EYE DOCTOR WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT THAT TODAY. 
          MANY THINGS. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THEY, THEY BROUGHT UP AGAIN THAT THEY LOOKED AT THE GRAND CANYON, YOSEMITE, YELLOWSTONE. 
          I MEAN THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, SO SHIO NATIONAL PARK, QUITE FRANKLY WAS THE SIDE NOTE. 
          IT WAS US, IT WAS THIS COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND THEY SAID IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 
          THE AMBASSADOR EVEN WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT IT THE DAY THE KING AND QUEEN WERE HERE. 
          HE SAID, I CAME, MY WIFE AND I CAME DURING THE WINTER WHEN SNOW WAS STILL ON THE GROUND. 
          AND HE SAID NOBODY KNEW WHO I WAS TALKED. 
          HE SAID, I TALKED DIFFERENT, BUT NOBODY KNEW WHO I WAS. 
          AND HE SAID PEOPLE WERE SO KIND AND WELCOMING HERE. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT DON'T COST MONEY. 
          THAT'S JUST BEING GOOD PEOPLE. 
          LIKE I BELIEVE OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY IS. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          BOTTOM LINE FOR ME IS WHAT I'D SAID THEN WHAT I'D SAID WHEN RICH WAS THERE WHEN I'D SAID ANY LIAISON MEETING IS I THINK IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS WHOLE COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN SAVE MONEY BY, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING TWO DEPARTMENTS NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT I JUST THINK IT, IT BEHOOVES US TO LEAST EXPLORE THAT. 
          WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AT THE LIAISON MEETING, FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I ADMIT I'M ON IT A LOT. 
          UM, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WERE LIKE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAN OFTEN BE NAYSAYERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA WERE COMPLIMENTING US ON THE FACT THAT WE WERE GONNA WORK TOGE LIKE, OH FINALLY THIS IS GREAT. 
          THEY'RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER ON IT. 
          SO I THINK THAT IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, I WON'T SAY POOL OUR MONEY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT WOULD REALLY BE US GETTING MONEY FROM YOU ALL TO SUPPLEMENT OR AUGMENT WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE. 
          UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. 
          I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PROMOTE FRONT ROYAL WITHOUT PROMOTING WARREN COUNTY AND I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PROMOTE WARREN COUNTY WITHOUT PROMOTING FRONT ROYAL. 
          I JUST THINK THEY ARE TOGETHER. 
          UM, AND I'M SURE WE HAVE SOME STRENGTHS AND, AND WE HAVE AREAS THAT WE COULD WORK ON. 
          BUT THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY WHOLE, I JUST WANTED TO START OFF WITH THAT SO THAT ANYTHING ELSE I SAY LATER ON ISN'T LIKE CONTRADICTORY. 
          I THINK THAT THAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO. 
          BUT I CAN BE, YOU KNOW, I I MY MIND CAN IT, IT'S A MAJORITY SO IT'S WHATEVER EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS. 
          SORRY. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          JANE, YOU GAVE US THIS AND I DON'T KNOW WHO ALL WORKED ON IT. 
          WOULD, HAD YOU PLANNED TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE OR, BECAUSE I KIND OF THINK WE GET TO TAKE IT HOME AND WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK IT'S KIND OF WORTHWHILE TO MAYBE HIT SOME OF THE TOPICS AND THINGS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK THE BLENDED COOPERATIVE, UH, COLLABORATIVE GROUP HAS BEEN WORKING ON TO SHOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD AND THAT IT IS NOT REDUNDANCY BUT AUGMENTING EACH OTHER. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND ALL OF YOU 
          [01:35:01]
HAVE A COPY OF, IT'S BASICALLY A SUMMARY OF THE MEETING WITH KELLY WEAVER. 
          UM, AND SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS AND THESE ARE VERY LIKE, IT WAS TRULY JUST LIKE A CONVERSATION. 
          UM, SO NOT A STRUCTURED LIST OF HEY THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD BE DOING. 
          'CAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW, IS IT REDUNDANT FOR US TO HAVE TWO UM, TOURISM DEPARTMENTS AND THEN IF WE DID, 'CAUSE I EXPLAINED WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE TO A MORE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. 
          WE DON'T WANNA BE WASTEFUL. 
          UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING SOMETHING TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE WHO VISIT YEAR ROUND, NOT JUST SPRING SUMMER INTO THE FALL. 
          AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY MAXIMIZING THAT AND PULLING PEOPLE. 
          'CAUSE YES, EVERYONE WHO'S DRIVEN DOWN 66, THEY SEE FRONT ROYAL, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF FRONT ROYAL OR WARREN COUNTY AND WE WANT TO ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE. 
          UM, SO KIND OF WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          SO SHE WAS LIKE DIGITAL MARKETING, INVESTING A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO THAT. 
          AND SHE'S LIKE, THE GREAT THING IS LIZZIE HAS CREATED THIS STRONG FOUNDATION THAT YOU ALL CAN BUILD OFF OF. 
          AND SHE'S LIKE INVESTING IN CAPITAL. 
          AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT PATRICK 'CAUSE SHE WAS LIKE, IF YOU ALL ARE, 'CAUSE WE STARTED TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SPORTS TOURISM. 
          THE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS A $2 MILLION GRANT. 
          AND I'M LIKE, IF WE'RE PUTTING UP ANOTHER $2 MILLION, IS THAT GOING TO BE A WASTE OF MONEY IF WE SHOULD BE SHIFTING TO AN INDOOR OUTDOOR COMPLEX? SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE'RE SPENDING ANY OF THAT MONEY. 
          UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO GO, HEY, YOU JUST INVESTED $2 MILLION INTO A COMPLEX AND NOW YOU WANNA REDO IT AND DO SOMETHING ELSE. 
          UM, 'CAUSE I'M A TAXPAYER OF BOTH THE ITALIAN AND COUNTY. 
          THAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ME VERY UNHAPPY. 
          AND TO SEE THAT HAPPEN AND TO BE A PART OF THAT, NO, UM, THAT'S JUST NEGLIGENCE. 
          UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PLANNING AND BEING VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT IT. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE KIND OF THE DIRECTION OF THE CONVERSATION, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BOTH THE TOWN AND COUNTY TOURISM SO THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE LOCALITIES. 
          'CAUSE HONESTLY, THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE TOT TAX NEEDING TO BE REINVESTED. 
          UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH THE DMO PROCESS. 
          'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, I THOUGHT WE WERE A DMO AND SHE'S LIKE, NO, Y'ALL, YOU DID THIS. 
          YOU WERE REGISTERED. 
          IT WAS A WHOLE MESS. 
          I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, TEACH ME. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          UM, SO WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND ACTUALLY GOT BROUGHT UP TODAY IN OUR TOURISM MEETING, WHEN ARE THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS GONNA BECOME PART OF THE CONVERSATION? BECAUSE THIS GROUP HAS A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT AND YET EVERY BUSINESS WHO'S IMPACTED BY TOURISM, THEY DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND HAVE THAT SEAT. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK UTILIZING THE RESOURCES THAT VTC HAS, UM, AND SEEING IF WE CAN COMMIT TO HAVING THEM COME IN AND ACTUALLY DO THAT STRATEGIC PLAN WITH ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA SO THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING SOLID TO WALK AWAY FROM AND WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR A STUDY OR DO SOMETHING THAT'S A WASTE OF FUNDING. 
          SO I'D LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT TWO THINGS BEFORE THE CONVERSATION GETS INTO THE DETAILS OF THESE PACKETS. 
          I KNOW IT WAS TOUCHED ON FIRST BY MR. HENRY ABOUT HOW ON A MAP YOU SEE FRONT ROYAL, WHICH WHILE THAT MAY BE TRUE, UM, THESE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THESE TABLES STARTED MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE REGARDING TOURISM. 
          UM, EVEN PRIOR TO MY FELLOW COUNCILMAN WAYNE SEA LOCK'S TIME ON THE COUNCIL. 
          AND THERE ARE TWO HUGE FACTS THAT NEED TO BE SPOKEN OUT LOUD EVERY TIME WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE PRESS AND FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME IS THAT FRONT ROYAL IS MENTIONED OVER 100 TIMES ON THE INTERSTATE SIGNS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND NATIONWIDE BETWEEN 4 95, 66 81, THE DC WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA. 
          YOU CAN FACT CHECK THAT FRONT ROYAL IS THE NAME LISTED MORE THAN 100 TIMES ON THOSE ROAD SIGNS WHICH LEAD YOU AND DIRECT YOU TO FRONT ROYAL MOVING FORWARD. 
          DR. MARTIN TALKED ABOUT THE SKILLS THAT THE COUNTY POSSESSES REGARDING TOURISM. 
          WHILE THAT MAY BE TRUE, THE ISSUE AND THE ONGOING, FOR WHATEVER REASON BATTLE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN BETWEEN TOWN AND COUNTY BODIES, WHETHER IT BE EMPLOYEES OR ELECTED OFFICIALS, IS THAT THE TOWN HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE TOURISM. 
          YOU VISIT THE TOWNS VISITOR CENTER, THE TOWN FUNDS, THE VISITOR CENTER. 
          WE DISCUSSED AT THE SAME MEETINGS YEARS AGO, IF THE COUNTY WOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE COST OF OPERATING THE VISITOR CENTER, IF THOSE FUNDS COULD BE 
          [01:40:01]
USED TO OFFSET ELECTRIC OR STAFF OR THE POSTCARDS, WHICH I THINK I WON'T HARP ON THAT BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE AND THEY'RE PROMOTING WARREN COUNTY LATER. 
          BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS TO GET TO THE CANOE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA AND GET OUT TO THE COUNTY, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TOWN TO GET A MAP OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          YOU GO TO THE TOWN TO GET THAT, YOU GO TO THE TOWNS VISITOR CENTER. 
          SO I THINK THE TWO BIG THINGS ARE, IT WAS THERE, IT WAS SOME FORMER BOARD MEMBERS FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BUT THE THREAT OF ANOTHER VISITOR CENTER BEING CREATED AND OPENED, WHICH IS TERRIFYING. 
          AND AS SOMEBODY WHO PAYS TOWN AND COUNTY TAXES, I WOULD BE IRATE IF THAT WERE THE CASE. 
          UM, I THINK IT DISSUADES VISITORS, IT CAUSES CONFUSION WHEN YOU GO TO A TOWN THIS SIZE AND YOU HAVE TWO VISITOR CENTER. 
          AND I THINK IT'S BEEN A DISSERVICE THAT WE'RE BACK AT THIS CONVERSATION THIS MANY YEARS LATER BECAUSE WE HAD SOME VERY, VERY QUALIFIED WILLING LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTRIBUTED MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS OF RESEARCH TO ALL OF THIS. 
          BUT YOU TALK ABOUT DESTINATIONS THAT WE'RE SELECTED OVER AND THE COMPARISONS THAT WE ARE THAT FRONT ROYAL HAS TO MANY OF THESE DESTINATION PLACES. 
          AND YOU TALK ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS, MS. MEADOWS, BUT THIS CONVERSATION WAS HAD MANY, MANY YEARS AGO TOO, AS A GOOD STEWARD OF TAX DOLLARS, MY OWN TAX DOLLARS INCLUDED. 
          I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A VERY NARROW THOUGHT PROCESS OF WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE SMALL BUSINESSES ON MAIN STREET, THE RESTAURANTS, THE ICE CREAM SHOPS, THE TRINKET STORES THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED BY TOURISM. 
          THERE ARE SOME MUCH LARGER, UM, BUSINESSES THAT ARE STILL LOCAL, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE INDIRECTLY BEING AFFECTED, WHETHER THAT'S FROM THE FOOT TRAFFIC, THE PARKING, THE DOLLARS SPENT HERE. 
          BUT ALSO IT WAS A VERY UNFAVORABLE OPINION, BUT IT WAS VERY WISE. 
          MY FORMER FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER MR. LLOYD TALKED ABOUT, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE WISE IN THE TOT DOLLARS AND HOW WHAT THAT IS ALLOCATED TOWARDS IMPROVING. 
          I SAT ON A LIAISON YEARS AGO WHERE WE MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO BOAT LANDINGS AND RIVER ACCESS BECAUSE THAT'S TOURISM. 
          BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO NOT PROP UP ONLY A CERTAIN SECTOR OF PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT WITH TOURISM FUNDS. 
          THERE ARE BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT GOING TO, UM, SEE OR REAP THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM. 
          AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T PURSUE TOURISM AS A RESULT, BUT I'M SAYING THAT WE CAN'T CATER THE TYPE OF TOURISM TO ONE IN PARTICULAR SET OF STAKEHOLDERS. 
          AND WHEN TOURISM IS SUCCESSFUL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SUCCESSFUL, THAT IS WHEN YOU HAVE A THRIVING COMMUNITY. 
          SO IT'S IRONIC THAT I'VE LOOKED AT THE AGENDA ALL NIGHT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADING OFF WHERE YOU GUYS ARE ASKING THE TOWN TO PROVIDE SOME FUNDING FOLLOWED BY TOURISM WHERE THE TOWN'S BEEN BEGGING FOR A BONE TO CONTINUE PROPPING UP WHAT THE COUNTY LACKS AT THIS TIME. 
          AND IT'S A SHAME THAT THAT WASN'T DONE BEFORE THE ROYAL VISIT WHERE WE MADE INTERNATIONAL NEWS. 
          UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF WHAT THE VICE MAYOR SAID, AND I CAN'T PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME, SO I WANNA SAY VICE MAYOR . 
          UM, IT'S INTERESTING, I I, I WAS HERE PREVIOUSLY AND I THINK WE'VE GONE THROUGH AT LEAST TWO ALLITERATIONS WHERE EVERYTHING WORKED OUT HONKY DORY AND THEN THE WHEELS FELL OFF. 
          UM, I FOUND IT INTERESTING HEARING THE, UH, THE TEMPORARY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TALK ABOUT GIVING MONEY FOR WHATEVER, BUT THEN TWO WEEKS AGO HE SAID, UM, WHY WOULD THE COUNTY GIVE OUR TOURISM DOLLARS TO THE TOWN IN ORDER TO STAFF THE TOURISM CENTER AND PRINT BROCHURES? THAT WAS HIS WORDS THAT I UNDERSTAND. 
          AS YOU GIVE MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN DO OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK PERSONALLY I'M ONE OF FIVE, SOMETIMES SIX, UM, THAT THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF IDEAS OUT THERE. 
          SOMEBODY CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF DOING KIOSKS AND WE DID KIOSKS 25 OR 30 YEARS AGO AND THEY'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE. 
          HOWEVER, TECHNOLOGY CHANGES AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE PURSUING. 
          THIS INDIVIDUAL HAD THE IDEA OF PUTTING A KIOSK AT THE APPLE HOUSE, WHICH MAKES SENSE. 
          AND THEN THEY ALSO HAD THE IDEA OF PUTTING A KIOSK AT THE HOSPITAL, WHICH MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS, OKAY, SO THE AMBULANCE IS TAKING ME TO THE ER FOR A HEART ATTACK AND I'LL SAY, WAIT, CAN I GET A BROCHURE? GO AHEAD. 
          UM, SO TO ME THAT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE AND THAT THE POINT BEING THOUGH IS EVERYBODY HAS AN IDEA. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, IN 
          [01:45:01]
MY OPINION, IS TO CONSOLIDATE THIS AND HAVE ONE CHIEF. 
          AND IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTION TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FIGURE IS ON HOW MUCH THE, UH, THE TOWN WOULD BE LOOKING FROM US. 
          I HEARD SOME FIGURE AROUND TWO 12 OR SOMETHING. 
          UH, AND THEN I ALSO HEARD THERE MAY BE SOME FIGURE AROUND 50 THAT YOU ALL HAVE SET ASIDE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO AGAIN, MY THOUGHT WOULD BE, WE GIVE YOU THE MONEY FOR THAT AND YOU TURN AROUND AND HELP US FUND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO IT'D BE SOMEWHAT OF A TRADE OFF. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY THIS, UM, RECOMMENDED ACTION PLAN, THAT'S A CERTAINLY A START WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. 
          AND THAT COULD BE FOLLOWED, BUT I JUST THINK IT WOULD, IN MY OPINION, THAT THE TOWN TAKES CARE OF TOURISM WITH OVERSIGHT FROM THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY. 
          UM, AND THEN THE, THE, THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH OBVIOUSLY INPUT FROM THE TOWN. 
          UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS MONEY, I ASKED PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO TO GET THE INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH ARE WE GENERATING. 
          AND OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR SENT IT TO ME AND I'D ASKED FOR SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS BOARD TO HAVE A, UH, WORK SESSION JUST TO GO OVER THESE THINGS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU, YOU CAN SEE THE FIGURES, BUT SOMETIMES YOU MAY MISINTERPRET THEM. 
          BUT THE FIGURES IN FRONT OF US, UH, THE LODGING TAX ON THE QUARTER ALONE, IT GENERATES 250 OR YEAH, 255,000, 60% OF THAT HAS TO GO TOWARDS TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES, WHICH WOULD BE 102,000. 
          AND THEN THIS ONE HERE, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND 'CAUSE IT WASN'T AS QUITE DETAILED AND THANK YOU JANE FOR CLEARING SOME OF THAT UP. 
          BUT IT SHOWS ALL OF WARREN COUNTY IS 718,000 AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY HOTELS OUTSIDE THE CORRIDOR. 
          SO A LOT OF THAT'S GENERATED BY AIRBNBS. 
          AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE'RE GETTING EACH YEAR IS $430,000. 
          AND THAT IS A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM THAT HAS TO GO TOWARDS TOURISM. 
          THE TOWN ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM, YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT OUTTA GENERAL FUND. 
          UH, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. 
          BUT MY THOUGHT IS EVEN IF WE WERE TO GIVE 200,000 TO HELP MAN THE, UH, VISIT THE VISITOR CENTER OR HIRE ANOTHER PERSON, WHICH BY THE WAY, THAT DIDN'T SEEM, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE REASONING FOR THAT EITHER BECAUSE AGAIN, THE TEMPORARY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WAS ALL SET TO HIRE A TOURISM MANAGER BY JUNE ONE, WHICH DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME AT ALL. 
          WHY WOULD WE DO THAT BEFORE WE TALK TO YOU GUYS AND DETERMINE WHICH PATH WE WANNA TAKE, BUT WHATEVER. 
          BUT, BUT GETTING BACK TO IT, IF WE GET 430,000, WE GIVE YOU 200. 
          WE STILL HAVE 230,000 TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT YEAR. 
          UH, GETTING BACK TO THE THING TOO, I THINK IT'S BETTER THAT IF THERE WAS ALLEN HIRED THE ADDITIONAL PERSON WITH SEPARATE DUTIES AND THEY WOULD FALL UNDER THE, UH, DIRECTION OF UH, LIZZIE. 
          BUT THE OTHER THING IN THIS THING TOO IS IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN THE YELLOW, WE HAVE SITTING IN THE, AND I HEARD ALL SORTS OF FIGURES ON THIS TOO. 
          I HEARD THAT WE HAD 2 25 IN THE BANK. 
          I HEARD WE HAD 360. 
          WE'VE GOT $1.3 MILLION SITTING THERE. 
          AND I KNOW THAT, UH, DR. 
          JAMESON HAS BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF LOOKING AT A SPORTS PLEX OR, OR WHATEVER, WHICH I THINK NOW IS A GREAT, GREAT, GREAT IDEA. 
          BUT WE HAD MONEY THERE THAT WE COULD START LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND WE COULD TAKE CARE OF THAT OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE TOWN DOES. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY THE OTHER THING TOO IS THE COUNTY HAS A LOT OF ATTRACTIONS AND THE VISITOR CENTER DOES PROMOTE THOSE. 
          I'VE BEEN DOWN TO THE VISITOR CENTER A COUPLE TIMES, NOT AS OFTEN AS MR. RAPPAPORT , BUT, AND I, WHEN I'M IN THERE, PEOPLE WILL COME BY AND USUALLY THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE DRIVE OR THEY'RE COMING FOR THE DRIVE OR THE THE, UM, THE RIVER AND THE STAFF DOWN THERE. 
          THEY, THEY ALWAYS TELL 'EM ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. 
          AND THE WAY IT USED TO BE WAY BACK IN THE DAY, THE COUNTY HAD THE ATTRACTIONS AND THE TOWN HAD THE PLACE TO STAY AND EAT. 
          THAT'S SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER. 
          AND I THINK THE OTHER THING TOO IS UM, WITH, WITH MR. PETTY'S EXPERIENCE AS FAR AS BEING AN ECONOMIC DIRECTOR HERE FOR THE COUNTY FOR A WHILE, ALSO WITH HIS SHORT TURN TENURE AT THE HERITAGE SOCIETY, HE'S SEEN FIRSTHAND AND PROMOTED IT THAT WAY AND NOW 
          [01:50:01]
HE'S WITH THE TOWN, UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL AS A MANAGER. 
          SO HE'S GOT A A, A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE TOO FROM IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SO SOMETHING WE, NOT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT SOMETHING WE MAY HAVE BEEN MISQUOTED ON, UH, THAT I CAUGHT ON SOCIAL MEDIA WAS THE IDEA, WELL THAT'S JUST WHATEVER WE TAKE, LET'S JUST GIVE TO THE TOWN. 
          UM, NO, THIS, THIS, THIS NEST EGG IS OH, WE COULD GET A MATCH GRANT. 
          RIGHT? AND DO LIKE, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO LITTLE LEAGUE SERVICES DOWN THERE OPEN IN TODAY, WE, WE DEFINITELY COULD USE SOME BALL FIELDS OR EXPANSION AND THAT MONEY WOULDN'T BE COMING OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND. 
          YOU COULD USE TOURISM DOLLARS FOR A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF BENEFIT FROM IT. 
          SO WHEN WE WERE MISQUOTED, OR MAYBE I WAS, OR MAYBE TONY WAS, LET'S JUST GIVE THEM EVERY PENNY WE GET IN TOURISM WITH NO OVERSIGHT, LIKE A BLANK CHECK. 
          WE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT. 
          AND, BUT I, I THINK, OH, WE COULD FUND YOU AND STILL BE KEEPING A LITTLE PIGGY BANK FOR TOURISM CIPS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. 
          AND WE, AND ONE OR THE OTHERS OR BOTH OF US GOT MISQUOTED FOR JUST SAYING WE WAS JUST, LET'S JUST GIVE YOU ALL, EVERY PENNY WE'VE GOT. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS OFFERING. 
          I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          I THINK THE MONEY WE HAVE EXCEEDS A LITTLE PIGGY BANK. 
          YEAH, YOU NEED A BIGGER PIGGYBACK. 
          OH NO, IT'S A BIGGER, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE FIGURES THAT YOU HAVE HERE BEFORE US AND REGARDING THE 1.3 IN A SPORTS COMPLEX, WHILE MR. JAMESON HAS CONTINUED TO CARRY THAT FORWARD, THAT WAS A CONVERSATION FAR BEFORE HIS TIME AS WELL. 
          AND THE STATE HAD ACTUALLY SET ASIDE SOME FUNDS FOR THAT. 
          I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE WARREN COUNTY GIRLS LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL AND I HAVE EMAILED YOU GUYS LIKE A THORN IN YOUR SIDE OVER NOT JUST THE AESTHETIC OF IT, BUT THE DOWNRIGHT SAFETY CONCERNS I HAVE. 
          AND WE'RE BRINGING THREE DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS DOWN THERE TO SPEND THEIR TOURISM DOLLARS HERE IN FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY OVER THE NEXT 45 DAYS, WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE FROM BROADWAY AND BEYOND COMING TO STAY HERE FOR THREE DIFFERENT TOURNAMENTS THAT WE WERE GRANTED. 
          BUT THE 68,820 SPENT, WHEN WAS THAT? AS OF, BECAUSE I, I THINK MAYBE I HAVE SOME MISINFORMATION THAT IS FOR FY 25. 
          SO LAST FISCAL YEAR WE DID, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY STAFF IN TOURISM FOR TWO YEARS. 
          BUT YOU'VE SPENT MONEY ON TOURISM. 
          SO DO YOU KNOW AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT YOU'VE SPENT ON TOURISM SO FAR THIS YEAR? YES. 
          A HUNDRED AND OR NO, IT WAS IN . 
          THAT WAS AT 1 66. 
          SO IS THAT FROM JULY 1ST OR FROM JANUARY 1ST JULY WE OPERATE ON THE FISCAL YEAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          SO YOU'VE SPENT MORE THAN DOUBLE HALFWAY THROUGH THIS YEAR, WHAT YOU SPENT LAST YEAR? CORRECT. 
          WE'VE ACTUALLY SPENT THREE TIMES IT. 
          THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS ON THE VA, TWO 50 EVENTS AND ALSO ON SPONSORSHIPS FOR VARIOUS EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN AND COUNTY. 
          UM, SUCH AS THE FESTIVAL LEAVES THE WINE AND CRAFT FESTIVAL, UM, PROBABLY CLOSE TO 60,000 OF THAT IS FOR SPONSORSHIPS. 
          APPALOOSA WAS MM-HMM . 
          AS WELL. 
          MM-HMM  APPALOOSA AND THEN, UM, ALSO MARKETING. 
          AND SO I KNOW THE VA TWO 50 EVENTS, IT'S A GOOD POINT TO DISCUSS, HAVE BROUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE TOWN VISITOR CENTER AND IN CASE PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEANT BY INFRASTRUCTURE, WE PAY NOT ONLY THE STAFF, NOT ONLY FOR THE BROCHURES AND POSTCARDS IN THERE, WE PAY FOR THE MAINTENANCE, THE ELECTRIC, THE BRICK AND MORTAR AND THE ROADS AND THE SIDEWALKS THAT LEAD YOU INSIDE OF THE VISITOR CENTER. 
          SO YES, 50,000 IS WHAT WE HAD ASKED THE COUNTY TO CONTRIBUTE ON THE FINAL OFFER FOR EXPENSES TOWARDS, AND WE EVEN ACTUALLY WENT AS FAR AS TO HAVE SOME OF THE PEOPLE FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS IN THE TOWN THAT GO THERE AND CHANGE THE LIGHT BULBS, WORK ON THE HVAC AND PLUMBING AND TOILETS, PROVIDE FIGURES OF WHAT WE HAD SPENT IN THAT ONE YEAR ON THAT. 
          UM, BUT, BUT THAT WOULDN'T INCLUDE ANOTHER PAID POSITION THAT WE WERE JUST ASKING FOR HELP FOR THE WEAR AND TEAR OF OUR FACILITY TO PROMOTE. 
          OKAY. 
          BOTH. 
          YEAH. 
          MS. UH, I THINK TUESDAY NIGHT, MS. MEADOWS HAD PRESENTED US WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 26TH TOURISM INITIATIVES AND SHE HAS A WHOLE, UH, AMBER, SHE HAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF UP PAGES WHERE THE MONEY WENT DURING THAT TIME. 
          YOU DO, IT IS NOT IN YOUR BACK, DO WE THAT THIS WAS GIVEN? NO. 
          HEY, DID WE MAKE A COPY OF THIS? YEAH, THEN I THINK IT FOR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, I GOT IT. 
          I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GOOD CONVERSATIONS ON, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR SIDE LOOKING THIS WAY AND OUR SIDE LOOKING THAT WAY. 
          AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THE TOURISM MANAGER, IF THAT'S THE TITLE THAT CAME UP WITH, UM, WE DIDN'T SEE THAT AS TWO SEPARATE TOURISM, BUT AUGMENTING THE TOURISM THE TOWN ALREADY HAS. 
          [01:55:01]
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CURRENTLY YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING AND YOUR WEBSITE IS BEING CONTRACTED OUT, WHEREAS THE PER PEOPLE WE HAVE INTERVIEWED, UM, HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT IN HOUSE MUCH CHEAPER. 
          SO IT'S NOT AS, YOU KNOW, REDUNDANCY AS MUCH AS AUGMENTING WHAT IS ALREADY THERE AND THE COUNTY HAVING SOME SKIN IN THE GAME AS WELL. 
          I THINK THE CONCERN LAST TIME WITH THE TITLE TOURISM MANAGER WAS WE HAVE AN ESTABLISHED TOURISM DIRECTOR WITH LIZZIE LEWIS AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE HOW DO WE INTEGRATE A TITLE OF ANOTHER MANAGER IN HER DOMAIN WHERE SHE HAS MANAGED AND DONE A WONDERFUL JOB NOT ONLY WITH TOURISM AT THIS POINT, BUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE TOWN. 
          AND SO IT WAS LIKE, IF WE HAVE TWO MANAGERS, A DIRECTOR AND A MANAGER, HOW DO WE UM, NOT STEP ON ONE ANOTHER'S TOES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE VISITOR CENTER. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE WE FELL OFF LAST TIME IN THESE DISCUSSIONS WAS TITLES AND, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE ALSO LIZZIE HAS MANAGED THESE EMPLOYEES UP TO THIS POINT. 
          SO THEN YOU HAVE A TOURISM DIRECTOR COME IN. 
          YEAH, THE COUNTY. 
          I THINK THAT THAT STRUCTURE COULD STAY THE COUNTY PAYING ON OUR SIDE. 
          YOU'RE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH ON EACH OF THE EVENTS WE'VE HAD SO FAR AND EVENTS THAT WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE. 
          YOU, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH PUBLIC WORKS, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THE, UM, PARKS AND REC AND THAT PERSON ON OUR SIDE WOULD HELP FACILITATE THAT AND WORK TOGETHER WITH YOUR SIDE. 
          FACILITATING ALL OF IT. 
          IT'S, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE FROM EACH SIDE BEING ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          JUST LIKE WITH YOUR SIDE, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR, UM, TOWN POLICE, YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH YOUR TRASH COLLECTING AND UM, WHOEVER SETS UP AND DOES, YOU KNOW, BLOCKING OFF IF IT'S GONNA BE AROUND THE GAZEBO, YOU KNOW, THE COORDINATION OF ALL OF THOSE. 
          YOU HAVE ONE COORDINATING AND THEN MEETING TOGETHER. 
          AND SO FAR I THINK IT'S WORKED REALLY WELL. 
          THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HAD COORDINATING IT. 
          ONE BEING WHEN THE KING AND QUEEN CAME, NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR PEOPLE, BUT YOU TAPPED INTO OUR RESOURCES AS WELL. 
          WE HAD LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT WAS THERE. 
          YOU HAD NOW FIRE AND RESCUE SUPPORT. 
          I THINK THE KING AND QUEEN USED THE YOUTH CENTER AS A RESPITE PLACE OR SOMETHING. 
          I SAW THE VIDEO. 
          SO THAT WAS A COORDINATION OF EFFORT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY RESOURCES AS WELL. 
          AND THAT PERSON COULD HAVE BEEN THAT PERSON TO LIAISON WITH LIZZIE AND WHOEVER SHE, HE OR SHE NEEDED TO ON YOUR SIDE. 
          TO ME, THAT'S AUGMENTING NOT REDUNDANCY OR DUPLICATION OF SYSTEMS. AND I, I WANNA SPEAK TO SOME OF THE, I THINK THAT EVEN IF, EVEN IF WE HIRE THE BEST PERSON AS TOWN MANAGER OR TOURISM MANAGER, THERE MAY BE FUTURE FRICTION. 
          AND IT JUST SEEMS A LOT EASIER. 
          JUST PUT TOURISM COMPLETELY UNDER THE TOWN AND LET THEM DEAL WITH IT AGAIN, WITH THEIR DIRECTION AND INPUT. 
          AND I THINK WE ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE GIVE YOU MONEY, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE RECEIPTS THAT IT ACTUALLY WENT TOWARDS TOURISM. 
          I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          THAT'S OKAY. 
          I JUST WANTED TO GET INTO THE, THE SEMANTICS BETWEEN A DIRECTOR AND A MANAGER. 
          A DIRECTOR SHOULD BE MORE STRATEGIC, WHEREAS A MANAGER IS MORE OPERATIONAL. 
          SO THAT IS WHY WE DID NOT WANT TO HAVE A DIRECTOR OF TOURISM, BUT WE WANTED A TOURISM MANAGER BECAUSE WITH THAT COLLABORATION, REALLY LIZZIE WOULD BE DEVELOPING AND IT'S A COLLABORATIVE STR STRATEGIC PLAN. 
          BUT SHE WOULD HAVE THAT STRATEGIC APPROACH, WHEREAS THE MANAGER WOULD BE MORE OF THE OPERATIONAL GETTING STUFF DONE, SO TO SPEAK. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT THE SEMANTICS OF THAT ARE THAT THE VISITOR CENTER EMPLOYEES OR TOWN EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE UP UNTIL THIS POINT WORKED FOR LIZZIE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO THEN YOU BRING IN A MANAGER WHO IS A COUNTY EMPLOYEE OVER TOP OF TOWN EMPLOYEES IN WHICH WE PAY SALARIES AND BENEFITS. 
          NO, HE WOULDN'T HAVE, THAT PERSON WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          SO THEN THE DISCUSSION OF SEVERAL YEARS AGO IS IF YOU GUYS HIRE A TOURISM MANAGER, BUT YOU WANT FRONT ROYAL TO HANDLE THE TOURISM, WHERE IS YOUR TOURISM MANAGER'S OFFICE WITHIN? HERE? HERE? NO, NOT WHERE THE TOURISM'S HAPPENING OR WHERE. 
          AND, AND AS FAR AS THE HANDLE APPROACHES FUNDING SOME TOWARDS YOUR, UM, VISITOR CENTER. 
          I KNOW WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE ANY RECENT DISCUSSION ON THAT, BUT IT WAS WITH YOUR PREVIOUS BOARD. 
          YEAH, 
          [02:00:01]
I, I HAD SOME CONCERNS WHO WAS GONNA BE IN CHARGE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YEAH. 
          IF YOU GET TOO MANY BOSSES, THERE ALWAYS BE A FRICTION WHERE OH, ONE BOSS, SOMEONE UNDER 'EM. 
          AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'VE HAD SOMEBODY IN THE ROLE AND THEN ESTABLISHED, YOU GET, YOU GET, YOU GET AN MOU OR WHATEVER THE PROPER LANGUAGE IS TO, FOR THE OVERSIGHT. 
          AND, UH, I MEAN, LOOK AT IT THIS WAY, IF THE TOWN DID A TERRIBLE JOB AND WE FELT LIKE WE DIDN'T GET OUR MONEY'S WORTH, YOU WOULDN'T GET THE FUNDING NEXT YEAR. 
          I MEAN, WE'D HAVE THAT POWER. 
          I MEAN, THIS WOULDN'T BE A, YOU KNOW, A LIFETIME THING. 
          YOU TRY IT FOR A YEAR. 
          I'M SURE WE'D COME BACK NEXT YEAR, WE'D HAVE SOME MORE. 
          I REALLY WISH YOU'D HAVE DID THIS, AND I WISH YOU'D HAVE DID THAT AND WE WOULD MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND MOVE FORWARD. 
          BUT THAT WAS MY CONCERN TOO, IS WHO'S IN CHARGE? WELL, WITH ZERO FUNDING, I THINK THE COUNTY REAPED THE BENEFITS OF THE TOWN'S WORK WITH THE ROYAL VISIT. 
          THANK YOU TO LIZZIE AND LORI. 
          SO, WELL, WELL WAIT A MINUTE. 
          I WANTED TO TELL THE, WAIT A MINUTE. 
          WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON VINCE NOW FOR MONTHS. 
          HAS THERE BEEN ANY FRICTION OR ANY ANIMOSITY OF ONE PERSON OVERSTEPPING, OR WHAT I'VE SEEN HAS BEEN A VERY COLLABORATIVE, WELL, I MEAN, THE TWO EVENTS THAT HAVE GONE ON WITH THE TOWN AND COUNTY WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT HAVE GONE VERY SMOOTHLY, BEEN VERY WELL EXECUTED, AND I HEARD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE THINGS FROM ANYBODY. 
          SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THE REPORTS I'VE GOTTEN BACK AS A COUNCIL IN THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD. 
          IT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WEIGHT THAT THE TOWN IS CARRYING AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT AND THE DECISIVENESS AND THE ACTION IN THAT. 
          CAN I INTERJECT? I'M ONE OF FOUR CHILDREN. 
          I HAD TO LEARN TO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, THIS IS FOR THE GOOD OF THE GROUP FOR EVERYBODY. 
          JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, YOU MIGHT WANNA KNOW THIS, THE TOWN'S TOURISM BUDGET, THE ENTIRE BUDGET. 
          NOW KEEP IN MIND WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE COUNTY'S BRINGING IN 430,000, ALMOST FOUR 31,000. 
          SO OUR ENTIRE BUDGET IS 338,000. 
          54,000 OF THAT IS FOR THE TROLLEY. 
          27,000 OF THAT IS ADVERTISING, WHICH DOESN'T GET YOU VERY FAR. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, 16,500 IS FOR TOURISM PROMOTION. 
          AND THEN BASICALLY ABOUT 148,000 OF THAT IS PER PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN HALF OF THAT IS PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS. 
          THE REST IS, IS THE OTHER THINGS. 
          BUT I ONLY SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL BECAUSE WHEN I THINK ABOUT, WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT'S THERE, UM, WHAT'S THERE IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR COFFERS FOR WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, FOR TOURISM, I JUST THINK WHAT WE COULDN'T BE DOING COULDN'T HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THIS COMMUNITY IF WE WOULD'VE HAD A LARGER THAN 27,000 ADVERTISING. 
          AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT, AND YOU ACTUALLY HELD UP SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENT, LIKE THE TOWN REALLY IS ADVERTISING FOR BOTH. 
          AND SOMEBODY ELSE BROUGHT IT HERE EARLIER TONIGHT AND BROUGHT IT UP AS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF REVENUE SOURCE FOR TOURISM. 
          YOU KNOW? YES, WE HAVE NIEN LODGING TAX, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH, BUT I'M, IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S, IT WASN'T EVEN AS MUCH AS WHAT THE TOURISM BUDGET WAS ALTOGETHER. 
          SO, UM, I, AGAIN, I REALLY JUST WANT TO BRING THIS BACK TO THE, THE HEART OF THIS, WHICH IS WE WANNA DO THE MOST FOR OUR CITIZENS THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN. 
          AND POOLING OUR MONEY, I THINK IS GONNA BE BETTER. 
          I SAY OUR 'CAUSE REALLY, IF YOU LIVE IN THE TOWN, IT IS, I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN, HONESTLY, I WAS SITTING HERE, I'M JUST GONNA ASK TO BE, I DON'T, I FEEL BAD. 
          IS THERE ANYBODY ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LIVE IN THE TOWN? I DON'T KNOW. 
          I KNOW WHERE HE, I KNOW WHERE HE LIVE. 
           I KNOW WHERE CHERYL LIVES. 
          I KNOW WHERE TONY LIVES NOW. 
          ANYWAY. 
          OKAY. 
          I WAS, I WASN'T CUR I WAS CURIOUS BY THE AIRPORT. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT I WASN'T SURE. 
          AND, AND I KNEW JOHN SHENANDOAH AND SHEAH WAS, I MEAN, WELL, ALL OF YOU ALL REPRESENT TOWN CITIZENS TOO, BECAUSE PART OF THE LIKE TOWN HAS ALMOST 16,000. 
          YOU GUYS HAVE 42. 
          SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA. 
          YOU GUYS EACH HAVE A LITTLE, A LITTLE CLUTCH. 
          YEAH. 
          I GO TOWN, GO TO MAIN STREET, UH, AS FAR AS COMING THIS WAY, AND THEN I GO OUT TO THE ESA LANE, RIGHT? L 55, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          UP TO CHESTER GAP INTO THE PAGE COUNTY 
          [02:05:01]
LINE. 
          GOTCHA. 
          WELL, THAT'S THE RIVER, THAT'S WHAT I KNOW EVERYBODY SAYS 90 FORT TOWN AND THIS TOWN AND THAT TOWN. 
          ALL I WAS, ALL I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS THAT WE WISHED WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT WE THINK WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL AND WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY. 
          NOW THAT'S, THAT'S THE CASE WITH GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL ON LOTS OF THINGS. 
          I MEAN, I'VE WORKED FOR THE GOVERNMENT FOR 36 YEARS, SO I GET IT. 
          YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT, BUT I KNOW THAT THE CODE SAYS YOU ALL HAVE TO SPEND 3% OF THAT IF YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA COLLECT IT NOW, IF YOU ONLY WANT IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          AM I, AM I WRONG ABOUT THAT, JOE? CORRECT ME. 
          IF IF THEY ONLY COLLECTED 2%, THEN THEY WOULD, THAT WOULD BE IT. 
          BUT IF THEY COLLECT FIVE, ANYTHING ABOVE TWO HAS TO BE YEAH, BASICALLY, BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED 2017 OR WHATEVER, THE COUNTIES WERE LIMITED TO DOING 2%. 
          THE STATE CAME ALONG AND SAID WE COULD DO ANOTHER 3%, BUT IT HAD TO GO DIRECTLY TO TOURISM. 
          TOURISM. 
          RIGHT. 
          THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING IS, RIGHT. 
          SO WE'RE DOING FIVE AND THREE'S GOTTA GO TO TOURISM. 
          RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          AND THEN WE GIVE THE TOWN 2%. 
          CORRECT OR NOT, WE'RE NOT GIVING VERY MUCH LIKE 5,000 OUT OF THAT. 
          THAT WAS PART OF THE PILOT FEE. 
          WE GET 5,000. 
          YEAH, WE GET 5,000 FOR THE TOP FROM THAT. 
          BUT THAT DOESN'T TOUCH THE TOURISM THAT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND. 
          I'M NOT, BUT I'M SAYING THERE IS A PORTION AND I, I, I DON'T DISAGREE THAT WE CAN, UM, HELP OUT. 
          AND I THINK WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT PART OF THAT WORKING TOGETHER IS TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THAT REPRESENTS THE COUNTY SIDE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS WELL. 
          I DON'T THINK THEY CAN BE TO AUGMENT THE SYSTEM. 
          I THINK THEY CAN BE DONE WITH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. 
          ANYWAY. 
          I'M MONOPOLIZE THE CONVERSATION AS, UH, AS VICE MAYOR AND THE OTHERS. 
          BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AS FAR AS WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS. 
          NO, ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'LL, I'LL SPEAK A FEW THINGS. 
          UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'M STILL KIND OF WORKING THROUGH WHAT MIGHT BE THE BETTER MODEL, UH, BETWEEN GIVING IT ALL TO THE TOWN OR, OR HAVING, HAVING A MANAGER. 
          UM, SORRY, IT'S A LOT OF FEEDBACK. 
          UM, BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO, TO ME THAT'S IMPLEMENTATION AND IS KIND OF TACTICAL. 
          I WANT TO SET THAT ASIDE FOR A MINUTE AND JUST GO THROUGH, I JUST JOTTED A LIST HERE DURING SOME OF THIS CONVERSATION OF SOME OF THE ASSETS WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND IT'S PHENOMENAL. 
          UM MM-HMM . 
          UH, I THINK ANY TOWN IN VIRGINIA OR MAYBE FOR MOST OF THE EAST COAST WOULD BE JEALOUS IF THEY REALIZE HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY HAVE HERE. 
          UM, AND JUST TO NAME A FEW. 
          UH, AND, AND ACTUALLY FIRST I JUST WANT TO GO UP AND, AND DO, UH, RECOGNIZE THE, THE GREAT JOB THAT, THAT LIZZIE AND, AND JOE AND, AND MAYOR COCKRELL DID WITH, UH, THE ROYAL VISIT. 
          UM, UH, BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST TO ME, I THINK WE'RE ON A ROLL THIS YEAR, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THEM. 
          UH, ANOTHER ONE IS THE LITTLE LEAGUE 10 YOUTH, UH, STATE TOURNAMENT COMING UP IN JULY. 
          UM, BUT JUST GOING DOWN THE LIST HERE. 
          I MEAN, WE HAVE HISTORY, WE HAVE AGRITOURISM, WE HAVE A GROWING NUMBER OF AIRBNBS. 
          MOST OF THEM ARE, OR MOST OF THE RECENT ONES HAVE BEEN PURPOSE BUILT FOR KIND OF LIKE THIS ECO CAMPING, UH, LODGE SORT OF LOOK. 
          WE'VE GOT THE RIVER AND ASSOCIATED SPORTS. 
          WE HAVE THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, THE NATIONAL PARK, THE NATIONAL FOREST, AND GUEST PARK. 
          WE HAVE, DID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE MOST GOLF HOLES PER CAPITA IN VIRGINIA IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE ON A, ON A FIRE SALE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROMOTING GOLF, YOU KNOW. 
          UM, THE HOMESTEAD CONFERENCE BRINGS 5,000 PEOPLE. 
          APPALOOSA BRINGS EIGHT TO 10,000 PEOPLE, FOUR H CAMPS. 
          BRING THOUSANDS OF KIDS HERE FROM OUT OF THE AREA EVERY SUMMER. 
          WE HAVE THE RAIL TRAIL POTENTIALLY COMING. 
          IT MAY BE FIVE YEARS, IT MAY BE 10 YEARS. 
          BUT WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR THAT NOW BECAUSE THAT WILL BE A GAME CHANGER. 
          UM, WE HAVE A GROWING NUMBER OF WINERIES. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF CYCLING HERE, UH, BOTH UP ON THE SKYLINE DRIVE AND ALSO OUT IN ROCKLAND. 
          WE'RE SUPER WELL SITUATED TO HAVE A TRIATHLON, A TRIATHLON, AND THOSE ARE BIG BUSINESS. 
          WE HAVE AN AIRPORT, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS ALSO KEY TO THE ROYAL VISIT. 
          IT HAS A GROWING COMMUNITY THERE. 
          DID YOU KNOW THE AIRPORT WAS FEATURED IN LIKE AN EPISODE OF LOVE ISLAND OR SOMETHING ON NETFLIX? , LIKE FOR THE PARACHUTING? SO THERE'S ADVENTURE SPORTS THERE. 
          UM, AND WITHIN FIVE TO 15 YEARS WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE AIR TAXIS PROBABLY HERE WITH URBAN AIR MOBILITY AND VERTICAL TAKEOFF. 
          I'M NOT KIDDING. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY COME OUT HERE TO GO TO APPLE HOUSE. 
          UH, BETWEEN THE RIVIAN AND THE TESLA CHARGERS THAT ARE OVER ON CROOKED RUN, WE HAVE EVERY WEEK, MANY, MANY VISITORS FROM DC JUST STOPPING THROUGH TO CHARGE UP FOR SEVERAL HOURS. 
          UM, WE HAVE, UH, UM, RMA, WE HAVE 
          [02:10:01]
A COLLEGE CHAPEL, WHICH HAS BECOME A SIGHTSEEING DESTINATION UNTO ITSELF. 
          UM, WE HAVE, I COULD GO ON AND ON WITH THIS. 
          WE, WE HAVE SO MUCH. 
          UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO ADD SPELUNKERS AFTER THE KING AND QUEEN. 
          YES, YES. 
          SKER AND THE CAVERNS. 
          EVERYTHING, UM, THE, THE ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTE WE'RE, WE'RE VERY WELL SITUATED FOR SPORTS TOURISM WITH, WITH ROCKLAND PARK BEING SO CLOSE TO 66 AND 81 AND THE NEW HOTELS COMING ONLINE IN THE, IN THE CORRIDOR. 
          UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THESE MULTIPLE FESTIVALS, FESTIVALS OF, OF LEAVES. 
          THE WINE AND CRAFT MAIN STREET IS JUST GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR. 
          UM, WE, WE REALLY DO HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER. 
          AND, AND I THINK WHATEVER ENDS UP, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND. 
          I, I AGREE WITH VICE MAYORAL THAT WE NEED TO CATER TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS. 
          'CAUSE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THAT LIST, THAT'S A LOT. 
          AND THAT'S A HUGE POTENTIAL. 
          UM, PART OF ME WANTS TO SAY, UM, WHATEVER WE DO, GO GO BIG BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA BE TOO BIG AND, AND GET OVERRUN BY TOURISTS LIKE GATLINBURG OR SOMETHING. 
          BUT MAYBE WE COULD LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT SEDONA OR ASHEVILLE OR, OR, OR SOME OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT REALLY PUNCH ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT WITH TOURISM BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE RETURNING THOUSANDS OR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER CAPITA, UH, BACK INTO THEIR ECONOMY ON TOURISM REVENUE. 
          AND IF, IF WE COULD JUST CAPTURE A FRACTION OF THAT, WE WOULD BE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE. 
          SO, UM, I'M, I'M WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS ON WHAT I THINK WOULD BE BEST, BUT I THINK THIS IS JUST A HUGE UNTAPPED OPPORTUNITY FOR US. 
          AND I JUST WANNA, UM, KIND OF CIRCLE BACK TO, TO THAT SO THAT BEFORE WE GET TO TESTY, WE REALIZE HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE. 
          NO, I, THESE ARE ALL CONVERSATIONS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED FOR FURTHER CONVERSATIONS. 
          NOTHING'S GONNA BE SOLVED TONIGHT, I DON'T THINK. 
          NO. 
          SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. 
          THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT RUNDOWN. 
          I MEAN, UM, I THINK, I THINK, UM, CONSOLIDATION IS A GOOD CONCEPT. 
          I THINK ELIMINATION OF REDUNDANCY IS A GOOD CONCEPT. 
          AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT, THE SEMANTICS, DIRECTOR, MANAGER OR WHATEVER. 
          AND, AND IT'S, IT'S HARD TO, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT BEING DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN IT AND INVOLVED WITH WRITING A JOB DESCRIPTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND MANAGER WOULD BE. 
          UM, IT'S CERTAINLY I ADVOCATE THAT THOSE, WE DON'T HAVE TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO DO THE SAME JOB. 
          UM, CONSOLIDATION. 
          THE OTHER, THE OTHER, UH, WORD IS, UH, COLLABORATION AND YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, FOR THE DOOR TO BE OPEN TO COLLABORATION, THERE REALLY HAS TO BE TWO ENTITIES. 
          IN THIS CASE IT'S TWO ENTITIES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          BUT THERE ARE STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, UM, WORKING IN CONCERT. 
          AND, UH, AUGMENTATION IS ANOTHER KEY WORD. 
          AUGMENTATION, NOT REDUNDANCY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND MY VIEW, AND I'VE WRITTEN A FAIR AMOUNT ABOUT THIS AND, UH, AGAIN, HAVE BEEN CITED AND NAMED AS PUSHING THE, THE, THE SPORTSPLEX THING. 
          UM, IT'S, AND I'VE TRIED TO, TO QUALIFY THAT BY SAYING WE NEED TO AT LEAST STUDY IT. 
          THAT, UH, BUT, BUT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S VISIBLE IN MANY COMMUNITIES IS A SUCCESSFUL, UM, UH, ATTRACTION. 
          BUT NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY THAT, UM, THE POINT IS REALLY, I THINK THE FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MARKETING DOLLAR. 
          UM, AND I, I DO NOT, UH, AND THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY IT. 
          BECAUSE, BECAUSE MARKETING DOLLARS SPENT IN THE DIGITAL REALM ARE VASTLY MORE EFFICIENT, UM, THAN THE TRADITIONAL PRINT REALM. 
          AND THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS FOR TRACING THOSE SPENDS, UM, BACK TO VISITORS. 
          AND THAT IS THE, AND I SAY AUGMENTATION. 
          I'M, I'M WHEREVER THE, THE PERSON RESIDES, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT WE BE NEED THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MARKETING DOLLAR. 
          UM, MORE MARKETING DOLLARS, YES. 
          BUT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MARKETING DOLLARS, KNOWING THAT THE MARKETING DOLLARS SPENT ARE, ARE BEING SUCCESSFUL. 
          AND THAT'S ALL POSSIBLE IN THE DIGITAL MARKETING REALM. 
          UM, SO THE, THE, WHAT THE, THE SIDE EFFECT OF THAT IS, OR THE OUTTAKE OF THAT IS, IS THAT IF THE MARKETING DOLLAR IS SPENT EFFICIENTLY, UM, THEN THE, THE, THE, ALL THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF MORE PEOPLE COME, MORE INFRASTRUCTURE'S NEEDED. 
          SO WE NEED CAPITAL TO DO CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT 
          [02:15:01]
THE TOURISM. 
          AND I'VE ALSO TRIED TO ALWAYS SPEAK OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM IN THE SAME BREATH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY'RE, THEY GO HAND IN HAND. 
          I THINK TOURISM IS ONE OF THE SLIVERS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND, UH, SO WHEN WE LOOK AND IF YOU LOOK AT AN AMOUNT OF MONEY, SAY, WELL LOOK AT ALL THAT MONEY. 
          WELL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS, THAT'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF MONEY. 
          IT'S, IT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY. 
          AND WHAT, WHAT, THERE'S A, THERE'S A VIRTUOUS CYCLE IN THAT MORE, MORE TOURISM RESULTS IN MORE TOURISM MONEY, WHICH RESULTS IN, UH, THE, THE, THE GROWTH IN THE DIGITAL MARKETING SPEND DOESN'T GROW AS FAST AS THE NEED FOR CAPITAL FOR, FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THOSE TOURS TO COME. 
          UM, AND I, I THING THAT JUST POPPED INTO MY HEAD TOO, WHICH IS, WELL, I, I VIEW THESE THINGS AS STEP FUNCTIONS. 
          WE, WE HAVE, WE, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE, SO WE WANT TO BE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFICIENT AND GROW THAT. 
          BUT THERE'S A STEP FUNCTION. 
          AND, AND I THINK I'VE, I'VE USED, UM, THE EXAMPLE OF A SPORTSPLEX AND THE EXAMPLE OF A CONFERENCE CENTER AS BEING STEP FUNCTIONS. 
          UH, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS NEED TO BE APPROPRIATELY VETTED, OF COURSE. 
          UH, BUT WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THOSE ARE STEP FUNCTIONS. 
          AND, AND THEY ALSO DISPERSE THE VISITORSHIP OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR RATHER THAN, THAN MORE OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE. 
          WHICH, WHICH FRUSTRATES A LOT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHICH IS MORE PEOPLE CLOGGING THE ROADS, TRYING TO GET UP INTO THE PARK. 
          I MEAN, UM, SO IT'S EXPANSION. 
          UM, SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DOLLARS HERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PRINCIPAL AND, AND MY VIEW, UM, IT'S, IT'S MORE MONEY FROM MARKETING IF WE'RE, IF WE, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH STAFF DO WE HAVE? I, I THINK THE, THE, THE STAFF NEEDS TO BE AN AUGMENTATION, NOT A REDUNDANCY. 
          UM, THAT, THAT STAFF NEEDS TO BE A DIG IN THE DIGITAL MARKETING REALM PRIMARILY. 
          UM, AND THEN TO BE A RIGHT HAND, UH, WELL TO BE INTERWOVEN WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND, AND IN THAT REGARD, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A POTENTIAL FIT FOR THAT DIGITAL MARKETER, UH, ROLE TO BE, AGAIN, IN COLLABORATION. 
          'CAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA, IF IT'S JUST COLLABORATIVE, THERE'S REALLY NOT A PROBLEM WITH HAVING PEOPLE FROM THE TEAM WORKING FOR DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON THE SAME MISSION. 
          UM, SORRY, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT. 
          UH, WHERE I WAS GOING WAS, UM, THAT YES, THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR THAT, THAT THE COUNTY HAS JUST INVESTED IN, WHICH WILL BE COUNTYWIDE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY INCLUDES TOWN, UM, COULD, UM, BE IN A, IN A CLOSER PROXIMITY, UM, TO THAT TOURISM MANAGER, IF WE'RE GONNA CALL IT MANAGER, UM, MAY NEED TO, TO WORK ON, ON OUR TERMS. UM, AT THIS POINT, I THINK I'M, I'M RAMBLING, SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. 
          FOR THE RECORD, I'M A SPORT, I WAS A TRAVEL SPORT MAMA. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OF THREE DIFFERENT SPORTS PER KID. 
          AND I, I'VE ALREADY, AND NOW I'M A TRAVEL SPORT GREAT AUNT. 
          AND LIKE I WAS AT A TOURNAMENT THE LAST, I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, THERE IS MONEY TO BE MADE IN THAT. 
          IF ANYBODY DOESN'T BELIEVE IT. 
          YOU'VE OBVIOUSLY NEVER BEEN TO A TRAVEL TOURNAMENT WHERE YOU ARE GONE FOR ALL DAY LONG FOR, OR STAY THE NIGHTS AND STUFF. 
          THAT WAS JUST A SIDE NOTE. 
          SURE. 
          WELL, LET ME, LET ME JUST GET ON TACK ONTO IT. 
          , YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE, WHEN ONE OF THE THINGS, I MEAN, THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE CASH. 
          UM, WE'VE GOT A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD DEBT BURDEN, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO INCREASE, BUT WE HAVE LAND. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE ASSETS. 
           JOHN WENT THROUGH A GREAT, A GREAT LIST OF THOSE ASSETS. 
          UM, AND, BUT WE HAVE HARD ASSETS. 
          WE HAVE LAND, UH, AND THAT, THAT ROCKLAND DESTINATION, AND I WAS PRETTY GRATIFIED TO HEAR THAT THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE, OF THE GRANT, UM, TO REENVISION IT. 
          'CAUSE UM, WE COULD JUST, WE COULD REENVISION IT. 
          LET'S JUST, UH, JOHN SAID, GO BIG AND LET'S, LET'S LOOK BIG AND LET'S, LET'S DEPTH THINGS. 
          UM, BUT, UH, AND I SAT IN THIS ROOM WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS YOUNG, MAYBE COACH PITCH AND PROFFERS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SET ASIDE FOR A SOFTBALL COMPLEX. 
          JUST SAYING, I DON'T, I NEVER HAVE FIGURED OUT WHERE THAT WENT. 
          BUT, UM, I'M JUST SAYING I CAN, I WAS SITTING BESIDE A LADY WHO GOT AN OLDER DAUGHTER AND SHE SAID, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THIS, BUT MY DAUGHTER WILL NEVER PLAY ON IT, BUT YOURS WILL. 
          AND MY DAUGHTER'S 27. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SHE NEVER PLAYED ON IT EITHER. 
          SO ANYWAY, DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT, I'M JUST SAYING THERE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE WILL BE SOME PROFFER SOMEWHERE ELSE THAT WE'LL PUT MONEY TOWARDS IT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO FINAL, FINAL LINE FOR ME IS THIS IS, FOR ME, THE TOURISM MONEY SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT 
          [02:20:01]
THE MOST EFFICIENT MARKETING POSSIBLE AND A CAPITAL ACCUMULATION FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT IN TURN SUPPORT HEALTHY TOURISM. 
          SO MELISSA, OH, I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH. 
          IF I, IF I MAY, UH, I JUST WANNA LOOK AT THIS AT A HIGH LEVEL HERE. 
          I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO, UH, VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND YOUR TAKE ON IT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS LOOKING TO, AT LEAST THE MAJORITY FROM WHAT I'VE OVERHEARD, WANTS TO GIVE THE TOWN MONEY FOR TOURISM AND JUST ASK FOR RECEIPTS. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? IN A WAY, OR, OR, OR WHAT'S SOME OVERSIGHT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S THE MAJORITY OR NOT?  WELL, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, BUT LIKE, IS THAT THE, WAS I KEEP, I'M HEARING THE TERM AUGMENT. 
          I MEAN, NO, THAT WAS MY THOUGHT. 
          AS FAR AS WE TAKE SOME OF OUR TOURISM DOLLARS, GIVE IT TO THE TOWN, THEY CAN HIRE SOMEBODY, THEY CAN PUT MORE MONEY INTO MARKETING AND THEN RETURN THE COUNTY. 
          UH, THE TOWN WILL KIND OF HELP US OUT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WAS GETTING. 
          I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET, I'M TRYING TO GET A GIST HERE. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT POINTS RIGHT HERE, BUT I DON'T WANNA LEAVE HERE WITH MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE SEEM TO DO THAT. 
          AND I JUST, LIKE, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A TAKE OF WHAT WE ALL WANNA DO. 
          WE, I KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE ANYTHING WE'RE HERE TODAY, BUT AT LEAST WE SHOULD HAVE, OR ENOUGH OF US HERE, ENOUGH OF US TALKING TO COME UP WITH AT LEAST A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT TO DO. 
          NOT NECESSARILY HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT, BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO. 
          AND IF, IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S, WE ALL, CAN WE SOFTLY AGREE ON THAT? AND THAT'S FINE. 
          I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THEN IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PLAYING WITH NUMBERS. 
          'CAUSE I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT A, UH, AGREEABLE WITH SAYING, HEY, IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEND TAX DOLLAR MONEY, IT'S GOTTA BE ACCOUNTABLE. 
          I MEAN, SO ABSOLUTELY A TAXPAYER MYSELF. 
          SO IF THAT WERE THE CASE, IT WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT $430,000 IN YOUR BUDGET, WE GOT $338,000 IN OUR BUDGET. 
          I'M, I'M JUST USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. 
          LET'S SAY YOU GUYS GIVE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR WHATEVER, AND WE SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHERE YOUR A HUNDRED THOUSAND IS GOING TO GO. 
          YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE, WE'VE ALL BEEN PATTING EACH OTHER ON THEIR BACKS OF HOW WELL WE'VE BEEN DOING TOGETHER WITH OUR CURRENT EVENTS. 
          SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO OUT ON A, ON A LIMB VERY, YOU KNOW, TO DEVIATE FROM WHAT'S WORKING RIGHT NOW TO AN EXTENT THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA BE NITPICKING. 
          AND, AND JUST BACK TO WHERE WE WERE AS VICE MAYOR SAID SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND COME TO A COMPLETE HALT. 
          I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THE CASE. 
          I THINK WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WELL WITH EACH OTHER. 
          I THINK THINGS ARE WORKING GOOD NOW. 
          SO IT'S, AND I AGREE, WHICH I, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING TO AUGMENT, BECAUSE I THINK LIZZIE AND THE TEAM, AND I THINK THE TOWN'S DONE GOOD WITH THAT, BECAUSE I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COUNTIES? WHAT GOOD FOR THE TOWN, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE TOWNS, WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COUNTY? AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S HOW IT'S BEEN. 
          I MEAN, UM, AND LIKE I SAID IT AS, AS, UH, UH, SUPERVISOR HENRY HERE, HENRY, UH, JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME TO FRONT ROYAL, BUT THEY'RE COMING TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMING TO THE COUNTY TOO. 
          SO IT'S, YEAH. 
          WHEN YOU GO, PEOPLE LEAVE DC THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, LET'S GO TO WARREN COUNTY. 
          THEY'RE COMING HERE. 
          BUT AS VICE CHAIR, UH, CARTER SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY COME TO VISITOR CENTER, THEY DO GO TO, THEY GO TO SKYLINE, THEY GO TO TO SOUTH RIVER, THEY GO TO THE, TO THE RIVER. 
          I MEAN, I GOT MY FRIENDS COME DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE HANG OUT AND HAVE LUNCH HERE IN TOWN AND WE GO NORTH OR SOUTH, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO RESTAURANT UP IN THE CORRIDOR OR WE GO SOUTH TO THE PARKS OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW. 
          SO, UM, WHAT I'M TRYING, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT IF WE CAN JUST COME TO A GENERAL APPROACH FOR WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE, WORKING TOGETHER, UM, 'CAUSE I AGREE, WE, WE SHOULD NOT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO BE REDUNDANT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, IDENTICAL ROLES THAT, THAT I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR, UH, FAIR TAKE. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S AT LEAST COME UP WITH AN I, YOU KNOW, A A GENERAL APPROACH. 
          YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. 
          'CAUSE WE CAN CRUNCH NUMBERS. 
          WE GOT THE NUMBERS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US. 
          I MEAN, THIS IS THE FIRST, I'VE SEEN THESE NUMBERS LIKE THIS PRESENTED. 
          UM, AND, AND I AGREE. 
          I THINK THE COUNTY SHOULD HAVE MONEY FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT THEY WANT DO THEIR SPORTS COMPLEX. 
          I'D BE, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. 
          UM, I MEAN, I'M A SKIER. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE FOR YOU GUYS TO PUT A SKI RESORT IN, I'M JUST SAYING. 
          BUT, UH, OF COURSE I'M A PILOT TOO, WHICH I'LL LEAVE THAT THE SUBJECT OFF THE TABLE RIGHT NOW. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE WEATHER COOPERATES WELL ENOUGH FOR SKI RESORT. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, UM, I I WHAT I, WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM WHAT THE BOARD, WHAT THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID, UH, I'M TRYING TO TAKE ON ALL THE POINTS IN, UH, IN COLLECTION THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THOUGHT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS TO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, AUGMENT WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND THEN YOU GUYS STILL HAVE SOME, SOME FUNDS, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY WE GIVE YOU GUYS RECEIPTS OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU 
          [02:25:01]
GUYS HAVE TRANSPARENCY, WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          I MEAN, WE, OUR BUDGET, I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAS, I GOT A COPY OF IT HERE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO A PRETTY GOOD LINE ITEM ON WHAT WE, WHAT, WHAT WE SPEND WHERE OR WHERE WE SPEND IT. 
          SO, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE OWE IT TO OUR, TO OUR COMMUNITY TO, TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING QUICK. 
          UM, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, THE VA TWO 50 IS COMING IS THIS YEAR, OBVIOUSLY. 
          UM, I THINK WE JUST HOSTED THE, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE COUNTRY THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THAT. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, AND I, I THINK WE OBVIOUSLY ALL AGREED THAT THAT WAS A SUCCESS. 
          BUT LET'S, LET'S DO SOMETHING. 
          LET'S PUT SOME ACTION HERE. 
          LET'S GIVE, LET'S HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE. 
          I KNOW I'VE SAID THAT MULTIPLE TIMES TONIGHT, VANESSA. 
          LET'S NOT LET THIS GO TO ANOTHER THREE OR FOUR LIAISON MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE NO ACTION TAKEN. 
          I, I THINK AS A BOARD, WE CAN SOFTLY AGREE THAT WE'VE GOT TOURISM DOLLARS THAT WE ARE GOING TO REINVEST IN TOURISM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          'CAUSE IT'S, UH, SELF REGENERATING, WHICH YOU INVEST, YOU'LL GET BACK. 
          UH, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT. 
          UH, NO. 
          GIVE US, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE DIFFERENT VIEWS OF IT, OF HOW TO GET THERE. 
          BUT YEAH, I THINK IT'S GONNA HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER. 
          I, I'M, YOU KNOW, WE PUSH IT, WE NOT PUSH THIS ALL FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS. 
          I SAY, WHO CALL ALL HERE NEXT MEETING OR TWO? MM-HMM . 
          WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER SEEN A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR ANYTHING. 
          I'M WILLING TO LOOK AT IT. 
          SO IF YOU WANT TO WORK OUT, I DON'T KNOW. 
          I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE BOARD. 
          WE'VE GOT A COMMITTEE ALREADY IN PLACE, THE TOURISM COMMITTEE, WE'VE GOT, I THINK GLEN, I THINK YOU'RE PART OF THAT, RIGHT? I CAN'T, WHO ELSE? I WANTED TO ACTUALLY, I WAS HOPING THAT GLEN AND MELISSA AND BRUCE WOULD WAIT. 
          EVERYBODY'S HAD A CHANCE. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT DO YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, I, I MEAN, GLAD YOU'RE ON IT. 
          SO, SO THAT, THAT'S AN INTERESTING POINT. 
          YES. 
          I WAS ASKED LAST YEAR TO SERVE ON IT. 
          UM, SUPERVISOR CALLERS AND I TALKED MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE WE COULD DO TO GENERATE TOURISM. 
          AND QUITE HONESTLY, WE KNOW WE'RE LIMITED IN THE FUNDS. 
          WE KNOW WE HAVE AN A ONE, NUMBER ONE DIRECTOR OVER HERE. 
          AND IF ANYBODY DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT, JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE KING AND QUEEN CAME HERE. 
          AND AGAIN, FOLKS, THIS, SHE HAS A, A, A COUPLE PEOPLE PART-TIME. 
          THIS IS LIZZIE LEWIS DOING THIS WORK. 
          SO TALKING ABOUT DEDICATION, KNOWLEDGE, NETWORK. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I'M HARD ON HER WHEN I THINK SHE SHOULD DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT I, I'LL SING HER PRAISES TO THE HEAVENS. 
          UM, I, I THINK SHE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. 
          WE TALKED LAST YEAR, HOW COULD THE TOWN AND COUNTY WORK TOGETHER? AND, UH, AND IF I'M MISSPEAKING YOU MM-HMM . 
          YOU SPEAK UP. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY, WHERE'S THE MONEY? WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR AWAY. 
          YOU PAINT IT IN THE VISITOR CENTER. 
          WELL, HOW MUCH DID THE PAINT COST LABOR? SO I, I SAID TO HER, I SAID, SO WHAT ABOUT MARKETING? WHAT IF, UM, LIZZIE PUTS TOGETHER A MARKETING PLAN AND WE BUY, UH, $20,000 WORTH OF THE DMV RADIO STATIONS MARKETING UP THERE. 
          IF I GIVE YOU A BILL FROM THESE THREE RADIO STATIONS, IS THAT TRANSPARENT ENOUGH? YOU KNOW, WHAT THE MONEY WAS SPENT ON? DOES THAT GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE THAT IT'S SPENT, SPENT, IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          I CAN TALK TO THE TAXPAYERS, AND WE, WE AGREED ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO OVERTHINK THIS. 
          UM, YES, I'VE BEEN ON THE, THE MEETINGS. 
          UM, I MISSED, UH, A FEW OF THEM. 
          AND I, I SAID THIS, I, I KNOW TO THE SUPERVISORS, AND I JUST TODAY SHARED MY EMAIL WITH A, A FELLOW COUNCILMAN. 
          I THOUGHT THAT OUR COMMITTEE WOULD BE WORKING ON, UM, COLLABORATION. 
          AND TO ME, WE HAVEN'T. 
          WE'VE COLLABORATED. 
          I KNOW THAT LIZZIE, UH, IN THE TOWN COLLABORATED WITH THE, UH, LANTERNS OF LIBERTY. 
          IT WAS HELD IN TOWN AND BLOCKING OFF THE STREET, THE GAZEBO, THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, MANAGING THAT. 
          BUT, UM, THESE EVENTS WERE PRETTY WELL AND PLANNED AND EXECUTED BY THE JANE AND, UM, A, A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS PRIMARILY FROM THE TOURISM COMMITTEE. 
          UM, MY EXPOSURE DURING THIS WHOLE THING HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT FUNDAMENTAL, THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION WE HAVE HERE IS BRANDING. 
          ARE WE GONNA BE BRANDED DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, OR DO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE WARREN COUNTY? I'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS MADE TONIGHT. 
          I, I BELIEVE THAT FRONT ROYAL IS THE BRAND. 
          I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT OUT THERE. 
          I'VE LIVED IN WARREN COUNTY MOST OF MY LIFE. 
          AND IN FRONT ROYAL, SOME OF IT, FRONT ROW AS A DESTINATION IS A PLACE YOU CAN GET ON THE MAP. 
          IT'S A PLACE YOU CAN SEE ON THE SIGNS I'VE 
          [02:30:01]
SHARED WITH SOME OF YOU OTHER PLACES. 
          'CAUSE I'VE LIVED OTHER PLACES AND THEY DO TOURISM. 
          Y'ALL GET TIRED OF ME TALKING ABOUT, YES, MARTINSVILLE, EVERYBODY, MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA SPEEDWAY, NASCAR, BUT YES, MARTINSVILLE, YOU PULLED IT UP IN YES. 
          MARTINSVILLE, HENRY COUNTY. 
          AND THE RECENT THING THAT I SHARED WITH SOME OF YOU IS THEIR WHOLE, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA EMAIL THING AND WHATEVER WENT OUT RECENTLY WAS ABOUT PHIL POT LAKE, THE SMITH RIVER CANOEING. 
          IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MARTINSVILLE, BUT THE BRAND IS YES, MARTINSVILLE. 
          AND HERE'S THE THINGS GOING ON WITH WATER RELATED THINGS IN MARTINSVILLE, HENRY COUNTY. 
          BUT REALLY FOLKS, IT WAS ALL IN HENRY COUNTY. 
          I THINK WE GET HUNG UP ON THAT SOMETIMES. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PRIDE MAYBE SOMETIMES GETS IN OUR WAY. 
          WE WANT THIS, WE WANT EVERY, WE'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY. 
          IT'S GOTTA BE THIS OR THAT. 
          UM, AND I WISH, AND YOU DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT I WISH I WOULD'VE BEEN INVITED TO THE MEETING WITH KELLY WEAVER BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO HAVE HEARD THE QUESTIONS. 
          I LIKE TO HAVE HEARD THE RESPONSES. 
          NOT, NOT THAT I THINK THERE'S ANYTHING MISLEADING IN HERE, BUT DOES SHE BELIEVE TWO BRANDS IS BETTER THAN ONE? I I MEAN, I HAVE MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. 
          TWO WEBSITES, TWO OFFICIALS. 
          I THINK IT, I THINK IT'S CONFUSING, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T HOLD THE PURSE STRINGS HERE. 
          AND, AND JOSH, I'M GLAD I I WAITED FOR YOU TO TALK BECAUSE I, I'VE SENT INFORMATION TO YOU ALL FRONT ROYAL, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN BACK HERE A FEW YEARS, BUT FRONT ROYAL HAS BEEN PROMOTING OUR AREA, ALL THE THINGS THAT JOHN LISTED HERE A FEW MOMENTS AGO DURING, IN OUR VISTA GUIDE, IF YOU'VE READ THROUGH THE MATERIALS I SENT YOU, WE PUBLISH A VISIT GUIDE AND PAGES UPON BEACH OR OUR AIRPORT, HOT BALLOONING, TRAIL RIDING, UH, VINEYARDS, UH, GOLF COURSES. 
          ALL THESE THINGS ARE IN THE COUNTY, BUT WE, THE TOWN ARE SPENDING OUR DOLLARS AND, AND PROMOTING THEM. 
          THE MAP THAT WE GIVE YOU, WHEN YOU COME IN THERE AS FRONT ROYAL, THE TOWN ON ONE SIDE, WARREN COUNTY ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE PUBLISH A THING CALLED, UH, UH, UH, WARREN COUNTY WATERING HALLS, WARREN WATERING HALLS. 
          HALF OF THEM ARE IN THE COUNTY. 
          UH, THE FRONT ROYAL WINES. 
          WE DON'T HAVE A WINERY IN THE TOWN. 
          THEY'RE ALL IN THE COUNTY. 
          I, I'M, I'M JUST, I, I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW. 
          AND I GO BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID A WHILE AGO. 
          FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING AND, AND PULLING PEOPLE HERE FOR ALL OF US. 
          WE DON'T STOP TOURISM AT, YOU KNOW, THE HILTONS IN THERE, THAT PLACES ON THE, IN THERE. 
          IT'S NOT JUST, WELL COME EAT AT ELEMENT BECAUSE IT'S IN TOWN. 
          OR SPINNAKER'S THE BEST HAMBURGER. 
          IT'S ALL THE PLACES. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE KIND OF PUT BLINDERS ON. 
          HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE HERE? WE HAVE A BEVERAGE PROGRAM WITH CLARK COUNTY. 
          YOU GO AROUND DRINK AND USE YOUR PHONE, AND YOU GET A LITTLE STAMP HERE AND YOU GET A CUP, YOU GET A DRINK IT. 
          BUT WE'RE PARTNERING NOW WITH ANOTHER ENTITY. 
          I, I JUST, I, I STRUGGLE WITH SEEING THE VALUE OF HAVING ANOTHER TOURISM OFFICIAL. 
          I DO, WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH IS WE CAN'T GIVE HER LIZZIE, THE TOOLS TO DO THE JOB. 
          WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS, WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU? DO YOU, I I, I DON'T KNOW IF I KNEW WHAT YOU WANTED. 
          DISCOVER FRONT ROW HAD WARREN COUNTY UNDERNEATH IT. 
          UM, THE VISTA GUY WILL SAY, FRONT ROYAL, WARREN COUNTY, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE BY DOING THIS. 
          WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S NOT REDUNDANT, BUT ON YOUR OWN AND SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WE COULDN'T DO IF WE HIRED A MARKETING MANAGER. 
          OKAY? AND IT'S ALL, AGAIN, IT IS JUST LIKE HE DID LET YOU DO A DA LET US DO TOURISM. 
          LET US BE TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBLE TO SHOW YOU WHERE THOSE DOLLARS GO. 
          IF YOU GIVE US ADVERTISING DOLLARS, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR JOE, BUT MAYBE LIZ, YOU CAN TAKE HER ADVERTISING DOLLARS AND HIRE A STAFF MEMBER. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          BUT WE WILL BE AN OPEN BOOK. 
          WE HAVE BEEN BECAUSE THE ACCOUNTABILITY TO OUR CITIZENS. 
          BUT I THINK WE CAN GET THERE. 
          I THINK YOU CAN TRUST US, BUT THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME GUIDANCE. 
          THERE WILL HAVE TO BE, IN MY MIND, AN ADVISORY BOARD, OUR PARTNERS, OUR TOURISM PARTNERS. 
          WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT'S IT COST? HEY GUYS, CAN YOU GIVE US, WELL, YOU WANT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEARER PROGRAM COSTS, BUT THE BEARER PROGRAM, SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT, YOU WANNA DO THE BAYER PROGRAM? OKAY, WE'RE GONNA NEED AN EXTRA $50,000 TO DO THAT. 
          AND, 
          [02:35:02]
BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE IN THE JOINT MEETING, UH, BACK AND JUST LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I BELIEVE WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS. 
          I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE OVER COMPLICATED, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE TO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT THAT WE'RE NOT DOING, AND WE WILL DO IT. 
          THERE'S NO EGO INVOLVED IN THIS. 
          I MEAN, WELL, THE FRONT ROWS GREATER IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          IT'S A BRAND. 
          WE'RE GONNA ADVERTISE THE BRAND. 
          WE'RE GONNA DRAW PEOPLE HERE. 
          IF I CAN GET SOMEBODY TO COME HERE TO WRAP HANOCK VINEYARD, MAYBE THEY'LL STOP IN TOWN AND GET GAS. 
          MAYBE THEY'LL SAY, HEY, WE CAN GO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER HERE ON ER AND GO TO THE CAVERNS. 
          OR LET'S TAKE A DRIVE. 
          MOST PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU'RE MARKETING, IT'S GETTING SOMEONE HERE. 
          AND THEN WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY CAN HAVE? THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE A TOWN HAS IS WHEN WE HAVE THE LEAF PEES, THEY DRIVE RIGHT THROUGH TOWN. 
          WE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GET 'EM OFF THE BEATEN PATH TO GO DOWN MAIN STREET OR, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'RE ON SOUTH STREET SITTING THERE FOR AN HOUR TRYING TO GET UP ON THE DRIVE. 
          THAT'S A CHALLENGE. 
          OKAY? BUT WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO DO. 
          UH, SO MANY MARVELOUS THINGS TO DO THAT JOHN AND MANY PEOPLE HAVE LISTED. 
          BUT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN IMPROVE THIS. 
          AND FOR THOSE, IF YOU'RE STILL UP WATCHING AT HOME, TOURISM DOLLARS HELPS US KEEP TAXES LOW, JUST LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE ALL GET IT. 
          IT'S HOW DO WE GET THERE? HOW COMPLICATED DO WE MAKE, MAKE IT HOW MUCH I I I DO FEAR THAT YOU HAVE TWO COOKS IN THE KITCHEN WHO'S IN CHARGE. 
          THAT'S MY FEAR. 
          SO THAT'S ALL. 
          MELISSA, YOU GOT ANYTHING? I FEEL LIKE YOU, OF COURSE I DO. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          SO I HAVE A NUMBER OF RAMBLING THOUGHTS, BUT I'LL TRY TO BE CON CONCISE WITH THE, THE FIR. 
          WHEN I START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO, I START WITH A GOAL. 
          SO HERE'S, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO START WITH OUR GOAL. 
          WHAT IS OUR GOAL IN THIS TOURISM THING? AND TO ME, IT'S TO PROMOTE AND SHARE OUR COMMUNITY IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE ENTICE PEOPLE TO VISIT AND GENERATE REVENUE. 
          WE NEED TO SUSTAIN OUR CURRENT RESOURCES AND GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE WHO STAY PERMANENTLY. 
          THAT'S WHAT I THINK OUR GOAL IS THERE. 
          FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I THINK WE DO GREAT WITH THE FIRST PART. 
          I THINK WE ENTICE PEOPLE TO VISIT, AND WE DON'T EVEN REALLY HAVE TO DO THAT MUCH TO DO IT. 
          WE'VE GOT THE, ALL THOSE RESOURCES THAT, UM, MR. STAN AND I ARE VISITED, THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WENT THROUGH, WE'VE GOT THEIRS. 
          WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MUCH MONEY ON 'EM AT ALL. 
          UM, WHERE, AND WHERE WE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE DON'T BRING IN GOOD REVENUE FOR WHAT WE NEED TO SUSTAIN WHAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, AND WE DO HAVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE TO SOME DEGREE, BUT WE NEED MORE, AGAIN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOING WITH THAT TOURISM. 
          AND SO TO MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THAT WHAT SOME OF YOU OTHERS HAVE BROUGHT UP IS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND, OKAY, WELL, WHERE'S OUR GAPS? WHERE'S OUR BIGGEST GAPS TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO? UM, IS IT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SPORTS COMPLEX? WILL THAT GET US TO THAT, YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT THAT WE WANNA BE AT. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUT I'M, I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENT IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMEBODY TO HELP US THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. 
          AND I THINK THAT THAT PROCESS DOES NEED TO ENGAGE A BROADER CONSTITUENCY. 
          IT, OF COURSE, IT NEEDS TO INVOLVE THE MAIN STREET PEOPLE. 
          AND OF COURSE IT NEEDS TO INVOLVE OTHER BUSINESSES AND OTHER, ANYBODY, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SIT AT THE TABLE AND HELP MAP OUT A PLAN. 
          BUT LET'S START WITH SOME STEPS AND, AND ACHIEVE THEM LIKE OTHERS. 
          I THINK THAT, UH, IT WOULD BE REDUNDANT. 
          I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT GAP THERE IS FOR PERSONNEL. 
          I DON'T THINK IT'S A LEADERSHIP ROLE TO BE IN DIGITAL MARKETING. 
          I THINK THAT THERE'S SKILLS THAT MAY BE LACKING OR THERE'S A, I MEAN, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMEBODY TO, YOU KNOW, DO VERY, UM, I MEAN, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT NOT SKILLED, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS A, A TITLE OF DIRECTOR IS WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          SO LET'S FIND OUT WHAT THE PERSONNEL SKILL GAP IS OR NEED AND LOOK FOR THAT, UM, AS A POSITION TO HELP LIZZIE OR WHOEVER'S DOING IT. 
          I ALSO AGREE THAT WE ARE A DESTINATION. 
          MY HUSBAND AND I LAST TWO SUMMERS, AND NOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO IT AGAIN. 
          WE ARE GOING CROSS COUNTRY. 
          WE'VE GOT 11 LEGS, THOUSANDS OF MILES, NOT A ONE OF THEM. 
          DO I KNOW WHAT COUNTY I'M IN? I KNOW I'M GOING TO A LITTLE HOUSE IN THE PRAIRIE PLACE. 
          I KNOW THAT I'M GOING, UH, MAYBE TO AMARILLO. 
          I KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO YOSEMITE. 
          I KNOW ALL THESE PLACES, EITHER A LANDSCAPE OR A CITY OR A, UM, TOURIST DESTINATION. 
          BUT I HAVE NO FRIGGING CLUE 
          [02:40:01]
WHAT COUNTY WE'RE IN. 
          UM, AT ANY POINT ALL OUT THERE AND BACK, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME. 
          UM, SO I, I DO DO THINK FRONT ROYAL IS THE BRAND. 
          UM, AND FRONT ROYAL ENCOMPASSES THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THE THINGS AROUND IT. 
          UM, AND I THINK THAT WHEN YOU'RE PLANNING, YOU GO WITH WHAT'S NATURAL. 
          IT'S A NATURAL FIT BECAUSE OF THE BRAND OF FRONT ROYAL FOR MAYBE THE TOURISM PIECE, THE BULK OF IT, TO REST WITH THE WORK OF THE TOWN OF FIRM OIL. 
          AND LET'S DO THE NATURAL FIT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MORE WITH THE COUNTY, WHO AGAIN, HAS MORE LAND AND MORE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP INDUSTRY. 
          AND WE SOMEHOW SUPPORT YOU IN THAT EFFORT. 
          THAT WOULD BE HOW I SEE AS A NATURAL FIT. 
          AND THE LAST, UM, THING I WILL SHARE IS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO MONOPOLIZE ON THAT ROYAL VISIT, NO MATTER HOW CORNY IT IS. 
          WHEN I WENT TO ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO, NOW, I DON'T CARE WHETHER YOU BELIEVE THAT THE ALIENS LANDED THERE OR NOT, BUT THEY HAVE, THEIR STREET LAMPS ARE ALIENS. 
          AT THE DAYS INN IS A PICTURE OF THE ALIEN. 
          EVERYWHERE YOU GO IS AN ALIEN. 
          LET'S TAKE THAT FRONT ROYAL ROYAL VISIT AND LET'S GET THAT GOING. 
          AS CHEESY AS IT CAN BE. 
          AND PEOPLE DID THAT TO A DEGREE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH THEIR, UM, WITH THEIR LITTLE, THOSE WERE GREAT. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A, THEY HAD THE ROYALS GOING IN THE COUNSELING CENTER. 
          THEY WERE EATING A MELTING POT. 
          THAT STUFF IS, YOU KNOW, CORNY. 
          BUT IT'S GREAT AND IT BRINGS PEOPLE IN. 
          SO I THINK THAT THERE'S JUST A LOT THAT WE CAN DO, BUT LET'S GET FOCUSED, MAKE A PLAN OF ACTION. 
          AND I THINK THAT LIZZIE HAS GREAT LEADERSHIP. 
          LET'S JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN, WHAT, WHAT SHE IS MISSING TO HELP HER GO TO A NEXT LEVEL. 
          'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO. 
          THERE'S, SHE'S ONE PERSON. 
          UM, BUT DO WE NEED ANOTHER DIRECTOR? NO. 
          SO THOSE ARE MY RAMBLES OF TODAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I GUESS, AM I GONNA BE A LAST AGAIN, ? DON'T EVEN POOR, DON'T YOU EVEN WE GIVE YOU THE CHANCE TO BE FIRST ALL THE TIME. 
          YOU GOTTA JUMP IN FAST. 
          YOU STARTED ONE DAY. 
          I WANT TO BE CLEAN ON YOU. 
          YOU STARTED WITH TALKING, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS. 
          YES. 
          YOU WERE FIRST. 
          YEAH. 
          AND LAST, AND LAUGHED. 
          YOU, YOU FLY UNDER THE RADAR, BRUCE. 
          SO WELL, , I LIKE IT . 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'M GOING TO QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE A DESTINATION YET. 
          AND THE REASON I WILL SAY THAT IS I LOOK AT ASHEVILLE, SEDONA, I'VE BEEN OUT TO, UH, NEW MEXICO. 
          THEY, IN FACT, THEY LIKE ME OUT THERE THAT YOUR LADIES THERE  LIKE ME. 
          SO ANYWAY, GOD LOVE ME. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE MISSING? UH, WHAT MAKES US, I'VE READ SOME LITERATURE AND SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT COME BACK, I THINK IT WAS ON THE US NEWS, OR IS THEY DON'T LOOK AT FRONT ROYAL AS A DESTINATION BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE HOSPITALITY. 
          OKAY? SO PEOPLE DON'T, THEY COME, THEY DON'T WANNA STAY AT THE  , THEY COME, THEY COME AND THEY, THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY AND THEN THEY GO HOME. 
          AND HOWEVER, THE, IN THE WAY THE COUNTY BAILS US OUT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME HOTELS OUT THERE. 
          IN FACT, I WAS DOWN AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND I HANG OUT , IMAGINE THAT I WAS AT VISITOR CENTER, AND THIS LADY WAS WAITING FOR, SHE WAS FROM NEW JERSEY. 
          SHE GREW UP OUT IN SEATTLE. 
          AND, UH, SHE, UH, WAS WAITING ON THE TROLLEY, BUT THE TROLLEY NEVER CAME. 
          OH. 
          SO IT WAS OFF THAT DAY FOR WHATEVER REASON. 
          AND SHE WANTED TO GET BACK. 
          SHE HAD BEEN HIKING ON THE, ON THE, AT, UH, SKYLINE DRIVE. 
          AND, UM, I OFFERED MY SERVICES, AND SO I GAVE HER A RIDE OUT TO THE MARRIOTT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S WHY I QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE, WE'VE, WE'VE HIT DESTINATION STATUS YET. 
          WE ARE A POINT OF LET'S COME AND EXPLORE AND VENTURE OUT AS SOMEBODY DOWN AT THE VISITOR CENTER, WHAT'S SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT VENTURE OUT, SETTLE 
          [02:45:01]
IN AND VENTURE OUT, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          BUT THEY HAVE LITTLE STICKERS DOWN THERE. 
          BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, AND, AND TO MR. STAN MEYER'S, UH, POINT, UH, AND I WROTE DOWN A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS. 
          I MEAN, WE GOT A HEAD START ON THE BRANDING, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE SKYLINE DRIVE AND BEING BUILT HERE IN 1936. 
          AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, COME TO FRONT ROYAL AND ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE BRIDGES WASN'T, IT WAS NOTHING BUT PINE TREES OUT THERE UNTIL ABOUT 1980 OR SOMETHING. 
          TIMEFRAME. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, UH, THAT, THAT'S WHEN THINGS KICKED OFF OUT THERE. 
          AND NOW, AS WE'VE, I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE PARADIGM HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          BUT I WILL TELL YOU IN TERMS OF TOURISM, THAT WHEN I'M DOWN THERE AT THE, AND I HANG OUT AT THE VISITOR'S CENTER, I JUST DON'T GO IN AND POP OUT. 
          AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE WALK IN THERE AND IT'S THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER. 
          THE CUSTOMER IS THE TOURIST, AND THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. 
          I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY ASKING, YOU KNOW, HOW DO I GET TO THIS? HOW DO I GO TO THE WINERY? UH, WHERE IS THE, THE, WHAT IS IT, THE VRBO OR WHATEVER PERMIT. 
          AND, UH, AND THE, THESE LADIES THERE, UH, THEY, THEY HELP 'EM OUT. 
          AND, UH, I WILL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WARREN COUNTY IS IN A GOOD, YOU'RE BEING TAKEN CARE OF OUT THERE BECAUSE, UH, I WOULD SAY ABOUT 70% OF THE, OF, UH, OF WHAT IS ASKED IS OUT IN THE COUNTY. 
          AND, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE EVENTS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, LIKE THE, THE CANOEING, THE HIKING, UH, THE, THE WINERIES, UH, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WISH THAT THE COUNTY WOULD THINK ABOUT DOING IS, UH, MAYBE PRODUCING YOUR OWN PAMPHLETS AND PROVIDING THEM TO THE VISITOR CENTER TO HAND OUT TO PEOPLE. 
          UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S PROBABLY THINGS THAT ARE BEING MISSED. 
          BUT AS FAR AS WHEN I LOOK AT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, WE'RE WHAT, 15 FIVE STRONG IN THE TOWN AND MAYBE 25, 26 IN THE COUNTY. 
          ABOUT 42,000 PLUS. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSER TO 15 NINE NOW, I THINK THE LAST THING THAT'S DONE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          GIVE OR TAKE A FEW, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SMALL AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SO SURE, UH, THERE, THERE'S A NEED FOR, UH, THESE DUPLICATIONS, UH, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE ALREADY THERE. 
          UH, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. 
          UM, AND, UH, IT, IT'S JUST TWEAKING WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE AND TO MR. UH, HIS SUPERVISOR, UH, JAMESON, UH, YOU KNOW, FREDERICKSBURG HAS A, UH, UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A, IT'S CALLED A, A SOCCER PLEX, BUT IT'S A, IT HAS AN OUTDOOR, UM, ARTIFICIAL TURF. 
          AND THEN INSIDE THEY HAVE BASKETBALL COURTS AND THEY HAVE, UM, UH, WEIGHT EQUIPMENT AND OTHER THINGS TO DO, UH, FOR, AND THAT PLACE AFTER SAY FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, IS PACKED. 
          SO, UH, THE SPORTSPLEX IDEA, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT, UH, THOSE KIND OF EVENTS, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT WORK IN FRONT ROW. 
          I'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, WELL, LET'S, HOW ABOUT AN AMPHITHEATER? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO SEE HERE, BUT AS FAR AS, UM, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE EFFICIENCIES. 
          UM, I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT YOU MISSED, UH, SUPERVISOR STAN MEYER WAS 
          [02:50:01]
EUM PARK. 
          AND MAY THE APPALACHIAN TRAILS , I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HIT THE APPALACHIAN TRAILS OR NOT. 
          HE DID SAY TRAILS. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UH, BUT THE, THE BIKING IDEA, UH, BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS 1980, UH, WE HAD THE TOUR DUPONT HERE. 
          IT WAS A, IT WAS A BIKE, IT WAS A SERIOUS BIKE RACE. 
          AND, UH, UM, YOU'RE LAUGHING. 
          NO, IT WAS A SERIOUS BIKER. 
          YOU EMPHASIZE WHAT? IT WAS A SERIOUS, I MEAN, IT WAS A SERIOUS BIKE. 
          WE WEREN'T TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY LISTENING. 
          I MEAN, I HAVE THE PATH, I HAVE THE PROGRAM. 
          I HAVE THE PROGRAM. 
          I THINK WE HAD BIKE AMERICA HERE, JOE, DID YOU RIDE IN 2000? HE WAS A KID. 
          I DID NOT. 
          BUT I HAVE GREG LAMONT'S JERSEY WHEN HE WON TOUR DUPONT WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH FRONT ROYAL IN 92, RIGHT? OH, 92. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, THEY HAD A SPRINT. 
          IT WAS A SPRINT DOWN MAIN STREET, AND THEN THEY TOOK OFF AND WENT UP THE SKYLINE DRIVE. 
          AND, UH, BUT UH, PEOPLE CAME FROM THERE EVERYWHERE TO SEE, SEE THAT EVENT. 
          AND, UH, MR. JAMESON WANTED TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU SAID. 
          OH, YES, SIR. 
          I, I, I THINK I'VE, I'VE TAGGED WITH MR. S SPORTSPLEX, BUT, BUT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE VETTED AND, AND EVALUATED. 
          SO I'M, I'M A ADVOCATE FOR SEEING SOME OF THESE REALLY SORT OF BIG PROJECTS AND THEN GIVING THEM A GOOD VETTING. 
          EVERYTHING HAS TO PASS THROUGH ALL THE FILTERS, RIGHT? SURE. 
          SO, YEAH, SURE. 
          SO COLLABORATION, I'M ALL FOR IT. 
          UH, I'M JUST NOT SO SURE I WANT TO SEE, UH, REDUNDANCY. 
          I THINK WE'VE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO WRAP IT UP. 
          BUT BEFORE THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I THINK WE'RE ON THE CUSP OF WORKING WELL TOGETHER. 
          TOURISM, EDA, OTHER THINGS THAT REALLY WEREN'T ON THE AGENDA BUT HAS BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE. 
          AND THAT WAS COMBINED DISPATCH BETWEEN THE SHERIFF AND THE POLICE, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE, UH, MORE EFFICIENT AND ALSO HAVE SOME SAVINGS. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING TOO, AND IT'S KIND, WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT'S UPDATING THE FISCAL IMPACT MODEL. 
          AND I THINK YOUR PLANNERS MAYBE WORKING ON THAT. 
          AND I THINK SHE, SHE'S CAPABLE, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO TIME CONSUMING. 
          AND WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THE SAME THING. 
          AND I THINK THE COST CAME TO AROUND 69,000 OR SO, AND THAT MODEL HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. 
          AND I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE TOWN, WITH YOUR ALL'S INPUT. 
          SO IF WE COME UP WITH SOMETHING AND THEN A FUTURE COUNSELOR, WHOEVER SAYS, WELL, THIS ISN'T FAIR, WHATEVER. 
          AND I'M JUST REALLY AFRAID. 
          AND I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER THINGS TOO, AND I'M JUST AFRAID THAT WE'RE KIND OF GETTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT WITH THIS IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL. 
          AND IT'S GONNA PUT A MONKEYING WRENCH IN EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          SO THE ONE SUGGESTION I WOULD HAVE, AND THIS WOULD BE UP TO THE COUNCIL IF THEY WANNA DO IT, YOU'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS TONIGHT. 
          SOME, SOME VERY PRO, SOME STILL CONSIDERING AND THE WHOLE THING. 
          'CAUSE IT IS, SOME OF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT SOME MEMBERS HAVE HEARD IT. 
          BUT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU ALL WANTED TO, IS TO, UM, DIRECT YOUR TOWN MANAGER AS MENTIONED BEFORE, HE'S GOT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE, THE EXPERIENCE DOWN THE HERITAGE SOCIETY, AND THEN THE TOWN, PLUS HE WORKS REAL CLOSELY WITH, UH, LIZZIE. 
          BUT POSSIBLY WHAT YOU ALL COULD DO IS COME UP WITH AN MOA, SOMEBODY SUGGESTED THAT IT WOULD LAST SIX MONTHS. 
          SIX MONTHS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME. 
          IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST A YEAR. 
          AND THEN AGAIN, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTANDING. 
          AND THERE AGAIN, YOU CAN MAKE AN OFFER. 
          AND THEN SOME OF THE ITEMS WOULD BE HOW MUCH WOULD YOU NEED? WHAT WOULD IT GO FOR? IE STAFFING, MARKETING, PRINTING, ET CETERA, HAVE OVERSIGHT. 
          I THINK MR. WOOD HAD MENTIONED THAT I KNOW THERE'S A TOURISM COMMITTEE. 
          IF WE HAVE TO COMMIT A, UH, UH, COME UP WITH A NEW ADVISORY BOARD, THAT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY. 
          UM, THE OTHER THING TOO, AND I KEEP HEARING THAT IN THAT HEARD BOTH, BOTH WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU ALL TO PROMOTE THE COUNTY. 
          YOU ARE PROMOTING THE COUNTY, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND THEN IN THAT AGREEMENT TOO, THERE'D ALSO BE SOME MENTION OF, OF AN EXCHANGE THAT YOU ALL WOULD FUND, HELP FUND THE EDA. 
          AND I LIKED WHAT MELISSA SAID TOO, AS FAR AS WHAT THE GOAL IS, AND INCORPORATE THAT IN THERE TOO. 
          AND THEN, UH, AND THE OTHER THING, IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY, WELL, IT COULD BE, I'M NOT TRYING TO LAY MORE WORK ON MR. PETTY. 
          I ALWAYS WANNA CALL YOU PERRY, AND THAT'S STEVE PERRY WHO PLAYED FOR AEROSMITH. 
          BUT ANYWAY, BUT I DON'T WANT TO PUT ADDITIONAL, UH, UH, BURDEN ON YOU. 
          BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT A MEETING ON THE 19TH. 
          IF YOU, OH, THE OTHER THING TOO IS HAVE SOME WAY TO, UH, MEASURE THE SUCCESS. 
          WE HAVE A MEETING ON THE 19TH, A REGULAR MEETING, AND IF YOU COULD COME 
          [02:55:01]
UP WITH SOMETHING, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, YOU KNOW, KNOW YOU SHARE THAT WITH, UH, YOUR COUNSEL AND ALSO WITH OUR BOARD AND WE COULD, UH, HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT. 
          THE SOONER THE BETTER. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF WE'D BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE ANY DECISION, BUT AT LEAST THERE AGAIN, WE COULD START TWEAKING IT AND RUN IT PAST THINGS. 
          BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. 
          AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE THE COUNCIL'S COURT IF THEY WANNA GO FORWARD WITH THAT. 
          I JUST WANNA COMMENT, UM, THAT'S MR. SONNETS WHEELHOUSE TO WRITE AN MOA OR AN MOU FOR US. 
          AND HE HAS WRITTEN MANY OF THOSE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL REGARDING TOURISM. 
          MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A PLAY ON ONE OF THOSE, BUT I KNOW THE 18TH MIGHT BE A STRETCH WITH HIS PLATE. 
          OUR MEETING IS NOT THE 19TH, IT'S THE 23RD. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          I SAID 18TH. 
          'CAUSE I THOUGHT THURSDAY 19TH. 
          19TH IS A FRIDAY. 
          NO, WE DON'T MEET THE 19TH. 
          NO, THE SECOND 14TH. 
          THE 16TH. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          NO, 23RD. 
          HUH? 23RD. 
          THE 23RD IS THE FOURTH TUESDAY. 
          WHAT DO YOU GUYS MEET? DO Y'ALL MEET WE'RE, WE'RE MEETING THE 23RD. 
          OKAY. 
          BECAUSE THE 19TH, EVERYBODY'S OUT SPECIAL MEETING. 
          RIGHT. 
          TUESDAY. 
          TUESDAY ON THE SECOND. 
          FIRST MEETING, MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT WE HAD SKIPPED THE 19TH, I THINK BECAUSE OF, UM, THE PRIMARY, WHICH I THINK THEN GOT SWITCHED TO AUGUST OR WHATEVER. 
          BUT IT'S ON THE CALENDAR FOR THE 23RD. 
          THAT'S FINE. 
          JUST GET US STARTED. 
          LIKE I SAID, IT MAY TAKE A WHILE, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO GO ON IN THERE AGAIN IN THE MEANTIME. 
          UH, I THINK THE, THE, THE, THE BOARD WILL JUST BE IN A HOLDING PATTERN AND NOT DO ANYTHING FURTHER UNTIL WE GET TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU GUYS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          BLESS YOU. 
          AND MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS INSTEAD OF EVERY QUARTER, TWO PEOPLE AND TWO PEOPLE, MAYBE ONCE A YEAR, WE SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN. 
          I AGREE. 
          THINK IT'S, I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S TAKES A LONG TIME, BUT I, I SOMETIMES I THINK THE LIAISON MEETINGS ARE HELPFUL AND SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE WE GET STUFF AND THEN WE TAKE BACK AND THEN YEAH, IT JUST, THEN IT TAKES THREE MONTHS TO GET BACK. 
          SO THIS IS PROBABLY, WE OUGHT TO DO THIS ONCE A YEAR AND COME TOGETHER AND, AND TO YOU AND CHERYL'S POINT WITH THAT, DESPITE THE PUBLIC'S MISCONCEPTIONS, I THINK THERE'S THIS THING WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LIKE, WE NEED TO BETTER THE TOWN AND COUNTY RELATIONSHIP. 
          YEAH. 
          WE NEED TO BETTER, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S BEEN THE CASE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. 
          I KNOW MYSELF, THE MAYOR, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS COULD CALL THE CHAIR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT. 
          WE HAVE ASK FOR A MEETING OR A REQUEST AND THAT, YOU KNOW, GETS THE BALL ROLLING ON WHATEVER IT MAY BE. 
          SO I DO APPRECIATE OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERVISORS. 
          I DO TOO. 
          YEP. 
          I, I FEEL THE SAME. 
          LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER, WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE PEOPLE. 
          AGREED. 
          WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE. 
          WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          WE DO THAT. 
          WE DO THAT ON OUR OWN, BUT WE LEAVE AND TOMORROW'S A NEW DAY AND WE START ALL OVER AGAIN. 
          SO APPRECIATE THAT. 
          EVERYBODY HAS, UM, BEEN HERE TONIGHT. 
          THANK YOU DR. MARTIN. 
          FOR THE MEAL BEFOREHAND, GETTING THAT ARRANGED. 
          UM, THAT WAS IN JUST, UM, SCHOOLS, UM, PROVIDED THE MAIL AND IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY GOOD. 
          APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE SCHOOL BEING ABLE TO DO THAT FOR US. 
          SO, UM, I GUESS WE WILL CALL FOR AN ADJOURNMENT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I MOVE TO ADJOURN. 
          MR. SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I JUST ADJOURNED THE MEETING. 
          WE DON'T, WE JUST SAY WE'RE OUT.
* 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.