[Call to Order]
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IT DIDN'T MEAN LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE SEPTEMBER SIX MEDIA AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THE VIDEOS COME BE CALLED AUDRA AND ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
THIS IS MR. GREEN, MR. RAY, MR. SHEPHERD AND CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[A Potential Parks and Recreation Projects. ]
SESSION.THERE WERE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS AND WITHOUT ONE, SEE, IT'S A POTENTIAL PARKS AND RECREATION PROJECTS.
GOOD, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
UH, YOU WERE RECALL THAT, UM, AT OUR RETREAT IN MAY, UH, BRYAN FULLER GAVE YOU A PRESENTATION WITH SORT OF A LIST OF POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS IN PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS. AND IT WAS A COMBINATION OF THINGS THAT HAD LONG BEEN DISCUSSED AND SOME MORE QUESTIONS OF MAKING ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE.
AND OTHERS WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, INVESTING IN NEW NEW PROJECTS AND NEW FACILITIES.
UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, THE STAFF IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WHICH WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD LATER IN THE FALL.
AND A LARGE PART OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET IS KIND OF LOCKED IN BASED ON DECISIONS WE'VE ALL MADE.
UM, SO THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH TO DECIDE ON A LOT OF THAT, BUT IN THE PARKS AND REC CATEGORY, UM, THERE ARE, LET'S SAY IN THE BEST BRIAN, NOT TO GET TOO DOWN IN THE WEEDS, BUT LET'S SAY ABOUT FOUR OR $5 MILLION OF LOCAL FUNDS, UH, THAT YOU ALL HAD PREVIOUSLY PLANNED CIP, PARTLY RECYCLED FEDERAL, UH, COVID DOLLARS IF YOU RECALL.
AND SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO US IF WE ALLOW BRIAN TO KIND OF EXPLORE THAT LIST HE DID, AND MAY GO IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, UPDATE YOU ON SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE, AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR AN ABSOLUTE DECISION, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, I WANNA SMOKE SIGNALS ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL WOULD BE YOUR PRIORITIES AS WE DEVELOP THE CAPITAL BUDGET OVER THE NEXT 90 DAYS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL ASK BRIAN TO PRESENT AND ENGAGE YOU ALL IN SOME DISCUSSION.
UM, SO WE, WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL FAR PROJECTS.
I'VE KIND OF BROKEN THIS PRESENTATION DOWN INTO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT AS NEIL SAID, WE'VE GOT $1.5 MILLION IT'S IDENTIFIED IN THE ARPA FUNDS FOR FUTURE CR PROGRAMS. AND REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO TONIGHT IS KIND OF LIKE YOU SAID, FINE TUNE THAT LIST.
UH, LOOK AT SOME THINGS IN AREAS OF INTEREST, BUT TONIGHT'S THING WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CURRENT CIP PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE, POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AT CURRENT PARKS.
SO MY ITEMS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT, NEURAL PICKLEBALL, CAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY POPULAR AND THEN SOME OTHER POTENTIAL RECREATIONAL PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE MAYBE LONG-TERM OR LARGER THAN, THAN THE FUNDS WE HAVE, BUT WHERE WE COULD START PLANNING, ET CETERA.
WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE JUST A DIALOGUE TONIGHT.
UH, I'M GOING TO THROW OUT FAIRLY, UH, SOME BROAD CATEGORIES HERE, UH, IN A FAIRLY QUICK FASHION.
AND THEN WE REALLY WANT TO ALLOW YOU ALL TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AND DIVE DEEP AND IT ASK US, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND THEN HOW WE CAN FINE TUNE THAT INTO THE CIP, WHICH WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR.
SO WE'LL WALK THROUGH THIS FAIRLY QUICKLY HERE.
THIS THING'S GOING TO BE TOUCHING.
I CAN TELL ME A LITTLE TOO QUICK, I'M GOING TO GO OLD SCHOOL.
SO I KNOW THIS IS HARD TO READ, BUT THIS IS KIND OF THE COUNTY MAP.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE ALL THE DIFFERENT COUNTY PARKS PROJECTS ARE, IT'S REALLY DETAILED, BUT THIS IS PART OF IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, THE ONE THING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS MAP IS OBVIOUSLY ALL THE GRAY AREA, UH, WHICH IS FEDERAL PROPERTY, A LOT OF THE GREEN AREAS AS PARK PROPERTY, BUT IT'S NOT OUR PARK.
IT'S DO PRODUCE PARK NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.
SO, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF LAND THERE, BUT A LOT OF IT'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR US FOR RECREATIONAL OR ANY TYPE OF OTHER PURPOSES.
UH, AND SO WE JUST WANT TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THAT MAP.
WHEN WE TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT SOME OF THESE ITEMS, FIRST PROJECT, UH, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CURRENCY, IP IS BATTERY PARK AND SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THERE THAT PRE PARK, YOU KNOWS A 20, UH, 23 ACRE SITE ON BACK CREEK, UH, THAT WAS DONATED TO BY AMOCO OIL REFINERY.
AND WE'VE DEVELOPED A TENNIS FACILITY THERE AND PUBLIC LANDING RESTROOM FACILITIES AND SOME PICNIC FACILITIES.
SO IT'S TIME IS THIS HAS WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH THE CIP.
WE HAVE SOME PLANNING MONEY THIS YEAR, A
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LARGE CHUNK OF MONEY NEXT YEAR.AND THEN PUBLIC WORKS HAS MONEY.
THE YEAR AFTER THAT FOR TENNIS COURT RE RE FIGURATION RE ASPHALT, EXCEPT WE WANT TO LOOK AT THIS PROJECT AS A WHOLE AND GET SOME IDEAS OF WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
THE TENNIS COURTS ARE IN NEED OF SOME MAJOR WORK AND REPAIR THEY'RE AT OR BELOW SEA LEVEL, DEPENDING ON THE DAY.
UM, AND THEN THE BOAT RAMP, WHICH WE GOT A GRANT TO DO ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO OR 15 YEARS AGO, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD SHAPE.
UH, BUT IT DOES NEED SOME MAINTENANCE AND WE NEED TO REPLACE A DECADE AND INCREASE SOME OF THE FISHING AREA THERE, UH, AND, AND MAKE THAT THERE.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT, OBVIOUSLY IT'S PICKLEBALL AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN DETAIL, BUT ALSO A KAYAK LAUNCH.
UH, WE, WE HAVE, UH, A BIG TIE PROGRAM THAT WE DO THERE.
AND BASICALLY RIGHT NOW, WE JUST KIND OF STICK THEM OUT IN THE CREEK, BACK BEHIND THE BUILDING.
AND THAT'S, IT'S NOT A ACCESSIBLE, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD ON STAFF AND THE, SO WE DO WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID AT A WARMLY CREEK AND ANNA KAYAK LAUNCH THERE, UH, AS PART OF THE PROGRAM THERE, THIS IS A TURF FIELD THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE BUDGET OUT A FEW YEARS IS OVER A TWO YEAR PROJECT TO DO ONE AUDITOR ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD, UH, AT THE MAC.
AND THAT'LL REALLY HELP PLAY WITH TURF FIELDS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REST THEM CURRENTLY WITH THE MAC AND OTHER, ALL OF OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT ARE NOT ARTIFICIAL TURF.
WE HAVE TO WATCH THEM TWO TIMES A YEAR.
WE HAVE TO WATCH THEM IN A WINTER BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE BEING BERMUDA REVIEWED, OR SOME VARIANT OF BERMUDA GRASS.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO DORMANT.
SO WE HAVE TO WATCH THE PLAY ON THEM IN THE WINTER WHEN THEY ARE DORMANT.
AND THEN THE SUMMER IS THE ONLY TIME WE CAN REPAIR THEM.
SO WE ALSO HAVE TO TAKE THEM OUT OF SERVICE FOR SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS IN THE SUMMER TO, TO, UM, REPAIR THEM AND LET THE GRASS GROW.
I KNOW PROBABLY YOU'VE SEEN SOME PEOPLE POST.
WHY IS THE GRASS SO HIGH AT THIS FIELD? AND WHY IS IT RAINING IN THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM ON, WELL, WHEN YOU DO THE BAYMONT OPER RITA, YOU REALLY HAVE TO WATER IT, KEEP IT GOING TO GET IT TO GROW AND YOU HAVE TO LET IT GROW.
AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, UH, WITH THOSE FIELDS.
SO WE TURF FIELD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT.
YOU CAN PLAY ON IT 365 DAYS A YEAR, PLAY ON IT.
THAT IS A FULL-SIZE REGULATION FIELD.
SO, AND THEN YOU CAN PAIR DIFFERENT SIZE FIELDS ONTO THAT IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE AN OUTDOOR SPLASH PAD, UH, AND WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED THE SAW YET.
WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE MCGRIDDLES, AFRICA LETA COMPLEX, AND YOU'LL SEE SPLASH PAD IN A COUPLE OF OTHER PLACES IS IF WE WANT TO LOOK IN AND MOVE THOSE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUCH, WHAT IS A SPLASH PAD IS A WATER FEATURE.
YOU HAVE FOUNTAINS COMING OUT OF THE AIR.
YOU MAY SEE A MUSHROOM, A WERE WATER FEATURES AND JUST A SPRAY PARK.
IF YOU WILL, YOU STEP ON A BUTTON AND IT'LL SQUIRT YOU UP AND YOU SEE A LOT OF THEM WERE VERY POPULAR IN INNER CITIES.
UH, WHEN, WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE PLACES FOR POOLS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE LIFEGUARDS.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY A NICE FEATURE TO HAVE, UM, WITHOUT HAVING ALL THE HEADACHES OF A BOWL, BUT WE HAVE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN AS WE TALKED TONIGHT, WE CAN ALL LOOK OUT THE LAWN SPRINKLING SYSTEM OR THE FIREHOUSE PERIOD.
SO, AND THE LAST BIT OF MONEY WE HAVE IS, IS THE ARPA MONEY FOR, UH, FOR PARK DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO FOCUS ON TONIGHT IS WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME MONEY THERE AND WHETHER WE PUT THAT EMPHASIS IN AND CURRENT PARKS OR SOME ADDITIONAL CURRENT PROPERTY THAT WE DO HAVE.
SO SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL PARKS THAT WE HAVE, OR CURRENT PARKS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT HAVE SOME PR POSSIBILITIES FOR PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES, NEW QUARTER PARK, A KAYAK LAUNCH THERE, SIMILAR TO WHERE WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A KAYAK PROGRAM, THEIR PROBLEM WITH NEW QUARTER PARK OR THE CHALLENGE THAT NEW QUARTER PARK IS NEW QUARTER PARK IS VERY HIGH UP ON THE BLUFF.
SO PUTTING IN AN ACCESSIBLE KAYAK LAUNCH, THERE WOULD BE QUITE EXPENSIVE AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO DO IT'S IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING.
NOW, WHEN WE DO OUR KAYAKING PROGRAM, WE HAVE TO HAVE STAFF ACTUALLY GET THE KAYAKS IN THE WATER FOR, FOR THE PATRIOTS, POTENTIALLY AS A SPLASH PAD THERE, A NEW QUARTER PARK, IT HAS 68% OF OUR PAR PROPERTIES AT NEW QUARTER PARK.
WE'LL BE IN THE KAYAK LIGHT PAD FROM NEW QUARTER TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
NO, YOU COULD, WE, WE COULD NEED WITH 200 MILES OF SHORELINE, MULTIPLE KAYAKING OPPORTUNITIES WOULD BE WELCOME.
AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT PARTS, YOU KNOW, UP IN THE NORTHERN END, RIGHT? YOU GOT MORE OF THE UPPER YORK RIVER DOWN AT FORMERLY CREEK AND BACK CREEK, YOU KNOW, THE CREEKS AND ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, UH, BUT, BUT NEW QUARTER
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PARK IS OUR LARGEST PARK.IT HAS 68% OF OUR TOTAL PARKLAND, UH, IN THE COUNTY THAT WE HAVE.
UH, IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF AREA THAT'S THAT'S AVAILABLE TO DO.
ONE OF THE CURRENT TRENDS IN DOG PARKS THAT IS STARTING TO GO ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS ACTUALLY OFF-LEASH AREAS FOR DOGS.
SO AREAS THAT ARE DESIGNATED FOR YOU TO HAVE YOUR DOG OFF THE LEASH.
THEY'RE NOT, UM, MAN, LIKE, UM, PARTICULAR ZOO, CURRENT DOG PARKS, BUT IT IS JUST AN OPEN AREA WHERE YOU CAN THROW A BALL AND HAVE YOUR DOGS OFF LEASH, BUT THOSE AREAS HAVE TO BE SEPARATED FROM OTHER FEATURES OF THE PARK AT, UH, CHARLES BROWN PARK.
WELL, WE COULD REPURPOSE THE, THE REGULATION BASEBALL FIELDS.
IT'S NOT USED AS MUCH AS IT WAS YEARS AGO, NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE OTHER PARKS, BUT YOU COULD ADD.
AND THAT AREA IS FAST-GROWING.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS IN THAT AREA NOW THAT WEREN'T THERE BEFORE.
SO PICNIC AREAS OF SPLASH PARK THERE CURRENTLY OUR PARKS AND RECREATION STAFF ON WEDNESDAYS IN AUGUST, DO A WILD ON WEDNESDAYS WHERE THEY BRING A LOT OF MANPOWER, BUT WE BRING IN WATER, UH, ACTIVITIES, BOUNCE HOUSES AND THINGS.
AND WE, WE ENTERTAIN WE'LL HAVE 60 OR 70 KIDS SHOW UP FOR THAT UNFORTUNATE IT'S WEATHER DEPENDENT ALL THE TIME, BUT WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THEM CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER, BUT SO THERE'S A LOT MORE ACTIVITY AND KIDS IN THAT AREA.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN QUITE POPULAR, UH, MCGRIDDLES ATHLETIC COMPLEX.
WHEN WE DESIGNED THE FACILITY IN TWO 10 IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, WE HAD THAT ENGAGES IN A LARGE PICNIC SHELTER THERE.
UH, THOSE WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE BUDGET, BUT WE COULD, WE STILL HAVE SPACE FOR THOSE.
SO WE COULD LOOK AT PUTTING THOSE AREAS IN THE BATTING CAGES WOULD BE POPULAR, UH, TOURNAMENTS AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL AND BASEBALL PROGRAMS THAT WOULD HELP THOSE TRAINING PROGRAMS AND THEN CHEESMAN CREEK AND WOLF TRAP PARK, WHILE THEY, THEY DO POSE SOME CHALLENGES BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE PARKS AND BEING A SUPERFUND SITES.
UH, WE, WE COULD WORK WITH DOMINION POWER AND EPA AND ADD SOME ADDITIONAL FEATURES THERE.
I BELIEVE THE PLAYGROUND PICNIC SHELTERS, SOME SHAVE WOULD BE NICE.
UH, AND WE DO HAVE SOME AREA AT WOLF TRAP PARK WHERE WE COULD INTERVIEW A DOG PARK, IF SO, BE, UH, THREE AREAS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT AND BROUGHT UP THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, UH, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS, IS ONE.
THEY COMPLETED A DOG PARK STUDY AT THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IN AND THE BOARD.
UH, AND THAT, THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE BOARD SUPERVISORS IN 2019, UH, RECENTLY OR MORE CURRENTLY, THERE'S HAD A CITIZEN INTEREST GROUP, UH, TALK ABOUT SKATEBOARD AND BMX PARK AND THEN PRESENTED TO THE PARKS AND WORKERS ADVISORY BOARD AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD DID CONDUCT A SURVEY THIS YEAR DURING THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH ALL THE SURVEY RESULTS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY THOSE MAY AND THEN PICKLEBALL A GROUP JUST DID A PRESENTATION ON PICKLE BALL AT THE LAST PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD.
CURRENTLY THERE'S BETWEEN 80 TO A HUNDRED PARTICIPANTS IN A, IN A GROUP MEETUP, IF YOU WILL, UH, THAT ARE PLAYING PICKLEBALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT PICKLEBALL IN A MINUTE, BUT THOSE HAVE ALL COME THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, THESE DIFFERENT EFFORTS, UH, AND IN GROUPS OF INTERESTS.
SO WE DID WANT TO MENTION THAT TO YOU, AND THEN I DIDN'T GET A PICTURE OF MR. MORGAN, BUT, UM, I'LL, I'LL WORK ON THAT.
SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO SAY MUCH, BUT PICKLEBALL YOU'LL SAY IS THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN THE WORLD.
UH, IT'S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.
IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE, UH, QUITE SOME TIME IT'S A COMBINATION OF TENNIS.
AND I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY, IT'S, IT'S LIKE A GOOD ANALOGY WAS WHEN YOU GO TO A PARK AND YOU PLAY CHESS WITH THOSE FOUR FOOT CHESS PIECES, THIS IS LIKE PING PONG.
CAUSE YOU'RE PLAYING ALMOST LIKE PING PONG ON A, ON OUT THING.
SO THAT'S A GROUP THERE ON THE LEFT.
THIS THAT'S PLAYING OUT OF BACK CREEK PARK WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY LIED TO A COUPLE OF THE COURTS, UH, WITH PICKLEBALL LINES.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT IS, UH, JAMES CITY COUNTY AT VETERAN'S PARK WHERE THEY TOOK THREE BASKETBALL COURTS AND TURNED THEM INTO SIX PICKLEBALL COURTS.
UH, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT PICKLEBALL IS IT'S NOT LIKE TENNIS, UH, AND IT, WHERE YOU GO OUT AND YOU, YOU KNOW, TWO, FOUR OF YOU GO OUT AND PLAY TENNIS AND THEN YOU LEAVE, UH, IT'S REALLY A SOCIAL EVENT.
UH, ANY GIVEN THURSDAY MORNING OR WEEKEND MORNING YOU'LL HAVE 20 OR SO ADULTS AND SOME KIDS AS WELL SHOW UP UNORGANIZED, BUT THEY THEY'VE GOT A TIME WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO MEET AND THEY KIND OF PICK SIDES AND PICK TEAMS AND THEN ALL UP, GO PLAY, THEY PLAY A GAME AND THEN THEY SWITCH UP AND MOVE AROUND.
SOME WILL GO TO A DIFFERENT COURT AND YOU'LL PLAY DIFFERENT TEAMS. SO IT'S
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REALLY A GREAT RECREATIONAL SPORT AND IT ALLOWS LOTS OF DIFFERENT, UM, LEVELS APPLY.UH, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY A SOCIAL THING AS MUCH AS IT IS A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
UM, AND IN THAT REGARDS, WE HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH LIKE THAT IN A LONG TIME.
IT'S THE QUESTION ABOUT, ABOUT THE PICKLEBALL ON TENNIS COURTS? BECAUSE THE BED IS LOWER THAN THE REGULAR TENNIS.
UH, CAN YOU PLAY BOTH SPORTS ON THE SAME COURT YOU CAN WITH THE SAME TIME? NOT AT THE CITY OF LAKES, NOT THAT STUPID.
NO, BUT YOU'VE GOT WOMEN, NO SERIOUS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU COULD TAKE A TENNIS COURT AND DIVIDED UP INTO TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS.
SO I JUST WANT TO, WELL, YEAH, WHEN YOU, WHEN THAT IS RIGHT, THERE'S MORE THAN Y WAYS TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN LOWER THE TENNIS NETS.
UM, IT'S THE ONLY THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ON PICKLEBALL IS WHY THEY HAD THE NET LOWER BY LIKE TWO INCHES, BUT THEY DO, UM, ON ONE PICKLEBALL COURT, UH, WHAT YOU SEE A LOT OF PLACES DO IS THEY USE THAT TENNIS NET AS A DIVIDER, AND THEY PUT ONE COURT ON ONE SIDE ON COURT ON ANOTHER, AND IT CAN BRING UP PORTABLE NUTS.
THEN YOU CAN PUT TWO COURTS ON ONE TENNIS SCORE.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OPTION.
SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS IS WHEN WE LOOK AT BACK CREEK PARK AS A WHOLE, UM, ANOTHER THING YOU CAN LEARN THE TENNIS COURTS, YOU KNOW, AT SCHOOL PARKS OR OTHER SITES.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE, BUT, BUT THE NATURE OF THE SPORT ONE IT'S SO COMMUNAL THAT THE MORE COURTS YOU CAN HAVE AT A SINGLE LOCATION REALLY DRIVE.
SO AT BAT CREEK PARK, PER SE, WHAT YOU COULD DO IS TAKE THE TWO EXISTING LOWER COURTS, AND YOU COULD TURN THAT INTO SIX PICKLEBALL COURTS RELATIVELY EASY.
AND THEN YOU COULD MARK THE FOUR UPPER COURTS EACH WITH USING THE TENNIS NET PHILOSOPHY AND PUT FOUR MORE.
YOU WOULD HAVE 10 COURTS AT ONE SITE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY IN TENNIS NOW? WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE, THEY COULD STILL PLAY TENNIS.
YOU JUST W YOU COULD COORDINATE THE SCHEDULE, WORK OUT THE SCHEDULE AND SEE, AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OR THE DIFFERENCE IN PICKLEBALL WHERE PICKLEBALL HAS BEEN ORGANIC.
AND AS MR. MORGAN CAN DETACH, YOU WILL HAVE 20 OR 30 PEOPLE OUT THERE ON A THIRD.
WE'VE NEVER HAD 20 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO PLAY TENNIS.
THEY PLAY SORT OF LESSONS WHEN YOU'RE SCARED.
CAN I, CAN I JUST, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERIENCE, SO MY WIFE BOUGHT US PICKLEBALL SET FOR MY BIRTHDAY, AND WE'VE STARTED PLAYING OVER SUMMER AND WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN THAT GROUP.
SOME ACTUALLY I PLAYED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY.
AND, UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF JUST OBSERVATIONS TO MAKE ABOUT IT.
UH, OVER THAT THREE-DAY PERIOD, I SAW A HUNDRED DIFFERENT PEOPLE OUT THERE PLAYING DIFFERENT TIMES.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL INTERESTING THINGS.
TH THIS MAIN GROUP KIND OF IS A, SELF-REGULATED A MORPHOUS GROUP.
THEY SHOW UP, YOU PLAY TWO 11, THE WINNERS SPLIT UP SOME MORE, COME ON THE COURT.
AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE KIND OF TALKING AND JOKING AROUND.
SO IT'S, IT IS THE SOCIAL DIMENSION, NOT TO SUGGEST THAT THERE AREN'T SOME PRETTY SERIOUS COMPETITIVE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SMASH IT AT YOU.
UM, BUT THERE ARE ALSO A MULTI-GENERATIONAL SITUATIONS.
I SAW TWO FAMILIES LOOK LIKE, YOU KNOW, DADS AND ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL KIDS PLAYING.
AND SO YOU HAVE THIS SCENARIO WHERE UP TO THREE GENERATIONS CAN BE PLAYING THE SAME SPORT TOGETHER.
I THINK THE, SOME OF THE FIRST WAVE OF POPULARITY WERE MAYBE OLD INJURED TENNIS PLAYER TYPES LIKE ME, WHO COULD, COULD PLAY IT WITH A LITTLE BIT LESS STRESSED AND, AND TELL US, YOU SEE THE SAME THING WITH FAMILIES GOING OUT, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S, UH, SO ANYWAY, SO IT SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, SPREADING IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD IS GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN WHATEVER FACILITIES YOU WANT.
YOU WANT GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION.
I THINK ONE POINT THOUGH, IS WE PROBABLY, FOR PICKLEBALL, YOU NEED ONE PLACE WHERE THERE CAN BE A LARGE CLUSTER.
MY, MY VISION WOULD BE, WE HAVE SOME COURTS SCATTERED ABOUT THE COUNTY, BUT YOU KNOW, BACK CREEK IS PRETTY MUCH, IT'S ALREADY GOT PARKING BATHROOMS, PAVING.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE THE LOGICAL PLACE TO DO THIS SORT OF CLUSTER.
AND THEN BRIAN, I GUESS YOU WERE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE MOST OF OUR TENNIS COURTS WERE AT SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, CREEK PARK, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A HUB, THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE, THE EASIEST LOGICAL PLACE.
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YOU, YOU ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A NEW QUARTER PARKS GOT A HARD SURFACE, IT KILL CREEK PARK.AND, UH, YOU COULD, YOU COULD SUB MAKE THOSE BASKETBALL COURTS INTO PICKLEBALL COURTS.
UM, CHARLES BROWN PARK, YOU'D HAVE SOME BASKETBALL COURT THAT YOU COULD TRY.
I SAY, INSTEAD OF BASKETBALL, MAKE IT PICK A BALL.
OR YOU COULD DO, IN ADDITION, YOU COULD, CO-EXIST SOME CAR THAT ARE YOU GOING TO, ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD SOMETHING NEW OR ARE YOU GOING TO OVER RELY ON SOMETHING THAT EXISTS? SO THOSE ARE DECISIONS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO MAKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE LIKE NEIL SAID, THEY HAVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR TENNIS COURTS.
UM, WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH, UM, WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ABOUT WANTING THOSE BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL TENANTS AND THINGS THAT, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT POSSIBLY SEEING IF WE COULD DO THAT.
THE DOWNSIDE OF THE SCHOOL IS ANY DAY, THIS THURSDAY GROUP LEAGUE WITH 30 PEOPLE, THEY CAN'T GO INTO A SCHOOL SITE ON A THURSDAY WHEN SCHOOL'S IN SESSION TO APPLY.
SO YOU DO NEED PARK FACILITIES.
YOU CAN'T RELY ON, ON ALL THE SCHOOL SITES BECAUSE YOU JUST, THEY'RE NOT ACCESSIBLE ALL THE TIME.
AND IN THE SPRING YOU HAVE THE TENNIS.
WHAT ABOUT THE ISSUE OF, UM, UH, THE LIGHTING, UM, AT NIGHT? CAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WANT PLAY, WELL, WE HAVE LIGHTS TO BACK CREEK.
WE ALSO HAVE HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE SITE WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DISPERSION OF THESE, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD WANT SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST WANTED TO GO OUT AND PLAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN YOUR FAMILY WANTED TO GO PLAY, YOU COULD GO PLAY, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO BACK CREEK, BUT THE SOCIAL ELEMENT OF IT, YOU KNOW, WE'D NEED TO HAVE A CLUSTER OF THESE MORE.
THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE PARTICIPATING IN THESE THINGS THOUGH, IT'S KIND OF A SCHEDULING ISSUE.
SOMEBODY GOT TO SCHEDULE A STUFF, IT'S GOT TO BE VERY CLEAR HOW YOU MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO GET ON THE COURT.
AND THE BACK OF THE PARK IS EASY WITH THAT BECAUSE WE CONTROL THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE CONTROL WHEN THE TENNIS LOSSES ARE, WHEN THE TENNIS LEAGUES ARE, WE CAN BLOCK OUT TIME FOR PICKLEBALL AND WE CAN, UH, VARY BASED ON NEED.
UH, AND MA YOU KNOW, IF, IF PICKLEBALL IS MORE POPULAR, WE CAN MAKE MORE TIME AVAILABLE THAN TENNIS.
SO I, FOR ONE, AS AN OLD TENNIS PLAYER, SUPER SENSITIVE TO MAKING SURE WE KEEP OUR TENNIS FACILITIES AVAILABLE, BUT JUST MY OBSERVATION OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS AT THAT CREEK, UH, 80% OF THE COURT USE IS PICKLEBALL.
SO IS THAT DRIVING TENNIS PLAYERS ARE THERE THOUGH.
UM, NONE OF THE TIMES I HAVE BEEN THERE.
HAS THAT BEEN A PROBLEM? UM, YOU KNOW, YOU TYPICALLY MIGHT SEE TWO PEOPLE OR FOUR PEOPLE PLAYING DOUBLES OR SINGLES ON ONE COURT, AND THEN YOU MIGHT SEE 30 OR 40 PICKLEBALL PEOPLE IN THE OTHER COURTS, BUT AT LEAST OVER THE SUMMER, IT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE.
NOW, WHEN SCHOOL'S IN SESSION, THERE'S THE LIMIT MORE LIMITED CHOICES YOU PLAY 11, IT MIGHT TAKE 10, 10 MINUTES, 15 MINUTES, BUT THAT'S, BUT THAT'S THE GROUP ASPECT OF IT BECAUSE HE AND I WILL PLAY YOU AND MR. SHEPHERD AND Y'ALL WILL BEAT US.
AND THEN WE'LL GO PLAY MR. RONAN.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE PICK UP BASKETBALL AND THE INFORMALITY OF IT.
YOU KIND OF WAIT ON THE SIDE AND THEN SOMEBODY LOSES AND THEY JUST WALK OFF AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU RAISE YOUR RACKET AND THEN YOU GO OUT MR. FULLER.
IT'S BEEN PICKLEBALL HAS BEEN THE TOP FASTEST GROWING SPORT FOR THAT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES.
IS THERE ANY ESTIMATE, IS THIS JUST A BLIP ON THE RADAR SCREEN OR WILL IT CONTINUE TO GROW? OR WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ABOUT THE, I GUESS THE LONGEVITY OF THIS, ARE WE GOING TO PUT THESE PICKLEBALL COURTS IN AND THEN NEXT YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.
I'LL TURN THEM INTO BASKETBALL COURTS.
I MEAN, SOME OF, SOME OF THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING IT, SOMETHING LIKE IT BACKWARD PARK, YOU WOULDN'T EFFECT WHILE YOU WOULD HAVE LINES.
IF YOU BRING IN PORTABLE NETS AND WE HAVE STAFF THERE, WE HAVE STORAGE THERE, YOU COULD DO THAT.
YOU COULD TURN THOSE LOWERS TO TENNIS COURTS IN THE SIX PICKLEBALL COURTS WITH PORTABLE NETTING.
AND THEY WERE MAKING PORTABLE BETTING.
THAT'S VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND SIGNIFICANT THAT WOULD HOLD THAT.
AND THEN YOU COULD JUST MOVE THOSE AWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST READ, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES TODAY, UH, OR YES, THIS WEEKEND ABOUT HOW PICKLEBALL IS CONTINUING TO GROW.
JUST, I GOT A NOTE TODAY AND ONE OF THE PARTS FROM MY CREATION, UH, EMAILS THAT I GET, THEY'RE GETTING READY TO ADD 50 COURTS IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
THE PROJECTORY OF IT IS STILL GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
I THINK IT'S GOT A LOT OF LONG-TERM STABILITY WITH THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF IT.
WHEN IT STARTED THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, IT WAS AS
[00:25:01]
MR. MORGAN SAID, IT WAS THE RETIRED PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T WORKING THAT WERE PLAYING DURING THE DAY A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK.AND NOW WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, YOU TURN ON ESPN OR FOX SPORTS AND YOU SEE THE PROFESSIONAL THAT THEY LOOK LIKE TENNIS PLAYERS ARE HITTING THE BALL LIKE 800 MILES AN HOUR AT EACH OTHER, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES ALREADY AND PICKLEBALL.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, I THINK THAT'S MORE SUSTAINABILITY THAN TENNIS, TENNIS PEAKS AND GOES, BUT IT NEVER WAS REALLY SHOT UP LIKE ELECTRICAL BOX.
WHAT'S THE POSSIBILITY OF IT BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE K THROUGH 12 SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UH, IT'S FUNNY, AS SOME OF THESE ARTICLES I'VE READ, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE USED TO PLAY IT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THEY TEACH IT IN PE LAST, MY SON PLAY PICKLE BALL IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT'S BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.
JUST MY VIBE IS THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT COULD BE CALM.
YOU KNOW, A VARSITY SPORTS SOMEDAY IN THE FUTURE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A NATIONAL TOURNAMENT ON NATIONAL TV FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND SOME OF THESE FOLKS WERE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, WATCHING IT.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU SAW, I WAS LIKE, BRIAN IS TALKING ABOUT, YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, 20 SOMETHING PEOPLE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, PLAYING IT PROFESSIONALLY THE WAY TOM PLAYS GOLF, YOU KNOW, VERY SERIOUS.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY, I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T BE SHOCKED TO SEE IT AS AN OLYMPIC SPORT DOWN THE ROAD AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT THAT KIND OF APPEAL.
WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD OF HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SUCH AS FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL BEING REPLACED BY PICKUP.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE A PLACE THAT THEY WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO, I'VE NOTICED THAT THAT THERE'S A WHOLE NEW SERIES OF SPORTS THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.
IT'S ONE WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE BATTING, UH, SOME KIND OF A LITTLE WHITE BALL SPIKE BALL INTO A, LOOKS LIKE A TRAMPOLINE AND THEY'RE ALL AROUND IT DOING THE GALA KIND OF RULES AND THAT'S ON TELEVISION AND I'M LIKE, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME.
AND THEN I SAW THAT THEY HAVE LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF, LOT OF THOSE SPORTS OUT THERE.
SO, SO JUST THE BIG THING THAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS WHAT DOES THIS COST TO MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS, BUT IT'S TWO ASPECTS, RIGHT? ONE IS REUSE OF EXISTING FACILITIES OR, OR BUILD NEW, AND THEN YOUR COSTS WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON THAT.
I, I THINK IT MAKES A LOT SENSE TO REUSE EXISTING TENNIS FACILITY BECAUSE BASICALLY YOU'RE JUST ADD ADDITIONAL LINES, I THINK, AND IT MAY BE RUNNING IN A PORTABLE NETS.
SO THAT'S A LOW COST WAY TO INTRODUCE IT OR TO BE PAVING.
WE WERE GOING TO REPAVE IT ANYWAY.
I WOULD NEVER SAY, I WOULD NEVER SEE AS THIS BUILDING SPECIFICALLY, A PICKLEBALL COURT, YOU'D BUILD A TENNIS COURT AND USE IT ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE HEARD ABOUT BASKETBALL BEING USED.
SO, UH, THE, ON THE RIGHT, THERE WERE THREE BASKETBALL COURTS THAT THEY TURNED INTO SIX PICKLEBALL COURTS.
BUT I MEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE THE KIDS GOING DOWN HERE, I'LL SEE A LOT OF KIDS GOING TO KILL CREEK.
HE'LL GO DOWN HIS PICK UP GAME AND BASKETBALL AND IT USED TO BE, YOU SHOW UP AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD A BALL OR SOMETHING AND KNOW VARIOUS SIZES OF TEAMS AND THEY'D PLAY HALF COURT OR WHATEVER.
UH, I DON'T SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, I COULD SEE MAYBE PICKLEBALL GETTING IN THE WAY OF THAT.
UH, I WOULDN'T WANT TO SEE THAT.
SO I'D RATHER NOT USE THE BASKETBALL COURTS FIRST.
I THINK, I THINK IT JUST SEEING THE TENNIS COURTS WOULD BE A MORE PRACTICAL WAY TO GO.
AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU DRIVE AROUND, YOU DON'T SEE ANYBODY ON DISCORD, BUT YOU SEE A LOT OF KIDS, ESPECIALLY ON WEEKENDS.
I SEE THEM EARLY IN THE MORNING ON A TENNIS COURT OR LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT NOT THAT IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY.
THE POPULARITY OF THE SPORT HAS DEFINITELY DECLINED TOO.
THERE USED TO BE EVERY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO HAVE A TENNIS COURT AS PART OF THEIR STUFF.
AND NOW MOST DEVELOPERS DON'T WANT THEM BECAUSE A LOT OF EXPENSES ARE INTERESTED.
I WOULD EXPECT YOU'LL START SEEING THEM, UH, IN, IN PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL AREAS ON TOLL, COVENTRY HAS COME TO CAL CREEK IS PUTTING IN A LITTLE BALL COURTS.
WE HAVE OUR, WE HAVE THE MODIFIED AND PICKLEBALL COURT NEAR THE CLUB HAS WELL.
WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE TENNIS COURTS THAT WE'VE CONVERTED.
WE HAVE TWO TENNIS COURTS, BUT YOU RE RE RESURFACE THE TENNIS COURT AND DO EVERYTHING.
SO LET'S SAY THESE ARE EXPENSIVE.
AND THEN THEY'VE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TENNIS COURTS AND THE PICKUP OR THE SAME, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE.
SO WE'VE GOT THEM SET UP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, AND I KNOW KIM BRING SCOTT ON COVENTRY, A FEW OTHERS.
SO IT'S, IT'S GREAT SEEING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE MORNING, ESPECIALLY THAT IT'S A SAFE SURFACE THAT YOU WOULD USE FOR TELLERS IS USE FOR PICKUP ALSO.
SO I GUESS OUR VISION WOULD BE, UH, ARE YOU, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU ALL AGREE WITH THIS, OUR MARCHING ORDERS OUGHT TO BE COME UP WITH SOME PLANS IN THE CIP THAT IT WILL ALLOW US TO LEVERAGE SOME OF OUR FACILITIES AND ROLL OUT SOME ADDITIONAL COURTS.
I DO THINK WE OUGHT TO TRY TO FIND A WAY TO HAVE AT LEAST SOME IN SOME OTHER PLACES, THEY CAN'T BE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE
[00:30:01]
BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS SPREAD OUT.YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UH, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT, UH, DR.
IF WE CAN GET THE ATHLETIC DIRECTORS ON THE WORD, JUST BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PLAYED TOGETHER.
THE TWO OF YOU, YOU DON'T TAKE OUT YOUR EGGS WITH THE, UM, SO WE CAN COME BACK, WE'LL COME BACK, WE'LL COME BACK.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT, WE'VE EXHAUSTED.
THIS SUBJECT, LET'S DO SOMETHING GUYS.
SO THE LAST PART OF THIS IS THE MORE FUTURISTIC PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE.
UM, WE HAVE THE MARQUEE SITE, WHICH IS, UM, A POTENTIAL SITE THAT IS, UM, WAS GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE A SCHOOL SITE.
AND WE HAVE A MODEL ALREADY IN PLACE IN CALGARY PARK, WHICH IS, UM, BY THE SCHOOLS AND WE TURNED IT INTO A PARK SITE.
SO WE COULD PUT SOME PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE HOMES AND THINGS GOING UP THERE.
AND THERE'S OPEN SPACE IN THAT AREA.
WE COULD TURN THAT INTO SOME ATHLETIC FIELDS, PLAYGROUNDS PICKING SHELTERS, OBVIOUSLY WE'D HAVE TO, UM, WE DO HAVE 25 ACRES ADJACENT TO SEABIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THAT WAS ALSO GIVEN US TWO BY AMOCO, UH, THAT, THAT HAS, IT'S A CHALLENGING SITE.
UH, SO THERE'S WETLANDS IN THAT AREA.
UH, SO, BUT YOU COULD USE SOME AT AREAS IS TRAILS AND, AND A PLAYGROUND, AND MAYBE TO PICK THE AREA, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD SHARE THE PARKING WITH THE SCHOOL, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD SAVE COSTS, BUT THEN THAT WOULD ALSO LIMIT WHEN IT COULD BE USED, UH, BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THE PARKING, UH, THE, THE TAMPA AREA, UH, AND MR. SHEPHERD STICK DISTRICT IS THE ONE AREA THAT'S THE MOST DENSELY AND DOESN'T REALLY HAVE ANY PARKS FOR A SITE.
IT'S GOT SOME SCHOOL SITES, SO WE WE'VE GOT, SO WE'VE GOT THE HRSD PROPERTY THAT, UH, POTENTIALLY THERE THAT WE COULD DO SOME TRAILS, PLAYGROUND, OPENING SPACE, MAYBE A DOG PARK, WE'VE GOT THE STORMWATER PROJECT THAT YOU COULD CREATE A LINEAR AREA OF, OF MAYBE SOME TRAILS, SOME EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, UH, IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY WATERFRONT ACCESS FOR PARKS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE 200 MILES OF SHORELINE.
WE DON'T HAVE MANY ACCESS POINTS FOR PARKS.
UH, FORTUNATELY ALONG THE ENTIRETY OF THE YORK RIVER, IT'S OWNED BY A COAST GUARD, THE PARK SERVICE NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, CHEETAH MANTECH.
SO, UH, WE COULD DO THERE IS, IS CHALLENGING.
WE DO HAVE POTENTIALLY DOWN THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, UH, A KAYAK LAUNCH OR SOME NON-MOTORIZED BOAT LAUNCH THERE THROUGH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, UH, BECAUSE THE JOHN SMITH TRAIL IS ON THE YORK RIVER AND WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO IT.
UH, AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY CHALLENGED WITH PREPARATION WITH INDOOR SPACE.
THE ONLY SPACE WE HAVE INDOORS IS THE SENIOR CENTER OTHER THAN SCHOOL SITES.
UH, AND JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GO PLAY TENNIS ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
WE CAN'T USE A GYM ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON, UH, AT A SCHOOL SITE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WE'RE REALLY LIMITED ON WHAT WE COULD DO.
UH, SO IF WE HAD ADDITIONAL INDOOR SPACE EITHER RELEASED OR, OR SOME WAY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD EXPAND SENIOR PROGRAMMING AND SOCIAL CLASSES.
UH, WE HAD A CIP LOOK AT E-SPORTS, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE, UH, LIKE MR. SHEPHERD SAYS, YOU'LL TURN ON THE ESPN ONE DAY AND YOU'LL SEE SPIKE BALL.
AND THE NEXT THING THERE'LL BE A MADDEN TOURNAMENT OR FORTNITE TOURNAMENT.
AND, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE GETTING PAID TO DO THAT.
UH, E-SPORTS IS REALLY POPULAR.
SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, UH, HAVE STARTED E-SPORTS IT'S IN THE COLLEGES AS WELL.
SO, SO THE OTHER, THE OTHER PART ABOUT THAT IS, UM, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR YOUNGER POPULATION THAT'S REALLY INTO E-SPORTS AND THE, WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S A WAY TO SORT OF HARNESS SOME OF THEIR ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY AND PUT IT IN SOME TYPE OF STRUCTURED TEAM ENVIRONMENT.
SO IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE MORE, UH, POSITIVE THAN, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PLAYING IN YOUR BASEMENT.
I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING A PHYSICAL SPACE OR, OR LEASE.
I MEAN, WE HAD LOOKED AT LIKE LASIK AND SHOPPING CENTER, SIMILAR DOWNTOWN.
IT WENT ABOUT THE OLD FIRE STATION.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH THERE WHERE THE PARKING PART OF WE LOOKED AT IS IT THE SHOPPING CENTER WHERE WE HAVE THE PARKS AND REC REGISTRAR, THE SENIOR CENTER, WHEN THE FIRE STATION WAS BUILT ACROSS THE STREET, WE CONNECTED THE INTERNET, THEIR HIGH SPEED INTERNET.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE THE BANDWIDTH THERE TO DO SOMETHING.
SO I'LL USE THE OLD, THE OLD KMART BUILDING GUY KILL CREEK.
UM, WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S A TON OF, THERE'S A TON OF OPTIONS,
[00:35:01]
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A MAJOR PARKS AND REC PRESENCE IN WASHINGTON SQUARE WITH THE SENIOR CENTER OFFICES AND THAT THE DARE OFFICE RIGHT DOWN THE HALL IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.IT'S GOING TO MOVE WHEN THE NEW BUILDING IS BUILT.
SO IT FOUND A USE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, UH, KIND OF GETTING ENERGIZED ABOUT E-SPORTS RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN IT WAS LIKE HOW, NOW'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, SOME COLLEGES OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS THAT ARE STEAM STYLE.
SO INSTEAD OF START AGAIN, A FULL ROCK FOOTBALL, YOU CAN GET A FULL RIDE BECAUSE YOU'RE A FORTNITE PLAYER, BAD DEAL, OKAY.
EXPLAIN ME, E-SPORTS VIDEO GAMES, ELECTRONICS, BUT A, BUT THE POINT IS, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND REC OR A SCHOOL SETTING IT'S STRUCTURED, THERE'S A TEAM ELEMENT.
BULL COULD GIVE YOU A LOT MORE OF A POSITIVE THING.
SO THOSE ARE A BROAD BRUSH OF ALL THE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL PROPERTY OR PROJECTS THAT WE COULD TIE INTO THE, THIS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S MORE PROJECTS HERE, UH, THEN THAT I'M SURE WE CAN FUND THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE CIP.
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE A SCATTERING THROUGHOUT VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTY, UH, VARIOUS INTERESTS AND PROGRAMS. SOME OF THESE ARE EASY THINGS TO DO WHERE IT'S TAKING, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONS TO EXISTING FACILITIES, UPGRADING FACILITIES.
UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING IN PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, SINCE THE MAC IN 2009.
UH, AND PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WAS A LONG TIME PRIOR TO BUILDING THAT, THAT WE HAD DONE ANYTHING.
SO, UM, ALL OF OUR PARKS WERE BUILT, UH, IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
UM, I THINK KILL CREEK WAS 1999.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME TIME THAT IT'S TIME TO UPDATE SOME OF THOSE FACILITIES INSTRUCTORS AT THOSE PARKS, UH, AS WELL, AND, AND LOOK AT IF SOMEBODY IS ADDITIONAL AMENITIES THAT WE COULD ADD.
SO A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, OFTEN WITH YOUTH, WHAT KIND OF YOU, WHAT KIND OF YOUTH COMMISSION TOPIC IS ABOUT SOME FACILITY FOR THE YOUTH, MAINLY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CONGREGATE IN? SO KEEP THAT ON YOUR RADAR.
I KNOW YOU'VE NOT TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE.
THAT'S GOOD, BUT JUST ALWAYS KIND OF KEEP THAT ON YOUR RADAR BECAUSE I'M SURE IT WILL COME UP AGAIN IN THE NEXT, I ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A REC CENTER FOR ROUTINE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS, WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN, BUT A BUNCH OF WEEKEND ACCOUNT MAKE THAT GREAT.
NOW I THINK ALSO, YOU KNOW, NEAR AND DEAR TO ME IS A YOUTH FOOTBALL, UH, NOT WELL REPRESENTED IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THREE YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUES WITHIN YOUR COUNTY, UM, AND GREATER PISCO AREA HAS A WHOLE BUNCH MORE.
AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE IT, I THINK THERE'S A POTENTIAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN THE LOCAL YOUTH FOOTBALL SCENE AT THE TOURNAMENTS THAT I, THAT WE GO TO.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES THAT COME OUT FOR A DAY, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO A GIVEN FIELD.
SO WHATEVER TO PLAY A TOURNAMENT, WHETHER IT BE FLAG FOOTBALL, TACKLE FOOTBALL.
AND IF YOU ROLL THAT MANY PEOPLE INTO THE MAC ON A GIVEN SATURDAY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFIT AS PEOPLE LEAVE TO GO TO GET GAS OR STOP BY WENDY'S OR WHEREVER EVERYTHING THROUGH THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO JAMES CITY COUNTY IS THEY GO TO THE WIC OR ELSEWHERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO HAVE A FLAG FOOTBALL GROUP THAT, THAT DOES USE THE MAC ON SUNDAYS AS PART OF THE NFL FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM.
BUT YEAH, THIS IS ABOUT A USA USA FOOTBALL, BUT IT, IT, THAT THERE'S A BIG, I THINK IT WAS PUNISH A BIG BENEFIT.
I LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF THE EXISTING FACILITIES.
I MEAN, WE DO, LIKE YOU SAID, WE DO SUPPORT THREE OF THE 12 OR 6,000.
IT KEEPS CHANGING, UH, PIMCO PROGRAMS AND PROVIDING FACILITIES TO THEM THE DAY TO DAY, WEEK TO WEEK.
BUT THE TOURNAMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHEN PETCO HAS A BIG TOURNAMENT AND EVERYBODY CONGREGATES IN ONE PLACE, CAN YOUR COUNTY HOST SOME OF THAT AND GET A LITTLE BIT OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM THAT FROM EVERYBODY COMING TO THE COUNTY? SURE.
AND THEN, SO ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING I GOT SHEILA WANTS TO DO WITH THE WEEKENDS? OKAY.
SO IN, IN THIS PRESENTATION HERE, I MEAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FREE BEGINNING OF SOME MONEY SOURCE THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE.
YOU TALKED ABOUT A WHOLE RAFT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT IT.
WHO'S DOING WHAT, WHAT IS THE PARKS REC WHERE'S PARKS REC COMMITTEE IN THIS? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SEE SOMETHING BACK? UH, OUR TASK IS GOING TO BE PROPOSED SOMETHING SPECIFIC MORE OR LESS SOME OF THE THINGS ON THIS LIST IN THE CIP, WHICH WE WOULD PROBABLY DELIVER A RECOMMENDED DRAFT.
[00:40:01]
NOVEMBER, SOMETIME WE WERE HOPING THAT YOU ALL COULD SORT OF GIVE US SOME SIGNALS ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS, YOUR PRIORITIES.I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF HAS CERTAIN OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE, WHAT THE PRIORITIES OUGHT TO BE, BUT, WELL, I DUNNO, YOU PRIORITIZE.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO PRIORITIZE FOR THE EXPENDITURE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THINGS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT FIVE DOES NOT HAVE A PARK AND WE GOT TO LA, WE GOT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A PARK.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT TAB, UH, THE TAB AREA THERE FOR THE HRSD, THEY THEY'VE OFFERED US THIS LAND, BUT THERE'S NO PLAN YET LAID OUT, UH, AS TO WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH IT, OTHER THAN CUT A FEW TRAILS THROUGH OR WHATEVER WE CAN DO WITH IT.
IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR NOT JUST MY DISTRICT, YOUR DISTRICT SHEILA'S DISTRICT FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND, AND PARTICIPATE IN THAT, UH, IN THAT AREA.
SO, I MEAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT PICKLED PICKLE BALL, THEY LONG SOUND GOOD.
BUT AS NIGHT, THAT'S NOT INTO THE $1.5 MILLION I'M TALKING APPOINTMENT ANYWAY.
SO I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE, OKAY, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BUYING NEW, BUYING MORE LAND BUILDING STRUCTURES? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS, IN THIS AREA? I MEAN, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU WHAT OUR, OUR SHORTLIST WOULD BE IN THESE THINGS.
MY OWN BIAS IS THAT WE SHOULD INVEST IN PROPERTIES THAT WE ALREADY CONTROL, UH, PUT, YOU KNOW, UPGRADE PARKS FACILITIES THAT WE ALREADY OWN OR ORDERS, OR FOR EXAMPLE, I MEAN, UH, I THINK NEW QUARTER HAS A TON OF LAND.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU COULD DO THERE.
UM, AND BAT CREEK, UM, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE TWO GENERAL PURPOSE PARKS ALREADY HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE THEY'RE IN TWO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, KAYAKING IS HUGE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
YOUR COUNTY IS A PLACE THAT IS LOGICAL FOR THAT.
UM, MY SHORT LIST WOULD BE SOME INVESTMENT IN THOSE PARKS, ALONG WITH MAYBE A COUPLE OF THE OTHER SMALLER THINGS THAT BRIAN SUGGESTED TO GO IN THOSE EXISTING PARKS THAT ALREADY HAVE BATHROOMS, PARKING LOTS, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES.
AND CAN YOU LAUNCH MEAN, CAN YOU LAUNCH A KAYAK DOWN HERE? WHAT IS IT THAT TIDE MILL TIDE MIDDLEWARE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU CAN.
SO THERE'S A PLACE THAT YOU CAN WATCH IT.
YOU COULD USE THE BOAT LAUNCH.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE FACILITY.
YOU CAN USE THE BOAT LAUNCH RAMP.
LIKE WE PUT IT WHERE WE CREATE A
AND THAT'S THE THING, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN THE COUNTY RECEIVED A PROPERTY FOR ROGER SMITH AND WARMLY CREEK AND THERE'S BOAT LANDS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE SHOWING UP TO THE BOAT RAMP IN THEIR F-150 PICKUP TRUCK WITH A 12 FOOT TRAILER AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S ALL THE WAY WE HAVE DESIGNED FOR PARKING.
NOW EVERYBODY'S GOT AN
SO INSTEAD OF GETTING TWO BOATS AND TRAILERS IN A SPOT, WE ONLY GET ONE AND THERE'S NO ROOM TO EXPAND THE PARKING, BUT I, SO MARK ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE COVERED.
I JUST LOOK AT THIS, THE SITES YOU'VE COVERED A TON OF STUFF HERE.
AND I WOULD LIKE IF WE ARE GOING TO DO TRAILS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO PUT IN THE SIGNAGE AND STUFF FOR THAT AS WELL, NOT JUST TO WALK, BUT YEAH.
AND WE DID AT THE MAC, WE DID, WE PUT EXERCISE EQUIPMENT AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY HAPPY THAT YOU DID.
SO, SO MY, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD DO, I MEAN, GO BACK AND PUT THIS TOGETHER AND Y'ALL CAN REACT TO IT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OF COURSE, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD PLAY SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED IN SPECIFIC THINGS.
AND SOME OF IT, WE WOULD PROBABLY STILL HAVE AS A PLACEHOLDER, ASSUMING CERTAIN THINGS DEVELOP.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UNTIL WE FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HRSD IS GOING TO DO, WE CAN'T REALLY, EXACTLY PROPOSE SOMETHING, BUT IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO SET ASIDE SOME FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE.
UM, I HEAR EVERYBODY SAYING, DO SOME LOW HANGING FRUIT, PICKLEBALL THINGS AND RECOMMEND THAT, AND LET'S GET STARTED WITH SOME OF THAT.
UM, I, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYBODY DISAGREE WITH THE IDEA OF AT LEAST STARTING SOME PLANNING FOR DOING SOMETHING AT THE MARQUEE SITE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A, THERE'S NO RULE OF JUST OPEN SPACE, EVEN IF IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A FIELD WITH GRASS IN A PORTAJOHN
[00:45:01]
JUST SO YOU CAN GO OUT AND JUST TO GET SOMETHING GOING UP THE TIME AT THAT SCHOOL SITE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A HUGE PIECE OF LAND.IT'S 15 ACRES IN SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET SHIT.
HOW MANY HOUSES IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT? HOW MANY HOUSES ARE BEING BUILT, BUT BETWEEN APARTMENTS AND HOUSES, YOU MIGHT, YOU PROBABLY HAVE 500 PEOPLE IN THERE.
THAT'S 500 HOMES, NOT QUITE, BUT YEAH, MAYBE MAYBE 750 PEOPLE.
THERE'S LIKE 200 AND SOME SINGLE FAMILY.
AND ABOUT 250 APARTMENTS, JUST TO KIND OF ORGANIZE A LITTLE BIT, MY RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU COME BACK WITH A PRIORITIZED LIST.
I KNOW WE'RE, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WE'RE SAYING A WHOLE LOT FOR YOU, BUT I WOULD COME BACK WITH A PRIORITIZED LIST THAT THE BOARD CAN, THEN WE CAN TAKE A MOVE THINGS UP AND DOWN ON THE LIST.
WELL, OF COURSE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
WE JUST WANTED TO, AND WE'RE TALKING $1.5 MILLION AND WE'VE GOT A LAUNDRY LIST AS WELL.
SO WE HAD SOME COUNTY FUNDS ALREADY IN THE CIP.
SO IT'S REALLY THE TOTAL POT OF MONEY RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT YOU ALL MAKING ANY CHANGES OF DIRECTING SOMETHING LARGELY DIFFERENT IS FOUR OR 5 MILLION OVER TWO OR THREE YEARS.
AND THAT'S THE OUT YEARS, UM, STARTING NEXT YEAR, CERTAINLY BY THE, YOU CAN, WE DO ALL OF THESE PROJECTS FOR FOUR OR 5 MILLION.
WE CAN, WE CAN LAY GROUNDWORK ON ALL OF THEM AND WE CAN PROBABLY DO THREE OR FOUR AND DO SOME PLANNING.
AND SOME, I THINK AS TOM SAID, PRIORITIZE THEM, AND THEN WE'LL JUST TAKE ONE BITE OF THE APPLE SO WE CAN DO IT.
AND I MEAN, IF WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS WE CAN GET AT IT FOR US.
WE HAVE A GOOD FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.
WE CAN SET ASIDE, YOU KNOW, YEAR-END FUNDS TO SPEED THINGS ALONG AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS KIND OF NEED TO KNOW WHAT, IN A LOT OF THE OTHER AREAS OF FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, SEWER, STORM, WATER BUILDINGS, THERE'S A KIND OF A CONSENSUS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND WE'RE STILL SORT OF GROPING FOR THAT IN THIS AREA.
SO WOULD IT BE ABLE TO, CAN WE CAPTURE THIS IN THE CURRENT CIP OR WOULD WE HAVE TO CREATE A SEPARATE RECREATIONAL CIP?
WE WOULD NOT HAVE YOU GOT TO GET YOUR STUFF TOGETHER HERE SO YOU, I CAN GO SPEND MONEY.
UM, I WOULD SAY PRIORITIZE THE SPLASH PADS LOW, UH, MUCH.
I, I KIND OF LIKED THE, BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, THE, THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING, IMPLEMENTING, AND MAINTAINING THE PLUMBING INVOLVED WITH THAT, THAT SEEMS EXPENSIVE AND A NIGHTMARE.
SO ON THE SURFACE, GOOD IDEA BEHIND THE SCENES, A LITTLE SCARY.
I KIND OF LIKE THE SPLASH PADS AND MY KIDS LOVE.
I WOULD LIKE THE SPLASH PADS WOULD BE GREAT, BUT AT ANY RATE, WE'LL SAY
[1 Proposed 2023 York County Legislative Priorities]
OF DISCUSSION TODAY IS GOING TO BE THE 20, 23, YOUR COUNTY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY.BRIAN'S GOING TO SET ME UP HERE.
I JUST, THE DANCE DANCE, YOU USE THE DATA.
SO FROM MOST YEARS, NOT ALL YEARS, THIS BOARD HAS, UH, COME UP WITH A LIST OF LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THAT IN VARIOUS WAYS WE HAVE SHARED WITH MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND IF SOME OF Y'ALL REMEMBER SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS WE TRIED TO DO THAT OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT, UH, OUR STATEMENTS ON THESE THINGS HAVE A OVERWHELMING IMPACT IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
UM, AND OFTENTIMES SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE ON OUR LIST ARE KIND OF, WE'RE PLAYING IN STEREO FOR WHAT OTHERS ARE ADVOCATING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, UM, SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS COME UP WITH A MIX OF THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE IMPORTANT TO THE REGION, SORT OF ADD OUR VOICE TO, AND THEN A FEW THINGS THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON HAVE COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT WE THINK WE OUGHT TO CALL THE ATTENTION OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT REPRESENT US.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S ONE OR TWO IN HERE THAT, UM, I PERSONALLY HAVE KIND OF CONCLUDED AFTER TALKING WITH VACO AND VML SORT OF MIGHT BE WORTH SOME SPECIAL EMPHASIS.
SO, UH, THE MATERIAL I SENT OUT DID INCLUDE A LETTER THAT TAIKO RECENTLY SENT TO THE GOVERNOR.
UH, I DID SHARE THE STAFF'S DRAFT LIST WITH BOTH VACO AND VML, AND WHILE THE PARTICULARS VARY, THERE ARE LARGELY CONSISTENT.
EXODO GOT US INFORMAL, THUMBS UP, THUMBS UP FROM THOSE ENTITIES.
SO WHAT I PROPOSE TO DO IS JUST KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT AND TELL YOU SORT OF WHAT
[00:50:01]
IT IS AND WHY WE PUT IT IN THERE AND THEN LET YOU ALL REACT TO THAT.SO, YEAH, AND WE JUST, UH, LIKED TO REMIND OUR MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THAT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING PLUGS INTO OUR PRIORITIES IN SOME FASHION.
UM, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, CALEB SMITH WHO, UH, PUT SOME WORK INTO THIS, HELPING MYSELF AND MARK AND JIM BARNETT.
KILLED THE, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, 64 TO SIX LANES, I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THIS IS A HUGE DEVELOPMENT IN THE, IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'LL SIMPLY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE MONEY, BUT NOT ALL OF THE MONEY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THIS WOULD BE SORT OF JOINING THE CHORUS OF EVERYBODY ELSE ADVOCATING FOR THIS.
UM, ONE THAT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME PREACH ABOUT BEFORE, UH, IS THE INADEQUACY OF STATE FUNDING FOR LOCAL STREET MAINTENANCE.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY DO, THEY DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON THE COLLECTOR ROADS, THE MAIN ROADS WE SEE THOSE GETTING REPAVED, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS JUST NEVER GET REPAID.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GRADUALLY GETTING INTO A HOLE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'RE, WE'RE JUMPING THROUGH THESE HOPE HOOPS TO GET A, A NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS ACCEPTED BY THE STATE AND THEN ASK THE QUESTION, WHY DOES IT EVEN MATTER? CAUSE THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO DO ANYTHING ONCE THEY ACCEPT THEM.
SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR LEGISLATORS ABOUT THAT LOCAL LOCAL ROADS.
NEIGHBORHOOD
I GET, I GET COMMENTS ON PEOPLE ASKING FOR HELP.
AND, AND IS IT JUST A LITTLE WE CAN DO? YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S A RESOURCE THING.
AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS IS YOU DON'T FIX IT WITH ONE ACTION IN ONE YEAR, YOU GOT TO SUSTAIN IT FOR A DECADE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A TOUGH ASK.
UM, WE DON'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND IT YET, BUT WE KNOW, UH, THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION HAS VARIOUS INCENTIVES FOR THE STATE TO PUT IN MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK WE'RE ALL SEEING MORE AND MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND ELECTRIC, UH, HYBRID PLUG-INS DRIVING AROUND.
AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET OUR SHARE OF THAT.
I GUESS SOMEBODY COME OVER AND BRIEF US ON HOW THAT'S, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO FOLD UNFOLD.
AS SOON AS I FIND SOMEONE THAT MAKES, LET ME JUST READ AND A LOT OF CRAP ABOUT THE STUFF, I MEAN, IT REALLY, IT IS, IS WE ARE THERE AND, AND THEY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS LEGISLATION OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS POST, I WOULD SAY, HONESTLY, ALL SERIOUSNESS, I THINK OF BOB CRUMB IS THE PERSON I'VE TALKED TO WHO HAS THE BEST UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SOME OF THAT'S GOING TO ROLL OUT.
SO YEAH, WE'LL CERTAINLY PUT THAT ON OUR LIST TO FOLLOW UP BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO, SOME OF Y'ALL, UH, BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND APPARENTLY, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, VIRGINIA, AND SOME OTHER STATES CONNECTED THEIR AUTOMOBILE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF TO CALIFORNIA.
I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE, UM, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO, THE STATE DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE ITS OWN SORT OF EXPERTISE AND BUREAUCRACY, IF IT WAS PERCEIVED THAT IT EXISTED ELSEWHERE.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAD TO DO WITH SMALL CONTROL AND MILEAGE, BUT APPARENTLY CALIFORNIA'S MOVED TO DO AWAY WITH, UH, GAS ENGINES, AT LEAST IN THEORY IS VIRGINIA'S RULES ARE LINKED TO THAT.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL WANT TO DISCONNECT THOSE THINGS.
SO THIS IS JUST US MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THAT, AND I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ADDED THAT IN THERE.
IT'S ONE THING TO LEAN UPON SOMEBODY ELSE'S EXPERTISE AND KIND OF FOLLOW GUIDANCE, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO LEGALLY BIND YOURSELF TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S DECISION.
WHY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN 2021 THOUGHT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO ADVOCATE THEIR, THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS BEYOND ME.
I WAS LIKE, THIS WAS GOING TO MOVE INTO ANOTHER GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
SO, UM, THE STATE CONTINUES TO PUT SOME RESOURCES INTO 5G AND, UM, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND ENTIRELY, BUT SOME OF THE RESOURCES THEY PUT IN THAT ULTIMATELY END UP BENEFITING OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET OUR FAIR SHARE OF THAT, THE, UM, SUPPORT FOR THE OFFSHORE WIND PROGRAMS AND RELATED BUSINESSES, A MAJOR NEW SECTOR.
THIS HAS BOTH SORT OF A ENVIRONMENTAL THING AND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THING.
YOU KNOW, UM, A MAJOR NEW SECTOR OF THE HAMPTON ROADS ECONOMY IS EMERGING AS THE OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES THAT DOMINION'S WORKING ON.
AND, UH, THE RIGHT, UM, THE JEFFERSON LAB, UH, THE, UH, VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL
[00:55:01]
LEAGUE AND HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT, AND OBVIOUSLY NEWPORT NEWS REQUESTED OUR SUPPORT ON THIS JEFFERSON LAB IS, HAS A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON YOUR COUNTY IN PARTICULAR.AND, UM, THEY ARE COMPETING FOR THIS NEW, UH, FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE DATA FACILITY.
AND, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE PREVIOUS COMPETITION, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER STATES PUT IN VERY SIGNIFICANT MATCHING FUNDS AND IN VIRGINIA DIDN'T DO MUCH.
SO THIS WOULD BE SORT OF ECHOING WHAT, UM, THE ALLIANCE AND THE PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION WILL IN NEWPORT NEWS WILL BE ASKING FOR, WHICH IS PUT JEFFERSON LAB IN A POSITION TO HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN BY SHOWING THAT VIRGINIA'S, YOU KNOW, PUTTING UP SOME MONEY, LIKE THE OTHER STATES THAT ARE COMPETING.
I NOTICED THE WORD RESILIENCY SHOWS UP THROUGHOUT THIS LISTING.
UH, LET ME, THAT MEANS BACKUP SYSTEMS. WHAT WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF IS USED IN THIS? WELL, IT'S A, IT'S A POPULAR WORD.
UM, IT IS, IT DOES SHOW UP AS, UM, A TERM IN OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP THAT FOCUS ON RESILIENCY.
SO TO ME IT MEANS, UH, IN IMPROVING SURVIVABILITY.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE ELEVATE SEAFORD ROAD, UM, IT'S MO YOU KNOW, WE'RE CREATING A MORE RESILIENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.
IT DOESN'T FLOOD AS OFTEN, MAYBE BOOGIE ONE EXAMPLE.
SO, SO FINANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD ADVOCATED AND ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE CIGARETTE TAX, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS LIMITED ON COUNTIES IN A WAY IT'S NOT BY CITIES, BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF REVENUE.
UM, I THINK IN YOUR APPROVED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE $1.7 MILLION.
UM, BUT CURE, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP BY, UH, CITY OF CHESAPEAKE IN A REGIONAL MEETING.
AND ALSO BY VML, CURIOUSLY, ALL THINGS VAPE ARE NOT PART OF THAT.
AND, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S PROBABLY A FUTURE TAX REGIME FOR THAT.
AND, UH, WE JUST, AS A COUNTY, WE DON'T WANT TO GET LEFT OUT IF THE STATE DOES.
SO, UH, THIS, THIS NEXT ONE IS ONE, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME GRIPE ABOUT, AND, UM, WE STRUGGLED A LITTLE BIT WITH THE LANGUAGE.
UH, VML DOES UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I HAD TALKED TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THERE HAS BEEN THIS DEVELOPMENT AND IT'S NOT JUST IN YOUR COUNTY, BUT WE NOTICED IT HERE, UM, WHERE, UM, SOME COMMERCIAL COMPANIES, UH, THEY'RE APPROACHED BY A REAL ESTATE ADVISOR AND SAYS, HEY, FOR A CONTINGENCY, WE CAN APPEAL YOUR ASSESSMENT TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION.
IT'S NO RISK, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE IT ON.
AND IF WE SAVE YOU SOME MONEY, WE GET HALF OF IT.
AND THERE'S NO STATE RULES ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE AN APPRAISER, YOU HAVE CERTAIN STANDARDS YOU HAVE TO GO BY, OR IF YOU'RE A LAWYER, YOU HAVE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS.
UH, BUT THESE PEOPLE CAN SHOW UP AND SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, MY CLIENT, YOU, YOU SAY THIS PROPERTY IS WORTH 50 MILLION.
AND MY CLIENT SAYS IT'S WORTH 5 MILLION.
AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE? DO YOU HAVE A COMPARABLE STUDY? DO YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, REVENUE BASED INFORMATION? AND OFTENTIMES THEY PROVIDE NOTHING.
NOW WE USUALLY PREVAIL, BUT IT TAKES A CREDIBLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TIME AND EFFORT FROM, FROM, UH, JIM BARNETT AND ALSO FROM THE ASSESSOR.
SO THIS IS JUST A STATEMENT THAT SAYS DUAL ASSEMBLY.
YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS OUGHT TO PUT SOME ETHICAL STANDARDS AROUND THAT PROCESS.
DON'T, DON'T ALLOW FRIVOLOUS APPEALS, THAT ASSESSMENT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT AMOUNTS TO.
UM, AND THE ONE THAT I GUESS I FEEL LIKE OF ALL THE ONES ON THE LIST, WE MIGHT HAVE A SHOT AT SOME SUCCESS.
UH, ALSO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS ARE AWARE OF THIS AND SUPPORT IT.
I SENT IT IN THE RITA, HAD THE ONE Y'ALL A FEW MONTHS AGO, ASKED HIM TO REPORT ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES THE COUNTY SPEND ON, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS VERSUS WHAT THE COMP COURT LAST YEAR, 68%
[01:00:01]
OF THE COST OF CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS IS PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY? YES.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US THINK GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS GOING TO GO UP.
OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT.
BUT SO MANY THINGS WE ASKED THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO DO ARE HARD AND COMPLICATED AND SORT OF HARD TO GET YOUR ARMS AROUND.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN JUST DIAL IT UP A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR, DIAL IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
NEXT YEAR, THAT TRANSLATES INTO GENERAL ASSEMBLY STATE REVENUE THAT COMES TO THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED TO.
AND YOU COULD ARGUE THAT SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS WE HAVE DECIDED, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD FUND AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE THAN THE STATE, BUT LIKE 68%, THAT'S PRETTY HIGH.
SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY, IF THEY KNOCK THAT DOWN BY FIVE OR 10%, THAT WOULD BE A REAL REVENUE LINE ITEM FOR US.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS AND YOU LOOK AT COMMISSIONER, THE REVENUE AND ACTUALLY WE'RE FUNDING 79%, ALMOST 80% OF HER.
AND IT'S A SIMILAR STORY FOR ALL THE OTHER LOCALITIES.
THE ONLY PLACE THAT MIGHT NOT BE TRUE AS MAYBE IN SOME, UH, WESTERN COUNTY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY RURAL THAT MAYBE THEY JUST SAY, WE'LL JUST TAKE WHATEVER THE COP WORD GIVES US.
UM, BUT EVEN IN THOSE CASES, IT'S, IT'S A LOT LIKE SCHOOL FUNDING, THE COP BOARD AUTHORIZED POSITION DOESN'T PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COSTS PAYS LIKE HALF THE COMPANY.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE, WELL, I MEAN, WE COULD FIND LESS POSITIONS, BUT THEN THAT TRANSLATES INTO OUR CITIZENS GETTING POOR SERVICE.
AND THAT THOSE NUMBERS ONLY PERSONNEL, RIGHT.
THAT'S THE PART THAT, THE COP WORD, RIGHT.
CAUSE NOT INCLUDING THAT IS ALL THE FACILITIES AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF ON US, BUT IN THEORY, THE STATE'S SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THESE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
OH, I'VE GOT TO SAY, I GOT A QUESTION.
SHE, WHEN SHE, LIKE YOU SAID, KIND OF KEY, TO BE HONEST, UM, NOT ALL THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED.
UM, THEY ARE, SOME OF THEM COULD BE A STAFF COULD DO THE FUNCTION, RIGHT? LIKE THE COMMISSION REVENUE OR TREASURE HE'S IN VIRGINIA THAT DON'T HAVE SOME OF THEM.
SO, SO ARE WE, IS THERE ANY BIG WHAT'S, UH, I GUESS, ANY BIG SAVINGS AND DOING, UH, HAVING THESE KINDS OF THINGS OR SO I HAVE ALL, I'M FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THE FIGHTS THAT LOCALITIES HAVE HAD OVER THAT AND THEY TEND TO BE VERY DIVISIVE AND I I'VE ALWAYS SHIED AWAY FROM THAT.
YOU MIGHT LOSE SOME STATE REVENUE IF YOU DID THAT, YOU WOULD GAIN SOME CONTROL.
UH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, LIFE IS SHORT.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WANT TO LOSE ANY OF THE, THE FUNDING WE DO GET EITHER.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE A LOT OF LUCY'S STOMACH LINING OVER SOMETHING.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE WORTH IT, WORTH THE FIGHT EITHER.
SO ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S A WINNER AND THAT'S EASY TO EXPLAIN.
RIGHT? SO EDUCATION OF THE STATE DID START TO MAKE A MOVE, YOU KNOW, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THERE'S BEEN SOME AGITATION ABOUT, IS THE STATE GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT CAPITAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS? BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR COUNTY WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR 40 50 YEAR OLD SCHOOL MONEY THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, PUT TOWARD REINVESTING IN THOSE.
UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT I'M AWARE OF THE STATE DID PROVIDE SOME SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE FOR HPAC CAPITAL FOR SCHOOLS.
UH, THERE'S MORE THAT THEY CAN DO IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ASSOCIATIONS VML AND VACO ARE INTERESTED IN AS WELL.
UH, OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT, YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL THEM WE WERE WORKING ON THIS AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE HIS THOUGHTS? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE SAME OLD ISSUE OF THE LABOR MARKET, UH, IS STILL OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S, THIS IS US JUST KIND OF PARROTING WHAT VACO AND VML ARE SAYING.
UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT HE FEELS LIKE AN AREA THAT YOU COULD GET SOME BANG FOR BUCK FROM THE STATE, WHICH WOULDN'T BE HUGELY EXPENSIVE, WOULD BE THINGS TO HAVE, UM, SEASONAL REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION.
UM, AND I GUESS THERE WAS SOME OF THAT WITH COVID FUNDING, THAT'S FADING.
AND THE LAST ONE IS KIND OF, I GUESS, AS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL PART, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF FORMULAS WITH THE STATE FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS.
THIS ALSO APPLIES TO STREET MAINTENANCE.
IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU GET
[01:05:01]
A FORMULA THAT PENALIZES THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT DOES THE RESPONSIBLE THING AND INVEST IN ITS FACILITIES.SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN ROADS, IF YOU ALL SAID HERE'S $5 MILLION, GIVE IT TO V DOT AND TELL THEM TO REPAVE SOME MORE ROADS.
IT WOULD ACTUALLY TRANSLATE INTO US GETTING LESS MONEY FROM V DOT WHERE IT BE A PENALTY FOR US TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES.
AND THERE'S THE RISK IN ALL THESE SCHOOL, CAPITAL FORMULAS OF THE SAME KIND OF THING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE, WE'RE REINVESTING IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WHATEVER FORMULA THEY MIGHT COME UP WITH.
LIKE WE WANT TO BE AT, BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT PENALIZES US BECAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL CAPITAL.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE LAST BULLET AND THE LAST COUPLE OF WORDS IN THAT THERE'S THAT SUPPORT SCHOOL SYSTEMS AT A HIGH LEVEL? WHAT, SO, UM, YOUR COUNTY, BY ANY MEASURE SUPPORTS OUR SCHOOLS AT A HIGH LEVEL, BOTH OPERATING AND CAPITAL 50% OF OUR CAPITAL BUDGET GOES FOR SCHOOLS.
AND 43% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET GOES FOR SCHOOLS.
NOW UNDER STATE LAW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE WE'LL DO IT HALF OF THAT.
AND SO POINT BEING WHATEVER YOU DO FOR SCHOOLS AND THESE VARIOUS BULLETS DON'T DO US WRONG JUST BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, USE LOCAL TAX DOLLARS, STILL DO IT.
SO WE ALMOST GOT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE ALMOST GOT THIS ONE.
UM, SO WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE OUGHT TO PUT IT BACK IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HEATHER, ESPECIALLY, UH, FUMES ABOUT THIS ONE, CAUSE SHE, SHE PAYS THE BILLS.
WE PAY SOMETHING LIKE $50,000 A YEAR FOR PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPER AND THAT'S JUST AT THE BOARD LEVEL.
SO THERE'S A SIMILAR NUMBER, YOU KNOW, AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND YEARS AGO, IT KIND OF MADE SENSE THAT, UM, YOU HAD TO PUT AN AD IN THE MOST WIDELY CIRCULATED NEWSPAPER IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF, I THINK SORT OF LIKE A TRANSPARENCY NOTION, BUT THESE DAYS, UM, NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE GET THEIR INFORMATION THAT WAY.
WE'RE NOT SAYING WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, ALERT PEOPLE ABOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE WERE JUST SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD USE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITE AND OTHER THINGS.
AND, UM, IT'S PARTICULARLY ANNOYING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST PAY AND THAT MONEY WAS AT LEAST SORT OF SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL MEDIA INSTITUTION THERE, THERE REALLY ISN'T ONE ANYMORE.
SO, SO WE HAVE TO CALL CHICAGO AND HAGGLE WITH THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PRICE OF AN AD.
AND DO YOU THINK ANYBODY THAT CARES ABOUT ANYTHING WE WORK ON AROUND HERE PICKS IT UP BY READING CLASSIFIED ADS? OH, YOUR COUNTY'S HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING ON ABC.
I, I FOUND IT ON PAGE 30 OF THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER.
UH DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL EVER GO THROUGH, I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE FIGHT THIS, THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S AN EFFORT TO SUPPRESS TRANSPARENCY.
THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT WHAT'S INTENDED AND I'D BE OKAY IF WE SAID WE'LL TAKE THE 50,000, WE WASTE ON THAT AND USE IT FOR OTHER KINDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA OR SOMETHING.
BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD ASK BECAUSE IT'S REALLY QUITE SILLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA HAVE THE UNFUNDED LOCAL MANDATES.
IT'S JUST THE DO NO HARM MESSAGE, UH, THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH.
UH, I DO THINK IT'S PRETTY WELL ALIGNED WITH VACO AND VML AND SOME OF THE REGIONAL PRIORITIES, BUT, UM, SO JUST FOR Y'ALL'S CONSIDERATION, YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO RELATE TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS? THE USUAL QUESTIONS WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT AGAIN, WE'VE LET THAT GO BY THE BOARD SO WE WILL DISCUSS THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND WE'LL MOVE ON NOW TO THE PRESET CALENDAR.
I HAVE NUMBER ONE COURSES THAT YOU APPROVE OF MINUTES.
NUMBER TWO IS A CLEAN SLATE AND THE MORE THAT MEMORANDUM AND NUMBER THREE IS THE HAMPTON ROADS ALLIANCE, MASTER AGREEMENT.
WHAT DID YOU SAY, TOM? YOU'RE OFF BY ONE WHERE I AM, I USE THE UPS TO WAS THE QUEENSLAND MANAGE TO DO IS MAKE TWO SETS OF MESH AND THREE IS THE PRIEST LIKE, DAMN, THIS WAS PERFECT.
IF WE COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROADS, LIGHTS MASTER AGREEMENT.
[01:10:01]
NUMBER THREE ON SHEILA'S NUMBER, NUMBER FOUR, HAMPERED REDS.DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST GIVE A LITTLE QUICK, QUICK OVERVIEW PLEASE? SO, UM, SO ABOUT 10 MONTHS AGO, I WROTE YOU ALL ON THOUGH AND REPORTED THAT WAYNESBURG AND JAMES CITY AND YOUR, OR THE CAS WERE RECOMMENDING THAT WE DISBAND THE, UH, GREATER WAYNESBURG PARTNERSHIP AND WE ROLL OUR REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS INTO, UH, THEY HAVE THE REDS ALLIANCE, WHICH IS THE, THE WINE OPERATION.
UH, THERE'S A LONG HISTORY OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, BIGGER, SMALLER, DIFFERENT NAMES.
UM, THE, UH, IT TURNED OUT THAT THE GREATER WAYNESBURG PARTNERSHIP JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SCALE TO BE EFFECTIVE.
IT HAD NO PRIVATE MONEY AND IT WAS REALLY JUST THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE THREE LOCALITIES, WHICH PALED IN COMPARISON TO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT WE PROMOTE TOURISM WITH.
AND, UM, WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ENOUGH TO, TO HAVE AN OFFICE, TO HAVE A STAFF.
I HAVE A MARKETING BUDGET AND I, AS, AS I THINK ALL, YOU ALL KNOW, I, I WAS SKEPTICAL THAT THAT WOULD WORK FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT WE GAVE IT SOME TIME TO SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK.
AND SO LAST YEAR, UH, I CONCLUDED THAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST COULDN'T JUSTIFY RECOMMENDING DOING THAT ANYMORE.
IN THE MEANTIME ABOUT, UH, THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, UH, MYSELF, AS WELL AS THE WAYNESBURG CITY MANAGER IN JAMES CITY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WERE PRIVY TO A BUNCH OF THE REFORMS THAT THE ALLIANCE WAS UNDERTAKING BECAUSE THE, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, ALL OF OUR HAMPTON ROADS, CIO MEETINGS.
AND SO THE ALLIANCE, THE REGIONAL ENTITY THAT WE, UH, LEFT IN 2015, UH, CONTINUED TO, UH, HAVE THE COUSIN NEWPORT NEWS AND HAMPTON AS MEMBERS AS WELL AS I'LL WHITE AND SOUTH SIDE.
AND, UM, ONE OF THEIR PROBLEMS WAS THEY HAD A REALLY SILLY GOVERNING ARRANGEMENT.
THEY HAD LIKE A 50 PERSON BOARD AND THEY REALLY COULDN'T MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS.
AND, UH, DESPITE A LOT OF TALK ABOUT PRIVATE INVESTMENT, UH, THERE HAD BEEN AS MUCH AS THEY HOPED.
SO THEY REDID THE BOARD AND MADE IT A MUCH TIGHTER GROUP.
AND THEY BASICALLY ESTABLISHED THE GOAL THAT'S REFLECTED IN THIS AGREEMENT THAT ALL THE OTHER PARTICIPATING LOCALITIES HAVE APPROVED, THAT IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE 50% PRIVATE MONEY.
AND THE THING THAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROADS ALLIANCE THAN ANY OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THINGS THAT I'VE TOUCHED IN MY CAREER IS THE PRIVATE MONEY.
SO THE LOCAL MONEY, THE GOVERNMENT MONEY LEVERAGES THE PRIVATE MONEY.
BASICALLY EVERY METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE COUNTRY HAS A REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITY.
SOME OF THEM SORT OF WERE OUTGROWTHS OF CHAMBERS IN A LOT OF CITIES WITH STRONG CORPORATE PRESENCE.
UH, THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, UH, SORTA TAKE THE LEAD.
THAT'S MORE THE CASE IN RICHMOND, UH, HAMPTON ROADS UNFORTUNATELY HAS NEVER HAD A STRONG CORPORATE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THESE EFFORTS HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN, UH, MORE GOVERNMENT FUNDED AND ORGANIZED THAN MOST OTHER PLACES IN THIS ITERATION OF THE ALLIANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME BRINGS IN, UM, ALL OF THE COMPANIES OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE IN HAMPTON ROADS AS PARTNERS.
SO IT LEVERAGES THAT AND, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THEY DO, UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC.
UH, WE'RE 4% OF THE POPULATION I HAVE THE ROADS.
UM, WE'RE, NOBODY'S GOING BRING US SOME MEGA INVESTMENT, UH, FOR SOME PROJECT IN YOUR COUNTY, MAYBE A SMALL PROSPECT HERE OR THERE.
UM, BUT IF THEY SUCCEED, AS THEY APPEAR TO HAVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND PICKING UP TO $300 MILLION OF INVESTMENT IN THE HAMPTON ROADS REGION FOR NEW, YOU KNOW, EXPORTING GOODS AND SERVICES TYPES OF BUSINESSES, YOUR COUNTY BENEFITS FROM THE REGIONAL GROWTH.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN IMPERFECT EXAMPLE, I, I KIND OF USE THIS EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS TALKING TO STEVE ABOUT THIS, UH, THINK JEFFERSON LAB, UM, THAT WAS NOT REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITY WAS NOT CENTRAL TO THAT, BUT TON OF MONEY WAS SPENT BY ONE LOCALITY TO CAUSE JEFFERSON LAB, THE CON NEWPORT
[01:15:01]
NEWS.AND, UM, YET ARGUABLY YOUR COUNTY BENEFITED AS MUCH OR MORE THAN THE, IT SPENT $30 MILLION TO RECRUIT IT.
SO, SO THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IDEA IS WILL THE REGION AS A WHOLE, YOU KNOW, GROW AND BE DYNAMIC.
UH, AND THE STATE CLEARLY PREFERS TO CHANNEL ANY BUSINESS PROSPECTS THROUGH A SINGLE ENTITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE GREATER WAY OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WAS, UH, WAS, UH, WAS A WORTHY EFFORT.
THERE WAS SOME LOGIC TO IT, BUT IN PRACTICE, IT JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SCALE TO BE EFFECTIVE.
I COULD GO ON, BUT WAS A QUESTION, WILL THIS COST US MORE OR LESS THAN THEY? AND HOW WILL THE GOVERNANCE, THE GOVERNANCE BEING, YOU SAID THE OLD ONE WAS 50.
SO, SO THE, THE GREATER WAY IS BRUTE PARTNERSHIP, UH, PER CAPITA CONTRIBUTION WAS 95 CENTS PER HUNDRED K THE ALLIANCE, UH, IS A DOLLAR FIVE PER CAPITA.
SO IT COSTS SIX, $7,000 A YEAR, MORE THAN THE OLD SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, I WAS PREPARED TO RECOMMEND THAT NO LONGER PARTICIPATE IN THE OTHER ONE, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT, WE WERE NOT DERIVING BENEFIT.
UM, BUT THERE'S OVER A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS OF CORPORATE MONEY IN THE ALLIANCE.
WHEREAS THERE WAS ZERO IN THE GREATER WINS FROM MARCH AND THE GOVERNANCE.
SO, SO, UM, THE, THE, THE GOVERNANCE GROUP THERE IS, UM, IF YOU'RE A CONTRIBUTOR OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, YOU HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A ROTATING MEMBERSHIP AMONG THE SMALLER MEMBERS.
SO RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE IT'S IOWA COUNTY, UH, ON THE BOARD.
SO IF WE JOIN THIS AND STAY IN FOR A FEW YEARS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE A FAIR TEST, UH, YOUR COUNTY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ROTATE ONTO THAT BOARD IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WITH HOW MANY MORE YOUR COMPANY SIZE, UH, PLAYERS, UH, WELL, JAMES CITY, UH, W WELL, IT'S JAMES CITY, WILLIAMSBURG AND YORK ARE, ARE JUST JOINING NOW.
SO YOU HAVE, UH, FRANKLIN SOUTHAMPTON, IOWA GIRL, JAMES, THAT THAT GROUP GETS A WORD NUMBER.
SO THE GOAL WAS TO NOT HAVE A GAGGLE, UH, AT THE BOARD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO DROP THE INVESTMENT IN THE GRAY WILLIAMSBURG AREA AND SLIDE THAT INVESTMENT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BOB TO THE HAMPTON ROADS A LOT.
AND THAT, AND THAT WAS IN YOUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU ADOPTED.
SO THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, NEW MONEY AT THIS POINT.
ANY, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON
[CONSENT CALENDAR]
THE CONSENT CALENDAR, WILL SOMEONE MOVE IT THEN WE'LL CALL PLACE MOTION MADE BY MR. SHEPHERD IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS SUBMITTED, WHICH IS A RUMBA.THANK YOU VERY MUCH RIGHT NOW, OPEN
[OPEN DISCUSSION]
DISCUSSION.ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY REALLY DON'T WANT TO BRING UP AT THIS POINT.
BUT YEAH, ONE THING YOU'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PARKWAY.
AND I'VE NOTICED BECAUSE WHEN I GO TO WORK IN THE MORNING, AND THEN I COME HOME AT NIGHT, I TRAVEL THE PARKWAY, THE MCQUEEN'S LAKE EXIT ON THE PARKWAY RUN UP TO THE END OF THE PARKWAY, UH, AND SOMETIMES GET OUT TO JAMESTOWN ROAD JAMESTOWN AS WELL.
AND I AM APPALLED AT HOW THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, WHETHER THAT'S THE GODS UP IN WASHINGTON, OR WHAT HAVE YOU HAVE ALLOWED THE EROSION OF THE PARKWAY WITH RESPECT TO POTHOLES? I MEAN, THEY ARE UNGODLY, UH, INSANE.
AND IF YOU HAD A SMALL CAR, YOU MIGHT LOSE YOUR CAR IN A POCKET.
I'M GOING TO BE MEETING WITH A NEW SUPERINTENDENT.
IS THAT A GAL OR GUY? A GAL? YEAH, PLEASE DO.
AND WE JUST HAD SOME THREE-DAY WEEKEND, LOTS OF PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE AND THEY ALL TRAVELED PARKWAY AND IT'S DISGUSTING.
IT DOESN'T PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
ELSE'S SOMETHING, I GOT AN EMAIL, UH, JUST BEFORE I CAME DOWN HERE, UM, TODAY FOR, UH, UH, FROM A CONSTITUENT WHO, UM, WENT TO DO EARLY VOTING.
OR VOTING IN THE PRIMARY NOW WE SEE.
AND BECAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS STILL HAVE THEIR CARD AND IT SAYS THEY'RE IN DISTRICT TWO CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWO.
AND, AND SO IT'S AN OLD CARD AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE IN CONDESA, ARIEL CONGESTION, CONGRESSIONAL
[01:20:01]
DISTRICT ONE.SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD SQUAT FROM THE, UH, UM, REGISTRAR'S OFFICE ABOUT ANYTHING.
AND NORMALLY WE'RE OUT HERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU RUNNING FOR ELECTION THIS YEAR? NO, NO.
AND DANNY DIGGS, WHO'S RUNNING FOR SENATE IS NOT RUNNING FOR ELECTION THIS YEAR, BUT PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF TIMES WHEN THINGS KICK IN, THEY GET AN IMPRESSION, HEY, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ELECTION.
AND SO THEY'RE FIGURING OUT THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED AND GET INTO THIS, BUT WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING OUT IF WE DON'T HAVE IT ALREADY BOLDLY OUT ABOUT, UH, WHAT DISTRICTS WERE IN, HOW DID IT CHANGE BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS AND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO WHAT WE SUPPOSED TO, BUT HERE WE ARE IN SEPTEMBER NOW.
AND WE NORMALLY VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
AND A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS, BUT I'VE GOT PEOPLE CALL DOWN HERE.
AND THE OTHER NIGHT AT A MEETING, UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EDUCATING THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN THE POLL POLL WORKERS AND STATE HASN'T COME DOWN WITH ANY GUIDANCE YET ON THAT.
SO THINGS ARE KIND OF LAGGING AND IT'S JUST, IT'S TIME TO GET THIS THING MOVING.
SO WE NEED KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN HERE.
I MEAN, I DON'T FOLLOW THE SUPER CLOSELY, BUT FOR THIS NOVEMBER, I THINK THERE'S ONLY TWO THINGS THAT IT'S, UH, THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY, SPECIAL ELECTION AND THE CONGRESSIONAL SEAT ELECTION.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THINGS WE'RE VOTING ON.
SO WHEN YOU TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT, WE NEED TO START MAKING SOME NOISE ABOUT THAT SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE APOLLO OF THE CASE.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING EITHER.
ARE WE STILL RUBBED? WHITMAN'S AND WILL BE AS OF, UH, JANUARY 1ST OR AFTER THIS ELECTION, RIGHT.
THANK YOU ALL UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH WILL BE, UH, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH.