[5:58] words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy

[6:02] sight, oh Lord, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.

[6:06] Let us pray. Pledge. Ready? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United

[6:11] States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under

[6:17] God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

[6:23] Okay, council, you have before you an agenda.

[6:28] The first thing I will do is ask, is there anyone present who would like to

[6:33] speak under unscheduled public comments? That's a 3minut time limit. Is anyone

[6:40] present in council chambers who would like to speak under unscheduled public

[6:45] comments?

[6:49] Hearing no one. Uh and I am looking here and I don't believe anybody was on the

[6:54] schedule public comment list. All right. Then I have uh at least one

[7:02] uh change or addition under Roman numeral

[7:06] 10. Uh we have a recommendation of the

[7:10] planning commission. Can we add under that as A1 the uh report from the IEDA

[7:17] that would be Joseph Vance and Lena Mitchell. If council would pencil that

[7:21] in please. Roman numeral 10 A1. Uh, there'll be the IEDA represented by

[7:28] Jo represented by Joseph Vance and Lena Mitchell. All right.

[7:35] And I think that's it. Are there any other changes

[7:40] to the agenda? Council >> Mayor.

[7:43] » Yes, sir. Can we add one item to executive uh close session subject to

[7:48] Mike's approval there um for a legal consultation uh regarding contracts

[7:57] the electrical contracts

[8:01] » for um exist are you talking about

[8:05] » the existing contracts >> existing so consultation with legal yes

[8:10] existing contract >> so you can update us and I think uh Don

[8:13] can update hit us on a couple of things.

[8:23] A7.

[8:29] » Yeah, let me just confirm on that. >> Okay.

[8:53] Is this regarding the probable litigation or before or just a blanket?

[8:58] » Just a blanket thing. It's discussed A8 >> A8. What is the number now please?

[9:04] » Virginia code se Virginia code section 2.2-3711. 2-3711

[9:12] A8 >> for legal consultation.

[9:16] » Yes. >> Regarding contracts, do we need that on

[9:20] there, Mike? >> Is that the the energy contracts?

[9:23] » Electrical energy contracts. >> Yep.

[9:29] » Thank you. >> What is it? Electrical. Yeah, electrical

[9:31] contracts. >> All right. Is that to get advice from

[9:36] Mike or just an update? >> Yes, to get advice and an uh an update

[9:40] of a couple meetings that they had this week.

[9:43] » We can't do the update, but we can go in to ask him for advice.

[9:48] » Well, >> if it's contract negotiation, there's a

[9:51] separate thing for that. But if it is legal consultation,

[9:56] it's to ask a legal question. >> Well, I'm asking a legal question.

[10:01] » Yeah. And I said that was fine. I we just can't do an update in there. If

[10:05] it's specific legal question, that's perfectly okay.

[10:09] » Yeah. >> Okay.

[10:11] » I have >> Okay. So, what I have here is Virginia

[10:13] Code section 2.2-3711A88,

[10:18] legal consultation regarding electrical contracts.

[10:22] Okay. Is are there any other additions or deletions to the agenda, members of

[10:27] council? >> Mr. Mayor.

[10:30] » Yes, sir. Um, can we add financial policies to the financial director

[10:34] report? >> Yes.

[10:36] » As item D. >> So that will be under Roman numeral 10

[10:40] 11. We'll put D, financial policies. >> Yes.

[10:44] » Okay. That's Ronnie's report. Roman numeral 11, financial policies.

[10:52] All right. Thank you. That's added. Council, do you have that on your

[10:56] agenda? Okay. Any other additions or deletions to the agenda changes?

[11:03] Okay, hearing none. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended?

[11:10] » Jan makes the motion. Is there a second? >> Rick has a second. Is there any

[11:15] discussion on this motion to approve the agenda as amended?

[11:20] Hearing no discussion, may we have a roll call vote, please?

[11:25] » Yes. Yes. >> Yes.

[11:27] Yes. >> Yes.

[11:29] » Motion carries. Thank you, council. We now have a working agenda. Now, Roman

[11:33] numeral 5 is appointment of the clerk. And so, if we will please look u I um I

[11:42] I think I'm glad to report that Amanda has agreed to continue being our clerk.

[11:47] Am I correct on that? Am I correct in saying that? Am I overstepping?

[11:52] » No, sir. >> Thank you. So, that's delightful. But

[11:55] since she resigned, we have to have a resolution to uh remploy her. She is an

[12:00] employee of the council. Um so we have resolution R 202260201.

[12:07] Has everyone had an opportunity to read this?

[12:09] » I'll make a motion that we approve resolution or adopt resolution R

[12:14] 202260201. >> Okay. There's a motion on the floor. Is

[12:17] there a second? >> I'll second.

[12:19] » Gary has a second. Is there any discussion on this motion to adopt the

[12:22] resolution hearing? No discussion. We may we have a

[12:27] roll call vote, please. >> Okay. Seth,

[12:30] » yes. >> Gary,

[12:31] » yes. >> Rick,

[12:32] » yes. >> Jan,

[12:33] » yes. >> And Laura,

[12:34] » yes. >> Motion carries. Thank you very much. And

[12:36] Amanda, it's a delight to have you return to this role. Thank you.

[12:44] Okay. Next, we have here um Okay. Authorization to pay the bills, Roman

[12:50] numeral six. Does anyone have any questions about the check register?

[12:57] » Um, I had a just one specific question and then one general question. Uh, check

[13:02] number 18427 to the Virginia Employment Commission.

[13:18] Those are generally for our withholdings.

[13:22] Okay. Um, and there were a couple things on

[13:27] here that were over like 10,000.

[13:34] Was the I guess like the procurement policies

[13:38] were those followed on those purchases.

[13:55] » Do you have a specific one, Laura? >> Um I didn't mark them, Ronnie. I'm

[13:59] sorry, but just glancing at it, one of them was um Outdoor Country18477

[14:07] $16,000. Um

[14:11] Schwarz and Associates 18482 for $19,000.

[14:19] » I know the Outdoor Country was pretty certain I mean that all of these

[14:24] have been through the process, but I can I can definitely follow up.

[14:28] » Okay. I I trust as long as you're aware of it, I'm good. Thanks, Ronnie.

[14:32] » Any further questions? Thank you. Any other questions?

[14:35] » Back to that first one that she asked a question about. That check specifically

[14:39] is labeled with an employee who's not been here for a long time. So,

[14:43] » that's what made me ask about it. >> That was 18427. Ronnie.

[15:01] All right, I'll I'll follow up on that one.

[15:03] » Thank you. >> Thank you. Any further questions,

[15:08] members of council, regarding the check register.

[15:12] Uh, if there are no further questions, is there a motion to authorize the

[15:16] manager to pay the bills? >> So move.

[15:18] » Oh, sorry. >> Rick has the motion or has a second. Any

[15:22] uh discussion on this motion hearing? No discussion. May we have a

[15:26] roll call vote, please? >> Okay. Seth,

[15:29] » yes. >> Gary,

[15:30] » yes. >> Rick,

[15:31] » yes. >> Jan,

[15:32] » yes. >> And Laura,

[15:33] » yes. >> Motion carries. Mr. Mar, you may pay the

[15:36] bills. Thank you. All right. Now, we have uh Roman numeral 7, the minutes of

[15:42] December the 9th. >> I'll make a motion that we approve the

[15:47] minutes as presented. >> I'm just a little second.

[15:52] » Okay, there's a motion and a second on the floor.

[16:01] I'm asking myself, is this is December 9th uh regular meeting minutes? Uh how

[16:07] about the January minutes? >> Um those are in progress.

[16:12] » We don't have the January minute. So we're approving the December minutes.

[16:15] Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much,

[16:17] Amanda. I just want to be clear on that. All right. So is Yes, sir. Just so

[16:21] you're during the u period between uh Amanda resigning before she returned

[16:29] is why do you have that delay for January?

[16:31] » Okay, I appreciate that. I was reading I missing something. Okay, we're good. All

[16:37] right. So, is there a motion to approve the minutes of December the 9th?

[16:41] » I made that motion. >> Laura had I'm sorry. Was there a second?

[16:45] » Rick Rick made the motion. I think Laura secondary.

[16:48] » Keep straight. Thank you very much. All right. There's a motion and a second on

[16:51] the floor. Is there any discussion on this motion?

[16:56] » Uh, hearing none. May we have a roll call vote, please?

[16:58] » Seth, >> yes.

[16:59] » Gary, >> yes.

[17:01] » Rick, >> yes.

[17:02] » Jan, >> yes.

[17:04] » Motion carries. Thank you, council. Okay, we're on Roman numeral 8. There is

[17:09] no scheduled public comment. Roman numeral 9 there. No one uh spoke up to

[17:16] be on unscheduled public comment. So we're going on to Roman numeral 9 agenda

[17:21] items. A recommendation of the planning commission regarding the proposed

[17:25] conditional use permit for 120 and that should be 1205.

[17:30] Uh Carly, thank you for seeing that. Let's correct. I should have said that

[17:33] on your u agenda. It's 1205 Front Street. Thank you.

[17:38] » Uh Gary. >> Yes, mayor. Uh, the planning commission

[17:42] met just while ago and are in agreement 5 to zero honoring the conditional use

[17:47] permit for Kevin Schwin Gerber. >> Okay.

[17:53] » And I'll just go ahead and make that motion that we approve that.

[17:56] » I'll second. >> All right. There's a motion uh on the

[18:00] floor to approve the conditional use permit uh for 1205. And um we're good.

[18:07] You want to see that? It's just the document they do. All right. So, there's

[18:12] a motion and a second on the floor. Any discussion on this motion to approve the

[18:16] conditional use permit? >> Hearing none, may we have a roll call

[18:21] vote, please? >> Okay, S.

[18:23] » I'm going to abstain as that property belongs to me.

[18:27] » Okay. Gary, >> yes.

[18:28] » Rick, >> yes.

[18:29] » Shan, >> yes.

[18:30] » And Laura, >> yes.

[18:31] » Motion carries. Uh, thank you. And so I would suggest that the owners

[18:38] contact the town manager for the conditional use permit. Thank you. All

[18:42] right. Next we have uh Thank you. I'll pass this back. Gary.

[18:48] All right. Uh I would like to Hold on. Okay. We're now on Roman numeral 10 A1.

[18:56] The uh IEDA uh represented by Joseph Vance and Lena Mitchell. Would you

[19:01] please come forth?

[19:05] and uh we know you, but would you tell us your roles on the IEDA, please?

[19:12] » Yes.

[19:15] » So, my name is Joseph Vance. I'm the uh chairman.

[19:19] » Thank you, L. >> for the IEDA.

[19:22] And Lyn's passing out some summaries for a little bit of what

[19:27] we're going to present tonight.

[19:32] been a lot of work uh put in over the past uh few months from the IEDA just

[19:38] working to bring more businesses into the town of Richlands uh to operate

[19:42] there. So, I'm going to give a little bit of an opening comment. I'll be brief

[19:46] and I appreciate you all appreciate your time and and looking into this. Uh but

[19:51] as we've continued to look for opportunities to develop business within

[19:55] the town of Ridgelands, um we we're we're wanting to expand and we're

[20:01] wanting to do it in alignment with what council has already done. Um

[20:06] particularly with the enterprise incentives that were discussed a few

[20:10] months ago. Um you know, even agreement of the council to even lower some of the

[20:14] FTEES. Um, so you have before you that's got uh some more of the details, but you

[20:19] know, other types of enterprise zone, you know, business license, lodging,

[20:24] meals, etc. Uh, we're in agreement uh the IEDA is in agreement with town

[20:29] council uh to propose those. So, what's being proposed is what we're referring

[20:34] to um as a small business expansion grant. Um, and Lena and Mike have done

[20:41] uh an incredible amount of work to just pull the the shell and the concept of

[20:45] this together. Um, and what we're really asking for is just continue down the

[20:50] same path that we already have uh with this grant. So, the focus of the grant

[20:55] is uh for capital investment, specifically for capital investment. Uh

[21:00] so a lot of times uh a business may start up and they may need help with you

[21:05] know operational expenses or rent or something to that effect. Um sometimes

[21:09] those are a little harder to defend. >> Uh but in this cases specifically for

[21:14] capital maybe it's a software purchase or hardware purchase or a piece of

[21:18] equipment or something like that. And then within that first year um they they

[21:23] would need to show an increase of at least one FTE uh to be subject to this

[21:28] grant. So, it kind of goes along with what we did uh with the enterprise zone

[21:33] uh incentives in the fact that um they they have to provide additional jobs for

[21:39] them to qualify for these. Um so, tonight we're not asking for approval

[21:44] for a a new program. We're really just asking to to consider as you all are

[21:49] developing your budget uh for fiscal year 2026 and 2027. If council is

[21:55] receptive to that, uh our next step will be to actually develop u just a good

[22:00] application um and bring that to council um obviously for feedback and for public

[22:05] comment. Um and I'll turn it over to Lena. She's going to share some details.

[22:08] » Thank you. >> Thank you, Alan. Hello everyone. Um

[22:13] Joseph did a really good job of an overview of the program. These would

[22:18] actually be micro grants and um we anticipate being able to serve

[22:24] approximately 10 to 11 businesses depending upon what their need would be

[22:30] and how much they would request. Um the grants would be up to $2,500

[22:36] and as Joseph mentioned um they would be required to um hire one new person as an

[22:44] FTE during a one-year period. Now there is no risk involved in this because it

[22:50] would be a reimbursement program. And so after that one year is over, they would

[22:55] show proof of the new FTE and also then they would receive their $2500 or

[23:04] whatever their um ask would be. Um as he did mention, it would be for

[23:10] capital purchases, no rent, no utilities or anything like that. Um, we did

[23:17] provide you with an overview that you can take and review at your leisure. And

[23:24] um, one of the other things I want to mention though is on the back page, this

[23:31] is not going to cost council any money because the money is already there. It's

[23:38] marked in pink on the last page of the financials that was in the council

[23:44] packet. And if you look at that, it's the exact amount, 27,42.04.

[23:52] So, um, what we would like is for you all to review this. Um, if you have any

[23:57] questions, I've also included all the members of the IEDA and their phone

[24:03] numbers. So as you do go on and have your budget work sessions, if you have

[24:09] any questions, if you would like us to come and speak in a little more detail,

[24:14] we'd be happy to do that. So um I would be happy to answer any questions right

[24:20] now. >> Any questions?

[24:24] » Yes. >> Yes.

[24:25] » Um your focus is on existing businesses rather than new startups.

[24:30] » Yes, it is Jan. um mostly the new incentives that you all did approve a

[24:35] couple of months ago for the enterprise zone. We're were more in line in tune

[24:41] for new businesses. So we don't want to forget about growing our existing

[24:46] businesses and so this is more tailored for for our existing business community.

[24:56] » Thank you. >> I just have a quick comment. Um I'm not

[25:00] saying I'm against it. I'm not saying no, but I just wanted to give you a

[25:03] heads up that the money that you highlighted on the back um we've already

[25:07] made a motion and approved to move that money back into our general fund.

[25:12] » Oh, you did approve that. >> Yeah. So, it's not setting. I think

[25:16] Ronnie was going to look into and Mike or whomever was going to look into um

[25:22] how much of it we could pull back over because there was a little bit whatever

[25:27] it was the town contributed 25,000 and then there was whatever.

[25:34] Yeah. Grant funding. So, they were going to look into how much we could put back

[25:39] from the town and how much if it had to be returned or reimbursed or used for

[25:44] that or >> Well, I remember the original intent of

[25:48] this these monies were to assist and support our local businesses. Um, at

[25:55] that time, I think it was new businesses, but um I have a soft spot

[26:00] for our existing businesses, too. sometimes they tend to get overlooked.

[26:05] So if you know if that's the case, I think this money's been sitting there I

[26:10] know for about 2 years, maybe a little longer. It hasn't earned any interest.

[26:16] It hasn't done anything. And so we have actually as the IDA had been working on

[26:22] a concept to present to you all for several months um unaware that a motion

[26:27] had been approved for this you know these funds.

[26:32] » I didn't mean to interrupt you. I had just u told Mr. Maher today that I felt

[26:36] like our committees were not we're not communicating with you enough. You guys

[26:40] aren't with us enough that it almost feels like and not just with the IEDA

[26:45] all of our committees. It kind of feels like we're all we're not not always on

[26:50] the same page because we don't communicate enough. So, I think this is

[26:54] a great idea. I don't know about the money. I think it's a great idea and you

[26:57] you're kind of always known as the grant queen. So,

[27:01] » I don't know if I would go that far, but thank you.

[27:04] » But I uh I do think that it's great you guys are here and that we should

[27:09] communicate with you guys as a council more and you guys with us as well. and

[27:13] not just with you guys, like I said, all of our committees so we can

[27:16] » well I will speak on behalf of the the other members of the IDA and I'm sure

[27:22] that they would appreciate that. I know I would and I know

[27:26] » you guys are working hard on it. But um again when you are doing your budget

[27:31] work sessions if you don't have another idea for these monies please just

[27:37] consider that or maybe there's another alternative that we could work together

[27:42] on. So that's all we we have tonight but question Rick has a question. Rick

[27:49] » I've got a question like on new businesses to help them start. This is

[27:53] not a lot of money and I know this, but it's like it's like more of an

[27:58] advertising deal for us. Why don't we eliminate the like the business license

[28:04] fee for the first year? >> That is part of the incentives if

[28:09] they're located in the enterprise zone and most of Richlands is located in the

[28:14] enterprise zone. >> Well, we're not talking what, $35 or

[28:18] something. >> Yeah,

[28:21] » it's not much. is that the what I understand is that the $30 is the

[28:26] initial payment for it. Uh Billy and I were discussing it the other day. So $30

[28:31] is the upfront if you file for the business license.

[28:34] » Then you settle. >> What's that?

[28:35] » You got to settle up with what you sold. Yeah.

[28:37] » Right. So you do that to start the year and then the enterprise zone incentives

[28:42] actually are the followup to that first year and they offer I think it's 80%

[28:46] reduction the first year. Um, and then it tears down

[28:50] » and then 40 >> and then 40 through the 30.

[28:52] » We kind of need to advertise that a little more. That will draw more

[28:56] business to our town >> because people all they want to, you

[29:00] know, all they're hearing is business license and all of these license you

[29:04] have to have to get in business, >> permit fees, zoning,

[29:07] » all of this stuff. So, if we could kind of advertise that, I think that would

[29:11] help us a whole lot in drawing newer business.

[29:14] » We agree. We agree. Totally. >> We do. We've actually talked about some

[29:18] ideas to market our existing businesses and and you know to attract new

[29:23] businesses using the town's website, the Facebook page and other ideas. So, thank

[29:30] you Rick for that suggestion. >> Well, like today I was in Lebanon and I

[29:33] seen a book, it was Jonesville, Tennessee, you know, and it was just all

[29:38] about that. It wasn't about this thick, but it had every bis business that they

[29:44] had in the whole town list it. I mean, if we're going to invest our town, that

[29:48] is something we need to invest in. >> Another idea that we have discussed in

[29:53] our meetings is having a resource guide uh sort of like a welcome packet for new

[29:59] businesses and some of the resources such as the small business assistance

[30:04] center at the college. you know, all of their services are free and they have a

[30:09] wealth of information and can be of of great assistance to new businesses

[30:14] starting out. >> And that may help us that may help us in

[30:17] advertising rich lands a little bit better than we've done cuz we've not

[30:21] done a good job at it and it's not working because we're not doing it.

[30:25] » So, yes, I'm I'll help you anyway I can. >> Thank you. We appreciate that so much.

[30:30] » I have a question. Rick, was that Jonesville or Jonesboro? I believe

[30:34] Jonesboro. >> Okay. I'll just add a couple things

[30:37] here. >> Say Jonesville. Sorry.

[30:39] » I I don't know. I really don't know. I just checked on it. U I am not sure of

[30:43] this. I may be way off. So, accept this as a possibility. I think that 25,000

[30:49] was given uh for the B. The intent was to help businesses from the Thompson

[30:55] Charitable Foundation. The next thing is on Johnsboro, it's not particularly

[31:00] about the business, but they have established themselves as the center of

[31:04] the international storytelling center of this country. And that is one of their

[31:10] biggest economic drivers and it all started with a teacher in a graveyard

[31:14] telling a story. If you've never been, it is fantastic.

[31:19] Just wanted to add that it adds to their economy, its culture. Thank you.

[31:24] » Any other questions? Linda, I was just going to say it. You know, I don't I was

[31:28] curious about the allocation. I don't know if we've I don't think we've

[31:31] allocated that money for anything. I know we did put it back into the general

[31:34] fund, but the other thing is um 2500's I know it's it's money, but it seems like

[31:40] a little amount, but I wonder if >> I know and we don't have a lot to work

[31:45] with. I get it. But I wonder if we could maybe go to Kland Plateau to see if

[31:48] there's a way for maybe them to match what we're putting in or something like

[31:51] that. I think that would make it because if you could even get to 5,000 to make

[31:56] an equipment purchase for a small business, you know, $5,000 could make a

[32:00] significant difference. >> And Seth, that's a great point that we

[32:03] have uh floated in our meeting. We just wanted to get this proposal to you all

[32:10] in advance of discussing and developing the budget. We didn't want want to wait

[32:15] on that. Evidently, you know, we are a little late as far as this particular um

[32:22] fund, but we did think about VCA and some other possibilities of funding. Um

[32:29] this would be a great start to get our feet under us to make, you know, sure

[32:35] this is going to work like we think it will. But um those are some excellent

[32:39] suggestions we've received >> cuz they have like um like C Plateau has

[32:43] revolving loan fund and you know they're doing like small business things.

[32:47] There's not a lot of money left in it cuz they've done some larger things here

[32:50] lately. But for you know that's not a lot of money and there's potential you

[32:55] might be able to go to them and say hey what if we put this money up could you

[32:59] help us and that way we're able to do more because that's their whole mission

[33:01] and goal anyway is to help people. And the better thing for that is they're

[33:04] just putting up the money. They don't have to monitor it. They don't manage at

[33:08] all. We would take care of that, right? >> Just just a thought.

[33:11] » I think we've got our direction. We'll get you an application. We're going to

[33:15] start working on drafting the application that that you can do for

[33:18] review. We'll we'll see what we can do the next time. This is great.

[33:21] » Thank you. >> Well, the good thing is there were

[33:23] questions. That means it's not dead in the water.

[33:26] » That's right. That's right. Well, thank you so much for your time and your

[33:29] consideration. We appreciate that. >> Thank you.

[33:31] » Thank you. >> Thank you, mayor. I just want to comment

[33:34] as your interim town council manager. I would strongly encourage you to look at

[33:38] these types of programs. You can't cut your way through a budget all the time.

[33:43] Sometimes you have to focus and invest in the top line, which is what they're

[33:47] focused on. And so I just I I think when we're having those discussions in the

[33:52] future that we keep in mind that when we're looking at a budget, there's two

[33:55] sides of it. And we need to be looking at revenue opportunities and growth as

[33:59] much as we're looking at expense management and cuts.

[34:03] » Thank you, Mr. Moore. >> Great point. Just for some context, Mr.

[34:06] Maher, the reason that we cut that initially was because and this IEDA is

[34:12] they're totally new. Has nothing to do with them, but we had a former IEDA who

[34:18] took that money and did not use it the way that it was supposed to be used. Um

[34:26] it lawfully but awfully got funneled back

[34:30] into IEDA members businesses. Um and then we had the business owners in here

[34:40] yelling at us. Weren't able to get the money. um nothing to do with anybody

[34:45] sitting in your seat, but a former former former town manager um was not

[34:53] thorough with the and fair and equal with the applications. So, some people

[34:58] were getting paid, others weren't. Um, so I really appreciate that you guys are

[35:03] starting off smaller >> to be able to master it and, you know,

[35:08] know what you're doing before jumping into another

[35:12] » situation like we had. Um, and that's why that program was paused. But

[35:16] » that's even more encouraging for us because I wasn't part of you

[35:21] any correlation. >> No one on your IEDA now.

[35:25] » No, it's a it's had a total total change. you know, we we are looking at

[35:29] sustainability for this if it's something that you all want to go

[35:33] forward with and um so that's important things like Seth said, Mr. Mars and

[35:40] » cuz because we can't just >> hand out checks and and then have

[35:44] nothing left, right? There's got to be some kind of building to it, some kind

[35:48] of regeneration to the process. So, we're definitely

[35:52] looking at >> I like how you're thinking.

[35:54] » Okay. >> Thanks again.

[35:56] Thank both of you and thank the members of the IEDA.

[36:00] Okay. Okay. Now, Roman numeral 10B, we are on

[36:06] um Quantum Power Project updates. Welcome,

[36:10] gentlemen. And uh come on up. I would like to uh share with you the purpose of

[36:16] there being here is excuse me, I'm about to sneeze.

[36:21] Sorry. We want a clear I'll wait till they're

[36:25] with me. >> Welcome. Did you have to travel far

[36:29] today? >> No, sir. Not too far.

[36:31] » Okay. Welcome. So, the purpose of the of having you guys here, we're very glad

[36:35] you're here. Is to have a clear understanding of the milestones uh for

[36:40] the project and what are the timelines for the project for these milestones and

[36:46] how is the progress going with the goals that we've set that you've set?

[36:51] Absolutely, Mayor. Thank you for having me. U council.

[36:58] » So, I want to address those as specifically as I can in a in a

[37:02] presentation. And I apologize. I believe we were on the minutes for the last

[37:05] meeting and I was unaware and so we just didn't make it the last time. But, uh, I

[37:10] hope to address most of the concerns with this with this presentation today.

[37:17] Wait on it to load here. asking something from me.

[37:35] » Is it asking something of me? >> No, it doesn't have a signal.

[37:45] » Oh, just me.

[37:53] should be.

[38:04] It should be up here.

[38:11] » I just need to choose the window that I'm

[38:47] Is this a Samsung? >> Yeah.

[38:53] » Okay, great.

[38:57] » Frank, is there any way you can flip this TV?

[39:00] » Sure, >> please.

[39:04] I'm just hooked into one, I guess. >> No, it should be.

[39:07] » Okay.

[39:12] » All right. Technical difficulties. I'm Zach Romano.

[39:16] This is Mark Romano. I'm the VP and he's the president of Quantum Power. Uh, it's

[39:21] first time our being here in front of the new interim town manager. First time

[39:24] I've seen you face to face. So, it's nice to meet you. Um, so I'll start out

[39:29] with the executive summary. Um, the Mercury 50 Genset has been purchased and

[39:34] manufactured and is awaiting transport. It's currently at the manufacturer in

[39:38] San Diego. Uh, waiting to be transported here because of the weather we've had.

[39:42] I've kept it at the manufacturer. Um, >> we went and looked

[39:45] » Yeah, we went and saw them start it up and run it in December. Um, and since

[39:50] then, we've been making preparations for long-term storage for that for that

[39:53] generator. Um, due to some of the other delays that I'll discuss a little bit

[39:57] later. Um the engineering and procurement are

[40:01] progressing uh but costs have increased due to inflation scope changes uh and

[40:08] Americanmade requirements from Amler uh for the money that they want to give.

[40:13] Um the permitting and the land mineral rights remain on the critical path for

[40:19] us including storm water permits and rightway negotiations that are still

[40:23] ongoing. Um the construction is contingent upon

[40:29] timely permit approval and land agreements uh with the best case in

[40:33] service of Q4 of 2027 and that and that is best case with with

[40:40] quite a few things that we'll discuss in here how that's going to be

[40:42] accomplished. Um we want to review the current and possible economic dispatch

[40:47] modeling and cost-saving projections that that's a little bit different from

[40:51] the original bid that we put in. We originally had planned on base loading

[40:54] this, but based on information that we received along the way with the power

[40:58] purchase contracts that it wasn't we weren't able to just base load that

[41:02] generator 100% of the time, it was it had to be on a dispatch schedule a

[41:07] schedule according to the power purchase agreements that you already had in

[41:10] place. So, uh, we've had to pivot on that and and we've we'll talk about that

[41:16] a little bit further in detail, but the economic dispatch is is what we are

[41:19] modeling later in this in the presentation and, uh, that is the most

[41:24] economical way for the town of Richlands to dispatch this asset that they've

[41:27] purchased. >> Mayor Curry, um, is there any way that

[41:31] you guys could email that to our clerk and let her print this out for us to see

[41:36] the presentation? >> I can. Uh, I'll have to make some

[41:39] changes to it because that's why I didn't email it earlier. Okay. Some of

[41:42] the documents are on my computer and so when I email them, they disappear. The

[41:45] slide becomes blank. So, I'll be glad to >> Okay. Print them up and send them. Yeah.

[41:49] Yeah. I'll be glad to do that. >> Um, and we're looking for council's

[41:55] cooperation um or assistance in finalizing the land and mineral rights

[41:59] agreements to avoid further delays in this project.

[42:05] the uh engineering and procurement progress embbridge the natural gas prov

[42:10] the pipeline for the natural gas uh that you all will

[42:14] be receiving is a 60% drawing package. We've been in constant discussions with

[42:18] them and and um been receiving engineering updates along the way on on

[42:24] the progress that they're making as far as the hot tap and the and the equipment

[42:27] that's needed to supply the Mercury 50 with the natural gas. Um, we're

[42:33] coordinating economic the equipment to handle the economic dispatch.

[42:38] Um, which which this one piece in particular is out of scope for what we

[42:41] originally intended to do for the town of Richland. We intended to put in this

[42:44] generator based on a 90% base load operation like I mentioned before. Um,

[42:49] but we have moved into an economic dispatch that we we've engaged with some

[42:54] consultants on our own dime to help understand the economic dispatch of this

[42:59] generator for the town of Richlands. That's a little bit out of scope from

[43:02] what we originally had planned. Um but we have done that at our cost. Um the

[43:08] civil pad including the soil replacement and the grading and the road

[43:11] construction and the storm water are underway. Um we have bids out for the

[43:16] line equipment and the poles. We're focusing on Americanmade equipment

[43:21] because that's the stipulation from Amler um in order for them to to

[43:25] guarantee those funds. So the the poles are being ordered and and we plan on a

[43:31] summer delivery on those and a lay down yard preparation before that

[43:36] and we are also coordinating with the vendors on the meter skid and EGM

[43:40] building that's needed for the natural gas supply and controlling the mercury

[43:43] 50

[43:47] back. >> Zach, are the are these supposed to be

[43:51] changing up here the uh slides? Yes, sir.

[43:53] » Yeah, we went back a little bit. >> They're not they're frozen. Oh, they're

[43:57] not they're not changing on there. Okay. I'm sorry.

[43:59] » I just wanted to share that with you. >> Okay.

[44:02] » Sorry about that. >> That's okay. I

[44:04] » Let's move it back so we can see. So, I want to be clear about why we are

[44:10] where we are. Right. So, we can sit here and go, oh, we're at a 60% drawing

[44:16] package. We're at poll quotes on the polls. We're at bids out on this other

[44:21] stuff. Let's let's be clear. we would already

[44:25] be under construction. We should be under construction, right? So, we got

[44:30] held up because of some type of scenario that's going on

[44:35] over there on site, right? So, that's why we are where we are. If we had been

[44:40] able to finish the engineering, the line route engineering has been done a long

[44:44] time ago. The pad engineering should have been done, but we couldn't because

[44:49] we weren't sure if the pad was going to be here or 30 ft down. Right. Inbridge

[44:54] would have been a lot further along with their interconnection on the gas if they

[44:59] could have said, "Well, we don't have to move our pipe." Right? So, there's been

[45:03] a whole lot of pressure from outside sources that delayed us. Right? So, it's

[45:10] one of those things where you can't just say, "Hey guys, go and finish up this

[45:12] engineering, get it wrapped up so that uh it can change, right? Because now

[45:17] we've burnt the town's money. We've wasted all the time. The paper isn't any

[45:21] good." Right? So, I'm just clarifying that this isn't like we're sort of

[45:25] dragging our feet over here and that's why we are where we are. You see what

[45:28] I'm saying? So, I just wanted to bring that into into

[45:33] view when it comes to the delays. >> Yeah. So, I I don't know why that's not

[45:38] changing. I wish it would. Um, >> why don't you try to do uh airplane?

[45:42] » I can try to air it if it's easier. I know they want to see the slides here.

[45:49] Just go. Let me see the remote, please. See,

[45:54] see if you got to be on the same internet. You're on the same internet.

[45:57] » Richland's guest. Is that the same network? There it is.

[46:12] » It ought to just pull. You ought to just see the TV.

[46:39] You don't see anything at all.

[46:54] Apple Airplane.

[47:19] Turn Bluetooth off and back on.

[47:30] It wouldn't be Bluetooth

[47:36] on the mirror. >> That's to my iPad.

[47:42] Do you have any way?

[48:07] » Is it up there again?

[48:27] Okay, >> he reset the network. It should be on

[48:32] Richland's guest though. >> I don't know.

[48:35] » I doubt it. I said they're not a guest. Well, I'm asking him. He's the IT guy.

[48:43] » Is it Richland's Wi-Fi? >> What is What is your Wi-Fi?

[48:52] » Oh, well then it's not going to do it. >> Oh, so it's not even connected to the

[48:55] » Y.

[49:02] You got a HDMI first. >> HDMI is what's plugged in.

[49:25] I saw something. >> Did y'all get that?

[49:30] » It was one slide that was trying to come up.

[49:34] » Yeah, I snapped it real fast. >> It's not a bad joke. It's fun.

[49:43] » You think your cable's bad?

[49:48] I tried to. It's not mine.

[50:02] » I know.

[50:05] » I can tell it's trying to do something cuz it keeps bumping it.

[50:15] Just going to switch it for a second.

[50:27] We could connect this to the top

[50:35] to the Richland's guest. >> Could we?

[50:39] » Can we do that? set it up for the wrist lands guest and air play that.

[50:42] » You want to do that? >> May, do you want to do a fivem minute

[50:45] recess now while you're doing that? >> Let's do a five minute recess. Make it

[50:49] 10 so you don't feel under pressure. >> Thank you.

[50:52] » I mean, thank you. >> Uh, Mr. Romano, who made the joke,

[50:56] » sir, with the remote. Would you look at me, please?

[50:58] » A day without a laugh is a wasted day. I got it. Thank you.

[1:00:35] resume. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. Um, so

[1:00:40] I'm going to get into some of what Mark was alluding to in just a minute a

[1:00:43] little bit in further detail. All right. as far as what it is. What so the the

[1:00:47] companies that are involved are Embridge Power Engineers, our engineering group,

[1:00:52] you know, and we have a group that's doing the consulting on the economic

[1:00:55] dispatch, but really we've kind of saddled oursel with the burden with

[1:00:58] handling the Embbridge pipeline, the hottap, right? That wasn't necessarily

[1:01:02] in our scope, but we took that on as well with the economic dispatch to try

[1:01:06] to ensure the successful operation of this generator. So conditions have

[1:01:10] constantly been changing since we originally bid this and and it was a

[1:01:14] straightforward put in a generator, have it run at 90% capacity and turn the

[1:01:18] asset over to the town of Richlands. So, you know, part of that was securing the

[1:01:23] land the the land rights for the generator site itself, which was a, you

[1:01:28] know, we were pointing in in a direction of

[1:01:32] where we would like to have it and the town of Richlands was supposed to take

[1:01:35] that over and was supposed to secure that those land rights so that we could

[1:01:38] start the engineering for the generator pad and for the line route itself. So

[1:01:44] those those uh negotiations early on kind of stalled and we had to take over

[1:01:47] and use our engineering group to to contact Pocahontas land and to deal with

[1:01:51] Ramaco um and and find out the the uh the

[1:01:58] mining permit that was in that area. So, we originally had a line route

[1:02:01] engineered when we when we put this together. And that came with a specific

[1:02:05] number of poles and conductors and um and all the equipment that goes on those

[1:02:09] poles. And the scope has dramatically changed since we originally bid that

[1:02:13] because we've re-engineered it twice. The first time we re-engineered it uh

[1:02:17] because the we crossed through mining permit. We already had that engineering

[1:02:21] in place. And when we went to Pocahontas land to finish that to help finish the

[1:02:25] land lease for the generator site itself, what we ran into was there was a

[1:02:30] mining permit that interfered with where we wanted to put our line. So we had to

[1:02:33] re-engineer the line route. All right. And we and we did that and we put that

[1:02:38] in to a contingency budget and that's what I'm going to show here on this

[1:02:42] slide. Can you guys see this slide that showed us the original?

[1:02:44] » Yeah, it's pretty small. Can you make it's okay, but can you make it bigger?

[1:02:49] » Hit control++. Thank you.

[1:02:51] » Got it. >> Okay. So,

[1:02:55] so you can see um the up we updated the the line route and did grid analysis

[1:03:02] back in September. All right. And then when once we did a a bat portal study,

[1:03:09] we had to have the line route re-engineered a second time because of

[1:03:12] the information that we got back from Pocahontas Land. You can see on on 53025

[1:03:18] uh the additional engineering that had been done to have the line route

[1:03:23] re-engineered a second time. Um we caused none of those issues or were the

[1:03:28] reasons for why we had to re-engineer them. But nonetheless, they had to be

[1:03:31] re-engineered because of the way the line route is set up. Every pole is GPS

[1:03:34] located. Every piece of equipment that's on that pole is specific to that pole.

[1:03:38] The conductor length is very specific for the overall line route from the

[1:03:42] substation to the generator site. And so all of those pieces had to get reeval

[1:03:48] evaluated every time we ran into an issue with the engineering. And and and

[1:03:53] most of it came from Pocahontas's lands reluctance to give us the information

[1:03:57] that we needed when we originally did the engineering. So, uh, you know, we we

[1:04:02] worked through those issues and we used the contingency money because that's

[1:04:05] what we were directed to do was to use the contingency money to pay for that.

[1:04:08] Um, uh, some of the NEPA coordination and

[1:04:12] the cultural study that you see that's on there. The NEPA coordination was a

[1:04:15] consultant that we had to bring in to do some of the work that's specific to the

[1:04:19] cultural study. Um and the cultural historical architectural study that you

[1:04:24] see on there was all NEPA specific which is a regulatory body that was guiding us

[1:04:32] on how we had to engineer this route. We came through the historical district in

[1:04:35] downtown Richlands and so certain criteria had to be met to be NEPA

[1:04:40] compliant to to qualify for the Amler funds.

[1:04:45] from 24 to 25 there was a change in the NEPA regulation and we were no longer

[1:04:50] required to do certain aspects of those studies

[1:04:54] that had already been done to qualify for the Amler grant. Uh and so we

[1:04:59] requested that you guys go back and reapply for the 2025 funds at the time

[1:05:07] because it no longer required it. Trump had uh President Trump had gotten rid of

[1:05:10] some of the regulations and uh we didn't have to follow some of the guidelines

[1:05:15] that we originally did. Now, the cultural study still had to be done and

[1:05:19] still had to be studied because we came through the downtown district, but we

[1:05:22] didn't have to proceed further with any NEPA regulations because he had dialed

[1:05:26] those back. Okay. So there could be additional costs that would have been

[1:05:30] associated with this project specific to the engineering and the environmental

[1:05:34] studies uh related to the Amler funds if if NEPA was still compliant. So that we

[1:05:40] have kind of stopped that and and where we are with the CNX purchase is there

[1:05:44] was I put on here 1025 102025 because that was when we had originally planned

[1:05:50] to pay for the permit on CNX. So the the generator site itself has

[1:05:58] » Yeah, I'm going to. So So the generator site itself

[1:06:01] um had other stakeholders. There's Pocahontas Land, which you guys secured

[1:06:06] a lease on the piece of property for X amount of dollars a year and and the

[1:06:11] rightway for the line route all the way back into town. Okay. Anything that

[1:06:15] Pocahontas land. So you had to secure that. But CNX was on the property. And

[1:06:21] there's also another entity that's that's come into play in the last 6 to 8

[1:06:25] months um that has a claim to some mineral rights that are on that property

[1:06:30] or or to to remove some coal and those are the main issues that are causing the

[1:06:34] delays at the moment and we have to work through some of those. But the CNX,

[1:06:39] there was discussions with CNX about their piece of the property that

[1:06:43] encompassed that was on part of the generator site. And so we helped

[1:06:48] negotiate some of the contract with CNX to purchase that permit so that we could

[1:06:53] have clear title to the land above it. But we have not seen those that purchase

[1:06:59] agreement from CNX yet. But this is when the money was earmarked out of the

[1:07:04] contingency fund to make that payment. It has not been made. But that is what

[1:07:08] the planned use for that money is. So that shows you see on this slide right

[1:07:13] there at the bottom for the contingency. We originally had a million dollars

[1:07:16] planned in the contingency and that was supposed to go towards the construction.

[1:07:20] But as you can see those monies were taken by each one of those studies

[1:07:24] re-engineering everything that had to be done plus the purchase from CNX.

[1:07:29] The purchase from CNX is minimal dollars that would have had to been spent rather

[1:07:34] than re-engineering the entire generator site had we been that far along in the

[1:07:39] project. However, there is still another entity

[1:07:43] that um that will that I'll that I'll get to in just a minute. But the

[1:07:48] contract was originally this 5.29 29 for for the construction and and that is

[1:07:56] um that number is no longer a viable number because we're two years later

[1:08:00] than what we had originally bid this. So, I'm going to get into some one of

[1:08:04] some of those additional costs are unless you guys have some questions

[1:08:07] about what I've gone through so far. >> I think we're okay right now. Okay.

[1:08:14] » Anyone questions at this point? Okay. So the main drivers in the budget and

[1:08:20] the cost differences from what we originally had planned and now uh were

[1:08:24] some of the things that Mark had mentioned the delays in the generator

[1:08:27] site acquisition and the rightway. So because we had engineering in place when

[1:08:32] we originally bid this in order to be able to put a bid in we had a line route

[1:08:35] engineered and when the delay happened with the

[1:08:39] site acquisition and Pocahontas Land came back and said no you can't go that

[1:08:43] way we had to go back and re-engineer it. And while we were doing that, we did

[1:08:47] the environmental study which found a bat habitat along that route. So, um

[1:08:53] that's that's on the second part of it. But so we re-engineered it a second time

[1:08:57] to avoid the mining permit and to avoid the bat habitat. Um but it was because

[1:09:02] of the delays in the agreement that got signed with Pocahontas Land was the

[1:09:05] reason why we got so far behind on that. Um

[1:09:10] um and so the but the right-of-way agreement for the line route from the

[1:09:15] substation to the generator site was a pretty agreeable number. I think it was

[1:09:21] does anybody remember 17 >> 17

[1:09:23] » $17,000 for the rightway from the generator site all the way to the

[1:09:27] substation. That would be a three or $400,000

[1:09:31] right away anywhere else, but they were agreeable uh to do that for that.

[1:09:36] So the re-engineering costs due to the the mining permit restrictions and the

[1:09:42] environmental findings are the two main drivers in the costs and the delays.

[1:09:49] Our current projection of of the in cost increases are between 35 and 40% for the

[1:09:55] construction and engineering. So the Mercury 50 has already been purchased.

[1:09:58] It's on the on site in in San Diego and will be transported um as soon as it's

[1:10:04] feasible to get it out here. whatever makes the most sense. We're making those

[1:10:06] arrangements, but we have had to um make arrangements for long-term preservation

[1:10:12] due to the nature of the delays because the Mercury 50 generator is ready to

[1:10:16] receive now and if we were ready with everything else, we could go ahead and

[1:10:19] install it, but the we have delays with the permitting

[1:10:24] um that were caused by all of the issues that I've mentioned previously. But the

[1:10:30] the 35 to 40% additional cost for construction and engineering is is

[1:10:36] mainly listed out here for the line route. On the additional poles after the

[1:10:40] re-engineering, we originally planned for 119 poles. Uh on the on the original

[1:10:44] line route, we're now looking at over 200 poles to make this work. Um the

[1:10:49] conductor length is roughly the same. Sorry.

[1:10:51] » How long is that route now from point A to B?

[1:10:55] » It's still four and a half miles. It's just it has to go through a different

[1:10:58] route and it requires different pole length and just it's more complicated.

[1:11:02] The spans are shorter on some of them so the poles are closer together. It just

[1:11:07] roughly 200 and some poles. >> What is your new number? I know you're

[1:11:12] saying 35 to 40% increase. What is your new number on that?

[1:11:15] » I don't have a specific number. What we've gone back to because we're waiting

[1:11:18] on the engineering to still come in, waiting for the site engineering itself

[1:11:22] to come back. I can't give you a new construction and road building and all

[1:11:25] those costs. I can't give you what those new numbers are until that is completely

[1:11:29] finalized and the permits actually come back um saying that we can do everything

[1:11:33] that we've planned on doing because we've lined out the construction route

[1:11:36] for the permit um but we can't submit the overall point per permit because

[1:11:41] it's a joint application in the state of Virginia and the storm water because we

[1:11:45] had such a delay with the with the mineral rights on the on the piece of

[1:11:49] property which still aren't resolved. um

[1:11:55] we we can't give you those new costs. So, what I do have is a new line route

[1:11:59] cost, which is roughly one and a half to $2 million more for the line route

[1:12:04] itself because of the additional cost in in the in the labor in the poles itself.

[1:12:10] » Um and it's and and it's listed here. >> It's almost double the polls, right?

[1:12:15] » So, so but but that's the only number that we really have that we can apply to

[1:12:22] The overall is really just the >> which is the majority of the project is

[1:12:26] the line route. But >> so we're looking at at least $1.5

[1:12:32] million additional >> probably.

[1:12:34] » And is that already built into this cost or are you going to come back to us and

[1:12:39] ask us to >> pay? There's no there's going to have

[1:12:43] because we part of it is going to come from contingency and part of it we're

[1:12:46] going to have to come up with or the town.

[1:12:50] » Yeah. So I'll back up just one slide here to take a look at that. So um if

[1:12:55] you just look at 35 to 40% and that's the initial estimate that I have based

[1:12:59] on the information that I have >> um that would be somewhere around 7

[1:13:03] million7 to $8 million for the construction and we already have 5.2 to

[1:13:08] in the budget um to do that and that includes $542,000

[1:13:14] of a contingency. But what we're trying to do to mitigate that is work with

[1:13:19] Amler to get the $2 million that they had allocated so that that monies can go

[1:13:23] towards the line route construction and stay in compliance. We have to be

[1:13:28] Americanmade equipment poles and labor and prevailing wage and all the things

[1:13:31] that they want. So, there's a lot of hoops that we have to jump through to

[1:13:34] qualify for that $2 million. And we're going to try to avoid

[1:13:38] everything we can to to um to keep additional costs from you guys having to

[1:13:43] go out and borrow anything else. But this $2 million is not guaranteed

[1:13:47] either. So, I can't I can't tell. There will be additional costs. Where the

[1:13:50] money's come from is what we're trying to work on on your behalf on a

[1:13:54] consistent basis. But >> and and to that premise, we never

[1:13:58] planned that Amler money because we didn't know for sure. It was never a

[1:14:02] guarantee. That was hope that we got that grant money. So that money was

[1:14:08] always and Ronnie can tell you that we never we never pinpointed that and said

[1:14:14] » correct. >> But on the good news front on that, they

[1:14:18] did revert back to where we could use the less strenuous guidelines for the

[1:14:24] Amler. They put it they put us to the new pro I'm sorry they went forward with

[1:14:27] that instead of backwards. They put us to the Trump guidelines on the Amler

[1:14:30] program which makes it much easier. And if if the only other good thing that

[1:14:34] comes from a delay and this is why initially we were hopeful to get the

[1:14:39] Amler money but we didn't think it was reality is because you have to have you

[1:14:43] can't start construction. >> That's that's the good point. Like if we

[1:14:47] had been on schedule, >> then we we wouldn't get the AML money.

[1:14:51] » All this stuff on the site, you wouldn't have been able to get the AMR money

[1:14:55] because we'd already be in construction already.

[1:14:58] » So hopefully >> jump through the hoop. So there's a

[1:15:00] delay. It brings in money. >> So hopefully, yeah, if we can if we can

[1:15:04] secure the Amler money hopefully, then that offsets, you know, the majority of

[1:15:09] this uh this overage. Their money has gotten easier to get when they rolled

[1:15:13] back the restrictions on on what we had to comply with NEPwise. But

[1:15:17] » but we did have it at one point. We had to forfeit that money because we weren't

[1:15:21] ready. >> No, no, no, no, no,

[1:15:23] » no. They would they had not allocated any money. You guys hadn't even been

[1:15:26] accepted into the program. I mean, I worked through the late the Department

[1:15:29] of Energy and talked to the Amler folks when we originally were involved and um

[1:15:36] there had been some due diligence done on the town of Richlands, but there was

[1:15:39] no formal acceptance letter and you guys had no money earmarked. I mean, they had

[1:15:42] planned on giving you guys some money, but there was no

[1:15:45] » they had approved our project in controving your project. It wasn't even

[1:15:49] officially approved or they would have issued guys a conditional letter of

[1:15:52] approval. >> I just I remember we were involved in

[1:15:55] one of their press releases about that we were basically going to get the

[1:15:59] money and a former town manager said we had to forego that money at that point

[1:16:05] and then reapply. >> Yeah. Well, we did because you guys we

[1:16:08] couldn't I mean >> Yeah. couldn't take it because we

[1:16:10] weren't Yeah. Um and since you had brought up the mineral rights,

[1:16:16] » what's going to happen if we they never agree if that's never resolved?

[1:16:22] Well, that is, you know, for you guys to decide how you have to move forward with

[1:16:26] that. Um, I can't tell you exactly how to move forward with that. I I know that

[1:16:31] that when the mining company came in and wanted to mine underneath the pad itself

[1:16:36] that Embbridge got got notification and it paused them for about five months on

[1:16:42] their engineering, would not do any more engineering on Eur's behalf. And that is

[1:16:46] a major major delay. Um, and getting those guys up and going again. They're

[1:16:51] about to finalize their agreement, but there is a piece of the agreement that

[1:16:54] you all you all will have to finalize for yourselves if that's how you choose

[1:16:59] to proceed. So that all of the engineering that we have done on the

[1:17:02] generator site itself is for is is not for not because if we engineer that then

[1:17:08] all those dollars when they take that coal out from underneath that, no matter

[1:17:11] what suitable fuel they put back in there, it'll all have to be restudied

[1:17:14] from a storm water perspective. It'll all have to get restudied from

[1:17:17] engineering so that we can actually put the generator at the correct elevation

[1:17:21] because like I previously mentioned there's everything is GPS located on

[1:17:25] site. You can't just >> and and it has a specific elevation that

[1:17:29] it goes in and everything is pinpointed to a specific location and the

[1:17:33] arrangement of the equipment is based on um everything being where it's supposed

[1:17:37] to and even the conductivity of the soil has to get studied for the grounding

[1:17:41] that has to be done for the generator itself. So if

[1:17:44] » to that specific point, I I think that we should direct um Mike and Mr. Maher

[1:17:51] to reach out to Blackstone. I think it's appropriate timing now because you're

[1:17:57] saying that you've gotten your knowledge is they're pretty close to an agreement.

[1:18:02] » Yes. >> And so I think we should direct them to

[1:18:05] reach out to them and see if we can get the agreement now that they won't mine

[1:18:10] under our site. And so the the the kind of the the delineation between the rich

[1:18:16] town of Richlands being protected and Embridge being protected is 65 ft

[1:18:20] outside of their rightway. So the agreement that Blackstone is getting in

[1:18:24] place or has almost completely gotten in place with IBridge

[1:18:28] protects pipeline and 65 ft outside of that

[1:18:32] pipeline. Anything that falls 65 feet outside greater than 65 feet is that's

[1:18:40] on the pad is something that Richlands will have to secure that for themselves.

[1:18:44] » So that agreement would cons would it would cover portion of our pad not the

[1:18:48] whole >> but not the whole pad. Right.

[1:18:50] » That's correct. >> How would we cover the whole pad?

[1:18:54] » We get separate the the lease with Pocahontas land. You just need to secure

[1:18:59] that one section so that it doesn't get mined. and they've I they've already

[1:19:04] told us that they won't mind that, but we just need to get that in writing.

[1:19:08] » Well, it's it's really a couple million dollar gamble on whether the engineering

[1:19:11] has to be redone again. If they do, >> I don't think that they have any desire

[1:19:16] to do that from the conversation that I've had. So, I think

[1:19:24] is going to do that, but but while you're at it, if they're already signing

[1:19:28] documents to say they're not going to do it, it if their word is true, then why

[1:19:33] would they not hold up and extend something to the town?

[1:19:35] » I've said the exact same thing. But >> but that's that's really what we're

[1:19:39] talking about here. If if that doesn't get secured, then it's just the risk

[1:19:42] that you take on putting all this infrastructure in there

[1:19:46] » and then having to redo something. >> You really have to have that.

[1:19:49] » Yeah, >> I believe so. I would also I don't mind

[1:19:53] to direct them to do that, but I would also like us to make a decision that if

[1:19:59] they don't sign that, we hold off on putting that in because like these

[1:20:06] gentlemen just told us, that's a couple million dollar gamble on putting a

[1:20:11] generator if we don't have that agreement.

[1:20:15] » What's that in the CNX, which I feel like is done. That's sort of the

[1:20:19] question I have is how close are we on that?

[1:20:23] » We have a number that they gave us. I did call

[1:20:26] » the funds to do it. >> I called Mike about that today

[1:20:30] » and Mike, I don't mean to speak for you, but he you said that basically you've

[1:20:34] you've sent several emails and I gave him a different contact number there

[1:20:38] today to reach out to. Yeah, I've I've had talks with CNX and they told me they

[1:20:42] had an attorney out of Pennsylvania that was going to draft up an agreement and I

[1:20:47] have not seen it and I've seen emails to follow up on that and haven't seen any

[1:20:52] » any document from them since I think it was right around Thanksgiving time when

[1:20:56] they >> told me they would have me something and

[1:20:58] I still haven't seen anything. >> Well, I'm just saying like to to me

[1:21:02] right just being completely and totally honest. This is the risk of this is the

[1:21:07] risk. >> I couldn't hear you. Sorry.

[1:21:09] » I said to me, this is this is the risk to the project. It's this it's delays.

[1:21:16] » Mhm. >> Uh because not finalizing the an

[1:21:20] agreement to where we can move forward to do what we need to do. It's as you

[1:21:24] can tell with that clearing window that's only November to March. Um, it

[1:21:31] there is on the long side a six-month time period from the time that we go

[1:21:36] ahead and say finish up the storm water permit, finish up the the engineering

[1:21:41] for the pad so that we can build it. It's a six-month window.

[1:21:47] » Mhm. >> On the long side, 3 months to six

[1:21:50] months. We're in February, right? So 6 months is

[1:21:54] » August. So, it's one of those things like there is no higher priority than

[1:22:01] driving these things home. You know what I'm saying? If you got to find the

[1:22:04] dude's address in Pennsylvania and go up there and sit in front of his office,

[1:22:07] like that's what has to happen because there isn't time to send emails and wait

[1:22:12] and then let's follow up with it in a few weeks. Like, this is like time is of

[1:22:17] the essence. And if we get this and there's nothing stopping us um from

[1:22:23] getting this right and knocking it out of the park for real like we what what

[1:22:28] what we've found out is that there is like we asked for the contracts from day

[1:22:34] one right Ronnie everybody knows guys can we see the contracts we want to see

[1:22:39] the power contracts we got to dig into these power contracts we didn't get them

[1:22:44] we never got them GDS got them about what 8 nine months ago.

[1:22:50] » It was around the same time >> GDS GDS got the contracts when they put

[1:22:54] together their pro-form about how to dispatch the unit. And in that we

[1:23:00] figured out that the town only has the availability to to buy or produce or

[1:23:06] whatever 37% of their power. Of all the power that the town needs, 63% of it is

[1:23:13] under contract. and it's under the contract to the tune of $150 a megawatt

[1:23:18] on average. That's 15 cents a kilowatt hour. That's not good.

[1:23:22] » So, what else we going to do with your project?

[1:23:25] » So, no. So, we're, you know, um, so I don't know if you want to go through any

[1:23:31] of this anymore. >> So, I mean, I've already kind of touched

[1:23:33] on each of these, but this is, you know, the storm water permit is planning on

[1:23:37] being submitted in March. They're they're doing field studies right now

[1:23:40] that should be submitted in March. Mhm. >> So that's a 3 to six month approval

[1:23:44] window. We've been talks with the tobacco commission. They act like they

[1:23:47] can put some pressure on politically on them to get some of these permits

[1:23:51] returned back in 3 months which helps us speed up our construction timeline. Uh

[1:23:55] if it doesn't then, you know, they won't do the hot tap after October 1st.

[1:23:59] There's a lot of other deadlines that we, you know, that we run into. If it

[1:24:02] takes the full six months between the back clearing window and when Embbridge

[1:24:06] can tap their pipeline, we won't even be able to start construction until

[1:24:11] uh well into 27. So that's why I mentioned that Q4 27 is a best case

[1:24:16] scenario with all of these >> Q4. I'm lost.

[1:24:19] » Q fourth quarter 2027. Q4. I'm sorry. Yes, I

[1:24:23] » I was thinking Q4. What is that? February 4th. Thank you. I got you. Q

[1:24:27] quarter 4. Got it. Thank you. I have to be explained to.

[1:24:32] » That's okay. I appreciate it. Maybe I needed to annunciate, Mayor.

[1:24:36] » No, no, you're fine. You're fine. >> So, these are kind of everything I've

[1:24:40] touched on. It's just all kind of in one place. We're we we're scheduling the

[1:24:44] Mercury 50 for delivery. This tells you the rightway clearing window for the bat

[1:24:48] habitat. That's where that comes into play. That's why we can only clear from

[1:24:51] November to March. Um tells you that that's pretty much everything we had

[1:24:55] discussed. But the but the f the risks are further delays with the land rights.

[1:24:59] If we don't get that locked up with the mineral rights, we don't get the CM CNX

[1:25:03] permit, then all the engineering can kind of go out the window if we don't

[1:25:06] secure those. Unless the town feels comfortable moving forward without

[1:25:10] those, but that's at your discretion. >> So the everything about this that's on

[1:25:15] here is really uh something that we're that that we can't do until these are

[1:25:22] secured. >> Mhm.

[1:25:24] » Okay. So, it's not at all like, well, we just want to start it, but we can't.

[1:25:29] That's why I'm saying that's why I'm trying to put a lot of emphasis on this.

[1:25:33] This is a huge deal that we drive this other stuff and finish it up. And I

[1:25:37] don't think it's going to take a tremendous amount of effort. I think the

[1:25:40] work on it is basically done. People have agreed. We've got prices. We've got

[1:25:44] the stuff that we need to do. We're ready to send them a check. But it's

[1:25:48] like until the paperwork is done, we don't want to do go any further on the

[1:25:55] town's behalf because the reality of it is we already are. Like Zach had

[1:26:00] mentioned before, we're operating extremely out of scope for what we are d

[1:26:06] for what we uh went under contract to do because we're acting as an agent for the

[1:26:12] you know for rich lands and these types of things are what we're losing sleep at

[1:26:18] night over >> because we don't have any control over

[1:26:21] » mayor >> and we are uh extremely personally

[1:26:25] invested in what's going on here. >> Yes. And um so this is critical. So uh

[1:26:31] you know there is plenty of actual good news though based off of where we

[1:26:36] actually are and the fact that we only have 37% of the power available to do

[1:26:41] something about unless we get him to modify some of these contracts. But what

[1:26:45] we did we hired a group because GDS was the group that came in and said okay

[1:26:50] well you got to do this dispatch in a different way based on these contracts

[1:26:54] and this and that. So we went out to a group PNCAT who runs economic dispatch

[1:27:00] models for these specific turbines in multiple locations and said hey how

[1:27:08] would you dispatch this unit >> for the town of Richlands based on

[1:27:13] historical data. So they went back a year, they took the same turbine, they

[1:27:17] plugged it into a year, another model, and they said, "Here is worst case

[1:27:23] scenario because based off of the uh the way that the contracts are written, so

[1:27:28] what we haven't seen, there's an appendix B that we need for all of these

[1:27:32] contracts that tells you when you're allowed to buy power, dispatch power,

[1:27:37] whatever else." So what we have done is assumed that you can't pick when you

[1:27:42] dispatch the unit or when you use the power that you have under contract.

[1:27:47] Okay. So they modeled everything um they modeled everything under a a worst case

[1:27:53] scenario. And um >> Mark, are you telling us that Blue Ridge

[1:27:58] still hasn't provided all of the addendums to the contract?

[1:28:01] » No. >> I have a question. What was the name of

[1:28:03] the company you said you sought out for another opinion? Pinat.

[1:28:07] » How do you spell that? >> Uh, P E N C A T.

[1:28:11] » Oh, thank you. >> And I don't know, is there another

[1:28:12] division of them that >> Time out. Time out.

[1:28:15] » Yeah. >> Mr. Moore, tomorrow, can you call Blige

[1:28:20] and demand that we get all the appendixes to the contract? We have

[1:28:25] literally asked them a hund,000 times for this. I didn't know that. I'm sorry.

[1:28:31] I didn't know that you guys didn't have that. But the fact that they're not

[1:28:35] providing all of the information to us is ridiculous. Please ask for all the

[1:28:40] appendix. If there's more, if there's appendix B and C, whatever, I don't

[1:28:43] care. But make sure we get all of it because that seems very suspicious that

[1:28:50] they provided us the contracts less one of the appendixes. You You got them,

[1:28:54] didn't you, Ronnie? They emailed them to you.

[1:28:57] » Yeah. >> And you forwarded everything we had to

[1:28:58] them. So they have the copy. They have the the same version that we have of the

[1:29:02] contract. Okay. Yes. >> But that appendix B tells you when you

[1:29:06] can buy when you you know that and so we're have with this we're saying we

[1:29:11] can't buy at the right time. Right. So u so

[1:29:17] » can you make that bigger please? >> Which which way?

[1:29:20] » If I'm wrong. >> That's crazy.

[1:29:26] » Why would you not give us >> I'm sorry. I think

[1:29:32] I'm sorry, just so you know, I I mean it happens because I asked for the quantum

[1:29:37] contract and ironically it was missing um exhibit B and it was it was not

[1:29:45] intentional. It wasn't suspicious or anything. It just it happened.

[1:29:49] » I understand. But the difference with this is is that multiple people

[1:29:53] requested this from Blue Ridge on multiple occasions and they never

[1:29:57] provided anything. And then when they do provide it conveniently, the exact piece

[1:30:03] of information that we need is left out. >> I for me I like I want you guys in the

[1:30:10] same room as GDS. I've there's no

[1:30:13] » but they've been in the same room as GDS. They

[1:30:16] » spent time not with us. >> Um so I'm pretty lost on where we are

[1:30:23] with um the generator where we are right now. So, I've got a little bit of

[1:30:30] frustration stemming from that and more questions

[1:30:34] than other people because I've not been kept up to date or informed or whatever.

[1:30:41] So, for me, I want to have a conversation with you guys and GDS and

[1:30:46] Blue Ridge. Um, but we can't arrange that. Uh,

[1:30:52] » I'm sorry. >> You can't? Why?

[1:30:54] Um, it's only myself and Gary Jackson who would like to see that happen. The

[1:30:59] we I don't have a majority vote on the council to

[1:31:02] » it cost us like six grand every time that they come.

[1:31:06] » It's up to $1,800. And I feel like we could take that out of the the

[1:31:11] contingency money even, but just to have a conversation. So, if we're all in the

[1:31:15] same room, right, we could look at them and say, "Hey, have you not given them

[1:31:19] this cuz this is what they're waiting on." and they you guys could look at

[1:31:23] them and say we need this and we could say give it to them. You know what I'm

[1:31:27] saying? Um because like and you're really emphasizing

[1:31:30] time is of the essence here. Um we have missed the clearing window last year,

[1:31:36] right? Um and I'm not pointing fingers or blaming anybody. A lot of that lays

[1:31:42] on us because again we're just not in the same room talking about it at the

[1:31:46] same >> but none of that none of us missing that

[1:31:48] clearing window lays on anybody. Doesn't lay on us. So it doesn't lay on them.

[1:31:52] » Was crazy out there. I mean, we thought, oh, look, here's a great spot.

[1:31:56] » Yeah, it's the middle of nowhere. >> The gas line is coming through here.

[1:32:00] There's some electrical infrastructure, some roads to tap off of. And then next

[1:32:05] thing you know, it's like, oh, there's five different interests on this tiny

[1:32:08] little piece of >> I'm sorry that happened. I would say

[1:32:12] research would help that. Let's go on. If you don't mind, gentlemen, I

[1:32:16] appreciate what you're doing. We can say all day who didn't send this and that

[1:32:20] and that. That doesn't solve anything right now. So, can we move forward with

[1:32:23] what we're doing? Thank you. >> Sure. Um,

[1:32:26] » thank you very much. >> So, um,

[1:32:29] so I know Pinat has talked with GDS. They've gotten some information from

[1:32:34] them, but PINCAT is, just so you know, these aren't some consultants that we

[1:32:38] hired that kind of fluffed up some stuff. They're the ones who are actually

[1:32:43] helping set the controls. They're working with power engineers and working

[1:32:47] with solar to set up the controls for the unit for the dispatch. So they're an

[1:32:52] integral part of what we're doing here. >> Okay.

[1:32:54] » And the dispatch model, not the came from GDS. So the economic dispatch of

[1:32:59] the generator was the idea that got thrown out by GDS and what changed

[1:33:02] everything for us from the base load operation that we originally had planned

[1:33:06] to this economic dispatch. >> But now we have the numbers to back up

[1:33:10] what the economic dispatch would look like. And the reason for the shift from

[1:33:14] a base load run, you know what I mean by a base load run? It's just running and

[1:33:19] we're not up and down and on and off to uh to a dispatch model. Is this 63% of

[1:33:27] the power is already under contract? >> Now, were you aware of this when you

[1:33:30] started the project? >> No, sir.

[1:33:32] » I just was curious. There were some blocks of power

[1:33:35] » that were that was you know 2 megawatt were coming offline and then later on

[1:33:40] there was more that was coming offline but we had no idea I don't know if

[1:33:43] anybody did >> of the the level of these long-term

[1:33:47] contracts that weren't going anywhere you know

[1:33:51] » I mean I don't mean to interrupt but mayor we we all sat in the room you were

[1:33:54] there Allen's Allen was here everybody but no one no one said 63% of our power

[1:34:01] not in one meeting. Not one time ever did someone say, "Well, we're already

[1:34:05] obligated on 63% of our power." That includes Blue Ridge, GDS, no one.

[1:34:11] » Yeah. I mean, I would have been turned completely away from it, honestly. If it

[1:34:15] was like if if we had looked into it and said, "Hey, there's only 37% of the

[1:34:20] power that's even available at offset." I' been like, "Well, that's

[1:34:23] » and I understand your frustration, right?" But anyway, we we are okay.

[1:34:28] That's the beautiful thing. So this is set to only dispatch when the p when the

[1:34:33] when you could is this to make is that what is this the the dispatch margin is

[1:34:38] that when it's over seven cents. >> So when the the dispatch margin is when

[1:34:41] it's seven cents profitable for you all to run over what you would pay on on

[1:34:46] market for that power and two hours back to back where you where the generator

[1:34:51] would would run because this isn't just a motor that you just turn the key and

[1:34:55] it starts up. It takes a little while to start up.

[1:34:57] » And so what's been modeled in here is that it it went back and looked at your

[1:35:01] data at your pricing from the last year and when it was seven cents more

[1:35:06] profitable to run this than it was to buy it on the open market and for two

[1:35:10] consecutive hours. That's what's being hardcoded in here. Then the generator

[1:35:14] will run. That's the only time it's running. So I mean it was, you know, the

[1:35:18] hours of operation. So it's a very

[1:35:22] » 2400 hours as opposed to >> all all year, right?

[1:35:26] » Cost to make the power all in. What's the all in number? So 4.46.

[1:35:32] When we came in here the very first time, we said that we can make power for

[1:35:36] about 5 cents all in. >> It's actually 4.5 cents.

[1:35:40] » Okay. So the bottom line is is that running it this way when you have that

[1:35:45] type of a margin and for two hours minimum, you know, the 10ear savings is

[1:35:50] right at about 10 million. I mean, right at about $20 million.

[1:35:55] » Is that including our debt service? >> That's not including any debt service.

[1:35:59] And so here's where it gets a little bit better, right? We've already engineered

[1:36:05] everything for the site. We've already engineered everything at the at the

[1:36:09] substation, the line, the conductor, the generator site, everything is sized for

[1:36:14] a second generator. Okay. So, >> the the the thing to understand here is

[1:36:19] that you only have a maximum of about I think it's 8.8 somewhere around 9

[1:36:25] megawatt load that you can service. Okay. So, the most that you can really

[1:36:29] install right now, >> the most that you can install without

[1:36:35] uh you know, going over that would really be a second generator. You know,

[1:36:39] it works out to where it's like almost perfect for another one. So,

[1:36:43] uh I'm not going to pretend to know exactly right now what the cost of that

[1:36:47] would be. I'm going to project that. But I know that the the 10-year savings on

[1:36:51] that is 35 million. And that would allow you to completely offset your mortgage

[1:36:59] purchases because you would use your taker

[1:37:03] contracts for even if it wasn't the best time to use it, you could use those and

[1:37:09] you could offset the rest. You know, you're peak shaving a good amount of the

[1:37:13] time, which is where you're saving this. You know, this right here is $ three and

[1:37:17] a half million dollars because that almost doubled, right? What is the cap

[1:37:21] and trans savings from the previous? What is it? You go back.

[1:37:24] » I'm zoomed in. >> Okay. So, it's like $2 million. Do you

[1:37:28] know what this cap and trans is? >> No.

[1:37:30] » It's not it's not energy related. It's literally your cap your uh your capacity

[1:37:36] charge and your transmission charge to get the power. So, it's literally a fee

[1:37:41] you're paying to not even use any electricity.

[1:37:46] » Can we stop right there? And Ronnie, there's Ronnie in here. So, if we're

[1:37:50] offsetting $2 million a year, that would completely offset our debt service.

[1:37:57] Correct. if we're saving $2 million a year, which is the initial proposal of

[1:38:02] this whole thing was that we could completely offset the debt service on

[1:38:06] the project by the savings from the project, which is exactly with one

[1:38:12] generator. What that does, it more than offsets the total annual debt payment

[1:38:16] with $2 million in savings. >> All right, so go to the next slide

[1:38:21] again. Okay, so that's your that's your tenure, right? And then u you know

[1:38:26] that's completely offsetting this. And here's the other thing that kind of goes

[1:38:31] along with the people who economic development or whatever. There's

[1:38:34] absolutely nothing stopping you from coming in and bringing in somebody that

[1:38:38] uses a megawatt or 2 megawws and saying hey we're going to lock you in at this

[1:38:43] you can come in and use this space. We're going to sell you power at 8 cents

[1:38:47] or 8 1/2 cents or whatever you want to sell power for in a locked in contract.

[1:38:52] There's still available power to use here because you're not using it all up.

[1:38:57] You're still the generator. There's still what what is the usage? Any idea

[1:39:01] what the percentage usage is on this? >> No, but I feel like it still has hours

[1:39:05] or anyway. So, go to the next slide.

[1:39:12] » Go to the next slide though. So, here's where it gets super

[1:39:17] interesting, right? With two generators. This is calculations used by the people

[1:39:22] who were setting up the >> setting up the all the parameters on the

[1:39:27] generator. >> Almost 120 million.

[1:39:31] » One second. We'll get this fixed.

[1:39:36] » We apologize for that technical problem. >> Go ahead, Mr. Romano.

[1:39:40] » No, I was just saying here's your 10ear number. Same thing. 34.

[1:39:46] As the cap and trans goes up, like it's scheduled to keep going up,

[1:39:52] it's exponential. 20 years from now, a 4x on your on your on your capex.

[1:40:00] » Mhm. >> Huge win.

[1:40:02] » That's with >> that's with two

[1:40:04] » two general. Okay. Well, we working on the first one.

[1:40:07] » Yes, sir. >> Just to be clear.

[1:40:09] » Yes, sir. >> We asked them to do this when in two two

[1:40:13] or three meetings ago. We asked them what does the number we asked what does

[1:40:16] it look like >> with two we had asked Mark to do this

[1:40:19] that's >> half it's roughly half on

[1:40:23] » on on on the one >> okay

[1:40:25] » but you can see that this is the the same information that we got from GDS

[1:40:28] and the cap and trans is really where you're saving the most money. you see on

[1:40:31] the generation itself, you're saving about threequarters of a million dollars

[1:40:34] a year, but the cap the capacity avoided and the transmission costs that are

[1:40:38] avoided are where you're saving the most money. And that was what was on that

[1:40:42] upward trend that we originally talked about in one of the very first meetings.

[1:40:46] » Do do you all understand that? And I'm I'm not trying to to dumb this down, but

[1:40:50] what what he's talking about is the reason that this project is so

[1:40:53] beneficial is we own this line route that we're engineering. We own 4 and a

[1:40:58] half miles of line route. So when we generate for 4.5 cents, we generate it

[1:41:02] at the site and we deliver it here. It doesn't cost us a penny. If we were to

[1:41:07] if if somebody stepped up today and said, "We'll sell you power at 4.5

[1:41:11] cents." That'd be awesome, but it don't cost us 4.5 cents because then we got to

[1:41:16] pay 10 cents >> to get it here.

[1:41:20] » So then you're at 14 to 16 cents. That's why this is such an exponential win

[1:41:25] because we own the lines. We generate the power for four and a half cents and

[1:41:28] it delivers to our our transfer station or our substation rather for the same

[1:41:34] amount. That's what he that's the difference.

[1:41:36] » I get that. Thanks. The real issue is we don't own the land.

[1:41:40] » And what else? Keep going. I'm listening intently.

[1:41:44] » I don't think that there's I I think that we're right there. We just can't

[1:41:49] » I'm just asking, >> you know, I just The only thing holding

[1:41:52] us back right now is finalizing the agreements. That's it.

[1:41:55] » Yeah. finalizing the agreement. The guys from Blackstone seemed very agreeable.

[1:42:00] I'm just being honest >> from the very beginning. They didn't

[1:42:03] they didn't seem like there was any intent in holding anything up with the

[1:42:07] town causing any issues. Definitely weren't going to do it. They had an

[1:42:11] economic situation played that they're, you know, working with Embridge and that

[1:42:16] seems to be done. I think that's the perfect time to get something papered up

[1:42:19] and done with them. >> Yes, sir. You know, I mean, there's

[1:42:22] nothing stopping us from just saying, "Go ahead and finish all the

[1:42:25] engineering, finish all the other stuff, get ready to turn in the permits, but

[1:42:29] it's that's at a risk to you, you guys." >> You see what I'm saying?

[1:42:33] » And and it's not a necessary it's not a negative thing to not own the land. If

[1:42:38] you draw a circle to determine where we need to be, the problem with that is is

[1:42:42] that Pocahontas land owns 99% of all the land. Mhm.

[1:42:47] » Because we have to have access to the gas,

[1:42:50] » access to the to the line route. But a long-term lease, there's people who you

[1:42:55] go to exit 7 or you can go to the pinnacle. There's people who build

[1:42:58] buildings, mil multi-million dollar buildings on land that they don't own.

[1:43:01] That's that's a common occurrence in business. It's this whole thought that

[1:43:05] we have to own the land. We don't have >> it that way. S I want to clarify that

[1:43:09] point because I've heard that over and over

[1:43:12] from that pipeline was going to be super expensive. Exactly. This puts us in the

[1:43:17] closest proximity and as long as we're in a long-term lease, which we exactly

[1:43:21] what we what we have with Pocahontas Land, we have a long-term lease. The key

[1:43:25] being if we have this agreement laid out with Blackstone, then we have an

[1:43:29] agreement with Pocahontas, we have an agreement with Blackstone that no one's

[1:43:32] going to mine under our site, then we are secure and it's no different than us

[1:43:36] owning land other than we're paying a lease fee which is built into all of

[1:43:39] these numbers. >> Is are they going to sign the agreement

[1:43:42] that they won't mine them? I mean, that's been their expression to

[1:43:45] everybody from day one. I don't know why they wouldn't. I mean, I think Mike and

[1:43:50] and Don reach out to him. And I feel like we all feel a lot more comfortable

[1:43:53] if they did. And I feel like now's the time for that

[1:43:56] » because if they don't, and I think I don't want to speak for Mayor Curry, but

[1:43:59] I think when he says we don't own the land, I've expressed that if we don't

[1:44:04] have that agreement, they could come back in a year, 5 years, 10 years, 20

[1:44:09] years and say, "Hey, we're going to mine that land unless you give us

[1:44:13] » You heard Mark say he's been in conversations with them on phone calls

[1:44:17] and their whole expression the whole time has been, "We're not trying to

[1:44:20] interfere with what you're doing." >> Yeah. And I I remember you saying that

[1:44:24] that they told you the same thing, but I it's still

[1:44:27] » you want to have something on paper. >> I I totally agree and that's why that's

[1:44:31] why I want to direct these guys and I'll do it by motion if we need to. But and

[1:44:34] that's why I wanted to to recap and mayor if it's appropriate. I I can put

[1:44:38] this some form of motion whatever you want. But

[1:44:40] » I don't think we need a motion. They've got the

[1:44:42] » but they you know they need to number one and I've given him some other

[1:44:46] additional numbers. She's having a hard time reaching Chuck, but they need to

[1:44:49] get that deal completed with with uh with CX. The second thing, they need to

[1:44:56] go ahead and reach out to um Blackstone and see if they're at a place where they

[1:45:00] can do an agreement with us, which I think they're they will do. And then was

[1:45:05] there one other another permit or something to get the appendixes on the

[1:45:09] current contract >> on the current contract so we know the

[1:45:11] district. >> So you can do

[1:45:12] » so you guys know what you need to do. Those are the three action items I have

[1:45:16] from this discussion so far. >> But if we get to April, if we get to

[1:45:20] April or May and we don't have these things put to bed, then then we have to

[1:45:25] come back and say, uh, okay guys, are y'all going to not hold

[1:45:31] us liable >> by going ahead and permitting this,

[1:45:35] doing all these things, or it's with that clearing window being as absurd as

[1:45:39] it is, it kicks it out a whole another year.

[1:45:43] So, it's just I think it's 100% doable. I think we got the runway that we need,

[1:45:48] but it's going to take some, you know, perseverance. We're going to have to get

[1:45:52] real serious about this. Push it. >> Are you guys going to come back to us

[1:45:57] for approval for the additional million and a half, whatever

[1:46:02] the cost, the additional cost? >> Yeah. Once we understand those, we

[1:46:06] absolutely will have to. Yeah. I mean it but it's we have to work through you

[1:46:10] know I have to we have to lock up the land rights before we know before we

[1:46:13] feel comfortable giving you the numbers for a new engineered you know

[1:46:16] construction pad and everything else. The hot tap location means we had to

[1:46:19] move a road. I mean I could go on and on but there were there are quite a few

[1:46:23] things about the scope of the entire project from the line route to the

[1:46:27] generator site to all of it that has dramatically changed since we originally

[1:46:30] bid this and as you remember it's been some time.

[1:46:33] » Yeah. And will you be able when will you be able to give us like an updated date

[1:46:38] list like the milestone list? >> As soon as we have that construction

[1:46:41] together as soon as the engineering is finished then we'll be able to provide a

[1:46:44] much more reasonable estimate of when we plan to complete.

[1:46:47] » And have this might be a question for Ronnie but have we we were supposed to

[1:46:51] make the final payment December of last year. Have we made all of those payments

[1:46:56] to you guys? >> We still owe them two payments.

[1:46:58] » Two payments. So we we're just two payments

[1:47:01] » about 900,000. >> And we've paid How much have we paid

[1:47:05] thus far? Do you know? >> Oh, thus far?

[1:47:09] » Yeah. Yeah. >> 15.5 million.

[1:47:13] » But part of that is money that went to Enbridge

[1:47:16] » directly for the hot tap. We were under contract for 14.

[1:47:19] » Yeah. 2.2 went to Inbridge. >> 2.2 to Enbridge. And

[1:47:24] » And those are not all in calls for for Inbridge either. Those were prepaid

[1:47:29] expenses, but the engineering delays and everything else could end up costing the

[1:47:32] town. We don't know. We don't know what those numbers are until they get done

[1:47:36] with their engineering either. We have no control.

[1:47:38] » Cost more money, too. >> It could once they settle up at the very

[1:47:41] end of the project once they're completed. There could be additional

[1:47:44] costs that come in from Embridge. I have no idea or insight into what those would

[1:47:47] be. So, I I just have to ask, what happens if you guys come back to us and

[1:47:54] say, "Okay, this is going to cost another $3 million."

[1:47:59] And a majority of this council says, "We're going to have to pull out. We we

[1:48:03] cannot keep spending money." Um, I know at one point you guys kind of gave us an

[1:48:09] idea of what it would look like to do that. Um, has that changed at all that

[1:48:15] cost? I don't know that I've got that call to

[1:48:20] my mind. Do you did you have something specific that you gave me?

[1:48:24] » I don't remember a number. >> I don't know. I mean, to me, um, if I

[1:48:29] was sitting in y'all's shoes, I would get very serious about

[1:48:34] figuring out what that extra generation looks like. because I think when it

[1:48:38] comes to more grants, when it comes to um

[1:48:45] uh financability, long-term finance ability, the extra generation is it

[1:48:52] breaks the model. That's that's what I would

[1:48:56] » It's hard just from my perspective, and I'm only speaking for myself. I'm not

[1:48:59] speaking for anyone else. It's hard to consider a second generator when we

[1:49:06] can't get through the first. You know what I mean? Like once we

[1:49:10] » doing most of the work for a second. Do you see what I mean?

[1:49:13] » Like when you realize it's like everything except for setting it and

[1:49:17] connecting it, you are do you are doing for both right now. You see, you know,

[1:49:23] so it's a matter like like you like you said in the beginning, you're frustrated

[1:49:27] because you hadn't really felt updated and then you'd like to talk to GDS and

[1:49:31] you haven't and so like you're just now having a conversation with us when most

[1:49:35] likely you had a conversation with us. I think that if you guys took the time or

[1:49:40] were able to coordinate the time >> to to really wrap your head around it, I

[1:49:46] think you would. I mean, if it's just to walk in and decide yes or no on

[1:49:51] something, that's not a comfortable place to be. But I think you could get

[1:49:54] comfortable with it. >> Uh, if you if we take the time to like

[1:49:58] get the right information across, >> I completely saying, "Hey, I'm making an

[1:50:02] educated decision here based on all of these professionals, you know, but I'm

[1:50:07] but I'm just telling you I do understand it from this side intimately." And

[1:50:12] that's the opportunity >> is to um offset more than 19% of the

[1:50:19] available power to offset. >> Yeah.

[1:50:22] » And to not and to double like the cap and trans number the the you know the

[1:50:27] capacity number and the transmission number that goes up to a $4 million

[1:50:31] savings every year. That happens basically by just putting the available

[1:50:37] generation right there. >> It doesn't even really have to turn on.

[1:50:41] That's what's so weird to to offset that cap in transit.

[1:50:47] » I think you're right about like helping with more updates

[1:50:53] » and and it's not your fault. I mean, we've it's we've got a responsibility as

[1:50:57] well. Um, but I would also ask that when you do update, and I would say the same

[1:51:02] about me, not to just talk to me or any one member of council, but to update

[1:51:08] through the town manager so he can make sure that that information has been

[1:51:14] » I have a I have a I have a bi-weekly meeting now. Is it It's every two weeks

[1:51:17] now, Ronnie. But I I had been in direct com, you know, I had been in direct

[1:51:21] communication with the town with the town. If not weekly, it was a bi-weekly

[1:51:25] update meeting. >> Question. I appreciate you coming

[1:51:28] tonight because we all stand to be um better informed and it's been very

[1:51:32] helpful for me and I speaking for me uh and I guess for the council um we were

[1:51:38] talking about April I forget we hoped to get something by April. Is it possible

[1:51:43] that you could give us monthly updates? Uh I mean either on Zoom or whatever.

[1:51:48] Can you help us so we're uh feelformed? I mean what is the best approach? Well,

[1:51:55] uh, mayor, I I I'll be glad to do it any way you would like for me to do it. I

[1:51:59] had been updating according to the the way that the town manager wanted me to

[1:52:03] update and I'll be glad to send, you know, a couple slides on the progress.

[1:52:06] Right now, we have these these issues that have to get worked through before I

[1:52:10] can provide anything else and it's kind of been in that situation for quite some

[1:52:13] time. >> I mean, I'm What council, would you like

[1:52:16] like a monthly update from these people? I think it'd be really helpful.

[1:52:20] » Council members, >> I would.

[1:52:23] I can tell. >> Anybody else want to speak up?

[1:52:25] » Being completely honest with you, like it goes back to until we put these

[1:52:30] couple things to bed. Not going to be an update.

[1:52:33] » There's going to be us sitting here like waiting

[1:52:36] » for that to be done so that we can move. >> I feel confident Mr. Mar is going to be

[1:52:41] all over this this week. >> Not putting no pressure, D.

[1:52:45] » Like the call that we have, the bi-weekly call, is that not something

[1:52:49] that you guys can participate in? >> I didn't know you were doing that. We

[1:52:53] didn't I didn't know you were there. >> That's been going on since the

[1:52:55] beginning. >> I'm sorry. I just didn't realize it.

[1:52:57] » Uh yeah. And so that's you know it's a >> it's incremental updates rather than

[1:53:02] drinking from a fire hose. >> Majority of the time it's staff and and

[1:53:05] then meeting every time. So >> if I can just I think part of what

[1:53:09] you've got is you've had nine town managers in three years. You don't have

[1:53:13] continuity on the project because of that which would normally be the point

[1:53:17] that this information would come to. Right. Yes. And so you're trying to

[1:53:22] piece together information just like I'm trying to learn it on the third week of

[1:53:27] being here. >> Um the other item is these updates that

[1:53:30] are there. I certainly think that we can as staff either recap what's happening

[1:53:35] every two weeks and provide some type of update to you because I I think I'm

[1:53:40] hopefully demonstrating my ability to communicate and keep you updated.

[1:53:43] » Absolutely. Um the other thing is is what the takeaway from tonight is

[1:53:49] we have time delays which have huge cost risk around

[1:53:55] really two things. The CNX contract uh resolution to get that uh weld cap

[1:54:03] contract finished and paid for. So, we know that's done and we have to get a

[1:54:08] written agreement with Blackstone that they won't mine under the pad because

[1:54:13] any further engineering and investments made on the

[1:54:18] project are too risky without that in place.

[1:54:21] » Yes. >> And so that is a priority. There's

[1:54:24] nothing else that's a greater priority right now than that. And then the third

[1:54:28] item is which I think is a good piece of news in tonight's presentation that I've

[1:54:32] seen anyway is that the dispatching model still makes this a viable option

[1:54:40] and even has greater upside once all this infrastructure is in place and you

[1:54:44] can just continue to add to it which is what what the second generation model

[1:54:50] talks about. But it still comes down to really knowing what our current contract

[1:54:55] um usage requirements are in these other appendances. So that's the third thing

[1:55:00] that needs to be there. And then um you know personally I just think that you

[1:55:06] know until number one of what I said and

[1:55:11] number two of what I've said are done you can't really count on a date to see

[1:55:17] return for the citizens which is ultimately our goal right

[1:55:21] » so um there is no there is no greater priority that I've heard tonight than

[1:55:27] that yes >> I want to point out one more thing about

[1:55:30] this model All of that money that we're that we're

[1:55:33] showing is the savings from what the town is paying on their electricity. So

[1:55:40] that savings can either be passed on to the customer. That savings can be

[1:55:46] amplified a little bit because you can say, you know what, we're going to

[1:55:49] charge one penny more than what this generation is costing us, which makes

[1:55:55] the numbers even better. Right? So that that model that's that's showing there

[1:56:00] is just a savings from what you currently what you what you would be

[1:56:05] going into. Does that make sense? >> So I didn't I don't want we don't want

[1:56:09] to complicate it with this other stuff but that's that's the reality.

[1:56:12] » Yeah. Reality is that these numbers will constantly change until that is locked

[1:56:17] down and you can proceed. >> That's correct.

[1:56:19] » Bottom line. >> Yes. Y so

[1:56:21] » but we understand this is the biggest thing that the town has done. We don't

[1:56:25] take it lightly. We have no problem coming like last like Seth you messaged

[1:56:30] me like the day that day and you hey man did you uh did you not

[1:56:34] » we were in the meeting and I was like we never got told about a meeting and you

[1:56:38] were like oh my bad somebody was supposed to tell you like you would have

[1:56:41] been here >> no and I I want I was going to ask you

[1:56:43] that very question because that was asserted by some people that you were

[1:56:47] told and I knew you were I text you right here I text you both in a group

[1:56:51] chat and I said did you know about the meeting tonight and both of you both of

[1:56:55] you answered and said No, we had no clue. And it's not my job or any other

[1:56:59] council person on here to tell you about a meeting. It's staff's job to make sure

[1:57:02] that you're invited to a meeting. And and that didn't happen. And

[1:57:06] » we would never just >> And you've not one time have we invited

[1:57:09] you guys that you didn't show up or intentionally not come.

[1:57:12] » Yeah. So, however it is we need to get the information across is fine. We can

[1:57:17] cancel that by meeting and we can do it at a bi-weekly meeting. We do it later

[1:57:22] in the day when you guys are off from work. one. Um, you know, but like I

[1:57:27] said, might have approached this differently

[1:57:31] had we known the available power. It's incredible that we still got a really

[1:57:35] solid viable project and as long as we don't everybody doesn't get all freaked

[1:57:40] out and the wheels come off this thing. Still going to be it's going to be an

[1:57:44] awesome project for the town. There's no doubt about it.

[1:57:47] » Thank you. >> We look forward to continue to work with

[1:57:50] you. Thank you. >> Any further questions for council?

[1:57:53] I have one. Mary >> Gary,

[1:57:56] » if you could start tomorrow, what date how long would it be before it be in

[1:58:00] production?

[1:58:04] » Start tomorrow. >> If we could start tomorrow,

[1:58:07] » I think he's asking a spitball number. I mean,

[1:58:11] » it's fourth quarter 27, right? >> That would be best case scenario. So,

[1:58:14] fourth quarter 27. >> How much delay is that to get us?

[1:58:17] Because we're delayed by what? Just for the clearing window. Well, so the

[1:58:20] construction can start as soon as the permits come back and then we can start

[1:58:23] the clearing on the areas that we have to clear and we can throw,

[1:58:27] » you know, everybody if we could do it as in an abbreviated timeline, but it'll

[1:58:31] cost more with the with the line work that has to be done. So it's 12 to 15

[1:58:35] months >> if if if we

[1:58:37] » So he's saying they can throw the switch on it fourth quarter of 27.

[1:58:41] » Yeah. >> Right.

[1:58:42] » Yeah. And and but we are absolutely delayed.

[1:58:45] » I got >> until we get the permits back either

[1:58:48] way. Right. Here's the thing. We miss We don't get our contract. We don't button

[1:58:52] this other stuff up. And guys, we're kicking it out another 12, 14 months,

[1:58:57] » you know? I mean, >> we understand.

[1:59:00] » Yeah. >> I think I think we feel it on both

[1:59:04] sides. We feel it and you feel it. I think we're all in the same boat.

[1:59:07] » Yeah, 100%. >> Trust me.

[1:59:09] » Yeah. >> Thank you very much. Any further

[1:59:11] questions? >> I do just have one final question. Um,

[1:59:14] could you give us an updated like if we were to stop this project today,

[1:59:21] » could you give us an updated cost estimate? I know ballpark. Um, like

[1:59:26] email us and I don't expect you to do it right now, but what

[1:59:30] » But I mean, wouldn't any number be catastrophic? Would terrible.

[1:59:34] » No, sir. I mean, what? Like if you spent 9 or10 million that you can't get back

[1:59:39] though, because then you have a payment on something, you might be able to sell

[1:59:43] the generator. You probably could sell the generator.

[1:59:46] » So, I think and I've got it in my email. I could pull it up. I think before

[1:59:52] » when we asked and it's been a few months. I I don't remember. Um

[2:00:00] you guys said we would probably be able to sell the generator. That wouldn't be

[2:00:03] an issue. and we would be out I don't remember. I want to say just a couple

[2:00:09] million. So if I I just want to know, you know, because I I want to look at

[2:00:15] it's kind of like you're sitting at a slot machine or a blackjack table and

[2:00:18] you're like, "Okay, I'm down $2 million. Do I want to spend $14 million more to

[2:00:24] try to get my 2 million back or do I want to I I just want to know from my

[2:00:28] information of we we might be it that number might be catastrophic. You might

[2:00:34] give me a number that is 9 million and it's catastrophic and you say you got to

[2:00:38] go forward. You might come back with a number that's a million and we we just

[2:00:43] have that conversation. >> I mean selling the generator obviously

[2:00:46] would be a big a big factor in it, right? So

[2:00:51] » um >> yeah, but I mean without selling the

[2:00:54] generator I know it's going to be a you know 910 million number right is what

[2:01:00] can you get from the generator to offset some? I don't know. But I think that any

[2:01:04] way you look at it, I think that that's a catastrophic loss

[2:01:11] from where you from what you guys set out to do.

[2:01:14] » And if you could get these agreements in place and we can and we can construct

[2:01:18] this even with the additional costs that are in there, you can see what the

[2:01:21] return would be. We've shown you what those returns can look like on a

[2:01:24] generation on a cap and trans basis on the savings that you originally set out

[2:01:28] to do originally. That's the only way to recoup the investment at this point. I

[2:01:32] mean, even if you just cut your losses and you paid these debts.

[2:01:35] » And at the end of the day, I can guarantee you that if we don't do any

[2:01:40] type of generation that our power rates are going to continue to increase

[2:01:44] dramatically. But with us investing in generation now and hopefully investing

[2:01:50] in more in the future, we put ourselves in a position where we can stop our

[2:01:54] power rates from increasing. Unlike right now we're at the mercy of

[2:01:59] transmission which has went up every year for the past decade and is going to

[2:02:04] continue to go up exponentially. Power companies are no longer in the power

[2:02:08] generation business. Not building power plants. You guys know this. They're not

[2:02:12] building power plants. They're investing in uh these contracts and and

[2:02:16] transmission. They they realize we can spend less money and make more money

[2:02:20] just by increasing transmission rates. We don't it doesn't cost them anything.

[2:02:24] So, I can guarantee you our rates are going to go up if we do nothing. This

[2:02:28] this sets us up in a place that we can stem that tide and begin to put our

[2:02:33] citizens in a place where we can reduce. Is it an investment? Is it is it an a

[2:02:39] daunting project? Are we doing something no one else has ever done before? Yeah,

[2:02:43] that's exactly what we're doing. And that comes with challenges. But we're

[2:02:47] also putting ourselves in a position to make this viable to live in rich lands,

[2:02:52] you know, for the foreseeing future. That's why

[2:02:55] » over 20 years, not having the generator cost you $65 million more. You're going

[2:03:03] to pay you're either going to pay it on this infrastructure and finish it and

[2:03:08] pay a whole lot less or you're going to pay that $65 million over a 20-year

[2:03:13] period. That's cost savings that we projected with the generator avoiding.

[2:03:16] » I would still like to see the number just for my

[2:03:19] » I'll be glad I can I'll be glad to put the number

[2:03:21] » 100%. >> I appreciate it.

[2:03:22] » But I'm just saying the uh um you're financing it one way or another.

[2:03:27] » But you know something nobody's looked at. What have we got? 100 million power

[2:03:32] company here and we had this generator. It's worth 200 million. I mean I don't

[2:03:37] know the number. I'm just using the number as an example. But the value of

[2:03:44] this whole thing when you add it into the power company

[2:03:48] » really is a asset that's really priceless.

[2:03:52] » So you think the generator is going to add $100 million to the value?

[2:03:55] » Well, you got picking numbers. >> You got $65 million. You're going to

[2:03:59] spend one way or another. If we don't do the generator, we spend $65 million. If

[2:04:04] you do do the generator, you're going to save 35 million.

[2:04:08] I I I mean I can tell you if we have no generation 10 years from now, you will

[2:04:12] not be able to afford to live in this town. You will not be able to afford the

[2:04:16] power. >> I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt

[2:04:17] you. See, I totally get what you're saying and that's why we're doing this

[2:04:20] project. That's the whole point of it and we we're sold on it.

[2:04:24] » It's just how we're getting there. >> Agree.

[2:04:27] » Any further questions, council? >> No.

[2:04:30] » Gentlemen, thank you. Now, where are you driving back to tonight? Blueville or

[2:04:34] where? >> Princeton.

[2:04:35] » Princeton. I'm going back to Charlotte. >> Okay. Thank you. I knew I can't remember

[2:04:39] if you're Bluefield, West Virginia, >> Lake Norman. I don't know where you are,

[2:04:42] but I know you're somewhere in the world. Thank you. Drive safely.

[2:04:46] » Thank you. >> Thank you.

[2:04:47] » If you could just make sure copy that presentation.

[2:04:50] » Sure. I I'll print it out and I'll forward you this the PDFs or whatever so

[2:04:54] that I don't lose any of the slides. Thank you for your time.

[2:04:56] » Thank you so much. We appreciate it. >> Be safe, gentlemen.

[2:05:03] Mayor, can I have about a 10-minute break? Sure. Set this up for

[2:05:08] » uh 10 minute recess. Thank you. Because next we have McGill. Thank you.

[2:05:43] session. We are on Roman numeral 10, uh item C, McGill task order number four,

[2:05:50] wastewater treatment plant. And if you look here, uh we have this in our uh

[2:05:56] packet right here, wa task order number four. So I will defer to Mr. Mar and

[2:06:01] then to uh the gentleman from McGill, please.

[2:06:05] » Thank you, mayor. Um, so in prior council discussions, you all

[2:06:10] had talked about having uh McGill do the project management functions

[2:06:17] um for the wastewater treatment plant um upcoming construction contract. We went

[2:06:25] to bid. I'm going to let Wes talk a little bit about that because we

[2:06:28] actually got some good news uh on that. But I think I shared this with you all

[2:06:33] uh each previously and that is councils have two different views of

[2:06:40] contingencies, right? Some people look at contingencies and say, "Oh, that

[2:06:45] money is going to be spent and we just don't know what it is because we can't

[2:06:49] detail every single thing and we don't want to make some really high number in

[2:06:53] this project that we may or may not use." And so you do you take some

[2:06:57] percentage of your overall project, put it in contingency for those unknown

[2:07:01] items. Other council members sometimes will say

[2:07:06] contingency is my savings account that I'll use if I need it, but I'm not

[2:07:11] planning to spend it. Right? So, there's two viewpoints at how people look at

[2:07:15] that. >> Thank you.

[2:07:16] » Um, and the reason that I wanted to talk about it is because this uh task order 4

[2:07:25] is planning to be used in the contingency funds. And a change you'll

[2:07:29] see in my role as a town manager is I like to have items not sitting in the

[2:07:35] contingency when they are known items that we need to have done. So we need

[2:07:40] the professional expertise to do the tasks that are outlined in task order 4.

[2:07:45] And so I wanted you know Wes to be able to speak to what that entails, why it's

[2:07:50] important, what we don't have on staff to be able to do those type of items and

[2:07:55] why you would pay for this. And while we're using contingency to do this, in

[2:07:59] the future, I've asked them to put these kind of expenses in the detailed

[2:08:04] overall project plan and to truly use the contingency for the unknown. So, if

[2:08:10] we know we're going to have project management, then we'll have project

[2:08:13] management in our cost estimates as an itemized item. Okay? So, that's just why

[2:08:18] we're having this discussion. I also even though you kind of have an overall

[2:08:24] project associated to this I also committed to you in session that I would

[2:08:28] bring any large expenditures to you and I wouldn't be signing something as your

[2:08:32] interim without you all going it's okay to sign it. So it's time to sign this

[2:08:36] task order 4 as we move forward uh with this project. Um and so in order for me

[2:08:42] to sign it I want your authorization to proceed. So, uh, Wes is going to talk a

[2:08:47] little bit about kind of what this task order is, and then at the end of it, I'd

[2:08:51] like, um, I've asked him to please give you an update. We had our bid opening on

[2:08:55] Monday, uh, at 2:00. And just to tell you kind of where we are with that, um,

[2:09:02] we will have at the next council meeting, uh, bring you the actual, uh,

[2:09:08] next steps for that project. But I think it's some good news. So, Wes, I'll turn

[2:09:12] it over to you. Thank you, Miss Mark. Also, I'm just go

[2:09:17] ahead and take this moment to mention that the next council meeting I plan to

[2:09:21] be with you in person and u that'll that may uh helps to avoid some technical

[2:09:27] difficulties as well. Let me also make a comment about the contingency. uh we we

[2:09:33] understood uh at the beginning of the different ways that people look at

[2:09:39] contingency and one of one thing that you might have noticed you probably

[2:09:43] don't have the detailed itemized cost estimate in front of you that was

[2:09:49] included in the in the PE that we sent to DEQ but that uh cost estimate the

[2:09:55] contingency was 15% that that number is well above the IND

[2:10:01] industry standard for contingency amounts for projects like this which is

[2:10:05] typically between 5 and 10%. So what we did was we boosted that contingency

[2:10:11] number to 15% to cover the cost of construction administration. One of the

[2:10:16] reasons we did it that way was because at the time we had not gotten the

[2:10:20] information back yet from the manufacturers as far as lead times for

[2:10:23] equipment and different things that were going to affect the project schedule.

[2:10:28] And of course the project schedule affects the cost of construction

[2:10:32] administration. So that's one of the reasons we did it that way. But I did

[2:10:37] agree with Mr. Maher after our discussion that uh going forward we

[2:10:41] would make sure uh that that we would find we would figure out how to put that

[2:10:46] as a line item and not as a contingency just to avoid confusion going forward in

[2:10:50] the future. Um, speaking of task order 4, this this project is going to be it's

[2:10:57] going to be a a big project. It's not uh the largest that it could be, but it

[2:11:03] certainly qualifies as a large project. Um this there is going to be quite a bit

[2:11:12] of technical review of shop drawings that

[2:11:17] those are the um cut sheets and the drawings that are sent in to the

[2:11:22] engineer for approval for equipment that's going to be used in this project.

[2:11:27] I have received shop drawings before on previous projects that were uh between

[2:11:32] 600 and a,000 pages and that's that's not an exaggeration. Those have to be

[2:11:37] reviewed in detail. And usually when you get a SH drawing of that size, it gets

[2:11:42] returned back to the contractor for some errors of some kind that have to be

[2:11:47] corrected. Um, a SH drawing of that size almost always has something that needs

[2:11:51] to be corrected in it. Um, there are there are requests for information that

[2:11:56] will take place during the project that contractors will ask and and they will

[2:11:59] be seeking official answers. There are there's all kinds of

[2:12:04] coordination with the uh general contractors, change orders typically

[2:12:09] take place. There will be inspection reports and system testing,

[2:12:14] pre-construction meetings, and ongoing uh monthly construction progress

[2:12:19] meetings, warranty inspections. All kinds of things are going to be taking

[2:12:23] place in this project that you will need professional um guidance on during

[2:12:29] construction phase. And that also includes all the paperwork like pay

[2:12:33] applications and so on. you might if you if you've not dealt with applications

[2:12:37] and it's possible that all of you have but if you haven't they're they can get

[2:12:42] pretty complicated not on the end piece you know once they go through the

[2:12:46] process that I put them through at that point they're pretty simple for you I I

[2:12:50] typically will review them uh scrutinize them sign and date them and send them to

[2:12:55] you once that happens really all you have to do is just you know make send

[2:13:00] you write a check to the general contractor but before that piece

[2:13:05] the scrutiny that the payout has to go through uh is is quite extensive and and

[2:13:10] it involves making sure that that what the contractor is asking to be paid for

[2:13:14] has actually been completed. Sometimes it's not easy to tell that if you're not

[2:13:18] used to knowing what to look for. Um there's there's just a lot in the

[2:13:22] construction administration that goes wrong. So you definitely want to have

[2:13:27] for a for a project this size, you definitely want to have good

[2:13:30] construction administration. Now, this task order covers everything that you're

[2:13:34] going to need. There's you're not going to get a separate bill for expenses or

[2:13:38] anything like that, like driving or gas or miles or anything. There's all the

[2:13:45] expenses and everything is included in the task order. And the task order

[2:13:49] includes all of the paperwork, all of the administrative duties, all of the

[2:13:54] site visits, all of the uh the progress reports, the pre-construction meetings,

[2:14:00] all the coordination with the with the contractors. It it really just covers

[2:14:04] everything that you're going to need from a construction administration point

[2:14:09] of view. All you'll need to do is and your your team is welcome to participate

[2:14:15] in anything going on. We you'll be copied on Uh well, what I'll probably do

[2:14:20] is coordinate with Mr. Mark who should get copies. I don't want you all to be

[2:14:24] getting emails that you don't want to get, but anyone on the Richland team

[2:14:27] that wants to participate in progress meetings that we'll be holding every

[2:14:30] month is welcome to do so. Um so we want to keep that transparent, but you don't

[2:14:35] actually have to do anything. M will handle all the construction

[2:14:39] administration. We've identified five members of our team. I'm one of those

[2:14:43] members and we've got four other members of team that will be handling various

[2:14:47] aspects of construction administration. So really everything from beginning to

[2:14:52] end will be handled in this task order.

[2:14:58] » Thank you. Uh thank you. And you're coming here

[2:15:02] next for our March meeting, Wes? >> I will be there in person for your

[2:15:06] March. Oh, >> where do you live?

[2:15:10] » Do you live in Rowan Oak? I'm in Roman. Yes. But I'll be in person

[2:15:15] with you in Richmond. Okay. Thank you very much. Uh any questions uh for Wes

[2:15:21] or Mr. Maher? If not, is there a motion? >> I got two questions.

[2:15:26] » Go ahead. >> Now, does this cover is this just

[2:15:30] management of the project or is this testing and the normal stuff that goes

[2:15:36] with the engineering part?

[2:15:41] Your first part question was serious management and repeat the last part.

[2:15:45] » Is this just management of the job or is this like the testing, the inspecting

[2:15:53] and all of that or do we have to hire a separate entity to come in and do the

[2:15:58] testing and stuff like that? Now the the depends on what kind of

[2:16:04] testing you're talking about. But for example, if you're talking about testing

[2:16:08] of of concrete or testing of rebar, the kind those kinds of testing, the

[2:16:14] contractor is going to be responsible for a third party testing of that kind

[2:16:19] of equipment. Richlands will not have to hire anybody else to do any of those

[2:16:23] things. So we will be managing, but we'll also be performing. will be also

[2:16:28] acting as the engineer because there will be engineering questions will get

[2:16:32] asked during the construction phase. They always do it would be impossible to

[2:16:36] do a project this size and not have engineering questions get asked. So we

[2:16:40] will also be acting as the engineer as well as doing construction

[2:16:43] administration as far as third party testing goes. The general contractor is

[2:16:47] going to be responsible for that. >> So y'all are going to do the inspection

[2:16:51] too. The inspection part of it. >> Yep.

[2:16:54] » Okay. Okay. Doing weekly inspections on site weekly inspections of everything

[2:16:59] that's taking place uh on at the waste plant.

[2:17:03] » Okay. Thank you. >> Any answer?

[2:17:05] » That's it. >> Anybody else have any questions?

[2:17:08] » No. >> Okay. Is there a motion to authorize Mr.

[2:17:12] Mar to execute task order number four? >> I make a motion, Mayor.

[2:17:16] » All right. Gary has the motion. Is there a second?

[2:17:19] » Rick has a second. Any discussion on the motion? There being no discussion, roll

[2:17:25] call vote, please. >> Okay. Seth,

[2:17:27] » yes. >> Gary,

[2:17:28] » yes. >> Rick,

[2:17:29] » yes. >> Shan,

[2:17:31] » yes. >> And Laura,

[2:17:32] » yes. >> Thank you, council. Mr. Mar, you have

[2:17:35] your marching orders. Thank you. >> Finally.

[2:17:38] » All right. Next, we are on Roman numeral 10.

[2:17:44] » Of course. Of course. >> The we opened the bids yesterday for

[2:17:51] this project. Our project budget was $10 million for this project and that

[2:17:57] includes the the 15% contingency. So the actual construction budget was was just

[2:18:03] a little bit over $8.5 million. And then with the 15% contingency that brought it

[2:18:09] to a $10 million budget and the low bid on the project was $ 8.5 million which

[2:18:16] is which is very very pleasing. That's good for Richland. is good for uh for us

[2:18:22] as well. We wanted to see a bid of that range. So, we did receive a second bid

[2:18:26] that was just a little over 11 million, but the uh low bid was 8.5 million. And

[2:18:32] we will be able to present an official recommendation to award totally at the

[2:18:38] end of this week or maybe early next week. And then, uh I know you guys will

[2:18:42] all take that up at your next council meeting, which I will be at in person as

[2:18:46] well. >> Thank you for the information. And

[2:18:49] again, thank you for your time tonight and your diligence. Thank you.

[2:18:54] » You're welcome. Thank you. >> Have a good evening.

[2:18:57] » And I'm thrilled with an 8.5 uh million bid

[2:19:02] » on a 10 million projected project in today's time of inflation cost. So, I

[2:19:07] think we can be really proud that um the way the bid process went, the

[2:19:12] specifications that were written, the questions being answered allow us to get

[2:19:16] that type of a result. I'm pretty shocked on that, too, because when we

[2:19:20] started this sewer treatment plan update, the the first estimate we had

[2:19:26] was like 7.3 million if I mean, I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty close

[2:19:33] to what it was. Then during the CO, it went to like 21 million.

[2:19:37] » Mhm. >> Now it's back down to eight.

[2:19:39] » Well, that's the one area where construction costs and Gary can say

[2:19:43] that, you know, some construction materials have come down.

[2:19:45] » Yeah. I mean, it's just amazing because we materials.

[2:19:49] » We voted to put it off one time when I was first on council. We voted to put it

[2:19:54] off because it just went skyrocket. >> Thank you, Rick.

[2:19:58] » That's great. >> Okay. Uh we're Roman numeral 10. Uh item

[2:20:03] D, uh flood EWP grant match. Okay. Uh Mr. more.

[2:20:19] Get my old eyes on this thing here.

[2:20:29] Okay. back when you had um the Helen event and you had significant

[2:20:37] flooding in the town, there was really direction uh at that time uh by the

[2:20:44] council to look for grant opportunities that would allow us to um

[2:20:50] create resiliency against future floods, to look for opportunities for funding on

[2:20:55] the on basically any level uh to improve um conditions that might take place in

[2:21:05] the future with future events. And so the next two items are both related to

[2:21:10] that time period. Now, all of this has started before my arrival with you. Uh

[2:21:15] but one of the programs, the emergency watershed protection program, um is a

[2:21:21] program that was identified by the staff at the time

[2:21:26] um about the a program that would would help um

[2:21:33] locations around natural occurrences, floods, fires, wind storms, hurricanes,

[2:21:38] tornadoes, etc. Um the section of the code that applied

[2:21:45] this is an EWP authority program. Uh it was authorized by the Secretary of

[2:21:50] Agriculture uh the emergency watershed protection program and it's designed for

[2:21:55] technical and financial assistance to implement uh defensible and technically

[2:22:00] sound emergency recovery measures which obviously you were in uh at at the time.

[2:22:06] This particular program is a relatively new program so a lot of people aren't

[2:22:09] aware of which is why I'm spend a little bit of time uh around it. Um

[2:22:16] it is a coordinated program with FEMA NR uh CS authority and of course the

[2:22:24] disaster damages. um

[2:22:29] you have a natural event, you have water shed impairment, an imminent threat, and

[2:22:35] then obviously you have the emergency scenario. So um what this program can be

[2:22:41] used for is permanent structures, houses and buildings, roads and utilities, dams

[2:22:46] and flood control areas. Um what it can um not be used for is standing timber,

[2:22:54] orchards, ergonomic crops. Um it also has the the very basis of this program

[2:23:00] is it must have had negative impact on property or life in order for this

[2:23:07] funding to be eligible. And if it didn't meet that criteria, then it was not uh

[2:23:12] eligible for funding under this program. Um

[2:23:17] there's also some limits on acceptance like you can't have the same structure

[2:23:22] uh practice three times within 10 years and get funding on it again. So um as

[2:23:27] you um it has to the limits are also on existing operations and maintenance.

[2:23:33] It's not allowed to be used for that repair or rebuild or maintain

[2:23:37] transportation facilities, utilities or similar related facilities. I'm not

[2:23:42] going to go through all the uh items that it is limited on. I will give you

[2:23:47] this print out that I have on the screen today just so you have the program if we

[2:23:52] decide to move forward with it. Um basically you put together or did a

[2:23:58] resource of areas in the town that um needed to be addressed post event. Um

[2:24:07] this project was is specifically for debris removal in your waterways and for

[2:24:12] stream restoration to uh reduce erosion and continued impact of future events.

[2:24:20] Um it did it does have a cost associated

[2:24:24] with it. Um we requested let's see my my numbers right here. Uh

[2:24:31] it's a 7525% program. So 75% funded by um the grant,

[2:24:38] 25% by the city, which can be in kind work or in cash payments. The other item

[2:24:44] related to this is that you're not required to do or use all of the funds

[2:24:50] that are being awarded in this opportunity today. meaning that um if

[2:24:55] you're cleaning waterways from debris and you have various private property

[2:25:00] owners that are actually along this route, if you can't get agreement with

[2:25:05] those individuals, you may abandon that project because you can't get agreement

[2:25:10] from the home or the land owner of it to be able to work on that portion of the

[2:25:14] property and then you would return the funds associated to that portion of the

[2:25:18] project. Um you also can scale down the money. So, if you don't have the full

[2:25:24] match amount, which in this case is um

[2:25:32] 159,000 because the grant uh based on the grant

[2:25:36] award, you can scale it back to what you would be willing to fund if you wanted

[2:25:41] to do these particular projects. And the issue that you have today is you have to

[2:25:47] either respond and say okay we're going to pursue and go to the next step of

[2:25:50] this um if you don't do projects the portion that you have to repay is the

[2:25:58] technical and financial assistance portion that you received. So if you if

[2:26:04] you don't spend that then there is not cost other than

[2:26:09] um to get out of the program or to return the money. If you do proceed with

[2:26:13] it and you take that money and then you scale back your projects, that portion

[2:26:18] will be percentage-wise to what you uh had associated in this grant. And um if

[2:26:25] you do all of it, then obviously you we have to come up with $159,000

[2:26:31] match component. So that's that's grant one that's on the agenda today. I'm

[2:26:37] going to have Billy talk about grant two, which was your flood plan

[2:26:40] administrator, which is a five-year position funded um grant, which

[2:26:48] I believe you also need as many flood events as you may have here, but that um

[2:26:54] he can talk about that. It's a much larger one and there is no match on that

[2:26:58] particular program. there was a match, but we applied for um assistance on that

[2:27:04] portion so that it would be covered because of the um demographics of our

[2:27:10] area. >> Mr. Tomorrow, you need a motion from us

[2:27:13] to approve up to inind and or andor cash payments up to 159,000

[2:27:21] » to proceed with this grant knowing that we may not use it if there's projects we

[2:27:26] can't do or we can't an agreement from property owners, but it's to go to the

[2:27:30] next step of this award. >> Is there a time frame?

[2:27:35] » There is. Um I think I got it in here. uh I think it's 220

[2:27:44] work days from the time we begin the project.

[2:27:48] » Mhm. >> So slightly 3/4ers of a year.

[2:27:53] » Mr. Mayor, I I put that in the form of a motion uh that we prove up to the full

[2:27:58] amount subject to, you know, agreements and that kind of thing.

[2:28:02] » Okay. There's a motion on the floor to uh authorize the manager to move ahead

[2:28:06] with this grant. U is there a second? >> I'll second. Rick has a second. Is there

[2:28:11] any discussion on this motion? I want to say thank you, Billy.

[2:28:16] Uh, any discussion on this motion? >> Uh, hearing no discussion. May we have a

[2:28:22] roll call vote, please? >> Yeah. Okay. Seth,

[2:28:24] » yes. >> Gary,

[2:28:26] » yes. >> Rick,

[2:28:26] » yes. >> Jan,

[2:28:27] » yes. >> And Laura,

[2:28:28] » yes. >> Motion carries. Thank you. Now, I'm

[2:28:32] looking here at the next item on the agenda. And I do want Billy to come up

[2:28:35] on the next item because this is the flood plan administrator position. It's

[2:28:40] a five-year funded position. There is no match to the town. What you do have to

[2:28:46] obviously, so you're hiring someone, you got someone on board. It's being

[2:28:49] covered. When you get to the end of five years, over that 5year period, you have

[2:28:53] to have incorporated that uh cost into your budget for it to

[2:28:58] sustain. Otherwise, the position doesn't continue. And so that's part of this,

[2:29:04] you know, commitment to look at and say, can we have five years of it free, but

[2:29:08] when we get to the sixth year, uh, to have this role, this is, you know, going

[2:29:14] to have to be over that time incrementally included in future in a

[2:29:17] future budget. >> I appreciate that. I have a question. uh

[2:29:21] at the at the end of the five years a future council of we don't know who is

[2:29:25] in sitting here uh would they be obligated to continue this and hire a

[2:29:30] person and put that in our budget? >> It is it is not a requirement to

[2:29:33] continue it. Now what I want to say on this is today the the discussion is

[2:29:38] about we've been awarded it and we've received the matching

[2:29:43] funds portion forgiven so you don't have to come up with that. So, this is 100%

[2:29:48] funded without any commitment from the city.

[2:29:52] » We haven't received all of the paperwork on this. We've just gotten the

[2:29:56] notification that we've gotten the award >> um and we're making you aware of it

[2:30:01] because obviously each of these grants we have to respond

[2:30:06] and say we are we are willing to continue and pursue moving forward. Um,

[2:30:15] we will verify all of the contractual items obviously at that time. Um, and if

[2:30:22] there's any change than what I'm telling you today, then I would certainly be

[2:30:25] back in front of you again. But we did talk with uh Merchant McIntyre and sent

[2:30:29] them the original notification that we received to see if they read it the same

[2:30:34] way that I read it and Billy read it and others about the match. They do. um we

[2:30:40] are to receive the packet in the next uh 5 to 10 days on that. To me, it's a

[2:30:46] great grant um to be able to do the work that a um flood plan administrator would

[2:30:55] do in a town that has these events fully funded, not coming uh from it. But I we

[2:31:01] are not aware that there's any required continued funding of the position.

[2:31:05] » Thank you. Um, what we would say is you would see the benefit of that over that

[2:31:09] five-year period and as you're seeing that hopefully you would build it into

[2:31:15] your future funding. >> Thank you, Mr. Marie. Thank you.

[2:31:19] » Yeah, we uh we applied here a little while back for this. I actually applied

[2:31:23] for 435,000 when they awarded it. They awarded 657,000

[2:31:28] which would pay salaries and benefits packages for five years.

[2:31:34] Uh, of course, you know, flood plan administrator job in our town would be

[2:31:39] pretty huge with this help to get it with all the problems mitigation issues

[2:31:45] and and this other grant we're just talking about. I guess they would be

[2:31:48] over that too. And also we have what is uh

[2:31:53] through the state crisis track which is how you go along and supposed to go

[2:31:57] after the flooding event to evaluate the homes. They have a a online site to do

[2:32:03] that. We haven't been able to get on there. There's been some issues with the

[2:32:06] county log in which we have to go through and this person would have to be

[2:32:11] involved in getting that and go to each home after the flood like we had

[2:32:15] problems before on the documentation of people that were flooded. That would be

[2:32:19] part of their main job plus catching us up on where we are behind on that at

[2:32:24] this point. Um, of course they would go off of uh making

[2:32:29] sure on the base flood elevations that everybody's following those rules and

[2:32:33] regulations when they place a home in the flood zone. Flood way you can't

[2:32:39] place a home back in, but flood plane you can. Um,

[2:32:44] they would also help with the making sure people are getting their permits

[2:32:48] when they redo or clean up or whatever they have to do on the home. Something

[2:32:52] happened to it. Um they would also discourage you know

[2:32:57] development in these areas because you can't you don't really want to be

[2:32:59] developing in in the flood plane. Uh they would keep up to date and advise

[2:33:06] other state federal or local permits or approvals that may be necessary when

[2:33:10] developing anything around a flooding area.

[2:33:15] notify FEMA changes of water course which is I don't know if y'all noticed

[2:33:20] I've noticed the last 25 years Clint is moving so and that really doesn't get

[2:33:25] reported as well as it should but it is moving uh educate community members and

[2:33:31] local officials about flood plane management which we all need know as

[2:33:35] much about that as we can investigate violations of flood plane

[2:33:41] ordinances initiate corrective action when there is a issue, they would be in

[2:33:46] charge of doing that. Uh, as soon as we get the uh letter, Mr.

[2:33:52] Mart, as he stated, we'll get in touch with you on that cuz I always I I'm type

[2:33:57] person I don't count my chickens till they hatch. I want to see the award

[2:34:01] letter besides the one that we got with all this stuff in it. But, um, it's a

[2:34:06] good thing. I think it's be really good for us if we can

[2:34:11] go forward with this. >> Thanks, Billy. What kind of action do we

[2:34:15] need on this, Mr. Maher? >> This one is just moreformational for you

[2:34:19] to be aware of and to know that um assuming it remains a 100%

[2:34:25] uh grant with no match then we will proceed unless there's some anxiety

[2:34:31] among the council uh tonight because that that would since it would have no

[2:34:36] budgetary impact it um I would proceed with that.

[2:34:39] » Okay. >> I just have questions. Do we know did in

[2:34:42] the grant does it outline like what educational level or you know?

[2:34:47] » Yes, I I believe it does, but it'll also when we get this packet,

[2:34:50] » it'll tell you who who we're looking for, who we need to hire,

[2:34:52] » right? It'll it'll give us the requirements that we have to hire to.

[2:34:56] » And and I got one other question because I'm assuming this is an assumption.

[2:35:00] They're going to say a percentage of their job, 90% 80% whatever is going to

[2:35:04] have to be dedicated to this work. But, you know, a lot of people wear a lot of

[2:35:08] hats here. >> Yes. Yes.

[2:35:09] » Is this an opportunity for us to have someone that could maybe pick up a few

[2:35:12] other things? You know, >> I think it's got a percentage in it, but

[2:35:17] I don't know exactly. >> I'm just curious if you can let us know

[2:35:19] about that because I'm I'm you know, I'm assuming most of these things come and

[2:35:22] they say, you know, 75% of their job or 90% or whatever. Maybe it's 100%. I

[2:35:26] don't know. >> When I filled out the paperwork, it was

[2:35:28] on there, but I can't remember the exact. And that's fine because the good

[2:35:31] thing is with us that gives us another full-time employee and maybe someone can

[2:35:35] wear one less hat because it's related interrelated to what this person's

[2:35:39] doing. That that was my only thing that >> Thank you.

[2:35:43] » Hey, thank you all. >> Thank you, Bill. Thanks.

[2:35:46] » We look forward to the future. Thank you.

[2:35:49] » Okay. Uh next, uh we have Roman numeral 10. We're on F Freedom Festival

[2:35:56] Fireworks. Um, I I hope we have Do we have information on a cost for that, Mr.

[2:36:00] Maher? Because I hope we have fireworks. >> We do. Um,

[2:36:07] so first of all, you have no money in the budget. This is one of the items

[2:36:10] that you took away. And the only reason that I'm bringing it for you to to touch

[2:36:15] on this, I get, and correct me if I'm wrong on that. That is correct, right?

[2:36:21] um was that this is the time of the year that they are ordered in order to be

[2:36:27] here for your event. Um in the last year you paid $7,250

[2:36:37] and the cost has had a 15% increase of product. So it's $8,500 if you did

[2:36:44] exactly the same thing that you have historically purchased. and done as a

[2:36:50] part of Freedom Fest. So, um, obviously I don't spend money that isn't approved

[2:36:57] and in a budget. Um, and two, I think the question is, is it an event? From my

[2:37:04] perspective, I'll just say to you, this is the 250th birthday of our country.

[2:37:08] Um, it's a great time to talk about the the freedom and living in the United

[2:37:14] States of America. I think it would be a terrible year to cut it. uh personally,

[2:37:18] which is why I'm here in front of you about it, but I also would need

[2:37:21] authorization before we pursued that because we would um you want to speak to

[2:37:27] where what you told me on funding? >> Yeah, we would have to do a budget

[2:37:31] amendment and and take those funds from unrestricted uh balances

[2:37:35] » unless we got the money donated. >> That's correct.

[2:37:40] » Uh >> which we do generally every year we get

[2:37:42] some donations. And then I think this discussion in general is a question also

[2:37:48] about just events in the town in general. You know, you've historically

[2:37:52] had some of these um you know, I've been asked by staff to at least bring this up

[2:37:58] and say, is there still an interest in the council that we do events? I think

[2:38:02] you've had a couple of music things that have taken place historically. You've

[2:38:06] had this uh festival. Um, so I guess I'm just generally looking for some

[2:38:12] direction from the council on that. And is this something that one of your

[2:38:16] committees, you do you have an event committee that you want to have address

[2:38:20] this um and bring the overall comprehensive plan back so we talk about

[2:38:24] it all at once? But the critical component of this is the ordering of

[2:38:28] fireworks. That's why it's before you tonight.

[2:38:32] » Go ahead and book these fireworks for us on that same date we've had for several

[2:38:37] years. and they will wait on the payment. We don't have, you know, I

[2:38:42] think the contract said pay half up front or something like that, but we

[2:38:46] never have done that. We've generally waited toward the end to pay the money.

[2:38:54] » Jan, I'm hearing something. Let me say something, Mr. Maher. For the past

[2:38:58] several years, I don't know how many uh Jan and crew committee, whatever, have

[2:39:03] put on the Freedom Festival, which is what you're talking about. I think

[2:39:06] generally is it the last Saturday in June. Um and so I it's been very

[2:39:12] successful and wellreceived and I think it's important that we have fireworks.

[2:39:17] There's I know it. I just think it's important. I don't have to elaborate.

[2:39:21] » People expect it. I mean >> and it's part of the 250th anniversary

[2:39:25] of the country. It's especially important right now.

[2:39:28] » Do you need a motion to go forward with that?

[2:39:32] I I think because we're talking about >> a potential budget adjustment if we

[2:39:37] don't get it covered by sponsorship. >> I'll make a motion, Mr. Mayor, that we

[2:39:41] approve to pay for the >> motion for us to authorize Mr. uh Maher

[2:39:45] to sign a contract to get the fireworks and if we don't get the money, we'll

[2:39:51] have to allocate it. Is that correct? >> Yes, sir.

[2:39:54] » We'll allocate it and then maybe pay that back if you

[2:39:58] Rick has a second. Any discussion on this motion? Hearing

[2:40:03] no discussion, may we have a roll call vote, please?

[2:40:05] » Okay, Seth, >> yes.

[2:40:06] » Gary, yes. >> Rick, yes.

[2:40:09] » And Laura, >> yes.

[2:40:10] » It is unanimous. Thank you, council. We can look forward to that. Okay. Next,

[2:40:14] we're on Roman numeral 10. Rudy Keith firet truck pricing discussion. Rudy,

[2:40:21] » actually, I brought some have more paperwork back with uh to go in line

[2:40:27] with what you all had requested last time.

[2:40:31] uh for the the change of date.

[2:40:38] » Nothing changed on it. Everything stayed the same, but the proposal date did

[2:40:42] change. >> Thank you.

[2:40:47] » Thanks, sir. >> I put the same It's the same packet just

[2:40:52] a different front sheet. Thank you.

[2:40:57] » I think that's

[2:41:02] » okay.

[2:41:07] Susan had requested.

[2:41:15] » So, like I said, uh good evening. Nice to see you all again today on this

[2:41:20] project. I know it's been a long evening for all of us, but uh maybe we can work

[2:41:24] through the the purchase of this this piece of apparatus for us.

[2:41:40] Like I said, it's all the same. It's just the front sheet's only one

[2:41:43] different. I got that third I think the fourth sheet in is where I broke that

[2:41:47] down last time. um with the the $100,000 down payment.

[2:41:55] So you would actually be saving, you know, roughly $5,000 $125 if you paid

[2:42:00] with the the $100,000 down. The the big difference would be upon delivery of the

[2:42:05] apparatus, you would be looking at a balance of roughly $470,000

[2:42:11] at delivery. >> But just to be clear, this is to replace

[2:42:16] the tanker that we lost, right? >> That is correct. at the uh October the

[2:42:19] 10th of 23. Yes. >> Yes, sir.

[2:42:22] » And we voted our last meeting to approve the purchase. Correct.

[2:42:27] » I think you you all was trying to get Ronnie to see how he could fund

[2:42:31] » the uh the down payment or or something magnitude.

[2:42:36] » Yeah. So, I I I've done some research into this and we have 30 about 36,000

[2:42:43] left over from the uh the first bank and trust note that we had set aside for

[2:42:49] part of the down payment. The other 67,000 would we would need to do a

[2:42:53] budget amendment and uh use unrestricted funds um for that.

[2:42:58] » How much do we have left over from the insurance?

[2:43:02] » 37 36. >> No, no, no. He said 37 from the first

[2:43:04] bank of trust loan. Yeah, the from the insurance that was from like two years

[2:43:09] ago. It's it's >> that was about 70,000, but we we didn't

[2:43:14] ever designated for this purpose. >> I just wanted to hear somebody tell me

[2:43:19] it's gone. >> Okay. Because just this is side note, if

[2:43:25] we wreck another truck, >> we shouldn't allow any of that money to

[2:43:29] be spent on anything else >> other than replacing the vehicle that we

[2:43:34] wrecked. >> Just just making a point of that.

[2:43:37] » I know that's irrelevant at this point, but

[2:43:40] » relevant. It's relevant, >> but

[2:43:41] » we shouldn't do that. Uh cuz then then you've got $70,000 of what we're looking

[2:43:46] at $100,000 down payment. So Ronnie, I guess my question is I don't really see

[2:43:50] the advantage of paying $100,000 down in this situation. It it's only going to

[2:43:56] alter the financing, you know,5 or $10,000 a year in a situation where

[2:44:03] every penny counts. >> Yeah, I I felt the same way. I've also

[2:44:06] talked to uh had some discussions with VRA

[2:44:10] on on loans and um like a 10-year loan, they had a rate of 10 2.6% 6% a 15-year

[2:44:19] loan. They had a rate of three and a quarter. I did not ask them about the

[2:44:22] 20-year, which is the useful life. They usually don't go over the useful life.

[2:44:26] So, um those are some other options as far as the financing.

[2:44:31] » And I think the the last apparatus we purchased, uh I think it's on a 10-year

[2:44:36] note. It's like 65,000 a year is what we pay on it.

[2:44:41] » That's with First Community Bank. Okay. >> This is the thing that I got problem

[2:44:45] with. We're paying 575,000

[2:44:49] for a tanker truck.

[2:44:54] Okay. Our insurance pays us if we wreck it 75,000.

[2:44:58] » Yeah, but it was like 100 years old. >> But we've got a problem there. What if

[2:45:02] we wrecked the new fire truck? What are they going to pay? We paid 750,000 for

[2:45:06] it. But the problem is is nobody's keeping up with that, working on that,

[2:45:11] making sure that we get our money back from the insurance company. Because if

[2:45:16] like my equipment, if I don't list what it's worth,

[2:45:20] » well, and I don't disagree with you. However, in this situation, they're only

[2:45:24] going to pay us what it's worth at the time. It's not it's not what what I

[2:45:27] mean, if you buy if I buy a new vehicle at Rays and I wreck it, you know, a year

[2:45:31] down the road, it's not worth as much as it was when I drove it off the lot.

[2:45:34] » Appreciate it. >> Yeah. And I think that's a situation.

[2:45:37] It's the depreciable asset. That thing was what 20 years older.

[2:45:39] » The the tanker was probably 25 to 30 years old,

[2:45:43] » but the truck wasn't >> the truck was like an ' 07. I mean, that

[2:45:47] cabin chassis didn't cost $70,000 when that cabin chassis was bought,

[2:45:51] » right? So, it's still almost 18 years old.

[2:45:53] » Yeah. >> But we got our we got our money back.

[2:45:56] But what I'm worried about, if we buy a $500,000 tanker truck, we need to make

[2:46:01] sure the insurance will cover that truck. Well, if we have a loan, then

[2:46:05] you've got your own right there. You've got an amortization schedule on it

[2:46:09] immediately. And and if we do it through Virginia um resource authority, I feel

[2:46:14] like that's that's also another credible factor in that insurance piece. I'm not

[2:46:17] so much worried about that and I understand exactly what you're talking

[2:46:20] about, Rick. But I I feel like in this situation, we re we probably got more

[2:46:24] than we should have out of a, you know, out of a 20 or 30 year old asset. And I

[2:46:30] still I wish we had that money today cuz it would make it a lot easier.

[2:46:33] » Yeah. >> And we just had uh Skyline that just had

[2:46:37] re remanufactured everything underneath the tank probably

[2:46:41] » I don't know maybe six months prior to it cuz every all the bolts broke loose

[2:46:44] out from under >> and that probably cost it

[2:46:47] » uh it's probably 10 or 15,000 just for that. But

[2:46:51] » I mean and you know they're keeping meticulous records on this kind of stuff

[2:46:54] anyway. I I'm not concerned about that as much as now we got to figure out how

[2:46:58] to finance a because we don't have a plan. We have to figure out how to

[2:47:02] finance a, you know, half a million dollar fire truck. And thankfully,

[2:47:05] Virginia Resource Authority will give it if we go 15 years, we'll get it for 3%,

[2:47:09] which is wonderful, you know, but at the same time, we still have to budget now

[2:47:13] to pay for a tanker truck, which we got to have because everybody in this town's

[2:47:17] ISO rating depends on the equipment that we have, the manpower that we have, and

[2:47:23] the ability that we have to put out a fire. You guys have to have that. I know

[2:47:26] you have uh, you know, interoperation agreements now. You got other people

[2:47:30] backing you up. We have another tanker truck at Clayo Hill. But at the same

[2:47:32] time, you got two fires that you need them right now. We're

[2:47:35] » And that tanker at Clayo Hill is actually in Ron Oak. Been there since

[2:47:39] December. >> It's being repaired. Yeah.

[2:47:41] » Being prepared. I got email uh Thursday of last week.

[2:47:45] » They got all the Darly parts in. They were just they supposed to start uh

[2:47:49] fixing it today. Two weeks out, but you know, that's that's another truck that's

[2:47:54] the county was gracious enough to give us a tanker to put in its place and it's

[2:47:57] it's prevailed. I promise you. >> What's delivery on this Rudy?

[2:48:01] » Uh 2 to 3 years. 24 to 30 months I think is what he said.

[2:48:05] » So the other benefit is >> we got we got 24 to 30 months to

[2:48:10] prepare. >> Right.

[2:48:12] » But I mean Ronnie, unless you unless I'm wrong, my my inclination would be we

[2:48:18] finance the whole thing. I don't see a tremendous advantage of us spending

[2:48:22] $100,000 that extra that we don't have. >> Yeah. No, no, I agree with that.

[2:48:26] » Okay. >> Yeah. your your saving is only $5,125,

[2:48:29] » right? >> I mean, to me, that's

[2:48:31] » I'm not making light of that. It's a significant amount of money. It's just

[2:48:34] » for us to not have to put out $100,000 right now is probably makes more sense.

[2:48:37] » Keith Keith, I got a question. >> Yes, sir.

[2:48:39] » What do we have to pay to get it started?

[2:48:43] » Nothing. And your payment is due the day that it's delivered.

[2:48:46] » Okay. >> Start the process with VRA and let them

[2:48:50] know in 24 to 30 months that you're going to start the finance of this

[2:48:54] apparatus. And then once it's delivered from Wisconsin to Ron Oak and then to

[2:48:59] us, that's when the payment is is >> But over the next two budgeting cycles,

[2:49:03] we need to begin to plan >> and look at incorporate this in.

[2:49:08] » So what is Go ahead. What is the will of the council? Would you like to make a

[2:49:12] motion to proceed? >> Mr. Mr. Mayor, I'll make a motion that

[2:49:15] we proceed and that we proceed with option one, I believe, which is to

[2:49:19] finance the entire vehicle and have uh our staff reach out to VRA and begin

[2:49:25] preparation for that. >> Okay, there's a motion to proceed. Rick

[2:49:28] has a second. Is there any discussion on this motion to get a tanker truck,

[2:49:33] » which we need hearing? No discussion. May we have a roll call vote, please,

[2:49:37] Amanda? >> Yeah. Okay. Seth,

[2:49:38] » yes. >> Gary,

[2:49:39] » yes. >> Rick, yes.

[2:49:41] » Shan, and Laura? >> Yes.

[2:49:43] » Motion carries. Thank you, Rudy. >> Thank you all.

[2:49:45] » Trucks on the way. All right. >> Two or three years.

[2:49:47] » One question, Rudy. >> Yes, sir.

[2:49:49] » Is it yellow? >> No, sir. No, sir. It's red and white.

[2:49:52] That's the only picture he had. Uh, no. No. Uh, fire trucks are designed to be

[2:49:56] red and white for honor and courage. >> Amen.

[2:49:58] » Y'all, there's no choice of it. >> Thank you.

[2:50:01] » Thank you. >> I'm glad you said that. That's

[2:50:03] important. >> Red and white. Everything we got is red

[2:50:06] and white. >> Thank you.

[2:50:09] That's a cool little tidbit. All right. It's very important. All right. Next we

[2:50:13] have uh Roman numeral 10 H salt building and we have a folder here and I'll defer

[2:50:22] to Mr. Maher or whomever

[2:50:27] Jason come on up chef. So, this is just a again

[2:50:33] a bigger discussion. You're having a lot of them tonight, but um

[2:50:39] one of the things that we're going at least from my assessment that we're

[2:50:42] going to have to think about long term, right, is all of the assets that we

[2:50:48] have, their life of them. Things don't have indefinite lives. You have How many

[2:50:53] of you have actually seen our current salt building?

[2:50:57] » I have. >> Thank you. It it is with this recent

[2:51:02] high usage is even worse. I believe it's a huge safety risk from

[2:51:09] my experience. You have cracked foundations, doors that won't open on

[2:51:15] the back of it now because of its movement. And when you go with a loader

[2:51:19] into a building that has that type of disrepair to try to pick up salt and

[2:51:25] load it, you're creating risk for your driver on your loader. You're create of

[2:51:30] the building collapsing in its current condition. That's an issue with this. We

[2:51:36] don't have the capacity we need, which we've experienced it this year with

[2:51:39] multiple back-to-back events. You can't buy enough salt at a time when

[2:51:45] it's cheap for you to get it because you can't store it because you don't have

[2:51:50] capacity in the facility and you have a building that leaks, which I don't know

[2:51:55] if you're aware, but water and salt mixture is not what we want to happen

[2:52:02] when we're going to use it for uh spreading on roads and having safety for

[2:52:06] our streets. So, we look for opportunities when we have these things

[2:52:11] come forward for um what will some of our VOTE money help us

[2:52:18] do? Because we should think about that in multiple buckets. We have a bucket of

[2:52:23] labor when we have these snow events, when we're doing VOTE roads that we can

[2:52:26] build back. We have equipment buckets for where we can get resources um that

[2:52:31] are utilized on those projects. And then of course um we have dollars for our our

[2:52:38] Virginia road paving programs. So I'm going to let turn over to Jason. I think

[2:52:43] he did a great job. I'm very proud of the proposal that he has outlined for

[2:52:48] you. There are details that still need to be worked out. Um he had shared with

[2:52:52] me that some of you have said, "Well, where are we going to put it?" um which

[2:52:56] is something that as a council I'd like you to ultimately end up with a public

[2:53:00] works committee uh to be able to talk about these kinds of of things. But

[2:53:05] that's something that can come forward because again this is putting in an

[2:53:08] order. Um you can imagine that all of the

[2:53:13] um towns and municipalities in the state of Virginia today that have similar

[2:53:18] situations without adequate buildings are talking about this. And so, um, he

[2:53:25] can speak to the timing of the the project. I think it's an item that we

[2:53:30] should be looking at, which is why I have it in front of me today.

[2:53:35] » Thank you. >> I put together this for you guys. Um,

[2:53:39] this Greystone Construction, they, uh, they do a lot with DOS, municipalities

[2:53:46] across the state of Virginia and all over the country. Um, the, like Mr. Mar

[2:53:51] said the great thing about this whole project is and I added the email just to

[2:53:56] kind of clarify that. So I reached out to VOTE to make certain of it and they

[2:54:02] will fully let us use our maintenance money for the salt building because we

[2:54:07] use it so heavily on VOTE roads. So that's, you know, as far as the money

[2:54:12] aspect of it, me and Ronnie have made a few times on it. Um there is no money

[2:54:18] that I'm asking for. It's just more of, you know, we got to get this thing

[2:54:22] moving and so we can have it. You know, like Mr. Marsh said, if we if we don't

[2:54:29] get going on it now, then we're not going to have it by next year or maybe

[2:54:33] the next year. Um, the VOTE funding is there. It It is I think, you know, I

[2:54:40] know we have some paving projects we want to do, but me and Ronnie's looked

[2:54:44] at it a few different times, a few different ways, even moving money. I

[2:54:47] think tonight he's proposing maybe to move some money over for labor and stuff

[2:54:51] like we talked in the past, but um the the cost of the building is is pretty

[2:54:57] low considering the type of building it is versus what

[2:55:02] uh building kind of building we have now. So, if you guys have any questions,

[2:55:06] really now would be the time. I pretty much laid it all out in front of you,

[2:55:09] but now's the time to hit the questions, I guess.

[2:55:14] » Who are you considering putting this? That's a really good question. Um, I got

[2:55:19] He said too, I showed him our our public works building and where we're at, you

[2:55:23] know, considering where we are coming off of 67 to everybody seeing me and

[2:55:28] Rick has spoke about it a few times. I know we have the property on Iron

[2:55:32] Street, you know, that's a thought. Get us out of the middle of Richlands and

[2:55:36] then that opens up this property that you guys have for anything. You know,

[2:55:41] sky's the limit there. Um, if that's not an option for you all,

[2:55:47] then you know we we have the big open field over here that we could put it.

[2:55:52] But I think, you know, getting us out of the middle of Richlands is is the ideal

[2:55:57] thing. And that would be great to have that public works committee to kind of

[2:56:01] sit down and talk through these things of where where you guys look to see a

[2:56:05] public works building. Do Let me question. If we agree to do the

[2:56:09] building, do we have to identify where we're building the building today?

[2:56:13] » No. No. This just gets them to order to or to get it ordered and then they'll be

[2:56:19] it'll be probably I talked to the guy earlier this week. You know, of course,

[2:56:23] they're not going to give me any kind of timelines until I say, "Hey, we're

[2:56:26] buying a building." That's just how that works. But he feels like where we're at

[2:56:30] with approval now about middle of summer, end of summer by he I he ensured

[2:56:36] me by winter time next year we are having a structure with salt in it. So

[2:56:42] and and none of that's kind of negotiated until we say hey yeah we're

[2:56:46] going forward with this project. >> Um obviously we need it. U I'm just

[2:56:52] looking at pictures. Uh do you what do you think it's going to look like? Uh

[2:56:57] you have any thoughts here? >> Uh I'm looking on page 11. All these

[2:57:02] place Menota Heights, Upper Marra, different kinds. Not that it really

[2:57:06] matters. I just want to It's curious. >> Yeah. The the more the more one the one

[2:57:11] that's more along the lines that's in the the

[2:57:15] back of this that they presented is the one that's in the uh North Carolina

[2:57:19] there in the middle. >> Monroe.

[2:57:21] » Monroe. Yep. Monroe. That's that's the one that it's got the

[2:57:27] the it's got outside peers and then inside peers which the only other cost I

[2:57:32] do want to mention that. So once this is built I all we have to have is a level

[2:57:36] surface. That's it. A graveled level surface. They come in they set the peers

[2:57:41] they set the inside peers and we they they're kind of like teed on the bottom.

[2:57:45] So then the paving company that would be the other cost which we can also use VOT

[2:57:49] money for would be paving the inside of it. So once it's built, then we go in

[2:57:53] and pave the inside of it and it's a done deal. And that kind of locks all

[2:57:57] those peers in once the way they're made on the bottom. And it's doublewalled. So

[2:58:02] that galvanized material sets on those outside peers and then you have inside

[2:58:08] peers to where your salt actually is stored. And it kind of you kind of

[2:58:13] » it's not putting pressure on the outside.

[2:58:14] » Exactly. And you don't have that spillage constantly on on the on the

[2:58:19] material itself. And I figured a question. So I reached out to him

[2:58:22] earlier this week too. I figured a question that might arise is the

[2:58:26] lifespan of it being a tarp basically a fabric building. I figured that was a

[2:58:31] question. So he he says 20 to 25 years. And I said the question that I had, you

[2:58:37] know, was that cost look like? He said the framing material, you know, is

[2:58:44] indestructible other than if you just run it over. He said the, you know, the

[2:58:48] 20 to 25 year mark on the fabric. He said right now, if I was fab, you know,

[2:58:52] putting fabric on one now that we had, you're looking at about a 20 to $30,000

[2:58:56] cost. You know, 25 years from now, it's >> going to be more. But

[2:58:59] » if we're all still standing here, it's going to be more. But that kind of gives

[2:59:02] you an idea in today's world what the fabric cost if you have to refabric it.

[2:59:07] » So, Ronnie, and you you've checked and we 100% can use road maintenance funds

[2:59:12] to pay for this. >> Yep.

[2:59:14] The email we have it in. >> Yeah, I I sent an email.

[2:59:18] » You you actually emailed me, didn't I? >> The email's in this packet. If you'll

[2:59:21] flip, it's like let's see. It's like middle ways.

[2:59:25] » It's right here. John Leonard here. >> The John

[2:59:28] » Leonard. >> Leonard is is the guy that's over.

[2:59:31] » I made certain that that was >> No, that's great. Great plan. I

[2:59:35] appreciate that. >> So,

[2:59:37] » yeah. I mean, I think we need it. I think that I'd like to see um I'd like

[2:59:42] to see us decide where that's going to be working with with you guys to figure

[2:59:46] out what that looks like cuz that's we need to put this into a long range plan

[2:59:51] with all the everything else and as long as I know I'm I think this is a a great

[2:59:57] idea. It's kind of terrifying looking at that other building.

[3:00:01] » Do we need a motion on this to proceed? Is there a motion to authorize uh Shep

[3:00:08] and Mr. Mar to proceed with the purchase of this this structure?

[3:00:12] » I'll make the motion. >> Rick has the motion. Is there a second?

[3:00:16] » Second, Mr. Mayor. >> And Seth, there's a second. Is there any

[3:00:19] discussion on this motion? >> I have a question.

[3:00:22] » Yes. >> You're checking on the co costs and

[3:00:25] different things. This is not to actually purchase right now. This is a

[3:00:30] purchase. >> It is the purchase, I think. Yeah.

[3:00:33] » Do we know the cost? >> This the Yeah, it's in the back there.

[3:00:37] The cost is at the bottom. And >> do we procure this or how do we get

[3:00:40] this? Is this a already precured? >> It's source. I don't have to do any kind

[3:00:44] of procurement. So, it's >> once I get the go ahead, it's done. That

[3:00:48] that price. >> The third page from the back has your

[3:00:51] cost. >> It's right here.

[3:00:52] $60,000.

[3:00:56] » And if you on the next page, if you have any questions about that where it says

[3:01:00] the the add the 20,000, that's if we don't have a level surface. But, you

[3:01:05] know, we have the equipment and the means to add the surface. That's for

[3:01:08] additional peers. I don't feel like that's going to be it.

[3:01:14] » Okay. Any further questions, >> ma'am?

[3:01:18] » I do. Yes. >> Sorry, Gary. You go. You

[3:01:20] » go ahead. Um, Jason, I just want to tell you why I'm going to vote no on this.

[3:01:25] Um, if you would bring this back for the next budget, and it was in the budget, I

[3:01:31] would completely work that into the next budget. U, we've had a lot, even tonight

[3:01:37] with the fire truck. We've had a lot of budget amendments, things come up. um

[3:01:43] nothing to do with you, but the a former town manager um kind of got creative

[3:01:50] with some of the VOTE funds. And I personally want to see and make sure

[3:01:56] ensure that we are using that not just for all this equipment, but also to make

[3:02:02] sure that our paving projects are covered. Um so tonight I'm going to be a

[3:02:06] no on it. However, if if and I I think it'll pass either way, but um if it were

[3:02:14] in a capital expenditure for the next budget, I absolutely would work that in

[3:02:18] there. >> Okay. Any further discussion? Thank you.

[3:02:23] » Uh yes, on the uh VOTE funding, Ronnie, how much paving are we going to do this

[3:02:29] year and how much money will be left or is

[3:02:33] available for how much? I think the new plan was for us to do like 500,000 every

[3:02:38] other year and then the other balance of the 1.3 million we received would be

[3:02:43] used for things like this labor materials.

[3:02:48] Um is that coming quarterly or

[3:02:52] » Yes. Yeah, we get 325,000 quarterly.

[3:02:58] » Thank you, Ron. >> Any Thank you. Any further questions

[3:03:02] from council regarding this motion? Hearing no further questions, may we

[3:03:07] have a roll call vote, please? >> Okay. Seth,

[3:03:10] » yes. >> Sherry,

[3:03:11] » no. >> Rick,

[3:03:12] » yes. >> Jan,

[3:03:14] » yes. >> And Laura,

[3:03:15] » no. >> Motion carries. 3 to two. Let the record

[3:03:18] reflect. Thank you.

[3:03:23] » We're good. Thanks, Y. >> Okay. I think I'm up again.

[3:03:26] » Yeah, I'm up again. >> Okay. Now we've next we've got Romanal

[3:03:31] 10 uh I motor graater which is this.

[3:03:39] So just to give you a quick rundown I know everybody's tired and ready to get

[3:03:42] out of here. um when this big snowstorm come about, you know, when you get when

[3:03:49] you're getting the levels of snow that they first said we were going to get

[3:03:52] that twoft, you know, on range, you know, that becomes really hard for the

[3:03:58] snow trucks to plow back. So, you know, VOTE, uh Rick can speak to this, all

[3:04:02] other companies, they start seeking out graders. Uh you know, a grater has the

[3:04:07] ability to have that down pressure. It's a lot bigger machine to kick that snow

[3:04:11] off the road and get it kicked back. Um, we've always did that and through big

[3:04:16] snows. We've not had a lot of big snows in the last several years. Some of you

[3:04:19] have maybe have seen it. Some of you may have not. But so I kind of panicked a

[3:04:24] little bit when when I knew we was going to get that level of snow because our

[3:04:27] motor is a 1984 model and it's been broke down since last year. It's can't

[3:04:33] find parts for it. It's it's just been a nightmare. Just a money pit. So

[3:04:37] scrambled a little bit. Carter Cat of course is biggest greater place to

[3:04:43] purchase rental here and around close. Then John Deere everybody in the state

[3:04:48] grabbed graders up. We we had nothing to get. So I reached out and found you know

[3:04:52] United Rental Company and they actually didn't have this grater. They on their

[3:04:57] lot and then they called me back and said, "Hey, you're in luck. We actually

[3:05:01] have one." So, of course, I went ahead and rented it. And going back to VOTE

[3:05:06] funds, you know, all that all that time, and it kind of talks about that in in in

[3:05:13] the financial plan, you know, all that time spent with that greater. Uh we have

[3:05:17] a set rate that we charge hourly when we run a machine. So, that's per the

[3:05:24] operator, the machine, what have you. So, we had a plan to pay that 10,000

[3:05:30] rental costs back through using it through that snowstorm. Um, went ahead

[3:05:34] rented the grater. Then they let us know that, you know, hey, this grater is

[3:05:38] actually for sale. Uh, just a crazy opportunity that come about. They

[3:05:43] offered to sell the sell the grater to us for $70,000.

[3:05:47] I knew that, you know, asking for that amount just to come out of general fund

[3:05:51] money was just uncalled for right now. I know the situation. I see the budget.

[3:05:55] Uh, so I kind of hit the ground running on my budget that's already approved and

[3:06:02] I started looking towards my my street bridge sidewalk maintenance. So in my

[3:06:06] budget, that money is more so for town road projects. Um, most of the time

[3:06:12] that's eat up pretty quick. The reason that there's a a bigger amount in there

[3:06:16] right now is because as all of you know, we work pretty much all summer, all fall

[3:06:21] on BOT projects like the project up at the school. That was where our main

[3:06:26] focus went to. So, I had available money sitting there and also in my traffic

[3:06:32] safety line, I had money in my budget due to the fact that I know that's

[3:06:37] amount that's not really used right now, but typically it is. But where the

[3:06:42] detour project come in, I used a lot of VOTE money to to fund buying a lot of

[3:06:47] the traffic safety stuff that we would generally buy. So, I did have money in

[3:06:52] both of those accounts. So, I'm not really asking to for money. I'm asking

[3:06:57] for more permission to purchase this grater with money that I have in my

[3:07:01] budget. >> So, thank you, Chef. I've got a I have a

[3:07:05] quick question. Uh, you run this particular grade, right? Personally,

[3:07:09] » yes. Do you think it's in good shape for a used one?

[3:07:12] » Absolutely. It is. It is in great shape. I I personally think it would be a great

[3:07:18] buy for the town. I honestly think this thing will be here when I'm retired and

[3:07:23] gone and 20, 30 years from now. It is a great grater. You know, and that's why

[3:07:27] we've always held on to a grater for so many years. You know, the one that I

[3:07:31] first run when I come here was a 1960 model. Uh they had that thing for 40ome

[3:07:36] years, 50 some years. uh this dresser they've had for 20ome years. They bought

[3:07:42] from the county, I think, for the same almost the same price 20ome years ago.

[3:07:47] So, you know, absolutely. I think this is a great purchase. $70,000 for

[3:07:52] $300,000 machine. Uh that, you know, I know a lot of the heartburn with a

[3:07:58] grader is, well, we don't use it a lot. But if you all think back to

[3:08:03] when I took the public works director job, I said there's a lot of things that

[3:08:06] we that a lot of the reason our roads are in the shape that they're in is lack

[3:08:11] of maintenance that we wasn't doing that made our roads in bad shape. And

[3:08:15] shouldering roads is one of those. And you know, if you all remember back when

[3:08:19] we did Kinch Ridge, you know that that road's holding up great. The shoulders

[3:08:23] aren't breaking off, but we're they haven't done that in a year or so. This

[3:08:26] summer we're going to have to rent a grater again and cut shoulders across

[3:08:31] Kent Ridge. We're going to have to cut shoulders on Pizza Hut Highway. We're

[3:08:34] going to have to cut shoulders going on across Farmer Street. You know the if

[3:08:37] you don't maintain those roads, you're going to then you're going to be, you

[3:08:41] know, breaking the sides off. It is an important piece of equipment. And when

[3:08:45] it snows, like this past snow, had we not had it, the roads would have been in

[3:08:50] awful shape. When everything froze, we got down to zero temperatures. I know

[3:08:54] Laura seen me coming up through Hidden Valley. There's no getting that snow off

[3:08:58] the road. Plow trucks, they have no down pressure. You can't cut that stuff off.

[3:09:02] When when it comes to freezing, you have to have something to cut it off. I think

[3:09:05] you even seen I come up your place. >> Uh that was so packed down, those plow

[3:09:10] trucks aren't going to pile it off. Had I not made I mean made that run up

[3:09:13] there, you'd have never it would have been days before that melted off. So

[3:09:17] having it during these last two snowstorms was and especially where we

[3:09:21] were short on salt was was a great move by renting it and I

[3:09:27] think it'd be a great move to you know have y'all's permission to

[3:09:32] » actually using this gratorm. >> Yes, ma'am. They had to rent it cuz the

[3:09:38] other one's been broken down. >> I saw I saw it but I I thought they got

[3:09:42] it fixed. >> It's the rented one. It's It's only 45

[3:09:48] years old. >> Uh council, what you you've got the

[3:09:51] money. What you're wanting is approval. >> Yeah. It's just such a large, you know,

[3:09:57] expense and we're going to have to move money around to do it.

[3:10:00] » That's very thoughtful to ask. Council council, what is your desire here? Would

[3:10:04] you like a motion to approve this? I think it would be a proper one.

[3:10:08] I'm just going to say I cannot support it. Another piece of equipment to set

[3:10:13] out in the weather over there because that's the worst thing on this

[3:10:16] equipment. We've got a bunch of it over there now. New equipment. We should

[3:10:20] build some sheds or something first. But if we go with this now, I will be a no

[3:10:25] due to that back. Sorry. Okay. Any other uh thoughts, council?

[3:10:32] Um >> I same thing, Jason. I'm sorry. I know

[3:10:35] you guys need it, but we have not had a good and it's not you. We as the

[3:10:41] council, we've not had a good track record of following our own budget this

[3:10:44] year. So, I will be a no on it. But again, um I think before we do our next

[3:10:51] budget, I think we should have you guys more involved and talk about your

[3:10:56] capital projects so we can work that into a budget, start to plan for it. Um,

[3:11:02] but since it is an amendment, budget amendment now, I' I've got to be a no on

[3:11:07] it until the next budget. >> Well, we have uh no motion. We have two

[3:11:12] nos. >> Well,

[3:11:13] » anybody want to take um an alternate course?

[3:11:17] » Question. What happened with the sheds that you all were going to build to

[3:11:21] store the equipment in? >> They kind of died when Jason left and I

[3:11:26] actually spoke it on, you know, and it it all kind of falls in together, Gary.

[3:11:30] me and you've talked about it. >> When this salt building comes, you guys

[3:11:34] absolutely need to build us a public works department. We have 20ome men in

[3:11:38] one bathroom. We don't, you know, I showed Don a place. We don't have a

[3:11:42] place. You know, absolutely we have nowhere to store this equipment, but

[3:11:46] absolutely we can't do work without the equipment. So, you know, you're either

[3:11:50] going to pay for this grater now or you're going to pay for it throughout

[3:11:53] the year if you want road maintenance done because it's 10 grand to rent one

[3:11:57] every time. >> I have a question. I mean, if we have

[3:12:00] this salt building built, >> can you not park some stuff underneath

[3:12:03] the salt building? >> Absolutely. I mean,

[3:12:04] » during most of the year, we're not I mean, obviously not during, you know,

[3:12:08] the time when we're using it, but >> I don't I don't see you having it full

[3:12:11] of salt all the time. >> That ain't a good idea. Salt rust metal

[3:12:16] and parking equipment in there just makes

[3:12:19] » it's not a bad idea. No, >> you know, my thought was and I talked to

[3:12:22] Don about it. You know, if we get the salt built, which you know, you guys

[3:12:26] approved moving forward with the salt building, we find a home for it. I would

[3:12:30] like to sit down with you guys and talk to you about my budget and be involved

[3:12:35] in it and let you understand why we're doing the things we're doing and we're

[3:12:39] not just wastefully spending things. And I would like to put in, you know, if

[3:12:44] we're going to build our salt building on Iron Street, then let's budget in

[3:12:47] letting me get a general contractor to build some sheds to put this equipment

[3:12:51] under. You absolutely need your equipment under sheds. But

[3:12:55] » I mean, I and I understand what Gary and Laura are saying. I completely agree

[3:12:59] with that. Here's the problem. If he came to us during the budget cycle and

[3:13:03] he said, "I need $100,000 to buy a grater." I know what everybody would

[3:13:07] have said. No, we're not buying any equipment. So, I mean, correct me if I'm

[3:13:13] wrong, but I'm pretty sure that we said no expenditures, no rate. You know what

[3:13:18] I'm saying? We wouldn't have agreed to do it then anyway. So, I I 100% get what

[3:13:23] we're saying. But luckily, this year with the bridge project, you haven't had

[3:13:27] to use your bridge funds because we got a we don't have we only have two bridges

[3:13:33] instead of three. You know, you're not doing as much. And thankfully once this

[3:13:37] bridge is complete, we have three fairly new bridges. I'd say a lot of your

[3:13:42] bridge funds every year went to fix this mess.

[3:13:45] » It did >> over here. So you haven't had to spend

[3:13:48] that this year cuz that's under contract with VOTE to build that.

[3:13:51] » We do have another bridge to build Maple Lane.

[3:13:56] » Is that this year? Is that in >> I don't know.

[3:13:58] » Maple Lane will should you know we should be moving forward with FEMA money

[3:14:03] with Maple Lane. That's to tear the house down. We're not building a bridge,

[3:14:06] right? >> Yeah. We don't Yeah, we're not even

[3:14:08] looking. >> There won't be a bridge.

[3:14:10] » House is gone. Yeah, >> just a road.

[3:14:12] » We're actually I'm getting ready to put out working on RFP now to put out for

[3:14:16] someone to go ahead this summer and move forward with the paving and everything

[3:14:20] where we already tore the house down. So hopefully by, you know, just, you know,

[3:14:24] how slow FEMA moves, hopefully by end of the summer, you have a road through

[3:14:28] there and there is no bridge issue. And that's that's not money. That's FEMA

[3:14:32] money that that we have. But I mean, I guess that's my point is that we're

[3:14:36] close to the end of your budget cycle that still leaves you some money in

[3:14:40] there. I mean, I I get it. We have to have a place to store this stuff. Maybe

[3:14:45] when we get to the end of his budget cycle, whatever money's left, we can

[3:14:49] take that money and allocate that to build buildings wherever we do this for

[3:14:53] our equipment. You know, hopefully he doesn't spend the rest of his money, but

[3:14:58] you know, it's definitely something that we need. And if we if we have two more

[3:15:03] snow events, we're going to spend another $20,000 anyway renting one.

[3:15:08] » Well, time you do shoulders and stuff this summer, you you're going to spend

[3:15:12] 304,000 on something, >> right?

[3:15:14] » So, you might as well pay 70. And >> I mean, that's just But I'll put that in

[3:15:18] the form of a motion that we allow the the inner budgetary transfers to pay for

[3:15:26] the equipment out of this year's existing budget. There's a motion on the

[3:15:31] floor. Is there a second? >> I'll second.

[3:15:34] » Rick has a second. Any further discussion on this motion to authorize

[3:15:39] uh SEP to move forward with the purchase of this grater?

[3:15:43] » Mayor Curry, may I speak? >> Yes.

[3:15:45] » Um just we we did um approve some capital expenditures and equipment

[3:15:52] purchases in this past budget that we approved now. And to me, like I said, I

[3:15:59] know you need it. If it were the next budget, I would absolutely work it in. I

[3:16:05] think we me I will take responsibility. Made a big mistake in not asking the

[3:16:11] department heads to come in more during the budget cycle. Um and asking you guys

[3:16:18] what do you need? What are we looking at during, you know, during this budget

[3:16:21] cycle? Um but and we did a couple in a couple departments factor some of that

[3:16:28] stuff in last budget. Um and I'm totally willing to do it again in this budget.

[3:16:35] And again, Jason, it was my fault for not speaking up more and saying, "Hey,

[3:16:40] let's get the department heads in here." So that's that's just why I'm a know. I

[3:16:46] just wanted to clarify. We we did I know Jordan and I did a lot more with the

[3:16:50] budget this past year, but we did factor in some equipment stuff.

[3:16:55] » Last thing, Mr. Mayor. Only thing I else I would say is that I totally agree with

[3:16:58] y'all. If we were spending any money outside of the budget, if we were asking

[3:17:01] for money from general fund, I would be a no as well. The only reason that I'm

[3:17:05] willing to do this is because you do have extra money in your budget. And I

[3:17:09] appreciate you and I appreciate Don coming to us with this and not just

[3:17:13] making the just not doing it without asking us and then asking us to approve

[3:17:18] it after the fact. I appreciate that. >> I'd I'd also like to say I got them if

[3:17:23] we approve this tonight, they're going to wave the rental 10,000 and I mean

[3:17:28] we're 3 weeks in that thing. They but I told them, you know, if I can get an

[3:17:32] answer yes, then they're going to wave that 10,000 and we're just going to pay

[3:17:36] 70,000 for the greater. You're not paying 80,000 for the grinder. You only

[3:17:39] pay 70 for it. >> Fantast.

[3:17:58] I'm no math guy, but you guys can add that up pretty quick. I I figured I'll

[3:18:03] tell you with this. I figured when I when I rented it, I could run it for I

[3:18:07] think a like I think we rented it for 160 hours is a month.

[3:18:13] » I think I could run that for like 2 and 1/2 weeks and I would I would already

[3:18:16] made like >> 13,000 on a $10,000 rental 208.

[3:18:21] » Yeah. So we I mean it pays for this grader will pay itself back when we do

[3:18:25] budget amendments through and we use it on VOT roads. And one more thing I'd

[3:18:29] like to add is if you guys do let us department heads come in. I've already

[3:18:34] showed Don a little bit of it. I'm working on like a little PowerPoint to

[3:18:38] show you guys how I do work my VOTE money and how I am using the eligibility

[3:18:43] tools that they give me and looking at ways that we can use it towards

[3:18:48] equipment purchases or there's so much stuff we can use that's not going to

[3:18:52] take from the general fund because that's where my budget comes from that

[3:18:56] we can use for VOC money if we get a paving schedule. You know, it's it's got

[3:19:00] to be planned out though. It can't just be I agree with Laura. just can't we

[3:19:04] can't you know just willy-nilly do it but we're not this is not you know we're

[3:19:09] we're looking there >> it's there

[3:19:11] » I'm not your learn long-term town manager yet but I will tell you just

[3:19:15] from a process perspective in my experience you need a couple of these

[3:19:20] departments as in actively involved in the budget process your your public

[3:19:26] works is a huge area that should be involved you also need long-term

[3:19:30] planning because everything's not about a short 12-month period. You've got

[3:19:34] buildings that don't have an indefinite life. You have equipment that doesn't

[3:19:38] have an indefinite life. You have pieces of things that you have to build into a

[3:19:42] structure to replace. It's just a part of how

[3:19:47] a town, no matter what size it is, has to manage those assets. And on top of

[3:19:52] that, you've also got to continue to address your payroll, your benefits

[3:19:58] cost. I mean, all of these things, you know, work together. your capital plan,

[3:20:03] your operating plan, um your your vision.

[3:20:07] We really shouldn't have a public works building with 20ome people in one

[3:20:12] bathroom that with leaking roofs. I mean, to me, I'm taught that when you

[3:20:17] get water in a structure from the roof roof itself, you're going to have a

[3:20:20] deteriorating structure. I mean, that's what's happening obviously with that

[3:20:23] salt building. So I think there's really some long-term strategy opportunities

[3:20:30] around fleets as a category, around buildings as a category, and then your

[3:20:36] operating structure. And you know, I'm smart enough to know you can't do all

[3:20:40] these things in one time. So you also have to prioritize what's important,

[3:20:44] what's tied to a service that people value, and what isn't, what can wait.

[3:20:48] Um, and because you're going to need you when you just look at the equipment

[3:20:54] you've got, trash trucks don't last forever, right? And you have a

[3:20:58] sanitation business, you know, roads. To me, we got to be careful about not

[3:21:03] stepping over a dollar and picking up a dime

[3:21:07] because it is about cost, not just the price of things. And what

[3:21:12] is that long-term cost over that time period? So, um,

[3:21:18] we're trying to be very conscious when we bring these decisions to you and say

[3:21:21] we're looking at it. So, to me, a $300,000 piece of equipment for $70,000,

[3:21:27] waving a $10,000 rental fee that would have made it 80 if we had rented it and

[3:21:32] paid 10. That's the kind of negotiating things that we're trying to do and bring

[3:21:36] you these opportunities. And I completely agree with Gary that you

[3:21:41] really need um places to park equipment because part of their long-term care is

[3:21:48] protection from elements. But again, that's a facilities uh discussion and we

[3:21:54] have to prioritize what what we do because every town has limited

[3:21:59] resources. >> Thank you.

[3:22:01] » May I? >> Um this we have a motion going on. We

[3:22:04] have two comments. Is this your second one, Laura? Okay, go ahead.

[3:22:09] » Um, also there was an issue where we're paying

[3:22:16] quite a bit of repairs for damage being done by one of the trucks. Will everyone

[3:22:22] be allowed to drive this grater or are you

[3:22:26] » as as I have some people I'm training? As of right now, I'm the only one that's

[3:22:32] probably going to be running that grater because I'm the only one that can. It's

[3:22:35] kind of a little harder machine to run. I have a few guys I'm teaching. We're

[3:22:40] working on it. But yeah, no. And here's the thing. You got to have like on those

[3:22:47] I know we've talked about some damages and things along the lines. You know,

[3:22:51] when we're when you're working with heavy equipment, those things do happen.

[3:22:54] You know, there's a lot of moving parts, a lot of big, you know, a lot of tight

[3:22:58] quarters. You know, you take that grapple truck, uh, just drive down one

[3:23:01] of these alleyways over here and then just in your car and then imagine that

[3:23:06] grapple truck in that alleyway and that person puts a whole grapple truckload of

[3:23:11] brush in that same alleyway, you know. So things do we do have accidents but

[3:23:15] these guys are held accountable and I've took on safety pretty heavy since I've

[3:23:19] took this role on and you know we work through those things and we don't just

[3:23:24] you know the damage that's happening you know we do investigate and make sure

[3:23:27] they're not just carelessness mistakes they're they're mistakes it's m you know

[3:23:32] just accidents >> thank you chef we is any further

[3:23:37] discussion hearing no further discussion maybe we

[3:23:41] have a roll call but we have a motion for may be sess and seconded by Rick.

[3:23:46] » Okay. Seth, >> yes.

[3:23:47] » Gary, >> no.

[3:23:49] » Rick, >> yes.

[3:23:50] » Jan, >> I'm going to vote yes because I don't

[3:23:52] want us to miss this opportunity. >> Laura, no.

[3:23:57] » Motion carries 3 to two. Let the record reflect. Thank you.

[3:24:01] » Thank you. >> Thank you, Chef. All right. Now we are

[3:24:04] on Turn the page. Roman number 11, finance

[3:24:10] director. Can we before we go on, I need to ask Jason something.

[3:24:15] » Sure. Chef, uh, Jan's got a question. >> Um, I hate to harp on this, but all that

[3:24:23] stuff you all got scooped up over in the yard, I thought FEMA was paying some to

[3:24:31] remove all that. >> Yes, ma'am. So what what happened is

[3:24:34] we're and I'm working on it and I think I have us a place the last couple years

[3:24:39] Rick helped us a bunch with this in the past. We don't have a dump site. We have

[3:24:44] nowhere to dump. I I have a couple places that I've been reaching outside

[3:24:48] of just in I try to keep it in Richlands. You know I don't like

[3:24:52] traveling 50 milesi out of Richlands to go dump a load of dirt. Um, a lot of

[3:24:57] what you see over there was when we done the big project up here at um, Pizza

[3:25:03] Hut, you know, there's a lot of material come out of there

[3:25:06] » and we had to have somewhere to get it quick because the time frame we was

[3:25:09] trying to get that done. So, we did put it down here, but there is a plan for

[3:25:12] that down here, too. You know how we originally when I got that doer and I

[3:25:16] built that back wall up and cleaned all that up? Well, we didn't do but about

[3:25:20] half of that. So, I've actually reached out to Carter and they're going to be

[3:25:24] gracious enough to help us with another dozer. No cost to the town. They're just

[3:25:28] helping out and uh I'm working out a deal with them and we're going to clean

[3:25:32] that all back up come spring when it's good weather. Looks

[3:25:35] » terrible. >> It does. It looks awful right now. But,

[3:25:38] um if you hear anybody that needs a dump area, Rick, too. I mean, we we need

[3:25:43] somewhere badly to dump right now just to take that material to. So, but we

[3:25:49] will get it cleaned up. And I do have a plan on getting it cleaned up for free

[3:25:52] hopefully. So other than my labor in it, but

[3:25:56] » thank you J. >> Hey Jason, I just had a citizen send me

[3:25:59] a message and ask me to ask you the status of the bridge.

[3:26:04] » The bridge over here. >> They poured today. So I mean we're

[3:26:08] getting super close and it they completed their pour today. They hit a I

[3:26:13] would say I'm I don't want to put anything on loop but I would say you're

[3:26:18] getting real close to that probably April midappril somewhere

[3:26:23] » I would imagine so >> sounds promising. Thank you

[3:26:28] » mayor. >> Yes sir.

[3:26:29] » In in essence of uh to save time tonight we've kind of gotten pretty long. Can we

[3:26:35] have and we can vote on it or talk about it or whatever. Could Ronnie maybe just

[3:26:39] hit the highlights for us and and not go through everything on

[3:26:42] » financial appropriate. Uh council okay with that.

[3:26:45] » Ronnie doesn't mind. >> I'll do the um income statement and uh

[3:26:50] reserve summaries. >> Okay, that's totally fine. Thank you.

[3:26:53] » If you guys have any questions on the detail, just just email me or or give me

[3:26:57] a call. >> Thank you, Ronnie. Okay, we're on

[3:26:59] finance directory report, Ronnie. on the um the income statement summary. We'll

[3:27:06] we'll go through that. Uh on the general fund, uh 316,000

[3:27:12] net loss. Um that results from lower revenues in real estate taxes, business

[3:27:18] licenses, bank stock taxes, meals taxes, garbage collections,

[3:27:24] sales taxes, other taxes and fees, and other revenues. That's a hurt. uh 53.5%

[3:27:30] of budget or 3.9 million and that is offset by a net help on the expenses

[3:27:37] um 30 57.2 of budget or 3.6 million and

[3:27:43] that's lower expenses in all departments and capital purchases except for non-EP

[3:27:48] departmental. I would attribute the the revenues to

[3:27:52] timing um the expenses to timing and there's

[3:27:57] been some capital projects done and there's some that we still have to do.

[3:28:01] So I'm designating that as timing permanent

[3:28:06] on the uh water fund. Um year-to- date 560,000

[3:28:11] year-to- date net loss. Um that's primarily from lower revenues hurt 32.6%

[3:28:17] 6% of budget or 1.9 million and that is offset by lower expenses help

[3:28:25] of 34.9% of budget or 1.3 million.

[3:28:31] On the sewer, we have 109,000 year-to- date net income variance. Um that

[3:28:37] results from lower revenues hurt 41% of budget or 1.4 4 million and that is

[3:28:43] offset by our lower expenses help uh 30.1% of budget or 1.5 million.

[3:28:50] Uh I would designate the revenues as timing permanent and then the expenses

[3:28:55] are still timing on the water sewer line maintenance. Uh

[3:29:01] 354,000 year-to- date net income. Uh this is not a revenue uh department, but

[3:29:08] it's uh it's a help from lower expenses of 50.6% of budget or 354,000.

[3:29:17] I would still attribute that to all timing at this at this point.

[3:29:21] Um the electric without generator, uh we did review that just this week. 138,000

[3:29:29] uh year-to- date net income variance. Uh results from lower revenues hurt 47.1%

[3:29:35] of budget or 5.2 million and that is offset by lower expenses help 45.7% of

[3:29:43] budget or 5.4 million. Uh the revenues are timing permanent

[3:29:48] differences and the expenses are primarily timing at this time.

[3:29:54] And then the generator, we did not have any activity this month. So we're still

[3:29:58] at uh 2 million uh variance for the year. Um that was

[3:30:05] related to the inbridge pipeline contract second payment and the quantum

[3:30:09] power progress payments. And this is where I I list out the

[3:30:14] cumulative funding. Uh 15.5 million includes 12.6 from the note payable.

[3:30:22] uh 0.9 was funded from unrestricted funds and 2 million was funded from the

[3:30:27] Virginia Small Business Authority loan under the Tobacco Regional Commission.

[3:30:32] And I would attribute that to all uh permanent differences at this time.

[3:30:39] And then skipping through the all the detail,

[3:30:46] we'll jump over to the cash reserve summaries.

[3:30:51] Starting with the general fund, um

[3:30:56] the unreserved cash balance is uh roughly about $2 million. Uh 300,000 of

[3:31:03] that is from uh primarily from timing of the real estate taxes.

[3:31:10] And then there was no change in the projected uh from November.

[3:31:19] Uh from the water

[3:31:23] water fund unreserved balance is 512,000.

[3:31:28] That was a $59,000 decrease from November.

[3:31:33] And then the projected went down 21,000 from November.

[3:31:42] Then on the sewer department, uh, still tracking at about a negative $400,000

[3:31:47] unreserved cash balance. And that was a $20,000 decrease from November.

[3:31:54] And on the projected uh same uh small difference, $22,000 increase from

[3:32:01] November. Actually, that's an increase and the other was a decrease

[3:32:09] on the electric reserve balance. Um 649,000

[3:32:16] negative. Uh that was actually a $538,000

[3:32:19] decrease from November. And this is we had two ant bills post in December. One

[3:32:26] was on uh December the 2nd for October and then the second one was on November

[3:32:33] um for November on 12:30. That puts us where we truly are year to

[3:32:39] date because the only open bill to pay is the one that we will receive um in

[3:32:44] February for January.

[3:32:48] And I'm going to be working through this projected on the electric. Some of that

[3:32:54] is a result of us running it um for funding the the the project, but

[3:33:00] that's been paid back. So, I'm going to it won't look as as unusual with the 4.2

[3:33:07] uh negative projection once I figure in that timing.

[3:33:14] Any questions on the income statement summary or the cash reserve summary?

[3:33:22] Okay. >> Any questions for Ronnie? Council.

[3:33:26] » Thank you. >> All right. Then the next one is just the

[3:33:31] the all the loan balances. Um that should be current through December.

[3:33:36] Um that we've got the first bank and trust note on there as well. And if

[3:33:42] you're trying to tie back the first bank and trust note, you have you you'll see

[3:33:47] at the top there 285,000 for the trash truck. There's the 36,000 for the fire

[3:33:54] truck. And then the 12.6 million is the generator project. And that will those

[3:34:01] three amounts will sum up to the total uh first bank and trust uh note.

[3:34:08] And that is all I had on the financial statement review.

[3:34:15] Sorry I went by kind of kind of quickly. >> You're fine.

[3:34:18] » Don't apologize. >> Any other information that you feel is

[3:34:21] pertinent to us, Ron? >> Um, not with the financials. Uh, I did

[3:34:27] include uh the PCA kind of role for it at a high level. I didn't know if we

[3:34:31] wanted to talk about that this meeting or not.

[3:34:34] PCA. >> Mhm.

[3:34:36] » What does council desire?

[3:34:40] » Do you want us give you the report electrical committee?

[3:34:43] » Um, we're talking about PCA.

[3:34:46] » Yes. >> U, so Seth is asking if he if the

[3:34:50] council would like a report from the electoral committee. Uh, anything else

[3:34:54] on your part? What tell us about the PCA from your point of view, Ronnie, please?

[3:34:58] Uh the PCA is still where we're still tracking a um a negative uh unreserved

[3:35:05] balance. Um if I did a a rough estimate of looking at the current tracking and

[3:35:12] trends of this year's revenue versus expenses plus the current rate of the

[3:35:17] PCA between now and June, it looks like

[3:35:22] we're going to gain about another $240,000

[3:35:25] in net income. But I do not have the actual results for January yet. That

[3:35:30] could could change that. >> Okay.

[3:35:35] » So my recommendation is still to kind of hold hold the current pattern versus

[3:35:39] ramping up and down with it. >> Okay.

[3:35:43] Um Okay. Seth, did you want to >> Yeah. Just what we discussed at the u

[3:35:48] the meeting last night. So there's basically two ways of thinking about

[3:35:54] this. One is we can maintain throughout the year a steady level on the PCA which

[3:36:02] is what we've done for the last few months. Now that means that your bills

[3:36:07] are going to be a little higher in the winter time. They're going to be a

[3:36:09] little bit lower in the summertime. Now the because we use less energy in the

[3:36:16] summertime. The other thought is we discussed with Ronnie building a formula

[3:36:21] where in the shoulder months into spring and the fall we would actually in the

[3:36:27] colder months decrease the PCA like throughout the winter time. Then when we

[3:36:32] get to spring we would ramp it up. But what we want everybody to understand and

[3:36:36] I think this is maybe something we need more discussion on and after Ronnie has

[3:36:41] time to develop a formula. What we have to understand is the PCA is just to be

[3:36:47] able to get us to break even. That, you know, the goal is we don't we're not

[3:36:52] we're not trying to make we're not trying to make a profit. You know, we're

[3:36:55] here to try to to run the utility to pay its bills. That that's it. That's that's

[3:37:00] the desire. And I don't think anybody on this council wants anyone's electricity

[3:37:05] to be $1 more than it should be or has to be to pay those bills. That's that's

[3:37:08] all we care about. But if we were to reduce it now, we can do that. But that

[3:37:14] means that prepare like look just for simple math because this is not how it

[3:37:19] is. But let's say it's 2 cents right now. If we go reduce that by half to 1

[3:37:23] cent right now, then prepare yourself that in April, May, June, we're going to

[3:37:29] be raising it to 3 cents. Does that make sense? So we can keep it even kilter

[3:37:35] throughout the year and then make the adjustments once we have more data you

[3:37:40] know and and the hopes are that we can get to a place where we we see okay we

[3:37:46] are taking in a little bit more than what it takes to pay the bills now we

[3:37:49] can reduce this but we're not there yet and we really need the January data

[3:37:54] which Ronnie's not going to have for another seven days some you know some

[3:37:57] sometime in the next seven days so the committee last night said that we can

[3:38:03] either we can have another meeting after the data comes in. We're will you know

[3:38:06] everybody was willing to do that and to prepare something for council but really

[3:38:11] our recommendation was we go back to council and discuss this of whether do

[3:38:15] you want Ronnie to build a formula where it's lower in the winter time higher

[3:38:20] other times of the year or is it better just to leave it on an even kill. And

[3:38:26] one of the things with Ronnie's formula, I think Jordan said, you know, if it's

[3:38:29] if we get there could be a number, there could be a trigger number that if it

[3:38:33] gets to that, then Ronnie automatically increases the PCA.

[3:38:40] » I'm listening. Uh >> I'm not saying listen, the other thing

[3:38:43] we all acknowledge this is not simple. >> Are we ready to do this right now? I'm

[3:38:49] waiting for the numbers, right? >> Yeah, we we don't know. Correct.

[3:38:53] » I'm fine. I have a thought. I'll just share it. And I'm not nearly as

[3:38:56] knowledgeable as people serving on the committee because you do it all the

[3:38:59] time. For me personally, I do better in my life just speaking as a citizen. If I

[3:39:06] know it's this, I count on that. But up and down, I feel

[3:39:11] like I'm in a skip rope and I get real confused. That's just me. I'm only

[3:39:16] speaking for Rod Curry, not everybody. I don't disagree with you, mayor, and we

[3:39:19] said that is that >> it might what it might do, it's more

[3:39:23] like a budget plan. If we were to if if Ronnie developed a formula were to alter

[3:39:27] it, it's going to keep your bill more even throughout the year. That's a good

[3:39:31] thing. But it's a complex thing to understand that in the winter time, I'm

[3:39:36] only paying this much PCA, but I'm using more. Then in those other months, I'm

[3:39:41] paying more PS more PCA, but I'm using less energy. It it it that would that

[3:39:46] would more regulate everyone's bill, but I just think everybody needs to have

[3:39:50] input on it because I don't know that we can we don't want to decide that on our

[3:39:54] own. We wanted you all >> I I I think it needs some consideration.

[3:39:58] Council, your thoughts, anyone by personally, I'm just speaking not only

[3:40:03] as an elected official, but as a citizen, as I said, I do better

[3:40:07] personally if I know it's this. I'm thinking about if I get my bill on look

[3:40:11] in the winter, my PCA is low lower. I'm using tons of energy and in April and

[3:40:17] May I'm using less energy but my PCA goes up.

[3:40:21] » It's contrary to to my thinking. Yes. Now I get exactly what you're saying

[3:40:25] about the formula, but it to me it's just counter to me. Uh any other

[3:40:30] thoughts on that? I think you're right. It says we'd have to wait for the

[3:40:32] figures and I'm sharing my thinking. Anybody else want to share their

[3:40:36] thoughts? I think you need the figures of Ronny's calculation and look, let's

[3:40:41] all look at it and see if it's something we want to do or is this something that

[3:40:46] » it's going to say we're chief

[3:40:51] » confusing. >> Any other thoughts here, council

[3:40:56] members? >> So says we're on hold for that one. Is

[3:41:00] that correct? >> Yeah. And Ronnie agreed and he promised

[3:41:02] electrical committee once we know the numbers and he he he's willing to look

[3:41:05] at that and Right. Okay. Uh, so if I'm pushing too hard,

[3:41:11] you guys tell me, but I'll move on. >> Mhm.

[3:41:14] » All right. Here we go. Uh, finance director PCA. PSA PCA. Good God. Uh, PSA

[3:41:21] Cedar Bluff. >> Yes.

[3:41:24] So when I first started with the town back in July of 2023

[3:41:30] and one of the first meetings we had with the PSA was about this

[3:41:34] reconciliation that had not been done at that time for probably 2 or 3 years and

[3:41:40] also they approached us about uh the reserve balances that we have for for O

[3:41:45] and M and debt. So, we started looking into it and we

[3:41:50] were making some headway with it and then uh when Jason was here, we we kind

[3:41:55] of put a stop to it waiting until we got caught up on the audits to make sure

[3:41:58] that we had all the final information from those years. Well, we finally got

[3:42:03] caught up with the audits. So then I once we got caught up with audits, I

[3:42:07] went back on this review and then started working with the PSA and Cedar

[3:42:11] Bluff to reconcile those years where we build them on budget and never truded up

[3:42:16] to actuals. So we went through four years of four years of that and um then

[3:42:25] one of the things they were were still pushing on was to you know that they

[3:42:30] wanted some level of that O andM balance or reserve balances back to them and

[3:42:38] once we did the true up it it made sense but I also made a recommendation that in

[3:42:43] order for us to release those reserves in total I think we should uh start

[3:42:49] billing you on a monthly basis of actuals. So that's what we've got.

[3:42:55] Mike's got them in in in his hand. We've got some draft amendments where we will

[3:43:01] switch over to billing on a monthly basis actuals. We will no longer have

[3:43:06] the annual true up and that also relie relieves the necessity to have those

[3:43:11] on&m reserve balances for one year of uh budgeted amounts. Would it relieve extra

[3:43:17] discussion? >> Yes.

[3:43:19] » Thank you. All right. Here we go. Recommendations. Do you mind if I go on?

[3:43:23] Recommendations. Given the importance, sorry, Ronnie, of timely business

[3:43:27] partner reconciliations and settlement of outstanding balances, staff

[3:43:31] recommends the town council approve the annual billings refunds. This shall

[3:43:35] include the reserve account balances associated with the process,

[3:43:39] improvement, and transition to monthly actual billings. Is that correct?

[3:43:43] » That's correct. Uh, do you want a motion on this?

[3:43:46] » I would like one. Yes. >> Is there a motion to go with the

[3:43:49] recommendation of the uh, finance department?

[3:43:53] » Dan has the motion and Rick has a second. Is there any discussion on this

[3:43:57] motion? >> I have a couple questions. Ronnie.

[3:44:00] » Yes, ma'am. >> Um, the It says the contract has been

[3:44:04] amended, but are you saying that because we never

[3:44:10] voted on that? I >> I can speak on that. It's in the

[3:44:13] process. Uh it's been um Eric Young has sent me a draft. I think we got that

[3:44:21] Thursday or Friday. Um we've been in the process of amending it, but obviously

[3:44:26] you all would have to vote on that. So that's not

[3:44:28] » Sorry about that misunderstanding. >> Oh, no, you're good. Um and another

[3:44:32] question, >> I don't want to drag anyone else into

[3:44:36] it. It wasn't Ronnie. It was a former TI manager. When they were kind of

[3:44:42] explaining this to us, I asked about the refund and was told that the refund that

[3:44:49] they are owed would be offset by something that they owe to us. So, it

[3:44:55] would be I've got that on here on the the detail behind it.

[3:45:01] each uh you'll see the reserve account then

[3:45:05] you'll see the on andm capital adjustment on each page.

[3:45:08] » Mhm. >> So that that is being netted in with the

[3:45:11] uh with the reserve balance. >> So like on the first page that says

[3:45:16] Tazzle County PSA uh water plant reserve account and it says due refund $228,944.

[3:45:25] » Yes. >> That's what we're going to pay to them

[3:45:28] » out of that reserve account. net of the see the 59,5

[3:45:35] 915 >> that's the part that we're billing them

[3:45:38] for. So that we will actually put that money

[3:45:43] back into our unrestricted general fund and then that reserve balance will come

[3:45:48] down to zero. >> But we're going to actually cut them a

[3:45:52] check for $228,000. >> But it's out of a reserve account, not

[3:45:56] money that we use or touch or for anything else. And the basis of it is is

[3:46:01] that we've completed these projects. So when Jordan and I attended the meeting

[3:46:05] with Ronnie and um Ron that day, the way that it was

[3:46:12] described to us was that you know these projects were gone. Plus we didn't have

[3:46:16] the reconciliation. So we knew we owed them some money. But what we agreed to

[3:46:20] was just to hold 6 months of expenditures or one year.

[3:46:24] » We're going to hold one year of debt. Of debt

[3:46:28] » of debt. But there's not um it's not like it used to be. We were these

[3:46:32] reserves were built up on the old formulas based on um

[3:46:38] old projects that are paid out. Now with the new things that are coming online,

[3:46:42] those are calculated in this number or those are going to go up.

[3:46:45] » He he plans they plan to add $100,000 as an estimate for for themselves and Cedar

[3:46:52] Bluff 50,000 on the water wastewater plant debt. And then once we get the

[3:46:57] actual loan, we're going to chew up those and then we'll do something

[3:47:00] similar on the the water reserve accounts once we get further along with

[3:47:03] that loan process. >> So it's just a plan that we have. We'll

[3:47:06] have one year of expenses in the reserve account instead of holding I mean I

[3:47:11] don't know how many how much expenses we had here but multiple 24

[3:47:14] » I mean yeah because we didn't do it for like four years,

[3:47:17] » right? >> So there's no nothing. It's not hurting

[3:47:21] us anyway. This is just extra money that we've held on to because our former

[3:47:26] staff members were not doing the reconstruction.

[3:47:28] » Let me ask a question, Amanda. Just I've lost in the shuffle. Sorry. Uh we have a

[3:47:33] motion and a second on the floor, do we not?

[3:47:35] » Yeah, you have um Jan and Rick. >> Okay, I want to be clear. So, uh any

[3:47:40] further discussion on this motion hear? No further discussion. May I have

[3:47:45] a roll call vote, please? >> Ray says,

[3:47:48] » yes. >> Gary,

[3:47:49] » yes. >> Rich, yes.

[3:47:50] » Jan, >> yes. Laura,

[3:47:51] » no. >> Uh, motion carries, four yeses and one

[3:47:56] nay. Let the record reflect. Thank you. All right, Ronnie. Next. Budget

[3:47:59] amendment uh 11 C. >> Yes. This this amendment is similar to

[3:48:04] what we did last year when we moved over the the salaries, equipment, and

[3:48:09] materials used in the street department uh to the to the VOTE reimburse

[3:48:14] expenses. Um so basically we've got by doing this we'll have the budget

[3:48:21] compared to the same amounts on an actual basis

[3:48:25] and it will be something that we do in the new budget. We won't have to do

[3:48:30] these amendments anymore. We'll actually have it budgeted correctly uh for fiscal

[3:48:34] year 27. >> Okay. And some of this is also a result

[3:48:39] of the audit we did um on the VOTE where we went back like five years and got

[3:48:45] some guidance from John Leonard uh at VOTE as well. I mean Tom Leonard and um

[3:48:51] so between those two between that group and John we've gotten some definite

[3:48:57] feedback of what we can and cannot put in these lines. So we'll be figuring

[3:49:01] that into the new budget. >> Thank you. Um I just want to read this.

[3:49:05] I know you can read. I'm just going to go for it to move this along, not to

[3:49:08] rush it, but anyway. Town council meeting staff summary budget amendment

[3:49:12] recommendation. Staff recommends the town council review and approve the

[3:49:16] budget amendments to allow continued services, operating efficiencies, and a

[3:49:20] safe environment for the staff and citizens by directing VOTE revenues to

[3:49:24] the proper expense items. Okay. Um,

[3:49:31] is there uh does council wish to make a motion to approve these recommendations

[3:49:37] for the budget amendment?

[3:49:41] On this next page, >> I'll make a motion to approve.

[3:49:46] » Seth makes a motion to approve the uh budget amendment. Is there a second?

[3:49:51] » I'll second. >> Uh Rick has the second. Uh we have a

[3:49:55] motion and a second. Now for proper discussion. Is there any discussion on

[3:49:59] this budget amendment? >> I have a question.

[3:50:02] » Yes, ma'am. >> Um is this going into the general fund

[3:50:06] restricted account? >> Yes.

[3:50:10] » Why would it go into the restricted if it's like a reimbursement?

[3:50:18] » Yeah, it's I mean it >> what isn't restricted?

[3:50:21] It's coming out of the restricted and and then we're moving it to the

[3:50:26] actual expense line item. >> Oh, you're taking it out of restricted

[3:50:32] » and putting it in VOTE,

[3:50:36] » right, >> in the public works department.

[3:50:38] » That's right. >> And

[3:50:42] they will reuse that for VOTE only. >> Yeah. It'll offset against the actual

[3:50:48] expenses that we we will incur this year as well.

[3:50:53] Okay. >> Thank you, Laura. Thank you, Ronnie.

[3:50:57] Further questions, members of council

[3:51:02] to my left, to my right. May we have a roll call vote, please?

[3:51:06] » Okay. Seth, >> yes.

[3:51:08] » Gary, >> no.

[3:51:09] » Rick, >> yes.

[3:51:10] » Jan, >> yes.

[3:51:11] » And Laura, >> no.

[3:51:14] Madame Clerk, if I counted right, it's three yeses and two nos. Is that

[3:51:19] correct? >> Yes, that's correct.

[3:51:20] » Thank you. Motion carries. Okay. Now, Ronnie, last one. Uh 11D, financial

[3:51:26] policies. Yes. And the only comments I've had on

[3:51:30] this was from you, Laura, I believe. >> I'm shocked, Ronnie,

[3:51:38] » but I I'm prepared to answer them or or help walk you through them. Um, yeah. I

[3:51:43] I don't mind to cuz I think I told you in the email, if I'm remembering

[3:51:47] correctly, that I would like to have a public discussion just so everybody on

[3:51:51] the council hears where I'm coming from. I don't have the financial policies in

[3:51:56] front of me. Um, but there was there were two that really stood out to me.

[3:52:01] The one major one being >> um Oh, yes. if you've got and I've got

[3:52:07] my phone, but >> it was capital projects and um intra

[3:52:11] department transfers. Intra >> Yeah.

[3:52:14] » department transfers. Yeah. So, um the capital um I I sent an email and I told

[3:52:22] him um that I'm a no on the capitalization policy for equipment

[3:52:26] being increased from $5,000. I think anything over 5,000 should be approved

[3:52:31] by council just so we know what's going on financially because that has the

[3:52:35] potential to add up quickly before we realize it. I'm also a no on the intra

[3:52:39] department intradep departmental transfers and

[3:52:44] again I believe that's a pretty big thing the council should be aware of and

[3:52:47] oversee before happening. Um we saw that tonight when Mr. Shepherd asked to

[3:52:54] allocate to the budget amendment and we all told him we appreciated the clarity

[3:53:00] and the honesty. Um not that I don't trust people and I know I've got to

[3:53:05] trust people but um I just feel like the taking away and allowing the interdep

[3:53:11] departmental transfers is going to take away from us

[3:53:16] » being able to be as involved especially. So that particular item I'm not

[3:53:21] hardwired on that was that was a Jason May proposal

[3:53:24] » but what we had been doing in the past and Jason's his his budget amendments

[3:53:29] were going to be between O and M accounts

[3:53:32] » those we we didn't have to get approved before but if we went from O and M to

[3:53:36] capital or O andM to payroll that's the ones that were not in the policy before

[3:53:43] I'm not hardwired on on switching to those because it makes sense because

[3:53:47] we're crossing categories. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[3:53:49] » But the way he was presented >> supportive of that.

[3:53:52] » Okay. I appreciate that. >> So if I'm asking to be clear uh and

[3:53:57] thank you for the questions and uh insight we it's the book I don't have it

[3:54:02] with me. The booklet that we have about financial policies

[3:54:05] and so does any So if we were to accept this we would if council as a whole

[3:54:12] wants to make changes we couldn't be ready to vote on it right now could we?

[3:54:17] » Right. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, I think our issue is this is

[3:54:21] you've had this in front of you two prior meetings. This is the third

[3:54:24] meeting. >> That's right.

[3:54:25] » And um in our audit, on-site audit, we were also asked about these, you know,

[3:54:31] what our policies are and whether these have been adopted by our auditors. And

[3:54:36] so, I do think there's a time sensitivity to

[3:54:40] um resolving these issues. That's why I reached out again and said if any of you

[3:54:44] had other items, let's bring them forward. when when Loris and hers and I

[3:54:48] had a discussion with Ronnie about the uh inter uh funds I'm like I don't

[3:54:53] support it. So if I were writing this now I would want that change itself. Now

[3:54:58] I think he had some >> that would just I would just delete

[3:55:01] that. That was a proposed change that we won't put in.

[3:55:04] » Okay. >> Um and then I I think Ronnie had some

[3:55:06] comments about why he still wanted to have the discussion with you about the

[3:55:10] capital number. >> Um and do you want to

[3:55:13] » Yeah. So on the capital, it's more of a threshold for creating a fixed asset in

[3:55:18] our subleddger. You would still be either approving it as an O andM item or

[3:55:24] a capital item. It just we won't have to create an an asset that's going to be

[3:55:29] depreciated for $5,000 over 10 years. I mean, it was it was something our

[3:55:34] auditors asked if we could look at increasing as well.

[3:55:38] So, if um just for example, I'm totally making

[3:55:43] this up. Um let's say that someone was going to buy a trash truck

[3:55:49] for $4,500. That would be great, right? Um they

[3:55:54] wouldn't need our approval cuz it's under the $5,000. But if we were to

[3:55:57] raise that to 20,000, >> it's not really for the approval. I

[3:56:02] mean, you still have the dollars. It's just do I need to create an asset that's

[3:56:07] going to be systematically depreciated in our subleddger? The dollars are still

[3:56:13] in the budget as either being in on&m or capital for approval. It's just do I

[3:56:19] have to create an asset for $5,000 >> a single identified item. And with these

[3:56:27] costs that we've got today, the cost of tracking those based on where prices are

[3:56:31] today, it seems like a very low threshold to create.

[3:56:35] » That makes way more sense. I interpreted it the same way that she did, but what

[3:56:39] you're explaining to us makes way more sense.

[3:56:42] » And that was why in my email, it's here. Anybody can read it. I did ask that we

[3:56:47] talk about this as a group so that we um we all understand if we have the same

[3:56:52] questions or whatever. So, I'm fine with keeping that. And um you guys have

[3:56:56] obviously said the other one, the interdep departmental, you're good with

[3:57:00] taken out. >> Yes. Thank you.

[3:57:01] » So, I'll make a motion that we approve your financial policies with the

[3:57:07] interdep departmental transfers taken out.

[3:57:10] » Thank you. >> There's a motion on the floor to approve

[3:57:12] the financial policies as presented with the exception of the uh interdep

[3:57:18] department transfers being removed. >> I'll second.

[3:57:21] » All right. Is he's got a second, Seth? Yeah.

[3:57:23] » Okay. Laura has the motion. Seth has a second. Any discussion on this motion?

[3:57:28] Council

[3:57:31] » hearing. No discussion. May we have a roll call vote, please?

[3:57:35] » Yes. Seth, >> yes.

[3:57:36] » Gary, >> yes.

[3:57:37] » Rick, >> yes.

[3:57:38] » Jan, >> yes.

[3:57:39] » Yes. >> It is unanimous. Thank you.

[3:57:43] » Thank you, Ronnie. >> That's all I have.

[3:57:44] » Now, let's move on to Roman numeral 12, Attorney Report. Mike,

[3:57:49] » I had a phone call today with Kurt Hodgegkin

[3:57:53] um with SGR. He uh let me know that the second round of um applicants that will

[3:58:01] close February 17th, so a week from today. Um, I know I had sent you all an

[3:58:08] email with updated um updated applicants as well as he told

[3:58:14] me that the first round of applicants with their um

[3:58:20] I guess with their interviews that they had the the internet interviews he's

[3:58:25] supposed to be sending to me. I haven't received those yet, but as soon as I get

[3:58:29] those, I'll forward on to you all. So, I just wanted to give you an update as far

[3:58:32] as the manager search goes. Thank you.

[3:58:36] » Anything else, Mike? >> When does he think you have somebody to

[3:58:41] interview and stuff? >> Well, with that second round, it would

[3:58:45] be the 17th. I think they usually take another week or two to go through those

[3:58:52] applicants, find out what tier, you know, tier one, two, or three. Um, I

[3:58:58] would imagine he would be able to uh I could ask him to be available for the

[3:59:02] March meeting if that's something that you all would want me to do uh either by

[3:59:06] Zoom or in person for him to give an update on that.

[3:59:10] » I mean, I just don't feel like we're moving with this. I mean, it's two weeks

[3:59:15] this, two weeks for that. It's next month, next month, and next month. We've

[3:59:19] got to get this thing. >> We extended the application.

[3:59:24] » All of us agreed to it. Yeah. And that that means that the the

[3:59:28] closure is the February 17th. I'm just saying as far as next month if you all

[3:59:32] would want me to have him here. If you don't, then that's fine. But

[3:59:35] » that takes two weeks. >> Yeah.

[3:59:39] » That gives him three weeks to review and be ready to talk or you can have him.

[3:59:43] » Oh, yeah. He'll I'm sure he'll email them to me and I'll forward them on to

[3:59:46] you, you know, prior to that date. But, um, just wanted to give you an update

[3:59:51] that I talked to him today. >> Thanks for your question, Rick. Anybody

[3:59:55] else um have a comment about SGR? Anything else? Mike? Okay. Uh Roman

[4:00:02] numeral 13 town manager report. Mr. Mar, what a pleasure.

[4:00:06] » I'll be brief and because there's nothing that's so time pressing. And I

[4:00:10] just wanted to, you know, one I think uh the staff in public works and uh they've

[4:00:16] done a phenomenal job during this recent uh I from my perspective, we've gotten a

[4:00:21] lot of positive citizen comment about road conditions and um resolving issues

[4:00:28] that have come up. Um so I just want to thank them publicly here um as well and

[4:00:34] let the citizens who have contact us to say that know that we've shared it with

[4:00:38] the staff and we appreciate those comments as well as those of you who

[4:00:42] have sent very kind comments um and uh assisted them. Nothing else I have is

[4:00:48] that pressing so I'll wait. >> Way to go apartment

[4:00:55] swallow this thing hole medics. All right, 14

[4:01:01] captain reports. Miss Balo, >> I just have one quick thing. Um, so I

[4:01:07] attended the electric committee meeting last night as a citizen. I'm able to do

[4:01:12] that as long as I don't participate with the meeting and I didn't. But um I just

[4:01:18] want to recommend to us that our generator project is so large that um I

[4:01:27] really feel like the council should be having joint meetings with the electric

[4:01:31] committee so that we are all getting the the same information at the same time

[4:01:35] being on the same page. I really enjoyed being there hearing about, you know,

[4:01:40] that there are different conversations with um Allan from their electrical

[4:01:45] department and Ronnie talking about the the PCA and um I would like to hear

[4:01:51] those conversations and I think all of us should hear them. So I would like to

[4:01:57] consider for everyone to consider that we start having joint meetings. So the

[4:02:03] electrical committee and council's meeting together.

[4:02:06] » Okay. I I would just say to that I'm sorry. Well, I'll just wait till my

[4:02:10] call. No, no, go on. I'll just wait. >> Okay. So, that's part of your report,

[4:02:15] Laura. >> Yeah, that's all.

[4:02:16] » Okay. I think that's something council would have to take into consideration.

[4:02:19] Uh, Miss White, >> I don't have anything except I'd like to

[4:02:23] thank the U public works department for their good work during all these snow

[4:02:29] storms. I appreciate what you all do. Thank you

[4:02:34] so much. Thank you, Jan.

[4:02:38] Uh Jordan is not with us tonight. Rick, Mr. Wood,

[4:02:41] » I'd like to thank the police department, rescue squad, public works, and the

[4:02:46] water company because we had a lot of leaks during the cold weather, burst

[4:02:50] pipe everywhere. I'd like to thank for all thank them for all the hard work and

[4:02:54] the errors that they put in here. That's all I got.

[4:02:58] » Thank you, Rick. Uh Mr. Jackson. >> Yes, Mayor. Um, one I have is I had a

[4:03:04] couple calls from Oral Street and Lake Park from my

[4:03:09] neighbors basically. Was they some surveyors down there? I know probably

[4:03:13] where it's going with the road, but was they down there this week surveying

[4:03:19] for where we tore the house down? You may not be aware of that, dog.

[4:03:22] » I don't know. Sorry, but I'll be happy to find out for you. Does anyone here

[4:03:27] know? >> Yes, they were. I I called them.

[4:03:31] Can you come to the mic? >> Yeah.

[4:03:37] » So, part of that uh with FEMA, you know, and it was finding out boundaries. So,

[4:03:43] we wanted to get it surveyed. So, we went ahead and I called three weeks ago

[4:03:47] and got on schedule and they went down there, I think this week and surveyed. I

[4:03:51] think it was they supposed to went last week, but I think they was Did you say

[4:03:54] they was down there yesterday or today or

[4:03:57] » Yeah, yesterday I believe. supposed to come sometime this week and start survey

[4:04:01] that and that was mainly just to get the boundaries where we're like I said I'm

[4:04:05] getting ready to put the RFP out that way we know where to take that road

[4:04:08] through and where our boundaries are we don't

[4:04:10] » is that just for information to get out the RFP

[4:04:13] » it is yep and that way we have exact boundaries you know we obviously don't

[4:04:17] want to pave on somebody else's land so I wanted to get that survey that way we

[4:04:21] know >> I didn't see them but was that our

[4:04:23] employees count employees >> no I hired u I reached out to Um,

[4:04:29] I called a bunch. There was so many that I've called. I think uh uh Dr. Price was

[4:04:35] one of them that uh was supposed to look at doing it. So,

[4:04:40] » all right. Thank Well, since you're there, too, Jason, this one falls on

[4:04:43] you. I had a few calls this past on Shell Street. Is that a town road?

[4:04:49] » It is and it isn't. Like, it's, you know, we we we do catch that main route

[4:04:54] going through there, >> right? up to uh

[4:04:56] » Delaware. >> Delaware.

[4:04:58] » Yep. So, yeah. And it got real where it's real shaded when you first start up

[4:05:01] in there. I think Rick brought it to me. That was to the point of the grater

[4:05:05] again. I had to take the grater up there cuz where it's shaded, it it just packed

[4:05:09] down real hard. There's a lot of residents in one small area there. They

[4:05:12] packed it down quick. We We got to it a little later. We got the grater up there

[4:05:16] and cut it off and I think within a couple hours hitting it solid, it

[4:05:19] melted. >> But y'all do keep it scraped.

[4:05:21] » We do. >> Okay.

[4:05:22] » Absolutely do. >> Thank you. That's all I have. Mayor,

[4:05:25] » thank you. Mr. White. >> Yes. Back to what Laura was saying. The

[4:05:29] only comment I had to that is that the reason we have committees is because,

[4:05:32] you know, look, it's 10:15 tonight. The reason we have committees is because we

[4:05:36] can have longer discussions in a committee format than we can in here.

[4:05:40] And I'm not saying that there might be times when it is appropriate to have

[4:05:45] them here, but we we certainly have to make the best use of our time here. And

[4:05:51] that's the whole point and and idea of having committees is that if we have

[4:05:55] committee meetings, we have longer discussions about items. We can't we

[4:05:58] can't have all those discussions. You know, council should be a highlevel

[4:06:02] discussion of everything else that we have going on throughout the month. And

[4:06:07] that's why you assign committees and we can come back. Gary reports to us from

[4:06:11] planning or Jordan and I report from electrical or whatever the committee is

[4:06:15] to to give you the five minute synopsis of the 2-hour conversation that we have.

[4:06:20] That's just my opinion that you know we do whatever but that's my opinion and um

[4:06:26] Don what Gary and Jason were talking about we during the flood event we had a

[4:06:31] bridge that failed we were able to do a temporary repair to that bridge but it's

[4:06:36] a very unique situation that is the only way in and the only way out to what 30

[4:06:42] 20 30 houses >> 30 plus yeah

[4:06:44] » yeah so it's it was a very critical issue so we all teamed up on this and

[4:06:48] came up with a plan There was one house there that if we could buy that house,

[4:06:53] we could tear it down and then open that up. So now you have two ways in, two

[4:06:58] ways out. But we're going But by doing this, we can eliminate that bridge,

[4:07:02] which is a danger. And then this will become the primary entrance and exit

[4:07:07] into it and it's a much safer path and no one's going to be cut off. And I

[4:07:10] think during that event, we had an ambulance issue. There was other things

[4:07:13] that happened, very serious things like if you could pick the worst timing for

[4:07:17] something to happen, those those are the kind of things. And we had people up

[4:07:20] there who were, you know, uh, need an ambulance to take to the hospital and

[4:07:23] stuff. And it just, it created a bad situation. Jason, these guys put

[4:07:27] together some large steel plates and we made it work, but at the same time,

[4:07:30] everybody's we were a little bit nervous there for a little bit. That's so that's

[4:07:34] what that was about. And >> funding the new

[4:07:37] » Yeah. So we worked through FEMA to get funding to purchase the house, the

[4:07:40] property, and we we were able to get a good price on that. And that was the

[4:07:44] best solution that we could come up with. and and then it and it was the

[4:07:48] only place only possibility. You have two possibilities. One, you have to go

[4:07:51] through a trailer park across the river again, but to stay away from the river,

[4:07:54] you tear this down and pave it and you've got access to the road.

[4:07:58] Um, >> you're you're welcome. And I think one

[4:08:04] other thing that I I think that's it, Mary. Oh, no, no. Yes, one other thing.

[4:08:07] I drove by the section house >> and I it looks like a pipe burst,

[4:08:13] something happened, but no one's told us anything about what's going on. Okay.

[4:08:17] Okay. >> Anything else? Yeah,

[4:08:19] » that that's all that I had. >> Okay. Mayor comments. All right. Uh,

[4:08:23] first I want to add my thank yous to our town crew. I'll be very broad because

[4:08:27] they did an outstanding job in this town during the storm. Um, as you all know, I

[4:08:33] live right smack dab in the middle of town and I didn't receive any

[4:08:37] preferential treatment, believe me. But they were I could see them on Second

[4:08:41] Street and Tazwell Avenue and Fairfax Avenue where Cornerstone Church is. I

[4:08:45] could go on and on. Thank you. U and uh there is just no way to say thank you

[4:08:50] enough. The section house had a a terrible problem. It I'll make it brief

[4:08:57] because it was lengthy. Um I discovered on Friday night that there was a leak in

[4:09:02] the house and um the heat pump had stopped working. Pipe froze, burst,

[4:09:10] flooded the house on the inside of floors. the big pile that you see in

[4:09:15] front. And I want to say thank you to Mr. Mar and thank you to Jason Shepard.

[4:09:19] He responded immediately that night and all day Saturday working on it. Um, we

[4:09:26] had a crew, I forget the name of them, they came and they had they had to tear

[4:09:30] out all that mess you see in the front yard. The front I have you ever been in

[4:09:36] it? Okay. I mean the house. >> Mhm.

[4:09:39] » Okay. in the front floor is was new wood uh because when the restoration took

[4:09:46] place there wasn't enough salvageable of the original wood. So the front room is

[4:09:52] re was replaced with the original pine flooring which was what the old wood was

[4:09:57] like. The back part of the house and the side going over to the kitchen had the

[4:10:01] original wood in it. So all that wood for the front room had to be taken out

[4:10:07] because of the leak. It's just something more than unfortunate. It was horrible.

[4:10:12] And I don't mind to tell you, anybody knows me. It's near and dear to my

[4:10:15] heart. Uh when I went home Friday night and Saturday night, oh, Rod

[4:10:21] Curry had a big ball because it is near and dear and it's such a good thing for

[4:10:26] our town. So, that's what it is. And they are working to uh take all the

[4:10:32] possibilities of anything that's wet out and there'll have to be replacement. As

[4:10:36] far as cost, we are insured. The house is totally insured except for a $1,000

[4:10:42] deductible. Am I correct? >> That's correct.

[4:10:44] » So, you know, go ahead, Mr. Mar. >> No, I I would just say that, you know,

[4:10:47] anytime we have a city asset and a disaster, we're going to try to do what

[4:10:52] we can to address it. To put it in perspective, that line break was 111,000

[4:10:58] gallons of water. That is more than it takes to fill your pool. Um, so it was a

[4:11:05] significant impact. Um, again, I think a lot of people got

[4:11:12] involved because we're trying to get heat to it. Obviously, you can't even if

[4:11:16] you stop that. If you don't have heat, you got a problem. All this is after

[4:11:20] hours. Um, and trying to get it done. Ronnie did a great job of looking up to

[4:11:26] make sure the questions like, is this on our insurance so that we can make calls

[4:11:31] to restoration people, the people who helped with the original renovations to

[4:11:36] get them involved so that we could get it addressed very quickly. Um, and so

[4:11:41] all of that to say, you know, a disastrous situation is being made as

[4:11:45] best as it can um at this point. So, um, but the for the amount of expense

[4:11:54] associated to this to be covered under under our plan, I think is, you know,

[4:11:58] we're going to be lucky. >> Yes.

[4:12:00] » And I want to add to uh Sep um I talked with him Friday night. We were both over

[4:12:06] there. Uh on Saturday morning, I was over there from 8:30 until about 1:30

[4:12:12] approximately uh with the town people and also people who work for me. uh

[4:12:19] personally and we to had to take every single thing out of the house, all the

[4:12:23] furniture, everything off the walls, tons of documents that we've collected

[4:12:28] in this 16 years. We have tons of things and all those things uh were put in

[4:12:34] boxes, rolled in paper, and we're all working frantically because the people

[4:12:38] who were tearing out the floor in there pulling up the floor. So, it was a big

[4:12:43] thing and I'm just so grateful for all the support of the town crew and the

[4:12:49] interest. Thank all of you for your support. I hope that that could go on,

[4:12:53] Seth, but it's tremendous. >> No, I I just we didn't know about it. I

[4:12:56] just I >> I thought I'd just talk about it right

[4:12:58] here. >> It's good. Thank you. Uh uh any other

[4:13:03] things here under my report? Um I just want to say we do spend a lot of time in

[4:13:09] long council meetings. Senate were known for it. But in the scheme of things, we

[4:13:13] have a tremendous amount of interest in from these council members in this town.

[4:13:18] It does not go unnoticed. And um

[4:13:24] I don't want to get religious, so I won't I'm not that religious. So um the

[4:13:30] next big holiday is Valentine's Day. Be sweet. Thank you.

[4:13:35] » President Day Monday. >> Yes.

[4:13:38] » Yes. And then Valentine's Day is Saturday.

[4:13:42] » President's Day is Monday and we're closed Monday. So that's an announcement

[4:13:46] to the public. And the only other thing I have to say is that's it. I'm good.

[4:13:50] » I hope this Valentine's Day ain't like last Valentine's Day.

[4:13:54] » We had that major flood. >> It was horrible. So um anyway, there's

[4:13:59] tons about all this that I could say, but we could be here for the rest of the

[4:14:03] night and nobody wants to hear that. Uh it's too late. Uh so Roman numeral 16

[4:14:09] executive close session. Is there a motion to go into close session per code

[4:14:14] section 2.2-3711A1

[4:14:20] personnel discussion of hiring of frozen open positions.

[4:14:26] A revenue part-time position, B public works foreman, C part-time rec position,

[4:14:33] and then we added one which is code section 2.2-371188,

[4:14:40] legal consultation for electrical contracts.

[4:14:44] » Got the motion the motion. They're fine. Uh we have a motion made by Gary and

[4:14:48] seconded by Rick. Any discussion on this motion?

[4:14:51] » I just want to quickly say just because we can doesn't mean we should. I the

[4:14:56] open positions are not about specific people. I would prefer to talk about it

[4:15:00] publicly. It's budget thing. That's all. >> Okay. Well, we have a motion on the

[4:15:06] floor. So, we'll uh go um in that direction. So, we have a motion and a

[4:15:11] second. Um any further discussion on the motion

[4:15:16] hearing? None. Move we have a roll call vote, please.

[4:15:19] » Yes. Okay. Seth, >> yes.

[4:15:20] » Gary, >> yes.

[4:15:21] » Rick, >> yes.

[4:15:22] » Jan, >> yes.

[4:15:23] » And Laura, >> no. Motion carries 421.

[4:15:28] So, u I would like to ask I am hot, physically hot. Can we stay in here and

[4:15:34] I may ask you to please step out. Thank you.

[4:40:11] just say yes. >> Uh Gary,

[4:40:14] » yes. >> Rick,

[4:40:14] » yes. >> Dan, Laura,

[4:40:16] » yes. >> We're in open session now. Is there a

[4:40:19] motion to certify that nothing was discussed in executive session other

[4:40:23] than Virginia Code Section 2.2? 2-3711A1

[4:40:29] personnel discussion of hiring of frozen/open

[4:40:34] positions revenue part-time position public works foreman part-time rec

[4:40:40] position and code section 2.2-3711A88 2-3711A88

[4:40:46] legal consultation for electrical contract. That's what it says on the

[4:40:50] agenda. Make a motion. >> Oh, there's a motion. Is there a second?

[4:40:54] » I has a second and a yay vote indicates nothing was discussed other than these

[4:41:00] things. Uh, is there any discussion on this motion to certify? All right, roll

[4:41:05] call vote. Seth, >> yes.

[4:41:08] » Rick, Jan, Laura, >> yes. Motion carries. Uh we are now fully

[4:41:14] in open session. Is there any action that council wishes to take at this

[4:41:17] time? >> Mr. Mayor, I'd like to uh make a motion

[4:41:21] to direct the town manager to create a new RFP um similar to the one we created

[4:41:26] before to hire a electrical contract attorney. I guess that'd be the best

[4:41:31] way. And and for him and and Mike to get together on that and craft that in the

[4:41:35] best way possible. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. Is there a

[4:41:39] mo a second to that motion? Rick has a second. Any discussion?

[4:41:43] » Uh yes, ma'am. >> Is this to try to get out of the

[4:41:47] contracts that we have now? >> This is to analyze the contracts that

[4:41:51] we're in to tell us where we are. We don't understand. We we don't still to

[4:41:56] this day two years later don't have full versions of the contracts that we're in.

[4:42:01] So this is to do the analysis of what we can and cannot do.

[4:42:04] » And what is the the end? Because I'm thinking of money, right? Like we

[4:42:09] couldn't allocate $1,600 for GDS to come back. So what is the endg game with the

[4:42:15] attorney to to analyze this?

[4:42:20] » Well, this is recommendation electrical committee, which this council already

[4:42:24] voted on and approved. We just did not hire anyone from the first RFP. So this

[4:42:29] is just a repeat of that. As far as I don't have an endgame. I'm just carrying

[4:42:33] forth the recommendation of the electrical committee and backing up the

[4:42:38] approval that was probably unanimous. I don't have it in front of me, but I

[4:42:41] believe that it was unanimous when we voted on this last time as a council to

[4:42:44] do it. >> So, this is just to extend that RFP and

[4:42:47] to recraft it. >> So, we got a motion and a second on the

[4:42:50] floor. Any other discussion? >> Yeah, I just want to Yes. It was just

[4:42:53] the the financial aspect of it. >> Don't when we talked about it before it

[4:42:58] was to get out of the contracts. I don't think we should get out of contracts now

[4:43:02] because we're halfway into it. We will own a piece of a hydro plant. We're too

[4:43:08] far into it to It's probably the same situation with generator. This is

[4:43:12] another reason why I wanted to meet with the electrical committee and the

[4:43:18] electrical committee has got to start taking

[4:43:21] um minutes so we can reference things like this. It's required by foil law,

[4:43:27] but also so we can reference things like this. Just throwing that out there.

[4:43:30] » Only if three of us are there is it required to take minutes.

[4:43:33] » No. Okay. Any any committee appointed by call for the question?

[4:43:37] » Two each. >> Seth, have you got your two?

[4:43:40] » Yeah, I don't. >> Yes.

[4:43:42] » Any other discussion? >> Okay. Um, so we have a motion and a

[4:43:47] second on the floor. Uh, somebody taking notes on this. Okay.

[4:43:52] » Seth made the motion. Rick has a second. >> All right. We've had discussion. Any

[4:43:56] further discussion from anyone who has not spoken? Hearing no discussion, roll

[4:44:00] call vote. Seth? >> Yes.

[4:44:02] » Gary? >> Yeah. I'd like to make know more about

[4:44:05] this contract myself. So, I'm going vote yes.

[4:44:07] » Okay. Rick. >> Yes.

[4:44:09] » Yes. >> No.

[4:44:10] » Okay. It is a 41. Let the record reflect. Now, is there

[4:44:16] any action that council wishes to take regarding these part-time positions or

[4:44:19] part regarding these positions? Sorry. >> All right. Revenue part-time and public

[4:44:25] works. I'd like to make a motion to open that new

[4:44:30] » he this one or this one read that one and that one

[4:44:35] » public works foreman and the part-time the revenue clerk part time

[4:44:42] Rick's making a motion uh to authorize the uh manager uh Mr. Mar to uh find

[4:44:49] someone to fill the revenue part-time position and to hire a public works

[4:44:52] foreman. Is that correct Rick? I don't put words in your mouth

[4:44:55] » and to fill any spots that opens up to somebody internal takes it.

[4:45:00] » Yes. >> All right. Is there a second to that

[4:45:02] motion? >> Second.

[4:45:04] » Gary has a second. Any discussion on this motion?

[4:45:09] » I hear no discussion. Uh Seth, >> yes.

[4:45:13] » Gary, >> yes.

[4:45:14] » Rick Jan, >> yes. The motion carries. It is

[4:45:18] unanimous. Our next regular meeting is on March the 10th. Is there a motion to

[4:45:22] adjurnn? I'll make the motion. >> Rick has the motion to adjurnn. Laura

[4:45:25] has a second. All in favor of adjourning say I.

[4:45:28] » I. >> Any opposed?

[4:45:31] » The meeting is adjourned. Thank you.

[4:45:36] I've been working here

Town of Richlands February 10, 2026 1

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