Because last year.
And this year, we have so many running out.
We're just going to keep people a little bit more time.
Yeah so actually.
So it would be good evening.
Oh OK.
Well people can still come in but we'll
go ahead and get started because we do have a lot on the agenda
tonight.
So I do want to say good evening and how much I appreciate
you coming out for this.
I see some familiar faces who talk to me
frequently, which is good.
Or who may have been in this room
several months ago when we did our first town Hall style
event where we looked more at what was coming in this term,
URM, I do want to.
Before we begin, introduce a few key people
that are joining us tonight.
We do have a council member here, Mike Lloyd.
Mike Senator Jennifer boysko will be joining us shortly.
She's just on her way from another event.
Ginny Phipps, who's a representative
of Gainesville district supervisor Jimmy Bierman's
office.
We are expecting a few school principals tonight.
I see one here in the house.
Clear View Principal Stephanie elmquist.
And the front row here.
This is not possible without all of the work
that they do every day.
So I'll ask for our town staff to stand both here in the front
and on the side.
So greatly appreciate all the support and effort
that you've put into this.
And the three in the front get to come and help
me answer questions at the end.
So I will be reading tonight.
I know it's not always the best style.
I try to be more evocative, but there's a lot of data
that we're going to present.
So we're the first town Hall style event was more focused
on what we wanted to do this first year of my term,
looking forward and what were some of the concerns.
I feel it's important that we give the public
where we stand today.
What have we achieved and what do we still have ahead of us.
So I want to make sure I get that right.
So I do have notes.
It is also a time that we recommit to building our town,
especially now in light of everything
that's happening around us.
So it is our State of the town address.
But it's not just about the facts and figures,
it's about a shared story.
So you will see facts and figures on the screen.
Some of them I mentioned some of them
I won't because I don't want to just read slides to you.
I will also be sharing the story that the numbers tell
and the shared story that we're writing together,
the values that we're going to carry forward,
and the vision that we pursue as one unified.
Herndon, when I first took office,
I said that we needed more transparency,
and I think many of you agreed with that.
We also needed more connection and more
community wide conversation.
And so that's why we began this year
with our Herndon our future, our first town Hall style event.
And so what we said then still holds true now.
Your voice matters and your presence tonight proves it.
And we will have at the end of this an open question
and answer period.
So that way, unlike town council meetings
where you can come and speak for three minutes
and we're not allowed really to respond.
This is a way for us to have an open dialogue.
The evening is more than checking boxes.
It's about making meaning.
I'm going to walk you through the progress
that we've made, not in silos, but in the stories,
as I just mentioned.
It won't be by department specifically, but by impact.
So you'll see many different departments
working together for the impact that you've
seen in these numbers.
You'll hear about some challenges at the end.
And more importantly, you're going
to hear about how we're rising to meet these challenges.
And you will have a sorry, you'll have another opportunity
for questions.
I don't need to say that this year hasn't
been without its obstacles, and I'll be honest about those
as well.
But more than anything, tonight is about building momentum.
It's about resilience in our community
and about the deep belief that when we show up for each other,
there's nothing we can't accomplish.
So again, thank you.
Please give yourselves a round of applause
for showing up for one another.
And thank you for caring.
And we're going to go ahead and begin.
So we're going to just as a note, here's our strategic plan.
We've created this a couple years ago.
And it guides what the town does and how we act
on keeping a strategy in mind.
So we'll be talking about some of these topics today.
And let's start with what matters most safety.
Because no matter who you are or where you live in Herndon,
every family deserves to feel safe
walking around their neighborhood,
letting their children play outside,
or driving to school or work in the morning or biking.
Over the past year, we've taken a modern, community rooted
approach to public safety one that leverages smart tools,
builds trust, and gets real results.
We welcomed Steven as our new chief of police.
Thank you, Steve, for agreeing to do it.
For many of you, that name is already familiar.
Chief behonick has dedicated his entire career to Herndon,
rising through the ranks of our department
with a focus on community policing, partnership
and approachability.
And I witnessed that in action every day.
But he was with me this morning at the schools
working through youth safety.
So he's definitely about community
policing and approachability.
He knows our neighborhoods, he knows our people,
and he understands that safety begins with connection.
That philosophy has shaped everything we're doing.
This year.
We've launched a community engagement team or seat team.
These are officers who are going to patrol on bike and on foot,
building relationships in neighborhoods
and helping proactively address issues before they escalate.
One of them was going to be here tonight
but had a family emergency.
These are officers that you don't just see, but you talk to.
They're there to listen, to assist and to protect.
We also expanded our network of flock safety cameras,
installing them at strategic entrances and exits to the town.
We did expand that flock network.
These license plate reading cameras
don't monitor behavior or movement.
They log vehicle data in public rights of way,
allowing our officers to identify and track
vehicles that are involved in crimes such as theft,
assault, or others.
We're not working in a vacuum either.
We've created partnerships with private businesses and HOAs that
also use flock cameras, and they've
allowed us access to their cameras in cases of emergency
to safely and legally collaborate
in solving crimes that may happen
on their private property.
It's a 21st century way to multiply our resources
without compromising privacy for the safety
of the entire community.
These efforts are making a difference.
Herndon saw a 16% reduction in roadway accidents.
A 28% decrease in alcohol related crashes.
Overall, you won't see this number up there,
but I did confirm it.
Crime is down 22% from last year at this time
for the first three quarters.
That's fewer disruptions, fewer injuries,
and more peace of mind on our streets, in our neighborhoods.
We also know that long term traffic safety requires
planning, not just patrols.
That's why we've embarked on a comprehensive traffic
safety plan funded through the Safe Streets
for all federal grant.
We recently gathered direct community feedback.
So thank you to all of you who participated in that,
both anecdotal and geolocated, through public events
and interactive maps.
We're marrying that up with vdot and police data.
Pass through traffic analyses.
HPD incident reports to identify our problem areas and targets.
Our town council has set a clear goal 0 fatalities,
0 serious injuries within 12 years.
And to make the entire town safely
commutable by foot, bike, or car.
We rarely have fatalities currently,
but it is a priority to eliminate.
Even as traffic patterns are changing through the town
as a result, both of our own development
presumably predominantly around the Parkway, but also
the development that's happening around us in both Loudoun
and Fairfax County, putting more vehicles on the streets
here in Herndon, we're also examining potential enhancements
to local bus access, especially for areas
of town that are underserved or disconnected by major hubs.
At the same time, we continue to build our department
in the last year, we've hired two new officers, promoted 7,
and we did add a new k-9 officer.
His name is pilot, who's already doing great work.
And of course, he's stealing hearts around town.
We've made it easier for residents to report issues
online, whether it's speeding, parking, quality of life
concerns, and we're aligning public education, data driven
enforcement and Neighborhood Partnerships to not only respond
to issues, but to prevent them.
Being a safe and welcoming town isn't just about what we stop.
And I believe you said today, Chief, that yes, the police
are here to police, but it's so much more.
It's about what we build together.
It's about trust, access, belonging
and having a peace of mind.
That's what we're committed to delivering
in HPD and throughout the town.
Community is more than where you live.
It's how you live with others.
One of our greatest responsibilities as a town
is to create the conditions where
those connections can thrive.
Connection is what turns a group of houses into a neighborhood
and a map into a home.
That's why early in my tenure, we held Herndon's very first
town Hall event, our Herndon our future,
to lay out the vision and goals.
But more importantly, we open the floor
to questions and discussions.
No time limit, no filter.
Neighbors speaking to neighbors.
We're going to do the same tonight, because a government
that talks with the people, not at them,
is one that earns trust and builds belonging.
We also launched minutes with the mayor.
It's a monthly video series that takes you
behind the scenes with our incredible staff
and explains the projects that shape your life every day.
I don't know if you caught me, but it
was really great to be on the DPW trucks and honk the horn
and do fun things like that.
Maybe we'll also be showing new crime lab being developed
and other kinds of things.
So do watch that.
We're evolving more coming soon.
I'll also be starting a video series with our businesses,
so I'll intern for a little while
each of our businesses to show what happens
and what thriving business life we have in Herndon.
This year, we also tackled one of the most
consequential decisions a council can ever
make hiring a town manager.
We didn't rush it.
It took us about a year.
We spent months, almost 12, working
through a thoughtful, transparent process,
developing interview criteria, listening to staff and community
voices, selecting someone not just for the council,
but for the entire town, for our businesses, our employees
and our residents.
And we're proud to have selected Dan Hoffman.
Dan brings a track record of success
as a former town manager in Winchester, Virginia,
and as an assistant city manager in Gainesville, Florida.
He's known across the Commonwealth
and frankly, in Maryland as well for his leadership
on innovation, digital engagement
and forward thinking infrastructure.
Dan knows how to bring fresh ideas from other jurisdictions.
We've already talked about several
and how to tailor those ideas to fit the unique spirit
a town like Herndon has.
He understands that good government starts with people.
And he's already begun connecting with staff,
listening to residents, and identifying opportunities
to make Herndon even stronger.
With Dan, we have a leader who matches our pace,
our values and our aspirations.
While I drink my water, I do want to introduce that Doctor.
Liz Nadeau from Herndon high school is also joining us.
Thank you.
This slide highlights something core to how we've led this year.
It's not just what we do, but how we do it through listening,
outreach and shared ownership.
First, our roadway safety action plan.
This wasn't just a staff project.
We went directly to the residents
to with interactive maps, open input sessions in both English
and Spanish, and surveys to hear where they felt unsafe
or where improvements needed to be made.
That local knowledge is now directly shaping
how we prioritize traffic calming and pedestrian
infrastructure in neighborhoods across town,
and it will do so for the coming years
as we work through the entire CIP cemetery improvements.
We know this is deeply personal and meaningful place
for many families, and the choices we make there
deserve to be made carefully.
We engaged community members, especially those living nearby.
Even when they did not live in the town of Herndon, to help
ensure that the expansion was respectful, sustainable
and forward looking.
And we're funding it through a self-sustained model.
We also launched the community inclusion and engagement
committee, or CISC, a resident driven advisory group focused
on making sure we're building trust and equity
into everything we do.
They're already helping us to improve
language access, outreach strategies
and inclusive programming.
And finally, the housing study.
It's a critical step in understanding
Herndon's current and future housing needs.
Hopefully you're all doing that online so we can give you
the link after if you haven't.
But we're not just running numbers here.
We're holding focus groups, listening sessions,
working with regional partners to ensure
that the final strategy reflects our values, not
just national trends.
All of this ties back to our commitment
to engagement, to not just act for the community,
but to act with it.
Beyond leadership, we've invested in everyday connection.
We host it one of the largest resource fairs in years,
bringing over 260 residents to Herndon community
center for housing, job assistance,
health services and more.
And we're just getting started.
We have plans to expand these efforts throughout the year
in neighborhoods, across town, through our neighbors in action
pricing program, we've provided access to parks and rec services
for more than 4250 youth, removing financial barriers
and making sure no child Mrs. out on the chance
to grow, play and belong.
And with help from cornerstones.
And she believes in me.
52 local kids were able to attend camp on the go,
bringing the joy of summer right into Alabama drive park.
And that's a program that we're proud to continue and grow
with the help of our community resources,
we've expanded translation services across more programs
and facilities, including multilingual information screens
at the community center, and made
it easier for non-English speakers
to sign up for activities, attend meetings like this,
and access services.
Because belonging means accessibility,
not just availability.
We're also strengthening the glue of our town,
the nonprofits and civic groups who lift us up every day from
fish to the closet, from the woman's club to rotary support
organizations that serve the community in ways
government alone cannot.
And yes, we continue to invest in arts through programs
like nextstop theater, who has engaged a new artistic director,
not only bringing strong professional theater that
reflects the community that we are and wish to be, but also
through enhanced education programming in our schools,
accessibility for under-resourced and facilitating
enrichment and emotional support in the form of
directed writing for teens.
When we talk about vibrancy, it's not just events.
It's also about how we care for the everyday environment
in which we live.
This year, our crews collected over 7,500 tons of trash,
recycling and yard waste.
That's a cleaner, healthier Herndon for everyone.
But I will say we can still improve on the recycling piece,
so we'll talk about that.
We conducted 402 water quality tests,
inspected nearly 2000 200,000ft of sanitary
and storm sewer lines to protect both public health and property.
We planted 151 new street trees and redesigned seven town
landscape beds, not just for beauty, but to cool the streets,
manage our runoff, and create inviting spaces that
show pride in where we live.
We'll be seeing a lot of this also happened.
Downtown connection doesn't stop, though.
At the household level.
It matters to our economy as well.
That's why we created a small business improvement committee,
bringing together staff from planning,
zoning, engineering and finance to walk
in the shoes of entrepreneurs.
We're rethinking how we permit, how we communicate,
and how we can better support those who are betting
on Herndon, the folks that invest their savings
and their hopes into small storefronts,
food trucks, studios, shops.
Because when we say you belong here, it's not just a slogan,
it's a promise and one that I am personally making.
Whether you're a new immigrant, a lifelong resident,
a working parent, or a small business owner,
we want you to see yourself in Herndon.
Why the concern is not just another town.
We are a community that has deep traditions,
authentic identity, which is somewhat rare, I think,
in Northern Virginia.
A joyful, if not quirky, sometimes spirit
that brings people together.
And certainly we see that even in Madison forest drive.
When I talk about quirky this past year,
we've made some meaningful investments
in celebrating that spirit, not only
through what we host and proclaim,
but through how we invite others in.
We've held 35 public meetings, work sessions and retreats,
including new retreats, and adopted
a new policy to better support community
events and partnerships.
Because celebrating who we shouldn't be limited to what's
already on the calendar.
It should include what's emerging, what's grassroots,
and what reflects our town's growing diversity,
though admittedly this particular aspect continues
to be an ongoing work to progress
our policies and our processes.
We brought fun and approachability
into town communications.
Who noticed in the bear over there.
So we had an elder in the bear campaign
through the summer for parks and rec,
and a proclamation that I made right after he
left my yard the next day.
And who saw the naked recreation week video promotion.
That was a fun one to have to announce parks and rec week.
We also added levity to some of our campaigns and announcements.
We have two major, important milestones coming up the 50th
anniversary of the Herndon community center and the 250th
anniversary of our nation.
And so we're reminding ourselves that our history
doesn't just lie in our past.
It's something that we live and shape every single day.
We've held a great first community picnic.
We had about 250 residents that came
and we are planning more for next year.
Maybe we can take them to other parts of the town
to serve other communities.
These create informal spaces where council members
and elected staff and neighbors can break bread together
and talk in ways that feel a little
less like a public meeting and more like a shared meal
together.
Next year, we're launching a new spring event
to bring even more people together
in celebration of Herndon's culture and character.
I'll talk more about that at the end.
Through proclamations, partnerships, and programming,
we're recognizing the people, cultures, and values
that make Herndon home.
We don't celebrate in spite of our differences.
We celebrate because of them.
And we do it with clear intent to build a town
where everyone sees themselves reflected,
respected and welcomed.
Herndon is not just another dot on the map.
We are a town with a soul, a spirit, and a culture
that stands apart from the sprawl that we see around us.
We don't aim to look like anyone else.
We happily embrace our quirkiness
and that's our strength.
We've embraced that identity through events, arts,
traditions and community pride.
From the return of Friday Night Live to winter market to New
events that are coming up.
We're celebrating not just where we are, but who we are.
And these are not just events.
They're shared experiences.
There were neighbors become friends.
Kids make memories and where newcomers feel welcomed.
Our brand live differently isn't just a tagline,
it's a challenge to each and every one of us.
To me, it's a challenge to lead with creativity.
To celebrate the unconventional and to recognize
that a truly inclusive, joyful, expressive
town is one where people feel not just tolerated but seen.
So whether you're dancing with your kids at farmers market,
clapping for a local play, joining
your first town festival, or organizing one for someone else,
know this.
In Herndon we don't just live, we live differently together.
Sorry, was one behind.
OK, let's be honest.
Delivering on all these priorities
takes more than good ideas.
It takes financial discipline, long term planning,
and the courage to make some difficult
trade offs and decisions in a time of
national economic uncertainty.
I'm proud to say that Herndon has met that challenge head on.
This year, we took bold action to fix a long standing
structural issue our reliance on capital reserves
to pay for recurring, practicable, predictable needs.
That's like dipping into your savings
to pay your electric bill.
Manageable short term, but unsustainable
over the long term.
In 26, we rebalance that equation
and lead a more honest, durable foundation for budgeting
now and into the future.
At the same time, we've maintained our triple-a bond
rating from all three major agencies, a signal
that the outside experts agree with us.
Herndon is managing its finances prudently and professionally,
and we were once again recognized with the GFOA.
Certificate of Achievement for Excellence
in Financial Reporting for the 50th 5 0 year in a row.
Not many towns or cities can say that.
That kind of consistency speaks volumes about our team's
integrity, transportation, and dedication.
Good fiscal management isn't just about keeping
the lights on, though.
It's about using every dollar to its fullest potential.
That's why we've aggressively pursued outside funding,
and it's paying off.
We've secured nearly 6 million in transportation grants
from nvta and the Virginia Department of Transportation
to improve local roads and connectivity.
1.5 million in environmental resilience
funding for steam stream restoration
and flood mitigation.
And a dedicated grant to fund Herndon's first urban forestry
master plan, helping us to maintain and grow
the tree canopy that protects our neighborhoods
and defines our town.
We're also taking a smarter, more phased approach
to necessary cost increases.
Instead of front loading major costs like water and sewer
those so that those hikes are not on today's
residents as much.
We've spread that cost over multiple years
to include some bonding and used financing tools.
The bonding, and so that new homes and businesses
coming online will then share the responsibility
in those costs.
So it's not all on us today.
It's on the people that are coming in
as well that I think is fairness in action.
We've prioritized self-sustaining funds.
Our cemetery expansion is fully funded by its own revenues,
ensuring long term viability as long term
as there are enough space for Graves' while being developed
thoughtfully and respectfully.
Our golf course improvements from tee box refurbishments
to drainage upgrades are also funded from the course revenues,
reinvesting where it counts without drawing
on the general fund and seeing new programs added as well.
OK, we're going to spend some time on this chart.
It's a chart.
This chart tells a story that we've rarely, if ever,
talked about.
It's a quiet pressure that we face each year
to deliver more dramatically.
Sorry to deliver more without dramatically increasing
costs to our residents.
You'll notice that revenue stays pretty
flat across all of these years.
That's because our largest revenue
source is real estate taxes.
So that only changes if the County changes assessed values.
And I know they change them every year.
Or we adjust our tax rate.
But adjusting our tax rate up is something
that we have to be very cautious about
and we don't want to do on a regular basis.
We know that households are already under pressure
and we don't want to keep raising
the burden year after year.
On the other side of this chart, though,
expenses continue to climb.
It's not because we're hiring new people.
At most, we hire at about one person per year over this time.
What's changed is cost for benefits like retirement
and health care.
They've gone up significantly and we can't control it.
It's coming from the state and we're talking double digits.
2/3 of our budget is people based.
And so when we get that kind of an increase in health
care costs, it has a significant impact to our overall expenses.
We're also seeing changes in supply chain costs
that everyone is seeing.
Meanwhile, we continue to ask our staff
and they have consistently risen to the challenge of doing more.
They meet more expectations maintaining aging buildings,
responding to New technology needs,
and managing a fleet of vehicles that
are well beyond their replacement cycles.
We need to address all of these and that also costs.
We're also not immune to the broader economic challenges
that we're seeing.
We see the ripple effects from the federal marketplace,
federal workplace place reductions
small business strain, which in turn strains everyone.
Commercial property revenue in parts of town
are also being affected.
These all affect the local economy and the services
that we can provide.
As a town of just 4.2mi with very little undeveloped land.
It's not like we can put a data center there.
We have limited levers to pull.
The primary one is property tax.
That's why we're focused on growth and densification.
But we do it in the right places around the metro.
So that way we can expand our base, not just our rates.
This also helps us to align with infrastructure development
services and placemaking goals.
So that way we don't compromise the town that we all love.
Just to chase revenue that I think
is long term responsible stewardship.
Careful choices, not just the convenient ones.
What does that mean for Herndon family.
It means we are trying to protect
your household from wild swings and utility Bills.
Yes, they're going up, but we're mitigating how much they go up.
It means we're investing in long term infrastructure now.
So that way your children and your grandchildren
are not stuck paying for the deferred maintenance costs
later.
It means your neighborhood has the trees, the Clean Water,
the walkable streets, the emergency response
that it needs and deserves without raising
your taxes unnecessarily.
It means that when we make financial decisions,
we're thinking about how they impact
your everyday life, your safety, your pocketbook,
your peace of mind.
That, again, is what stability.
You can feel and confidence in our fiscal responsibility
looks like.
In short, we're seeking to invest in what matters.
Avoiding what doesn't.
And leading with fiscal responsibility.
We owe that to you.
And I will promise that I will keep driving us to that.
In Herndon, we're not just planning for tomorrow.
We're building it now.
This year, we have made transformative progress
across development, infrastructure, workforce
and long range planning to ensure
that our town grows with intention
and integrity and care.
A key focus area for us moving forward is placemaking.
That's the work of turning our most
visible public spaces into meaningful,
people centered destinations.
We're not just looking at what gets built,
but what it feels like to walk, to sit, to gather, to educate,
Kate to connect in places that define our town.
I've asked the staff, town council,
planning commission to focus intentionally on placemaking
as we develop our new policies, update zoning and consider
use of public land, particularly downtown and around the metro.
This means thinking holistically about lighting, signage,
pedestrian flow, green space, public art,
storefront diversity, and even sound.
It means being bold about creating
spaces that reflect Herndon's character,
not just a developer's renderings.
Whether it's a Plaza downtown or a corner by the station,
our question is simple does this feel like herndon?
Does it feel like someplace that our citizens want to be.
We've broken ground, literally, on multiple development
projects in the Herndon transit oriented core.
That's talk and transit related growth areas.
TRG these aren't just buildings, they're the future of how
we live, move and connect.
At 555 Herndon Parkway, construction is
underway now for 400 new multifamily
units with 5000ft of retail.
And the site plan includes capacity for up to 200,000ft
of future office space.
Meanwhile, in 13 150 world gate drive,
it's moving through the site plan process
to replace aging office stock with 400
apartments, 47 townhomes and 52 2 over 2 condos.
If you drove by, I was at Lidl doing the ribbon cutting
this morning, and a little bit later, you
might have seen a plume of dust from some of the work
that they're doing at this particular location.
250 exchange place.
And 575 Herndon Parkway are both in active planning,
collectively bringing hundreds more homes
and new commercial opportunities within the reach of metro.
This kind of growth doesn't just happen.
It's guided by vision.
That's why we've launched the update
to our comprehensive plan.
Also support it by a $720,000 federal grant,
and this will be our 25 year roadmap for Herndon's future.
It places environmental and economic
stewardship at its heart and will be
deeply shaped by public input.
So it will look different.
It will have additional components
to what we've seen before.
As part of this work, we're also undertaking
a full economic development strategy
and reimagining how Herndon can attract, support and retain
businesses across sectors.
On infrastructure.
We've advanced major utility and accessibility projects
like spring Downs sanitary sewer replacement, which unlocks
future development capacity, and the central Eldon walkability
project, bringing long overdue ADA improvements between Center
Street and Main Street.
Our Sugarland run North stream restoration project continues
our work to reduce erosion, protect property,
and improve water quality.
This past year, we took a hard look at our economic development
program, what's working, what needs attention
and what will help us grow stronger.
We created we completed a full program, reassessment.
And promoted a new leader who brings fresh energy
and strategy to the work.
We're now actively implementing recommendations
from a small business improvement committee formed
across our town for better permitting, support
to clear communication, stronger coordination
between departments.
Our new economic development manager and I
are out cutting ribbons of new businesses like Lidl
today and meeting with about five businesses
existing businesses a month to hear their needs and concerns
and to build those relationships.
As part of our 2050 comprehensive plan,
we've launched a full market study and strategy development
effort to make sure that we're aligning economic growth
with the kind of town that we want to be,
not just in square footage, but in opportunity,
quality of life and resilience.
We're also investing in green infrastructure
with a completed urban tree inventory.
We're actively growing our canopy
and pursuing sustainability through grant
funded planning, planting and landscape redesigns.
We are also launching a program where community members can now
sponsor new trees and their ongoing maintenance
through the town.
You can actually get a leaf or something
named after you on in an area that will designate.
It's not just about shade, it's about cooling our neighborhoods,
managing stormwater and protecting biodiversity.
So really critically important for the long term
of our community.
Also, in green initiatives, you might see I might have heard
us talk about this building.
Several of our buildings will be getting
more green as we work to enhance and rehabilitate our buildings.
We'll be keeping a green perspective on that as well.
We're building the future not just with concrete and code,
but with people.
We launched the Herndon leadership cohort, filled
35 regular and 89 temporary and part time roles,
supported over 300 staff through internal trainings.
Two town employees were enrolled at George Mason's MPA program,
and two more participated in the lead professional development
program.
This is all about creating a workforce that's
ready to lead Herndon today and tomorrow
in every corner of our town.
We're not just imagining the future.
We construct it, we nurture it, and we're preparing it.
So that way we can serve generations to come.
I think we've accomplished quite a bit this year,
and I'm proud of how far we've come,
and all of those that have served us in enabling
us to come this far.
But I want to be clear, we do still have challenges,
very important ones, and I believe
it's just as important to be honest and transparent
about those.
From economic uncertainties to long term infrastructure needs,
housing affordability to an evolving downtown redevelopment.
These are not small issues and they
don't have easy answers, certainly not ones that I
could implement in nine months.
But we're not shying away from them.
We are attacking them head, head first.
We've initiated major planning efforts, including our housing
study, economic development strategy, and the 2050
comprehensive plan that I mentioned,
and these will guide our upcoming policy
decisions, zoning updates and capital investments.
We've repositioned ourselves on downtown redevelopment,
and while the pace has not been what we hoped,
we are protecting the town's interests
and we are preparing for the next opportunity
with transparency and care.
And while we are still in litigation with Comstock
regarding the contract, we are actively
engaging with downtown business owners and residents
to talk about the future of all of downtown,
not just the redevelopment area.
We're focusing on a vibrant destination downtown
while taking interim steps to support activity, identity
and investment along the way.
We do have open eyes, steady leadership and clear intention.
When we enact these, we're navigating national headwinds.
They're strong headwinds from federal workforce shifts
to cost increases and making sure our decisions
reflect long term thinking.
We know these headwinds aren't just abstract economic trends.
They're deeply personal.
Many of our residents are impacted directly by reductions
in government projects, ongoing federal shutdowns,
contractor layoffs from small and large businesses alike.
If you're a federal employee, a contractor,
or someone who owns a small business,
that depends on these workers.
The disruptions ripple out across households,
schools and Main Street.
That's why we monitor index data closely,
to anticipate the shifts as best as we can
and adjust, hopefully in preparation.
I personally meet with other mayors
and County chairs from across the region
every week to share insights, strategies and support.
Yesterday we met about WIC and snap
and how we can support what's happening there.
This is not a moment for any town
to go it alone, nor for any resident
to feel that they are alone.
We are a community.
It is time to be a community and stand up together.
We can partner with non-profits like Cornerstone's who
have the mechanisms and experience to help
distribute aid effectively.
We can help one another very directly.
If you see a neighbor in need and you have the means to help
stand in.
I will be posting.
I've posted some today about some of our communities
that have different needs, and how you may get
involved in that way as well.
Last week I also met with Northwest Federal Credit Union
leadership, and they're offering our residents impacted by
the shutdown 0 interest loans.
So if there's anyone that you can refer them there.
We also collaborate with our schools.
It may not be the jurisdiction of the mayor,
but I hopefully have established a strong relationship
with all of the schools that support Herndon kids.
These are our families that exist in those schools,
and so it's our job to help protect and make sure that they
feel secure in all ways.
Herndon has always shown up for one another,
and I'm expecting that we will continue to do so.
We've taken on the hard work of investing
in our IT infrastructure and internal systems, efforts that
are going generally unseen because they happen
behind the curtain, but they are critical to delivering
better, faster, more secure services to the public.
Staff are actively evaluating where
automation and smarter tool use can free
up time and improve accuracy.
This includes not just new technology,
but training on the systems we already have
that may not be fully utilized.
We're also exploring the responsible use of AI
and emerging digital platforms to better engage with the public
and make information more accessible.
And we're doing all of this while keeping a vigilant eye
on cybersecurity, especially when it comes to protecting
sensitive data and supporting police technologies that help
to keep our community safe.
We're preparing for significant growth.
Just mentioned quite a number of properties
around the Herndon metro station and the transit
related growth area, balancing opportunity
with thoughtful zoning, placemaking,
and community engagement.
Again, it's not about rushing.
It's about getting it right and being ahead of it.
So I'll make a promise to you.
And that promise is the same promise
I've always made, that I and the council and the staff
will be as transparent as we can be.
Sometimes we can't say everything,
but we will tell you when we can't see everything
at that particular moment.
We will keep talking about what's working
and what still needs work.
We will keep inviting you to be a part of that discussion.
Rising to meet our challenges doesn't
happen from behind a desk.
It happens out here with all of us working together.
Herndon is strong.
Herndon is ready.
The best way to honor our progress is to keep going.
Eyes open.
Voice is heard.
Shoulders square.
We rise together.
Last but not least.
I'm keeping it cool.
But I am burning to plug our new annual spring event, which
will be held may 16, 2026.
So Mark your calendars now we will officially launch.
What exactly is happening on next week, November 6.
So be prepared to have an onslaught of great fun.
OK, and now to the main reason we've started
these town Hall style events.
I want to hear from you.
And so if you have any questions in an orderly way,
we'll come up to the podium here.
So that way we can record it through televised.
If we have people online who would like to raise questions,
then I will periodically turn to our team
there to have those brought up.
So if you do, I will tell you now,
if you have a lot of questions, I might ask you to pause
and hold on your next questions and let someone else come
and then that way people get turns
and we can have you come back with the rest of your questions.
So I will also ask our staff, sitting
down here to help me answer the questions as they come.
So who would like to start.
Hello, my name is possibly read, so I'm coming up Adam Linthicum.
I've been in the town for 12 years.
Thank you to everybody who's doing this.
This means a lot that our government cares about us.
I want to note that you said belonging
and accessibility were a big part of it
was a theme in your presentation.
This is the most monochromatic event I've attended so far,
and I think we all know why to a certain extent at least.
And to that end, I was really dismayed to hear that we are
expanding the flock network.
That's the new cameras are.
It's not reassuring to me.
I do not believe that.
It does not compromise our privacy.
There were a couple of pictures from the no kings events.
One was at the shopping center in front of the sprouts and the.
Now that we have camera flock cameras in front
of every entrance to that shopping center,
the government now has a database
of everybody who attended that event that
is not maintaining our privacy.
This event, this system doesn't need a warrant to access.
It's been abused in countless other jurisdictions.
I'm not casting aspersions on our own police,
but it's dismaying that we are expanding
this system when there's very little
protections for the citizens.
So yeah, thank you very much for that comment.
You can hear me, right.
So there's two different things going
on in your comment in there.
Some of those are on you can't can you hear me in the back.
Yeah oh she was indicating she couldn't.
So there's two different things.
You have cameras that are on private property.
And again those weren't asked for or installed by the police.
But they are allowed to share that information with us.
We have the LPR which are located in certain areas
within the town, and there are strict government
regulations on those.
They've legislature came out with a 21 day purge period
for those.
Not any agency around can just access our information.
They have to ask for our permission to do that.
Just like if I go to another jurisdiction,
I have to ask for their permission.
If I was looking for.
Say I was looking for a suspect in a case that I was using.
I can tell you some very positive things
that have come out of the LPR.
We've had some cases here, some robbery suspects, a pretty
serious hit and run just a few weeks ago that got us some very
good leads, led us to a few suspect
vehicles, which we were then able to locate the vehicle
based on that information.
So I have a lot of good stories about where our LPR cameras have
helped us to solve a lot of crime,
and it's happening all over the region.
But yes, there has to be responsible use of them.
And that involves I think, a little bit
of trust from the community.
But we also have to model that.
And we have to show you that, it is trustworthy.
I do understand there are a lot of citizens that have concerns
about flock camera systems.
So I don't know if I've answered that I
regulations on the private organizations that
installed them.
So if a private organization wants to put cameras
on their property, that's between them
and the flock corporation.
And so even if it's the Virginia State Police,
they need to ask your permission for that data.
Yes OK.
Well I am.
Still not satisfied, but I will accept.
I completely understand, and I may not convince you tonight,
but if I can talk about how we're going to leverage some
of all of these things, it's not just flock
and it's not just the cameras.
But we are following, trying to get ahead of the curve of really
harnessing technology to our advantage
so I can have officers out there doing the community
engagement things I need them to do
and takes up less time to do some of these things
that technology can help us do.
We have started construction of our crime center.
And yeah, you can sit down.
Yeah thank you very much.
I appreciate your comments.
We are working right now and it's just kind
of in the build out phase.
We used no public funds.
It was all seized asset accounts to build out our crime center.
This is going to unite and have all of our technology
coming to one location.
So when we were working on an active case,
I can literally go to my officers body cameras.
I can view things live as they're happening.
I can have almost like a Command Center going there.
I can see where all my officers are in town.
I can go live to their body cameras, to their police cars.
We can check flock.
All this technology.
I can put a drone up in the air and I can monitor
public events for safety.
A lot of our events that we have here in town.
So we are putting all this together to use technology
responsibly and to advance.
We want to be a better police department for this community.
So again, I know that's probably not satisfactory to you,
but I do appreciate your question.
You might want to stay there.
Hi, my name is Yasmin.
I grew up in Fairfax County.
I think this is my second state of the town.
Thank you for doing these.
I like them a lot.
I appreciate them and I appreciate
all the good information.
I also share concerns about the flock cameras,
and I have a couple specific questions.
Are we spending money for flock data and do we.
You said LPRs and I forget how many you said,
but do we give our data to ICE.
And how do we know that flock isn't collecting data on people
and it's limited to license plates.
Is that simply information from flock or is it corroborated.
Say that last question one more time.
I'm sorry.
How do we know for certain that flock isn't collecting
data besides license plates.
Great question.
So we do our LPs.
We do pay for those.
We do.
We do have to fund those.
We have them set up in locations.
I think there's a responsible number to put in.
Some jurisdictions have gotten in trouble because they created
literal dragnets of so you couldn't drive-through my town
or go anywhere without being picked up on a flock camera.
We've put them strategically in areas
where we want to get that information.
If someone is fleeing the town at certain points
that we felt was necessary, I don't have information
about I don't know what flock could or couldn't be doing
with the information, but I could tell you
that the legislature has set up that after 21 days
this information is purged.
And to your question about ice that we have to grant access
to any agency that wants to use any of our flock data,
and so that doesn't happen.
Does that.
So we have to grant agency would have to reach out to me.
We have to share permissions essentially.
And we don't.
We do not.
So even if say they had an ongoing case
and I'll just pick a jurisdiction on here Manassas.
And they said, hey, we're looking for a suspect
that might be there.
They have to ask us for permission to access ours,
just like I would for them, because I
would be nervous about that.
I don't know what people's motivations would be to search
and use our data for that.
But we use it for criminal investigation purposes only.
We don't monitor people.
It monitors vehicle license plates.
So if I have a suspect I'm looking for, say, a white Toyota
I can search.
I'll give you the example I had.
I had a hit and run and let's just
say it was a white Toyota car.
And I know they're hit and run happened right around 1 o'clock
in the morning.
And the vehicle left so I can put into that system.
I'm looking for a white Toyota Camry.
And maybe I don't have but.
And I might see it right there in the flock.
And so those are the benefits of the flock.
And then did I answer all your questions.
Do we know that it's not using anything besides license plates
or collecting data besides license plates.
It's just collecting data on license plates.
But like I said, 21 days and the information
is purged from the systems.
We would have to have special permission to keep any of that.
And that would be an ongoing criminal case where we would
then maybe have to obtain search warrants
to and go the legal process.
Great questions.
Thank you.
I do want to point, as we get our next person up,
that we are collecting your questions,
and we will be publishing the questions and the answers.
And if there's anything that we can't answer here,
we will come back and get the answers
and make sure that those go out to the community.
So thank you very much for doing this.
My name is Lauren Schmidt and I live on Monroe street
in Herndon.
I've been here about 25 years.
So my beautiful garden.
Yeah, we just redid our whole front yard.
Went native.
So it's probably a question you hear all the time,
but I'm not much on it.
And if there's information online
you can point me to that would be great.
But I'm really interested if you have any timeline
about the development.
And because it's really started I went to vote the other day
and I parked and then we drove by and it's like,
this is just right in the middle of our town.
I know it's not anybody's fault, but if you have any information
you could share.
And I see Kirsten coming up.
You're welcome to come up and just kick me if I go too far.
We don't have a timeline.
It's in litigation.
That's all dependent on the court system.
And what Comstock how they react and what they do.
So we went through the appropriate steps.
We've sent them the title back in our name.
All they had to do was sign it.
We then issued I forget what the legal term is,
but basically we made it known to anyone who might potentially,
in case they thought to sell it, that it could
not be sold, that it's ours.
We went through mediation and then now into litigation.
And I do encourage you to go and see it's public record of what
we said in the litigation.
And is that on the town website.
And it's in very plain language so everyone can understand
exactly what we're upset about.
OK I think it's ours.
And I'm going to just one more question.
Can you post your presentation online.
Sure OK.
And then well, actually I'm going to do another one.
And that is to the gentleman's comment
about the cameras in the town.
And I think it's something that all of us
get a little nervous about, especially
in the current climate.
But if you're out in public, someone can take your photograph
and share it online without your permission,
because it only takes one person to give permission
to post a photograph.
And that can be the person who takes the picture.
So we're all out there.
So anyway, thank you again.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Any questions.
I know right.
Hi my name is Walt Schuller.
I've lived here for 42 years and have we watched a town
go through many, many emotions.
It became disconcerting for me during the COVID time.
I'm not up here to ask a question.
I'm here to compliment the new chief,
and I'm here to compliment you and the town council
for the first time in decades.
I have a feeling of confidence, and it
comes down to your integrity, and I appreciate that.
Thank you.
Before we take another one, is there anyone online, Mr. mayor.
Pat wants to know if unneeded prescription
and over-the-counter medications can be dropped off safely
at HPD, or if there are any other locations
where they can dispose of expired prescription medication.
So we are no longer taking the expired medication.
We used to have a drop box in front of our building.
I made the decision to remove the box because there are
other agencies that do that, not public agencies,
but CVS and Walgreens, and they all have programs that do that.
I was bringing in dangerous chemicals
sometimes into the building and exposing my officers to dangers
of things we didn't know that were being placed in that box,
and I couldn't put my officers in that type of danger,
especially when there's already companies out there that do it.
If that answers the question fully, I hope so.
Can I mention one thing I just discovered
because I'm in that situation.
Safeway also has a right to the pharmacist.
They have a metal box and they will take anybody's prescription
rather than going for those online Mr.
shorter is saying that Safeway also will take them.
Do we have a list of those places.
Can we publish a list of them if it helps,
I will speak to my public.
Well, we'll put something out online for you guys that'll.
I think we put that out when we removed the box,
but I can repost that tomorrow.
Anything else online.
No other questions that haven't been addressed.
OK OK.
Hello good to see you guys.
So recently, I was at air Brook.
It was an assault between people.
I was involved, and I got charged.
However, I think there was a misunderstanding.
I think there was a lack of communication within the group.
And that just snowballed into just going
towards the most powerful.
I think I was the most athletics.
I think it was just easy to pin it on me being
responsible for everything.
However, that being said, I am still with an initiative
to push for mental health within the community.
I have art developed and within a company I've started.
I am listed as a psychologist, so I'm hoping to share my art.
If the town of Vernon would sponsor me to do that, I could.
It would push for nonviolent communication
and also a heightening of performance through the art.
So I might want to reach out to arts Herndon
because they have the mechanisms to work with artists
and display that.
Again, I'm very sorry for what happened to you,
but appreciate that you're focused on mental health.
Mental health certainly is a concern in all communities
and in our community.
There are resources, but we often hear,
why can't you do something.
Why can't you force a person.
We cannot force anyone to seek mental health services.
So appreciate it.
Thank you.
Yeah, I've been around.
It was at Brook and I've gone to school throughout Herndon.
I've played soccer throughout Herndon,
and I think people know me with fitness and wellness right now.
So just being with the town of Herndon, sharing my art,
even looking for a buyer for my art is what I'm doing.
And you could help that.
So all that said, I could just be a stable performance.
Recommend you reach out to answer.
Yeah all right.
Thank you.
Cool Anyone else.
Yes so I mentioned our new community inclusion
and engagement committee, and this is one of our new members,
Rosemary Kendall.
Hi, I'm Rosemary Kendall.
I've lived in the greater Herndon area for 40 years
because we were over by Hutchinson, which some people
know is not Herndon.
And then we've lived where we are now for almost 30 years
and I've heard this presentation done twice now.
I don't get the feeling of Herndon
being a multicultural community, and I
also don't get the feeling.
And Adam referred to this, that some people in our community,
because of what's happening with immigration,
are afraid to come out.
And I'm not saying you're not handling it well.
I don't hear it reflected in your comments.
So that's what I would love to see,
is we are a diverse community that includes
a large Spanish speaking community
from Central and South America.
I don't hear that reflected in what is talked about to reflect.
Herndon so I just want to make sure that we understand
that there are people in our community who are afraid one,
and that we're a community that includes those people
and I don't get that feeling.
So I'm just passing that along.
OK thank you.
And that's what your committee will help us to do better.
Yeah that and watch out for the little kids.
Someone else.
Yeah come on up.
OK sorry.
No, please.
OK.
Hi.
I'm Nicole wickenheiser, and I just
want to say a couple things.
First, in gratitude for this, because I think this is great.
Everybody's coming.
Big turnout today.
Thanks for big trash because you know that.
I think that's great.
And I hope that we have the money again next year
because I think it's important.
Also, I was talking to the chief earlier
because I have a sophomore at Herndon high.
Doctor noto, thank you for coming.
And I was concerned about some of the violence that's
been going on for the past couple of weeks,
and the safety of my kid who runs around Herndon like it's
his own private backyard.
And it's one of the things that we always loved about that.
And so I was talking to the chief
about, what's been going on in the safety
of how things are going.
And I really feel like it's still safe for him
to be skateboarding, even when it gets dark up on the trail,
all of that kind of stuff.
And so I'm just really grateful.
But I hope that you can just elaborate a little bit about how
we work with the schools, the resource
officers and other groups of kids running around
because Halloween is coming.
So we're going to have a lot of activity.
It's going to be really dark and people
don't have money for chocolate.
So what are we doing with all of that.
So I'm going to go sit down and take that.
So I'll start and then I'll turn to you.
Community safety is a community issue
and requires a community solution.
So we do need to stand by and look out for one another.
We all need to be diligent.
And I don't mean that in a mean way.
I'm staff keep reminding me that I should
be locking my doors at night.
I often forget, I'm sorry.
Don't mind me.
So it's important that we are aware
and there are resources, say, on scamming and other things.
I know that does not get to some of the violence
that we've seen recently, and I'll
let the chief talk about that.
But this is of utmost importance to us.
And that's why I started with safety today.
Doctor noto and miss elmquist.
I have also been a part of this.
There's been a group that has been meeting to focus
on the underlying issues of youth violence,
and how do we promote safe, healthy behaviors
and how do we seek out and prevent some of these concerns.
And so that includes faith based communities,
civic organizations, County resources, and local resources.
The chief joined me today.
We did talk about some of the specific concerns you mentioned.
Kevin and chief.
If you get the microphone a little closer to you,
it's much easier to hear.
Understood how's that.
I can hear myself now, so it must be good.
So what we've been talking about in the last two weeks or so.
We're talking about a few different incidents.
The difficult part is one of them happened in Fairfax County
and is being investigated by the Fairfax
County Police department.
One of these incidents happened here
in the town of Herndon that is being
investigated by the Herndon police department.
There are some sensitivities when you're
dealing with both of these.
And I can talk as much as I can about the Herndon case,
but I would have you ask the Fairfax
County from their perspective.
But what I can tell you off the bat is the Herndon police
department and Fairfax County Police department
are working very well together as we speak,
investigating these cases.
That being said, we have to be very sensitive.
There's real victims in these cases,
and there's families suffering right now because of these acts.
And so we're very aware of that.
We're also very aware of this community
and keeping the community safe.
I have one of the best groups of officers
I've ever worked with in this town out there right now,
working.
They care about this town.
They care about the people in the town.
And, I have an officer that I have assigned
to the high school, and I know she splits
her time a little between the high school
and the middle schools.
I could use that officer on the street
because I'm short staffed most times,
but I know the value of having them in the schools
and supporting the schools.
I was privileged today to be able to attend.
The mayor invited me in.
The principals invited me today to that event,
and I was really moved to see all of the different engines
in the County that are working to work on these problems
and solve these problems and get to these kids.
And my mindset as a police chief in this town has been
and we talked about this today enforcement.
We have to be police officers sometimes.
Sometimes we just have to do that.
There has to be engagement.
And I know that word gets thrown around a lot,
but we believe that word, right.
We're going to be launching our bike team,
and that's all about engaging with the community.
It's all about when you see an officer sitting in a car
out there.
Yeah, they're out there working.
They're there to help you.
But how likely is it that a child might go up
to that officer in the car and knock on the door
and say, and tell them something.
I think there is value in having your officers out there
on bicycles and on foot.
And we're looking at the way this community is building up.
And just look at the 500 block of Herndon Parkway.
It's going to be a whole different way
of policing those areas too.
But to get back into that so the engagement part of that
is getting to the events and meeting these kids
when they're this big.
And they're going to remember those relationships
with the officers.
And that just builds over time.
And that's our goal.
And that's why I get my officers into his.
I wish I could send him to every single event
that I get invited to I just don't have enough people.
I wish I had more people just to do that stuff,
and I go to as many as I can.
So safety of this community is my number one priority.
Since making chief, I can't say that I've gotten
more sleep at night, but.
But from day one, from 1999, when I started here to today,
I still carry the same pride in working for this organization
and for supporting the citizens of this town.
So I kind of got off on a tangent,
but I hope that kind of answers your question.
Actually, can I have some.
I was just going to follow up and ask
if some of the issues around parcher, is it
a problem around that area.
Because there seems to be a lot of more
like violence sometimes around the fields
and around that street.
Is it because it's like right on the edge
and it just kind of gets lost in the policing.
I'll repeat that.
So that way it can be picked up.
So the question is around, is there more violence on parcher
Avenue and the area of Hutchinson.
I will say again, crime overall is down from where it was.
And youth violence has not increased from previous years.
But I'll let chief.
Sir, your question on when an event happens somewhere,
sometimes we then look back and we look at that area
and go, boy, we have a real crime problem here.
And it's more perception, I think, than reality.
There are it is a very busy there's a lot of homes there.
There's a lot of schools, there's a lot of businesses.
So there's just more foot traffic in those areas
and there's a lot of people out and about.
So sometimes in the more congested areas,
yeah, you might have some more problems.
I would say I couldn't even comment on it because it's
Fairfax County, right.
But I would say it's probably at this point more of a perception
issue in that area.
But if you feel that it is not.
I know Fairfax County Police department will
come out and respond to those, and I know
they're active in those areas.
But I would leave that to them to comment on.
Folks, probably him more.
So I should have asked this question at first
and I thought somebody else would,
and I didn't wait for that reason.
But anyway, I'm curious how active ice has been in Herndon.
And are they reaching out to the police.
And I'm in a group that's a national group
for grassroots sort of gathering,
and I have an opportunity to set up,
a Herndon based group that might just help in whatever
way might be possible.
But I'm really curious about how active ice has been.
So there's two different questions.
There is how active.
Are they.
I don't know I don't keep track of what ICE does.
They don't call me if they're working things in town.
I don't seek them out.
That's not our job.
I have enough to do with just policing the town.
It would be like sending my officers
over to 495 to write parking or to write speeding tickets.
It's not my jurisdiction.
It's not my job.
It's not what we do.
That's does that answer your question.
But that's fair.
But I mean, as a citizen of Herndon who is concerned
because it's already been mentioned,
we have a very large Hispanic community.
I have heard stories from other friends of mine who don't live
in Herndon about people in their towns being negatively
impacted or picked up or.
By ICE.
And I'm just wondering, resident of the town
who really has an interest in that particular thing.
And in trying to ensure that people's civil rights are.
Adhered to.
And I think there's power in people just being there.
So we appreciate that.
And I think that that's a general community thing that we
all want our rights protected, the rights of all of us
protected.
Sorry we thank you and we all care about that.
I will say, obviously, I've heard
of anecdotally some activity here or there.
I've not heard of a lot.
I've heard a lot of fear regardless.
So whether there is activity or is not activity,
there is still a significant impact.
So working with the schools, with communities that
have large populations of non-English speakers,
would be very helpful for any group to assist our community.
I spent a lot of time in places, some apartment complexes
and other communities that have large numbers
of Spanish speaking and non-English speaking residents.
It is a real fear.
I know that our principals join me a lot of times
in these communities as well.
We are protecting them in the schools.
They are more protected in our schools
than they are at home alone.
I get that question a lot.
We've also worked with HPD on how to identify
and for people to call the police station to confirm
that it's not someone, that it is
us, that it's not someone else.
So we have changed protocols.
We have policies around how we as a town behave,
and that we're not asking immigration status
unless there's a criminal effect,
which then goes to the County.
And so then just a quick follow up question.
And so would be, is there a place
that I could go as a citizen on the Facebook page
or on the web page where I can see how the town responds,
so that if I was to start forming a group like that, then
we have the information to look at.
I'll let him answer the question on the website.
I don't think there is.
I didn't see problems, but we can talk more privately.
Yeah, I can already see there could be problems.
Yes yeah.
So I can withdraw my question.
And I said, I'd be happy to discuss with you afterwards,
if you like.
I'll be around.
OK perfect.
Thank you.
Other questions.
Should chief keep the mic.
Mike no.
OK, well, we can adjourn.
I appreciate everyone coming.
Thank you so much.
If you do think of questions, please reach
out to me or to the clerk.
They'll get those questions to us.
We will take all the questions that came about.
We'll also make sure that the slides get published.
Whoever asked the question, did you also want all of my notes
or did you want.
That'd be awesome.
OK, so we'll get that as well.
All right thank you all so much.
And there's some water and please get it for me.
I'm fine.