Town Council - Regular Meeting

Welcome. Today is Thursday, January 8th, 2026. It is 6:00 p.m. and we will now open the town council meeting for Bowling Green, Virginia. Would everyone please stand for the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Now take the roll call. Councilwoman Davis, here.

Councilman Voit, I'm here. Councilman Webb is not with us this evening. Dr. Chenalt, Councilman Chanel, Vice Mayor Coyle here. Councilman Stor here. Councilman Haggment here. We have six members present, one absent. We have a quorum. The first item on our agenda is our um items one and two on our consent agenda. Is there any reason that anyone on council wants to pull any of these out for discussion?

Well, I I always have concerns about mic. I'm sorry. If you have We won't have discussion. If you want to discuss it, tell me which one to pull out. One or two. It would be two, but I really don't want it pulled out. I I think we need to establish certain partnerships with certain individuals, maybe a one-time um deal, so to speak, is applicable. Um but I think uh as we move along and see what happens in the future, and that has to do with the approval of nonprofit usage of town hall,

we could just have the discussion. We we could just pull it. I I I'll make a motion to approve the minutes for December 4th, 2025. I have a motion to approve item one on the agenda. I have a second from Councilman Hagman.

Um is there any discussion on the minutes? Any changes or any discussion? Okay. Um all in favor, raise your right hand. Okay. We accept the minutes. We'll now move on to number two. Item number two, the nonprofit usage of town hall. Councilwoman Coyle, I will uh turn this over to you since you're the one with the questions. Madam, Madame Mayor, if I may. Um, just just for by way of introduction, um, we were approached by the schools um, for one of the requests as well as 4 extension and I think um, historically maybe pre- pandemic um, there was a anart a partnership or waiver of fees for um, the 4 purpose to allow for sewing classes here um, by Mrs. Rollins. So, um, at that request, um, in accordance with what is currently in our town code, it says that we need to bring these to council for consideration. I will also say that there's been at least an understanding for county usage of our facilities um, for things like a holiday lunchon. Um, so I think if if from a a staff's perspective, if we have strategic partnerships with the county for certain events as well as the schools, given some of our um discussions previously around uh county relations and strategic partnerships with our community partners that I think under certain circumstances maybe in oneoff per year that they're allowed to have these events to activate the space particularly during the week when it's not being rented on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. So that was staff's rationale um for bringing this forward and recommending approval for these uh two specific events.

Yeah. And you you articulated that that quite well and you're right. The these are during regular hours. So the extra cleaning and everything are secondary to it. But um I'm glad that we we we pulled it even though I we're going to you know approve it as is I believe. But I think uh you bring to light what it is cuz when we just basically advertise in our agenda that we're waving fees, that's going to maybe put the wrong idea into into some minds. But these are things that we've done in the past and they're more of like a community event kind of thing. But the key for me is it's not getting in the way of the other usage that we worked pretty hard in in updating our our our plan and and everything for. So yeah, [snorts] I'm I'm I'm good with it. Any other questions before I

um Yeah, I'll call for the vote a minute. Do we allow the fire department use of our town hall at a discount? Um I don't necessarily have every um event application or um past booking in front of me, but I don't believe so. I believe that um they pay the I would have to go back and double check, but I do believe that they pay a rate, the full price, I believe. So, it it' be the discounted in town rate, but I'm pretty sure that's what they pay.

And I mean, it depends on who is booking it. And so, if the event um is booked by an an individual who lives in town, then they would be subject to the in town rate is discounted for clarity. Any other discussion? I will call for a motion. Okay. I'll I'll move to approve number two. Let me read the thing. I'll second it.

So, I have a motion from Councilman Voit, a second from Councilman Hagaman. Any further discussion? All in favor, raise your right hand. Motion carries. We will now move on to public comment. Anyone wishing to speak can come to the podium. Please list your name and your address. Tell us your name and your address at which time you'll have three minutes to speak. You will address me, please. and our rules do not allow for council to respond to your questions or comments, but we are taking notes and we are listening. And um at this time I would like to open public comment.

Just so you know, welcome, Miss Craropper. Just so you know, I was not going to do this. This one? That one?

Announce your name and address, please. Good evening, Mayor Gamble, town council members. Pat Craropper, 251 North Main Street. I'm not going to talk about water. Surprise. I am going to talk about the additional fees. I'm glad Mr. Web's not here, but the additional $150,000 to his firm for a project that could have been started a long time ago. Um, I guess I'm really disappointed that this was not brought out prior to this to the minutes or to today. I read all the paperwork on it and it seems like bidding documents were done. You don't do bidding documents until the plans are completed. The plans were not completed. When he met at our house for an easement that everything changed, that was in November. We got a letter in March of 2025. So, the timing of all of this and then to be hit with a $150 overage, I understand because I worked for an architectural firm for 37 years. I know how it works, but you don't put out plans. You do not put out bidding documents until everything is signed off. And it says that the town council signed off on it. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Craropper. One thing. Yes, ma'am. I'm going to send y'all a list of my question, but it'll take too long tonight. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Would someone else Is anyone else want to speak at this time? Hello, Miss Giles.

Hello. Hello, mayor, council, men and women, and Marie Giles, 260 Roper Drive. I'm back again. I hope this is the last time I talk about this issue. Last month, [clears throat] I was here again to repeat my concerns for public safety in this town. Every time I've ever spoken about this before, I was always told that this was a VOTE issue. The town's hands are tied. Then Mr. Fortune told us at the December meeting that he had taken care of the problem at Virginia and Oakidge, and I really appreciate that, but I am confused as to which are the facts. Even if it's VOTE problem, someone should be making a call. We have a town manager who should be managing the town outside of the town walls. My hope is that this issue can be resolved and soon. I really don't want to come back with this issue. I'm getting tired of it, but something needs to be done. Last year, the town increased property tax, food tax, and water. Then I opened my personal property tax to find that it cost me $60 more this time. My 25year-old car cost $ 32.91. instead of 291 because of a vehicle license fee. Now, I understand somebody told me tonight that this was approved in 2019. But evidently, it wasn't carried out for a very good reason. And the reason might be that this is a town full of old people who are on fixed income and a extra $60 fee on your property tax is a lot. It's a big chunk at one time. We used to have decals for our car. That was an expense for the town, which doesn't exist anymore. It's

a 100% profit for the town and 0% benefit for the taxpayer. From talking to some council members who were surprised to find out about this, some people had not even opened their bills, so they didn't know it. It [clears throat] was a seemed like a unilateral decision, not even discussed with town council. I am assuming by the town manager who doesn't live in the town so is not affected by this charge nor anyone in her family. I don't know how far back they're going to find fees and taxes that were used at one time. This is a small town again with a very small population. I feel that we are being overt taxed so more people that we don't need can be hired in town hall. years ago, we were had two women in the office. We received all of our bills on time, which is more than I can say now. I received my personal property bill on the 21st of December, due on the 9th. And this is with the town hall still closed two days a week so that they can get work done. You need to open our town hall. We are paying a premium for it.

Thank you. Thank you, Miss. That was perfect. [laughter] Thank you ma'am. Is there anyone else that wishes to speak at this time? Going once, twice. I will now close public comment. We will move on to member comments and uh I will start with Councilman Hegman. I have I have none, madame. Councilman Stor nothing at this time. Vice Mayor Coyle. Nothing at this time. Thank you. Dr. Chenalt,

nothing. Mr. Councilman Voit.

Yeah, I said I won't bring it back up at this point. But um let me talk about the planning commission stuff for so planning commission canled their their December meeting. There's not much to talk about there other than to say that still looking forward to continued work on the comp plan and this month, you know, in working on the uh the annual work plan. Um and um two things. So, um I want to say now because the public hearing is coming up, um that I I did hear from two people, you know, in involved in in the business that they probably weren't going to be able to come tonight to speak on that and so they wanted to be able to speak on it at some point. So, you know, if if uh if we don't think that we're ready to take action on the the the food truck thing, you know, a consideration of extending the public hearing the next month, but I just wanted to put that out there. Um and then the actual thing I was going to, you know, bring up now was the appointment to the planning commission. So, um it was staggered. So, it was that that two-year term that ended in was was it June?

July. July. Okay. That was close. Yeah. And um so then we we reappointed me um until first of the year and so now there's technically a vacancy there. Um so that you know should be taken care of. It's the you know council liaison to the planning commission which is a two-year term at a time. Yes. So um thank you for that. We will um after we finish our comments, we will look at uh adding this to the agenda so we can act on this. Um is that all Mr. Voit? Yes, ma'am. M. Miss Davis,

I have none.

Thank you. And I have no comments at this time. We're going to move on to our public hearing. Our public hearing is a zoning ordinance text amendment. Amendments are proposed articles 10-04 definitions 10-18 business district B1 and 10.20 20 business district B2 to define the term mobile vending vehicles temporary and to add mobile vending vehicles temporary as a permanent use in the B1 and B2 business district. I will um now open our public hearing and I'm going to turn this over to our town manager. [snorts]

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, included in your packet is the uh memo uh pertaining to this item as well as the public hearing information that um was uh noticed um in the the paper um to the public to open up the public hearing for the zoning text amendment. As Mr. Voit stated, the planning commission um took I don't know maybe three or four meetings taking a look at this. There was extensive public outreach um via community engagement. There were surveys um to the public um pertaining to this item um online uh and the planning commission reviewed those those um comments and the survey responses. Uh we held a public hearing at the planning commission. There I believe were no official public comments pertaining to um the zoning text amendment. Uh so the item you have before you is um based on the direction of the planning commission. And um at with that, we'll go ahead and I guess allow um anybody signed up for the public hearing to speak.

At this time, um I would like to open this up to the public. Again, if you have something to say on this matter, please come forward. Give us your name, your address, and you have three minutes to speak. Going once. I mean twice. Okay. And we'll close our public comment part of our public hearing. Um have all of you looked this over? Does council have any questions on this the changing of this?

There's a quick aspect I' discuss. I guess um you know what we have here is the ordinance update which is basically you know the spearhead to allow the use what we're not talking about right now is the like permitting process to come later. Can you speak to that a little better than I could? Thanks. Maybe.

Uh sure. Uh we reviewed the application um with the planning commission um as well as uh the associated fee um with that um and so that was reviewed and and and approved. And so administratively um that permitting process would come through um my office um we would review it um I would review and make a determination as a zoning administrator. there was particularly um concerns related to our brick and mortar businesses and potential impacts and competition. Um and so ultimately as uh that it was discussed at the planning commission, [clears throat] the zoning administrator would have uh some discretion as it relates to um permitting licenses with businesses in town that would have some competition. So, for instance, um if there was a a mobile vending truck that offered coffee, um if it was open, in theory, it would not compete with another coffee shop that was in town and also permitted to to be placed on a private property. And so in that event, theoretically, the the planning commission had a conversation around whether or not it could be allowed on hours that a business in town was not operating. And so based on their direction, that that would be something that would be left to administrative level to approve. So in the event in that instance there's a business of that sort um permitting maybe only for Sunday for an op for operational hours when a business or competing business in town wasn't open would be allowed.

Thank you. Um I guess I guess part of my concern I I don't want to get lost in in the actual procedural stuff that we're supposed to do. So, I'm I'm going to, you know, foremost agree that, you know, the ordinance part is what we need to tackle first. Um, but even with with the brief discussion that we had in our last council meeting, you know, there were different concerns amongst a couple council members, including myself, of aspects that would be appropriate on on that that permanent application level, not on this ordinance. Um, and so again, I don't want to get lost in trying to add those things into the ordinance, but because there are some concerns, even if it's only my concerns, um, you know, my my question would be, okay, we have this in front of us, we pass this, then what happens? So based on the discussion I think the direction from um the planning commission um in that discussion the application there weren't any real real modifications from the application as drafted as that time along with the flyer um that was drafted with with that input um as well. So the fees that were discussed there which I think was I think was a onetime $70 fee and then they would be required to have a business license. So in theory, it would cost from a cost prohibitive perspective that you would be talking about probably $100 a year for someone to open and obtain a mobile vending permit. So that was a concern of of the planning commission. And so from a fee perspective, that would be kind of ballpark of what we would be looking at based on I don't know research of seven or eight different localities that we took a look at um comparable towns and size. So, yeah, it was it was a pretty strong um application process and everything and I liked practically all of it. I I'm just um I don't know, maybe maybe the word is

surprised. I I I had expected that to council to have a bit more weigh in and not just have the planning commission define that thing and and that part. It it feels like that's going around council in in a certain manner. I I I kind of thought that like, you know, the council would look at a little bit and be like, "Oh, yeah, that's a great application." And go on from there. and you know maybe if they didn't like $100 you know they would have changed that you know um again you know the ordinance is obviously the most important thing but

if you would like us to bring the application back for formal approval to council from an administrative perspective we can do that or if council just wants to set the fee which I think would be from a policy perspective well within your right um obviously if you want to be in the weeds of creating a form you're more than welcome to do that and we can do that as well.

Yes ma'am. Yeah, I just have a language or a wording. Is that okay to ask that at this point? I just have Okay. So, when we started this last month, it was a mobile food now says mobile vending vehicles. I have a problem with the word vending. So, are you utilizing the word vending or did planning utilize the word vending? in that a food truck or somebody is selling a t-shirt or another item. Now, Virginia code focuses on the food aspect and then if you want to sell shirts that follows the general business, sales tax, etc. Food is the primary function. Vending to me means I am going to get my license, my permit for cart, whatever to sell slippers, to sell bracelets, to sell whatever nonfood item. That's what vending means to me. So my concern is by putting mobile vending once that is in the ordinance solidified, we now have carts, trucks, vehicles, etc. allowed to sell anything, not just food. I'm not going to speak to what the planning commission's intent was, but I know um I was at one of the meetings. I I think that that was discussed that [snorts] food was not to be the only item sold out of a truck because there are so many other

things. There are um there are clothing salons that that it is a vending truck. So I think that I'm not going to speak. Mr. Roy, you are on PC. Were you intentionally was the commission intentionally trying to broaden the scope of the trucks?

That's the weeds of it. um on the application it you have to write down what you're selling and merchandise is an available one. Now there is discretion at the administrative level to say this is okay and this is not but I will agree with you know like after some of my more talks in the community that's one of the things that I wanted to more narrow down since the original discussion at the PC level you know I I I have been uh through my discussions I I just feel more strongly about getting away from more merchandise stuff so I would want to strengthen that language to more specify primary food rather than you just list what you're going to sell. And I I don't have that in front of me to be, oh, I like this, I don't like that right now.

Well, I I thought when we started the discussion 3 4 years ago in regard to food mobile units, food was the specific. Clothing is ancillary to any vendor. And again, the code says food is the prime billing point. If you want to sell t-shirts, that is just general business. You pay tax, you pay the normal thing of it. But for me, and I am all down on food trucks, I am I I'm looking for food truck Fridays here, but vending for me is now a big problem. So, that's my two Um, town attorney, is this something that we should revisit?

Um, how do I go about doing this? We still have an open public hearing. We haven't closed the public hearing. you can continue this public hearing um to the next meeting or you can otherwise you have to advertise again um if you change the ordinance right and that's why

have another public hearing if you don't make significant changes to it I mean I wouldn't taking out one of the uses I don't think would be a significant change this isn't allowed use anyway right now um so I this council's decision. If you want to take action tonight or defer action, you probably don't have to have another public hearing unless you significantly change the words.

Well, I think that's the funny thing about it is I don't think any issues that any of us would have really maybe other than the verbiage of vending itself. But if if vending is defined like I think it's with the particulars that are all on the application process. So I would recommend based on the staff work that's been put into this go ahead and moving forward with the ordinance that you have as drafted and then we can bring back the application which is where we had that discussion at the planning commission level around some of the nuances of this and work out the administration administrative pieces as well as adopting the fees at a future meeting. Well, what would happen for the person that comes in tomorrow and wants to start one? There's currently no process to do [clears throat] that and so that would Yeah.

clarifying everything else. Absolutely. Yeah. So I I need some clarification. You said go ahead and pass this and so if we if this council passes this then the word vending stays in here. Yes. Unless you amend it before passing. Is that something you desire to make a motion to do is to amend this before we send it to a vote since you had the objection or

I have yet because I have a problem with vending but I mean we haven't Jeff and I have discussed this. I don't know what the rest of council feels about can I I would like to hear from you Mr. Stor. So, did this thing whole thing however many years ago started come out of somebody wanted to have a food truck?

It it came out of I was on planning commission at the time. All of this started because of um the ice cream truck that was at the corner of Milford and um Main Street. And so we really didn't have a way to There were people that complained about it. There were people who thought it was great. And we realized there was no real direction for food trucks in the town. And so we thought, okay, at the time that town manager when we were on the planning commission brought this to us and said, you know, I need I need for this commission to give us some clearer guidelines. So I was involved at the beginning of this, but then it other things took priority. So it kind of got put on the back burner and since then I moved from planning commission to council. So I I'm over a year out now. So that's where we take theertise of Mr. Lloyd here.

Um that was one of the early legs of the whole thing. Yes. Um at that time the prior councils that was like three councils ago I guess um you know approached it in a in a different way and you know ultimately what we ended up having was some businesses that are still existing now in a more brick and mortar fashion to brick and mortar.

Um and so ultimately I guess you could say that was good for the town. Um, in the time since then, um, there have been a couple others. Um, you may have seen, you know, some food trucks around here that were maybe semi-seasonal, were here for a few weeks and then gone. Um, fast forward to now, um, what we've noticed in some of our other code related issues, right, is that's not in the code. That's not an allowable use. We've been fixing that here along the last couple years. Um, when it comes to food trucks, they're not in there at all. You know, to allow, to disallow. If it's not in there at all, you're basically supposed to say no, of course. But, um, you know, there have been other requests. Um, nothing that's necessarily been been happening specifically because, you know, now we have, you know, some vigilance on there and, oh, okay. So, you've made a request. I'll refer, you know, to the council to refer the planning commission. Hey, let's go through the process and see if we want it or not. Um,

so when to not, you know, to not rewrite everything ourselves, did the planning commission look at other localities and what they call about eight other do they call them vending trucks or they call them food vendors?

You know, they're there's only so many that are similar size to us, you know, and then there's the different kind of things. Is it a is it like a tourist destination? Is it, you know, place like Urbana or Colonial Beach or something like that? And it it really did vary. You know, ultimately maybe the language doesn't necessarily matter, but we should put what we collectively feel as as how we want to handle it. And some places allow, you know, merchandise peddlers and some don't. You know, I I don't recall. We didn't really look into non-food very much. Mr. for Agamman

on the weekends once a quarter whatever it is when um Dy Chic has her thing. Does that include her vendors? Is that the same thing?

That would not um special events are still going to be underneath that whole section of code and everything. So if you're trying to bring in there, you got to honor that. So they wouldn't do this. My other part that would be is kind of in agreement with Valerie as far as the vending. I mean, how many people might we want to have come in? Well, they might might want to come in and sell their wares on Sunday or Saturday. Is that not hurting some of our little boutiques that we already have in town? Because, you know, like Sunundry, I mean, that's what they sell. I I don't think we should include I think it should just be food trucks. That's that's my opinion.

Again though, that that's more on the the little list thing that's on the piece of paper that you don't have in front of me. But then again, should we strike out the wording? You can. Yeah. I'm just I'm just specifying that that's a a leg of this as well. Might I mention just some food for thought. A vending truck could also be something like the Snap-On tool guy that goes to the gas stations and sells the tools out of his Snap-On tool truck.

That is um which is a common practice, especially when you get in the northern counties of our Commonwealth. It's it's normal to be at a gas station or or that kind of a business and see that that truck pull in. So, I know it's that's just one simple instance, but you would be that's the kind of thing if we only have food that you would be cutting out and disallowing in the town.

But if we leave it at vending and what we talked about in our retreat the last day and a half, 6 months down the road, um you know, recreational marijuana is in use. What's going to stop a truck coming in from selling selling salts hookah or whatever hookah and and marijuana? I mean, do we want that? We've got to come up with a plan already like a lot of the other municipalities have where we make a rule you can't sell that stuff within a certain mile radius of a school. I say 20 miles that keeps it out of town, keeps it out of the whole county. I'm not in favor of that. But

so let me just reiterate what I said. Food trucks can sell t-shirts, ancillary items as because it is allowed. My only concern was vending to put the words as a pedaller to come around and start selling little wares. You know, that that's my biggest concern. I mean, I'm flexible. We can work things out, but I'm not sure that Snap-On tools or Schwans, food trucks that drive around where people have ordered things and are being delivered is considered I don't know, Mr. Gore, is that considered a

We You don't order Snapple and they would come by and just ask the mechanics, do you need anything? Is that considered a vending? Because it's a retail merchant to that to that business like garage or something. Exactly. So I don't think they're considered a vending.

Yeah. Valerie made a point. She used the word peddler. I don't know if we still have this. We used to have what is known as a peddler's license. Um that there was a gentleman, he passed away a few years ago that used to sell vegetables out of his truck and he had a peddler's license. Again, that's sort of like a vending [clears throat] aspect. You're Yes, it's food, but it's not cooked food. It was vegetables. And, you know, there are layers, levels, and layers of nuances with this. And I I just want to make sure that everyone is aware. Um, I'm happy with whatever council decides, but I I just want I want the information out there so that you know what you're deciding.

Hold on. Let me the town manager first and then I'll get you, Mr. Stor.

Thank you, Madam. I just wanted to to clarify some of the conversation back from um the planning commission and back to some of the the items that had come up before about us being businessfriendly and trying to promote more business in town. Um and we had been contacted by people who have asked as asked for the ability to do this. So some of the impetus for this is yes it pred predates most of us here um on staff and I know some of the conversations with the planning commission but there has been specific request. Um, with that being said, we also know that there have been instances where some of our current brick-and-mortar businesses did start at as food trucks and kind of with the intent of how this was drafted did sell whether it's coffee mugs or t-shirts or whatever and have become successful brick and mortar businesses in our town. So I think that was um the intent to include the vending language. But in the event that council wants to further refine that or remove that or restrict that, then we would just explicitly as part of the application process say that the the sale of the retail items could either would have to be prohibited um or if you're saying that you want that to be permitted um on you know the case by case basis when there's food sold then I think that that can be clarified as part of the application process and then obviously be reviewed and approved administratively,

Mr. Swing.

So, I think we we all everything always starts the way this starts, right? Something happened. Someone complained, "How come they get to sell ice cream?" And then we say, "Well, we don't have anything to address that they can't." So, we tked, you know, three years ago, we tked the planning commission, "Well, let's draft something." So, we got something. And so, And then like we always do, we microscope everything and we drill down and drill down and we kind of get away from what we really were tasked to look at sometimes and we try to be all inclusive. It's been a lot of work done on this thing. I think most localities have a food truck. Let's just amend it to say food vendor, you know, because I think the whole thing is I don't think there's I don't think it's going to be a truck showing up selling socks anytime soon or shoes or, you know, hats. So, let's just knock this food vendor thing out and call it a food vendor.

So, are you making a motion? Well, can So, can we amend what's Well, it's all the definition. So, the definition can Can you narrow the scope of the definition that is in the proposed ordinance. I think you can right so right now the definition is a self-propelled pushed or towed vehicle trailer or cart from which food and or items of personal property are prepared and or sold at retail to walk up customers and excluding vehicles used solely for delivery. So that food is the primary. Well, it doesn't say it does not say food is a primary. It says you sell food and or other things

that or Yeah. So I mean one one option if if you if you if you do want to adopt something tonight and you want to re revise this you could say that food is you could revise to say food must be the primary um uh purpose and you know other goods could be sold incidentally or secondarily to the primary per you know use. You could do it like that or you could just make it a food truck and and take out the references to other goods if you wanted to do that. You could always adopt a other type of vending vehicle ordinance down the road.

Mr. Aamman,

the problem I mean if we have a food and we define it as food and they come in and they're selling their t-shirt, say they're Mr. Hot Dog and they have their t-shirt that says Mr. hot dog on it because that's their food cart or they have a baseball cap. I don't have a problem with that. I'm just thinking about people coming in and selling whatever they want to sell and I think we could be getting away or down the road. I mean, we're trying we're trying to do it. So, like we have the mix house. They sell hats. They sell cups like this with the mix house on it. That's fine. And they started off in the trailer. Gibson's did too. Great. I mean, we got two great businesses in town. the corner stores sell stuff like that. Um, I have no problem with that. I'm just It goes back if we just let somebody in to start selling whatever they want or we could be opening up a can of big can of worms in town.

Manager

also like to add that we can also revoke a license and permit at any given time. So in the event that there was a bad actor that was not or they changed their primary use to just want to sell retail and not food and food more as a secondary or maybe skirting that rule, we can we can pull that permit and then I would have the chief of police shut them down. Very clear, very clean. So how do you want to proceed with this? It's council's move with this. again, you're a food truck, you want to sell ancillary items. I'm fine with that. I don't have a problem. I've spoken to planning commission and I think that was their concern was once someone sells t-shirts and the reason they changed the wording to vendor was for that reason instead of using food truck because they assumed someone might be selling t-shirts. That's fine. a food can do that. It's allowed. I guess I'm stuck on the word vending, but I'm flexible. If you can revoke if someone is doing whatever, fine. I I just like Granny says, I don't want 10 different carts coming into the town during um music on the green and start selling a bunch of things when we have brick and mortar here. But at the same time, I don't want to deter anyone from making a buck. But I just I just want it to be copeticatic.

Mr. Voy,

I just want to I I think it' be good public balance to kind of address kind of what you're saying there about music on the green. Um, you these things are are permitted and accepted by the the ZA and they wouldn't be able to roll up to the Music on the Green because town doesn't own that property and this doesn't allow for using a parking space. This has to be done um with permission of a a a business parcel. So, they're going to have to be on a business parcel or parking lot with permission of of that person. Um there's not a direct cap on the amount of them that could be active at a given time. You know, that's kind of also a discretionary. They do have to put in their hours of operation. They do have to put in the type of product they're going to be making. Um and the the ZA is going to have to make the the decision of if that conflicts with the existing things that are in the town. Um one thing that I was asked and and you can just clarify because you can say it better than me. Um, you know, if if somebody were to come in and get accepted under the guise of whatever kind of thing that we don't have in town right now, right? Um, and then they change their mind and they start selling something like, well, you know, the retail we've been talking about or competitive food like ice cream or whatever. Um, and you know, the the public notice that thing, what is their process to be like, hey, I mean, I assume it's just a normal zoning violation thing. They come and and make that complaint to you, correct?

Yeah. Um, so you know that as a note to the public, you just have to write an email or come in here and and state that that issue that that's going on. Um, but the the the per and that again that's all in the permit aspect of that where they have to write all this stuff down. There's other things like um they have to be a certain foot distance from anything else to do things and that's all in that. So again, this ordinance covers the actual definition which is the important part for our work. When you did work on this, did you um did the planning commission look at the aspect of say like a good humor truck? They're not going to be parked in anyone's spot for any length of time and they'll be going through something like that would go through the residential neighborhoods. We discussed this the last meeting

that was that brought back. It it was at at the at the planning commission level like that was because they're they're passing through, you know, that that was a little bit different. That would be, you know, like I guess you have different levels of that. They're coming through trying to make some money and then leave. Um you could kind of compare that almost to like a Door Dash or a Schwans truck or those kinds of things. and wasn't trying to capture that because that's not using our that's all in the rightway and on private property. It's it's not using our our zoning like that is not being a business in a place that we can really leash it in that way because it's again passing through. But anybody that's stopping and using the space of this town for business, you it's a commerce thing and and so that's what we're trying to capture with the you're talking nitpicking with words stopping and passing through. If a good humor truck is going to sell an ice cream cone, he's got to stop to do it. He's not going to have a little kid running next to the truck down street and taking his money.

Yeah. We based on your language, [snorts] there's not a shoe store in the entire county. So if a shoe vendor were to come down and just drive through the neighborhoods, what you're telling me is that would be permitted but not parking the way I'm trying to get some clarification here because I'm I'm hearing double talk. Well, that that's one you'd have to run by the attorney there. Um because driving through and quickly stopping to sell a shoe at a random town parking space is definitely different than occupying a parcel for an amount of time.

Yeah, that that's a different animal legally. That's, you know, zoning laws regulate use of property, right? Not not not our streets. Okay? Right? So, if you want to have a license for someone to lawfully pedal on the public streets certain goods like ice cream, that's a different issue. This doesn't tackle that.

Okay? This tackles people on private property um using parking these vehicles as a use on that property. Um again, they're temporary by definition, but it's it's a use that would be permitted if the ordinance is met and it's applied for and approved. It would be a new use that is lawfully permitted on private property in the districts according to the ordinance B1 B2. if it meets the definition and someone gets the permit. So,

so if they go ahead and pass this tonight, can they make a motion to pass it by saying mobile food food vehicles? Can they change that word? I I think council it is in council's discretion to make amendments before adopting it.

Yeah. If to the definition to limit the scope of it if that's what you want to do. I mean, you could uh you could make it as it's been discussed that if you want food to be the primary use, then we could amend the definition to say that it's used primarily for the preparation and sale of food at retail to walk up customers. Period. Such vehicles may as a secondary or incidental use to the primary use sell other retail goods. Period. And then the last clause would be a sentence. This definition does not include delivery vehicles. Is that something that you're gonna make that motion?

That's the intent. If that's what you want, I think legally you can do that. From madam man, from a staff perspective, I think that would be um recommended because I think as more of this comes back, I think there's at least one mobile vending drinking truck that is not an not alcoholic drink, but there's very specific definitions as it pertains to food and drinking laws at the state level. And so we were not trying to exclude like a mobile vending vehicle like that that you know may have that specific use. Um, and so I think to the attorney's point, primary and not removing the vending I think would be more inclusive so that we're not excluding some of those particular people that have showed up at some of our town events already who have expressed interest. So trying to be as exclusive as possible.

I'm cool with that. Well, just just to make sure I'm clear, um because what I was saying would be in order to qualify for that use, that vehicle would have to primarily be there to sell food, right? So, other goods could be sold from that vehicle if they were secondary or incidental to the sale of the food. The way I framed it sounds a little different than what you're talking about. Um, you know, that's that would not allow a vehicle that doesn't sell food under this ordinance. I understand that, which I thought the primary focus of us doing this was for food trucks,

right? I'm just It didn't sound exactly what the manager was framing it as. So, I just want to make sure we're on the same

page as far as vehicles that don't sell food at all would not fit that definition. What I'm saying is I think to try to make it clear if we are trying to be businessfriendly, there are some businesses that may not meet that special definition of food could be a could be drinks um that have showed up at I think a dainty chic and some of these other and so if we are not as inclusive as possible, we're potentially limiting those. So, I would just uh urge council to in this instance maybe be a little bit more inclusive and then allow that those administrative decisions to be made in in in concert with all of the other businesses that we have here. But if if you make it too prescriptive, then I would as zoning administrator have to tell a vendor of that nature no based on how it's drafted.

Mr. store. So, India, the way this is drafted now and we if we passed it, if someone came into you to fill out an application and they said, "I'm a mobile I'm a vendor and I sell vape products," you could say no. Yeah. Okay. So,

the other the other piece of this is they would have to have express permission from a property owner to allow it on their property. So there's I don't want to make it seem like it's just the town or the zoning administrator making you know an approval. They would have to have a property owner um or the town if we allowed it on our private lot to say yes to that. Um and so they would have that layer to come through as part of the application and then we would we reviewing it internally as well. Okay.

I'm going to play devil's advocate real quick here before we move on. Food you're talking about um the sale of cannabis that is going to be in the very near future within the next 18 months. So, I'm hoping that there's some kind of state regulations and laws about that. Was somebody selling pot brownies? It's [snorts] food. those those CBD lollipops and it's [snorts] food asking.

Yeah, I think it's a a great hypothetical um question that could be a reality at at a point in the future and uh that's obviously something that we talked about um at a council level at at the retreat in future considerations. And so I think um cannabis regulation in and of itself would have to be a separate matter before we discuss permitting that in in this context

right and and every use has to be lawful right or else it becomes a law enforcement issue. So the state is not going to I don't envision first of all cannabis if it's regulated by the state will be done at the state level. Now there will be some ability for zoning but as far as lure and regulatory requirements of the entities that are allowed to sell it at a retail level I would be stunned if it's um mobile vending trucks but you never you know Colorado doesn't Colorado doesn't even do that. Um so um

I think that's good thing to keep in mind but I for for the purposes of this you're talking about all lawful purposes that's always a given. So right now that's not a lawful purpose. Sorry. How do you want to make this the motion? Miss Coyle, is anyone here?

Well, if she if if our zoning administrator zoning administrator has the discretion to approve things or not, I say let's let's don't keep kicking this thing. Let's go ahead and pass it. I mean the idea without amending it. Yeah. I mean this is this is primarily going to be food and if if she has something she knows she knows our what we feel about certain things. So

and I understand that but may I correct you on something? If Miss Adams Jacobs was were to leave here tomorrow, God forbid something happened to her and somebody else is going to step in. They don't know what we think. So, we have to get this right. This has nothing to do with the town manager. This has to do with words and definitions so that no matter who sits in that seat or who sits in these seats, it's all the same. It's we all know what we're doing. And some of the problems that we've had and gotten the situation in our town is we have relied too much on well he understands what I want or we need it in black and white. I it it has nothing to do with individuals. It has to do with the jobs that we have. So, I respectfully I I don't think that we should be relying on she knows what we want. I I just don't think that that's good policy.

I need another stab, Tina. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Mr. White.

I I I'm going to have to put it this way. Um again, there's a lot of stuff on that application and permit thing that you haven't seen. Okay. It is really good, but you haven't seen it. It It does make you have to have proper safety, authorization, all that kind of stuff, but at the end of the day, you haven't seen it. And and so that's something that you would then have to take from this and after it's hypothetically approved and then somebody comes up to us and says, "Hey, there's this thing out there. What do I do about it?" like I I wouldn't say that that's properly armed to say, "Oh, well, you know, that it's we we gave somebody the discretion to do that." Um, you getting a look at it, you know, I I would feel more appropriate getting everybody to kind of bounce off of it. Again, most of it I'm happy about. It's not in front of us, so I didn't honestly really want to pick through it based off of my memory of it for one thing, but based off the things I know about it that you all don't. um that that's a little bit hard for me to have a back and forth with anybody and be like, "Hey, this is why I like this part. This is why I kind of want to pick your brain about this aspect. Is there much I'd want to change?" There was a thing or two, but that was one of those things that I kind of wanted us all on the same page about from my personal perspective.

Is that part of this going to be ready by next month? It's technically ready now. we could have.

Is that something that we can defer action on this, continue the public hearing and have council have a chance to look at what he's discussing before we vote on this? So based on I think the discussion prior to that they were you could yes in short yes um if you want to defer it and do them both but the the based on the conversations that we had prior to and when Miss or helped the planning [clears throat] commission with this it was it was very specific that the ordinance is separate from the application the ordinance drives the application and so that there was going to be a two-step process and the fees do have to be ultimately approved by council so we can bring the application we can bring it back together. It's it's really y'all's decision, but the at the time there was conversation around timeliness because people who are interested in this want to be ready and revved up and know what they need to do by pretty much now and early spring and then the from an administrative perspective to dovetail with our business license processes and everything else that happened at the beginning of the year. So, um deferrals um will delay everything else thereafter. So, that's just worth the conversation. Go ahead, Miss.

Okay. So, I don't want to delay this. I have enormous faith in our planning commission because that's what they are mandated to do. I'm flexible. Move it along. We could take it on a case-byase basis. If something gets out of control, we have a zoning person, but not our town manager. Our zoning administrator will take care of whatever needs to be done. And then let's just move on then. I'm cool with that. Go ahead, Mr. White. If you have to bring the the fees back and the council has to approve that, then we would have gotten a look at that thing anyway, right? The application. Yes. Okay. Well, then

well, the fees the fees can be set without the application, but they are inherently in as part of the application. Have all that together. Everybody would get a look at it. And again, like you said, it's a two-piece process. So, that and and since until we approve it, nobody can actually file for it, then that's good. So, what are you are you We can do this part tonight and then, you know, she has to bring back the the fees and if everything's attached, then that's all I really wanted. And are you proposing that we move forward tonight as is or are we amending the word vending to food? I need clarification for this.

Miss, I'll just chime in one more time. Miss or did mention temporary mobile food bending vehicle could be changed and to read from which food and as an accessory use items of personal property are prepared and sold if that clarifies it. So this is good. So who's giving me a motion? I'll make the motion.

So, I have a motion from Councilman Hagman to accept this um zoning ordinance text amendment as is presented to us. Is there a second and as amended? Asended. Not as presented. It was I think as amended. I think the manager mentioned an amendment. A amendment to read temporary mobile food bending vehicle and change the definition to read from which food and as an accessory use items of personal property are prepared and okay slash or sold. Okay, I'm going to make the motion on that.

Thank you. And um you seconded it. Vice Mayor Coyle seconded it. Is there any further discussion? I didn't think we'd be on this this long. Okay. No, you're fine. I would ask the deputy clerk to please and are you able to come to the m or turn your microphone. Thank you. Um would you please take a roll call of this vote? Council member Hakeman. Yes. Council member Stor. I. Vice Mayor Coyle. I. Council member Chanel. Yes. Council member Voit.

Yes. Council member Dav Davis. Yes. Motion passes six with one abstension. And um I now close the public hearing. I should have done that before we took the vote, but it doesn't matter. Okay. Thank goodness. Let's move on to item number four. We have a town manager report. I will turn this over to um our town manager at this time.

Thank you, Madame Mayor. Um in the interest of time, the report is included um our 20 2025 highlights for the town and accomplishments. Um there have been um some significant accomplishments in this year. Um namely in the areas of infrastructure and capital projects. Um it was uh presented in a in a press release that we were awarded $6.2 $2 million um in a grant award uh for water quality improvements and well replacements from the state um which is a historic grant for the town. Um and this is and has been councils and administration's number one priority to address uh the water quality issues um since uh 2024 when they um arose. Um we also obviously completed some emergency main street and courthouse lane repairs. Um we've identified and replaced critical um fire safety um hydrants. Working with the company [clears throat] SARCAP, uh we were able to create our first GIS system at zero cost to the town. Um and Bowden is going to be here to talk a little bit more about um our drying beds and some improvements at the plant. We also were awarded um $2.7 million in lowterest loan funds to fix our um sludge management at our plant, which has been um ongoing for a couple years now. In the area of fiscal responsibility and audits, we've completed FY22's audit and FY23's audit. And again, I'd like to thank council for that. Um, we know that there's been some frustration uh with the public with our hours being um modified, which council approved a year or so ago so we could dig ourselves out of the financial hole that had been dug um as it related to the turnover, prior staff, and just financial um audits that had fallen behind. And after um just under two years, we've completed um those three audits at this time and obviously are moving forward with 24, which we hope to have very shortly. So, I'd like to publicly thank our town treasurer um and finance director and the staff that has

been on board to help. I know it has not been easy. Um and we know that we get a lot of critiques and not a lot of thanks, but publicly I'd like to thank you all for bringing the town in the position that it's in. Because of that, we are able to go after some of these grants and loans, which we've been very successful in doing and securing um almost over $9 million, which is tremendous for a town of our size in the short amount of time that we've [clears throat] been here. We've also done um competitive bid and trash services to reduce some costs particularly for our um commercial services and our commercial um users. We've also completed our first envir um intergovernmental service agreement project with Fort AP Hill which is an additional revenue stream to the town. We have created um our new financial system and implemented that after years of having a partially implemented system which gives us one system of record which will improve um all of our processes moving forward. Um and so I just want to thank council for their support, the public for their support for those who continue to be supportive and understanding and for staff again for all of their hard work over the last year. It's greatly appreciated. And that concludes my report.

Thank you. I [snorts] I would like to um add something. We we received we found out last month that we received the $6.2 million. There has been some confusion among some of our citizens. They um cannot understand why the water bills are so high or complaining about the bills especially because you just got all this money. I need for my citizens in this community to understand we have a gross alpha problem. We are under a consent order from the state. We are mandated. We have got to fix this situation. It's lowle level radiation. This grant is going straight into correcting this situation. Has nothing to do with our water bills. Has nothing to do with the sewer lines. has nothing to do with water lines. This is to correct our gross alpha. We are still short 2 some million town manager.

Yes, the total estimated project cost was $8.2 million. um based on um the work uh we've been able to do with our state partners, we've got 75% of that total project cost um awarded to the town, which otherwise, as you mentioned, on being under a mandate and being in a consent order, we would have had to find a way to fund that locally. So that is not a tax burden that our rate payers are going to have to fund for that project. There are other capital projects that have been deferred um over years over years that will still have to be addressed, but this is not one of them.

I also want my citizens to understand that the diligent work that the staff has done in procuring this grant is tremendous because as the tale manager just said, being under consent order, we have to do this. We would have had to have found this money someplace given the fact that we were years behind on our audits. No one's going to loan us money or if they did it was going to be at such an exorbitant interest rate. Well, guess who would end up paying that? The citizens of this community. You have been relieved of this burden and for all of the the problems that you perceive that we have and some of the real problems that we know exist. We have moved heaven and earth. I we sometimes I think we get bogged down in the little things in this community. As a council we are looking at a big picture. We are looking 10 years down the line, 20 years down the line. Think I won't be here. I could be dead by then. But we are looking at what this town is going to look like in the future. getting this grant, I cannot begin to explain to the citizens of this community how very fortunate we are and how very grateful I am to our town manager and to her staff for procuring this grant. This is unprecedented. We have never had this kind of money come into our community in this way, especially to help us out.

So, thank you. I wanted to do that publicly and I wanted to clarify this for our citizens because this is some of the feedback that we hear and I want you to know this isn't a fix the sewers. Okay. [laughter] All right. We will move on to public works report. [gasps] Mr. Fortune, are you out there? It is so nice to see you. Happy New Year.

Um, is this time and I can ask about the um HVAC unit? Okay. Later. Later. Any questions? Any questions? [laughter] Y'all need to start asking me some questions. It's going great. Today was the last day of it. [laughter]

Okay. So, there are no questions for Mr. Mr. Fortune. All right. You can go sit down and we'll call you back up in a few minutes. We'll move on to item number six. uh a report from the finance director as everyone looked at uh their packet and what was given to them. I know we've had a very taxing and busy week. So, I'm going to turn this at this time over to our um finance director, town treasurer, Miss Hope Toiver.

Yeah, I just have a couple of highlights. Um so far we are trending on target for all our revenues being halfway through the fiscal year. Um including all of our departments um council and admin treasurers, police and public works are also trending on target. So good there. Um our utility bills for the month of November and December usage. Um those have just been sent to our mailer, so those will be coming out for people. Um, that also includes any updates that people have been asking for other than the font size. We did we did do our due diligence to reach out to see if that was something that we can change in our system and we can't, but I did ask about it. Um, and it will also include utility statement so people are aware of what it is. Um, we are also looking to add a calendar online for people to view so they are aware of when they're going to be receiving their bills in case they forget or they don't receive it. [snorts]

Um, which also brings me to um the next thing uh the town manager and I we met with the postmaster um here in the town of Bowling Green to discuss, you know, why are so many people saying that they don't receive their bills when we do send them out? Um, just to show you guys, we do receive a lot of these back. Sometimes um, a lot of them are either um, vacant addresses, so people have not updated their address with us. So, if you don't get one, it might be because you need to come update your address. Um, a lot of them have PO boxes here in Bowling Green that are also vacant according to the postmaster. So, if you've changed your mailing address, you have to let us know so we can get you your bill. Um, we also have done the due diligence to create a form for that as well. And this will be available online. You can also come in as well to fill this out so we can get your corrected information. Um, the other thing that I would like to go over is the personal property that we got extended to tomorrow. So, that'll be still due tomorrow, just to make everyone aware. Um and we are also in the process of still doing a lot of records cleanup. Um so we since we've had uh training as well with census which is our um online meter reading, we've found that there are a couple of meters out there that have usage that we don't have accounts for. So we are doing the due diligence to also reach out to those locations to make sure that they establish accounts. Are there any questions? And u madame mayor, I know there was a request for update from the harvest festival and I I did fail to mention that to hope so I don't want to put her on the spot but overall um harvest festival was very successful on a numbers perspective. Um we got some data from um our main street national main street partners that can look at um that data. We had about 300

more attendees than we did the prior year. So from an attendance perspective um the highest records attendance since the pandemic era. So, kudos to everyone who was a part of Harvest Festival um and met a mayor who also went on TV which I think helped drive some of that attendance um and promoting that on channel 6. Um we also um historically I think there was a um a call out for some meals tax um and hope can touch on briefly if you can um the meals tax um increases that we saw um in in in meals tax collected at the harvest festival um as well as um you know higher levels of sponsorship. So overall, Harvest Festival was um a success um and then brought in obviously um decent revenue. So just wanted to share that.

Yeah. Any other questions? Thank you.

Next we have our um police report. I guess uh our Chief Cecil is here. are I'm sure it's not a lot as our basic facts. Are there any questions to Chief Cecil? Chief Cecil, I would like to thank you for the diligent work that you and um your staff, your other officer did during the Christmas parade. Um, [clears throat] it was you all did a great job. You worked very hard during the harvest festival. You all have been a breath of fresh air for us in keeping, especially with some of the numbers of people we get in town. And we get a lot of people that aren't from here. And that t sometimes is problematic because they don't respect our historic town the way we do and um you have taken care of situations that have arisen and made things seamless for us and I would very much like to thank you for that and please thank take Quan for me also.

Thank you. Are there any questions for I had one, but yeah, I I did also want to say since he's not here and you're here this time, I I I did want to say I I do continue to be impressed by Officer Urban. He's he's been really really good out there. Um could you do you know how many uh with that street light list are out right now? Um I know it was roughly 10 to 12 um that we updated on the new list. So that that was all. Not all of them are out. Some of them it's flickering. I've noticed a lot like like across there like sometimes like generator will kick on or whatever and then it dies for a minute then comes back

there. There I had a report of a and I told her to call town hall of a light out in on South Maine from a resident. Normally she's here. She would have told you herself. It's it's on there. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. You caught me. I got it. Any other questions? Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. Okay. Mark in Bowden, you are here to give us uh You're on my list for utility port. Jamie, are you giving it instead? Okay.

Welcome. Good seeing you. Nice seeing you all too. Good evening everybody. Um well my computer. Um so for the utility report um I don't have a lot to report. It was a quiet month. Um there are some items at the plant that has needs some attention. There's quoting going on. We've had some manufacturers out to look at the UV disinfection. Um but everything is is good. There's no failures. Um, pretty quiet month. Anybody got any questions for the utilities report?

Just for you. [snorts] Are you giving the report on the next item or is that where Marks? That's remarks. Okay. Thank you very much, Jamie. Welcome, Mr. Embodden. Long time no see. you were here to talk about our drying bed rehabilitation. Oh, it's exciting.

Yeah, I think uh most if not all of you were present at uh yesterday's event and uh uh we I touched on that briefly. Uh but essentially what what we have going on is uh we we did an assessment of the drying beds in 2025. Uh we've found them not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not n not not effective one not operational two and uh in desperate need of repair. Um we we do have grant money or fund other funding uh in place that's going to be taken care of adding in a new belt press but we have to figure out how we get from here to where to when we install a belt press, right? And so, uh, one of the, uh, propositions is to repair or, um, you know, renovate the existing sand filters to make them effective until that time comes. But that's going to be a very costly endeavor. Um, and and frankly, um, I think we would just be, you know, th throwing good money for bad. And so our recommendation we've collaborated with other people in the industry uh one being moonshot missions and uh they and I and our team have agreed that you know find a different solution uh through geoexile bag dewatering systems and so uh that is what we are proposing. Um as I mentioned yesterday you guys have five sand drying beds. uh the center of those drying beds. Take that one drying bed offline. Uh remove all the sand, all the gravel. Uh replace the under drain system that's in the bottom of that bed. Make sure it has adequate drainage and it flows properly. And then fill back up to original grade with just 57 gravels. that will provide a great, you know, flat even surface, a bed, a gravel bed if you will, to add this geoteexile bag uh on top. Uh what what does that geoteexile bag do? Essentially allows us

to pump uh fauculated sludge or or sense condensed sludge with some chemicals uh to allow the the free water to escape at when we pump it into this bag. And it puts the solids into a filterable form. So the bag will retain the solids but allow the water to drain away. That makes sense. And so we'll retain the solids and in that bag just through process of time and gravity and putting more solids in there uh we'll will form that dry solid cake matter in that bag. And at at a certain time when that bag is completely full, you can't receive any more solids, we can simply just, you know, get a razor blade, cut it open, get a skid loader in there, load the the dried sludge into a rolloff container, roll the bag up, throw that in the container as well, and it's it's off to the landfill for proper disposal. Those bags are a disposable item, you know, and we're the the proposal that I have for the town, we're buying two. And so we'll we'll have a shelf spare. Once the one is used, we'll order another shelf spare and uh the the spare will then be installed. Uh the good thing about this is the the bag is a disposable component and the delivery and other cost there there's there's some known cost, but for the equipment that we're going to be purchasing, we are purchasing some additional equipment. One is a polymer pump. That's the chemical that puts the solids into a filtable form. Uh the that polymer pump will need will need uh the fauculator tube and the fill tube. That faucul and fill tube, that's just some fancy wording for it allows us to feed some water along with the sludge and the chemical to have a good combination, a good mix of all the solids and the chemical. And so it it's ready for the geoexile bag when the sledge actually gets into the geoexile bag. And so there's some equipment cost uh that we

are going to pay for a rental fee essentially. We've never done this here at the town of Bowling Green. And so if we find that it works for our solution, that's great. The rental cost that we paid uh to our our vendor, uh that will then be applied to the purchase price of the new equipment. Um, but if if [clears throat] we find that this isn't a good solution for us, it's not working and we need to back up and uh explore other options, we're only out the rental cost. We're not out the cost of purchasing all of the brand new equipment, if that makes sense. So, happy to field any questions that you have to.

Okay. First, the one that may sound a little bit silly, but yeah, you mentioned when it's time to get rid of it all, taking a razor blade to it. So, I want to ask just because how well do those things hold up to say something like vandalism? Like, you know, if I were to be dumb and go up there with my own wazer blade, is it going to end up looking like an episode of Nickelodeon? I say great, that's a great question. Yeah. [laughter] Uh, so, um, these bags, uh, there there's there's YouTube video. They they use this in um dairy farms, you know, to to pump dairy slurry and, you know, concentrate it. Uh and they they get on top of those things with baseball bats and they just go to town and that that allows the water to come out and the solids stay in. Um and so these things will hold up very well to potentially vandalism. But you know what if they take a razor blade to it? I mean, what's the worst that can happen? You're out one of those geoexile bags.

Yeah. But what we're not going to have is an environmental disaster because it's all contained inside that confines of the sand drying beds. It's essentially all going to drain down into the gravels and be processed back through the plant. Yeah. Well, I mean, it does go back towards Yeah. like how do you deal with malfunction and and maintenance like that? Um my my second part is um you know like daily maintenance and and operation. Like right now I know that we have you know an annoying amount of that with with the shoveling raking etc. So besides this being a better path going forward and cheaper in that way you know how does this alleviate some staff time and what do they do now with this?

Sure. So uh the staff time is going to be limited u you know like you said we're not having to get in there uh very manual task of pitchforking the the dried sludge into a loader bucket. We're we're essentially turning on a series of pumps, dialing in some flow rates, feeding some chemical, and pumping away till the bag gets full or the digtor empties, one of the two. Um, and I they say that this this geoteexile bag can last up to 6 months, if not longer. Depends on our sludge production. Um but yeah, it the labor in intensity part is uh essentially a one-time issue and that's when we go to cut the bag open, load it on uh to rolloff container um with a with a loader or a skid loader. Uh so e even then you're you're using an equipment means and not you know back break and work means essentially. Okay, that's great. Thanks. So, we're looking at a cost of $33,830 for the rental and the two bags.

That That's That's everything. The whole package. 33,000, you said. Yeah. Yep. 830. That's right. Okay. It's actually a little less than that, but And the hope is that these two bags will last for, if we're lucky, a year. Sure. Yeah. Okay.

That's best case scenario. Are there any other questions to Mr. Imboden from this council? Would um one of you like to, if that is your desire, to make this draft motion? I can read the thing. Okay. I move [clears throat] um for authorization to proceed with the dry bed rehabilitation project with Langford Excavating Utilities LLC in the in an amount not to exceed 35,000 funded from the sewer repair and maintenance 52-500100-60007 and authorize the town manager to execute the agreement.

So I have a motion from Councilman Voit. Is there a second? Second. the second from Councilman Hagman. Is there any further discussion about this? At this time, I would like for the um deputy clerk to please take a roll call of the vote. Council member Hickman, yes. Council member Stor, yes. Vice Mayor Coyle, yes. Council member Chanel, yes. Council member Voit, yes. Council member Davis. Yes.

All council members present have voted in the affirmative and the motion passes. Um I guess you're going to be purchasing some equipment and getting some bags. [snorts] Have fun. We'll do. Thank you. Is there any other questions or any other talking points that you need me to discuss? India. Good. All right. Thank you all. Thank you. Thanks for yesterday. Yes.

Okay, Mr. Fortune, now you can come back up. Item number 10 on the agenda is the um request for approval for the HVAC repair at the wastewater treatment plant. [snorts] And um Mr. fortune will speak to this qu briefly before we talk about

back at the uh beginning of uh December I got a call from one of our operators and he said Sean it's freezing cold here in the plant so I I went to the plant and the unit was off I had to get uh Caroline Heating and Air to come out and work on it. So it's only right now has two compressors only one is running and it's holding on for dear life. The unit was put in in 2008 and it should last 15 years. So, it's telling you right there it's passes life expectancy. So, I have quotes on it and I think we don't want to exceed $25,000. So, uh just got to get it approved for to get us a unit put in cuz I'm afraid I'm going to walk in there one morning and we'll have icicles hanging from the ceiling.

And that would be a mold problem when it gets hot, right? Yeah. Yeah. Mr. fortune. You said that this covers parts, labor, and any necessary permits on here. So, you're talking about just repairing this. We're not going to replace it. Replace it. No, it's going We are replacing. Yeah, it's past it life. Yeah. Yep. It's pass it life. It It does say repair on the motor. It says repair. So, that's where my confusion. It should say replace. Okay. Yeah, replace. Thank you. That Yeah, it's no replacing the unit. You got You got You got to replace it. No repair. Um, that means the draft motion, if y'all make it, that needs to also say replace.

I'll make the motion on it. Authorization to proceed with the HBAC replacement in the amount not to exceed 25,000 funded from the sewer repair and maintenance 520-500100-60007 and authorization in the town manager to execute the agreement. I have a motion from Councilman Haggamman. Is there a second? Second from Councilman Voit. Is there any further discussion on this matter? I did. We do need to have that repair taken out and replacement put into it. I mean, I I wrote it in here. Does anything have to be corrected with that? In the minutes. In the minutes. We are You stated it. It's taken care of.

All right. Um, okay. I need the deputy clerk at this time, please, to take a a roll call. Absolutely. Council member Haggman. Yes. Council member Stor. Yes. Vice Mayor Coyle. Yes. Council member Chenel. Yes. Council member Voit. Yes. Council member Davis. Yes.

All members present have voted in the affirmative. Motion passes. Thank you all.

Thank you, Mr. Fortune. Item number 11, acceptance of revol revolution resolution number 2026-00005 authorizing the appropriation of water fund reserves for unbudgeted engineering costs associated with the USDA waterline project and um amending the FY 2026 budget. it. Mr. Percy Ashcraft Craft, he is our USDA project consultant and he will be speaking with us at this time.

Thank you, Madame Mayor, members of council. Happy New Year. Appreciate the opportunity to give you an update on where the uh where the project is. I was originally supposed to be joined by Mr. Ball from Webon Associates, and he too has uh has fallen under the weather a little bit. So, I've been asked to uh pass out a memo uh an email that was provided uh to us and an update to the project. [laughter]

Everyone got one. Uh as you know uh the project has taken uh many twists and turns over over the course of several years and council did approve uh the latest uh path in which to move forward and that is what the engineering firm has been uh has been doing. The biggest step to this point was to get VOTE review and uh if you notice from Mr. uh ball's uh email there or letter that V dot has approved all the documents in which uh they needed to review to get us ready for the next the next step and in between this tail manager has had at least two uh conversations with USDA everything is still in line uh for for them to uh receive our final version whenever that happens and we're hoping that I don't want to get ahead but we're hoping to get it uh completed by January the 30th. So, as you go down through Mr. uh Mr. Ball's the rest of his letter there, it's a summary of what work was completed uh by the firm and then um getting ready for the final uh uh the final version includes uh additional bid document preparation. I'll stop there and ask if there are any any questions on where we stand with the project uh to date before we move into the uh the request for an appropriation of funds.

Is there are there any remarks or comments from council? Does the town manager have anything to say about this at this time? I think a couple points. I think just clarification um or maybe to bring back um based on the project timelines going back um when the original plan was to obtain easements um when we brought this back um I believe it was in the July or August time frame. Um, just as a reminder, because we were unable to obtain those easements from the the the people who were in the project scope at the time, uh, we had to look at alternatives. Alternatives were outlined and presented to council of what those costs would be to amend the plan based on the inability to obtain easements. And I will be the first to say that that timeline and the the process of doing the the easement um obtaining should have happened many years ago. Um and so that was I think I believe a delay due to um the various staff turnover in the town and not having certain people in positions at the time. Um so just in terms of the the additional cost is related to the amending of the work and the original scope um so that the the project could still occur um potentially um but without obtaining those easements. So that's a direct relation to um the cost here. Um so just for a point of clarification I wanted to share that [clears throat] um also when this was presented I think uh the update back in July or August um uh there was a timeline presented um based on the the work at the time um I believe there were regulations um that changed at VOTE um for submittal processes that went into

effect October one which I think caused additional delays um to um some of those engineering the planned engineering work. Um, so while it is unfortunate that Mr. Ball is is unable to be here tonight um to shed light on some of that, I just think for um some of the questions and comments that have come up, it's important to clarify that so that there's no um misinformation um pertaining to why there were additional costs because council was briefed on that and had approved that at that time. Um, as it relates to the project overall, um, you all may remember we brought an item back to you all, um, because when this project originally started, uh, in the 2018 2019 time frame, um, there was an interim note taken out for phase one, which was for the meter, um, installation, um, at the time of of that system and some electronic um, mapping. Uh, that phase was completed and that was about two $1.2 2 million. So, the interim note has been extended. Um, and we talked about that with our financial advisors through the last um budget process. Um, and that in the event that the project funding was pulled from the fed from the federal level for any reason or the project didn't go forward or if council decided to not move forward with the project at any time, we would still be required to um find a way to pay for that $1.2 million in that interim um financing. that was extended a year and we're getting very close to that April 2026 due date for that um that that that payment. So, uh we have explored some options with our financial advisors and and taking a look at that. I just want um that to be at the top of mind because of um some of the time challenges related to this project um which is not necessarily a fault of anyone um here um that that timeline um is very condensed and uh we do run the risk of not hitting those um those targets uh as we have all along run the risk of losing funding for

the project because of the delays in the audits. Um so we have always been up against both of those time crunches. So, I just wanted to make sure everyone um is aware of that. And at this time, we have been granted an extension through October officially um of 2025, which we are now pass. And so, at the federal level, there at any given time potentially the funds for this project could be reallocated based on the timeline that it has taken um to get this project over the the hump in the last five or six years that it had been planned.

So, Is there any questions from council to um Mr. Ashcraft or to the town manager? So, um is it somebody wanting to make a motion to adopt this resolution? I got some accounting question on it.

Okay, go ahead. Um, okay. We're we're talking about pulling, you know, just from reserves, but you bring up the note. Um, was there just already money from that note just dumped into the reserves or why are we not using money from the the USDA loan to pay for this? there. I think there's a potential for reimbursement um for future pull downs from that if that is um desired. Um but I think for our current plan, we have recommended um pulling that from our reserves because in the event that um the project does not happen um then we are only going to be paying for the first portion of that project which was phase one which was related to the meters which has already been pulled and drawn down on. So, if council wants to look into delaying the payment for us to pull it down from the additional loan at some point, even if um regardless of we move forward with the project or not, you're you're still going to be paying the costs.

Yeah, absolutely. It's just that's it's a sizable chunk. It's the only reason I mention very much so. And it was unplanned and unbudgeted. So, if you want us to explore that option, we can. And I think we could potentially talk to um our engineers if they're willing to delay payments, but um the invoice was sent um and and for the work that has been completed. Oh, this is work that that has occurred. We have to pay for it. I won't dispute that. It's just it is 10% of our reserves. So I don't know how everybody feels about that.

Go ahead, Mr. Stark. So, [laughter] of that original grant that that the previous council and previous administration got, it was for a total of how much? I think it was $7.5 million. I think the the initial Yeah. And I don't not correct you, but there was a portion of it that was a loan and then stipulation. I'm sorry. there was a portion of it that was loan and then a portion of it which could be grant but in order to get the grant you have to meet the stipulations for the project in and of itself. Um which

my question is what triggers the next draw of money from the federal government. The so the project has to be completed in order to get the grant funds. Mhm. Um and so [snorts] I'm not sure if that answers your your specific question.

Okay. So, um yeah, and and it's just unfortunate this so this $150,000 now recorre uh correction is because we had there was they never got the easements when they should have and then when we tried to get the easements, there was so much push back that it would have taken long if we had gone through the easement process. It would have taken probably longer than the federal government would have been happy with and we wouldn't have gotten the grant period. Correct. Correct. So this this re-engineering fee of $150,000 is now to not obtain easements and go in people's land. It's to bore and go under VOTE right away.

Correct. Sidewalks.

Correct. And I think um as it relates to broader capital conversations um that was that that has been discussed but um I think for now we have been given direction to move forward um with the project prior to um but obviously there are capital projects and capital needs that we are still continuously investigating and coming um getting more information on as things evolve. And so I think there's some conversation um which we will I think to continue to have to have um around what our priorities are as it relates to um our debt capacity and projects that we have to do that may be more pressing than this even though we have been working on it for five or six years.

And we talked about that because I I was a mindset almost let it let it go ahead and time out. I mean, we were so it it you know,

so I think that's a conversation that's come up and I'm happy to let anybody to stop talking, let anybody else on council dis discuss, but regardless of if we make the decision to move on from the project and focus on um some of the other capital needs that we have that may be more im immediate. The mayor alluded to the gross alpha project. We also the drying beds have failed since this this project started. So, I think at the time, given, you know, the staff that was here and the council that was here, this probably was an ideal [clears throat] project to go after um to proactively work on some of our water lines. Um but there have been other [clears throat] needs that I think have risen to um higher priority that um I think council has discussed at length. Um and so regardless of when you get to some of these items, we would have had to have engineered work done and documents prepared. So, I don't want anybody to think that it's money thrown down the drain because you still would need this information to go out for a grant or to fix it even if the town had to do it in on its own. So,

so this this latest bill is for work that's already been done. Yes. And to com to complete the final portions for the the bid docks, which is a requirement by USDA, right, as the stipulation of the the plan.

Thank you, Miss Adams Jacobs. If we abandon this project, as um Councilman Sto had alluded to, at that point we get no grant money. Is that correct? And then we the town is responsible for paying what we've already paid. And there's a two-part to this. If we don't abandon this project, the longer it takes us to get it done, we have to frontload the funding on this. And the longer it takes, it has our funds tied up until we are reimbursed by the USDA. I'm I'm clarify this for me so I can

Can you ask the first part of the question? too long. It has been two very long days. What did I say? I don't even know what I said. I'm sorry. We have spent two days.

If we abandon the if we were to abandon the project, we still have to pay back phase one. Yes. Which is what the original the draw down for the meter. So, yes, we would have to finance that, which is a discussion that I think we've we've we've talked about um before. Um, and then to the second part of that, the longer it takes, um, we do still run the risk of the feds just saying the portion of this that we were going to that we were reserving for you for the long-term note, um, we're going to withdraw because you exceeded the 5-year limit and they've given us extension and the interim note has been extended once, if not twice. And so we're we're we're pushing up against our limitations on extensions from both uh the finance piece and then the federal piece. Um and so yes, any future costs we we are carrying those costs as well as paying um really interest correct

at this point on and until we get our audits caught up that interest rate's going to be at a much higher rate even for municipality than if we looked on paper like we were fiscally sound and operating up to snuff. Correct. for the Yes. [clears throat] Madame Mayor. Yes. My my my statement about I was, you know, willing to let it go. That was back when we had this discussions a couple months ago, if not more. Yeah.

And it [snorts] it it was it was specifically about all the all the issues we were having with obtaining the easements. And if we if we keep trying to shove that round

thing in that square hole, we're we're never going to do it. So, you know, at that time, I I said theoretically, it's it's almost not worth doing this thing. You know, we were given this gift supposedly from a previous council administration and federal government, and it, you know, we're going to time out if we keep trying to do this. And so, we as a group decided, all right, let's drop back and punt. Let's don't do the easements, so let's bore it. And that's why this is so I'm not I'm you know, we're we've made a decision. We're moving down the road now. We've gotten a bill for it. Right. Right. Um we did Am I allowed to discuss anything from the retreat? Yeah.

Okay. We did today at the retreat have ad nauseium conversation about this and you were unable to be there. So if you are privy to this, but we did discuss the option of abandoning this project alto together for the time being because we have had other issues come up in the town. They are more pressing issues especially when it comes to DEEQ and um at the end of the day we only have so much money. We have to be able to prioritize and this is a huge priority. But compared to some of the other things that have happened since a couple of months ago when we had this conversation, this has lost its standing on the priority list. There are things that have moved above this. I don't know if the town manager would like to speak to that.

Sure. I think at at council we at the retreat we talked a lot about obviously capital plans and and um CCTVing and Mr. and Bowden was here. Um, and we talked about the last budget process, taking a deeper look at our sewer um, throughout the town. [clears throat] Um definitely after knowing that most of our sewer lines were put in in the 30s and 40s um and that uh the emergency repairs on both the main street and courthouse um could happen in other areas throughout the town and that we need to investigate that and that if we are planning strategically I won't use the term proactively because in some respects there was a report in 2022 that talked about prioritizing some of these these lines and We're now at a place um where we have to do some of those um in a more urgent manner um to just ensure that our main street in in other areas don't occur and the emergency repairs aren't needed like they were on Main Street. And so um with that uh we've been talking to to Mr. voted about escalating um uh our CCTVing throughout the rest of the areas in town so that if we are pivoting to focus on sewer because it is more costly, we need to reserve our debt capacity for that and then look at paying for waterline replacements um through some of the capital infrastructure fees fees that we put in and dedicating that on a annual basis and doing some of those projects more strategically on a PGO basis based on um the areas is of greatest concern and where we have leaks which we have data on um and prioritizing that which is work that um Webon Associates has done for us um and work with staff to kind of prioritize that. So that's something that I think throughout our CIP we can look to maybe address um because it's a little bit less costly in some of those areas than major sewer repairs. And um

Mark um can talk a little bit if he if you all desire about um just the cost of repairing sewer um and the complexities of that and some of the challenges that can come with that. But we all live through May and and Main Street. So I think we're we're aware. Um but I think that's kind of it in a nutshell. Madam Mayor, either way we this has been done. We have to pay this at the end of the day. Whether we proceed or or not, this has to be paid. So, I'm asking for do we have to wait for the town attorney to be here?

Okay. I am um asking from this council to uh make a motion, a decision.

I'll make the motion. I move that the town council adopt resolution number 2026-00005 authorizing the appropriation of $150,000 from the water fund reserves for unbudgeted engineering cost associated with the USDA waterline project and approving the amendment to the FY 2026 budget to add the funds to the account number 5000-50010-314 40 um engineering professional services and further authorizing the town manager to take all ne all actions necessary to implement this appropriation. So I have a motion on the table. Is there a second?

I'll second it. I have a second from Vice Mayor Coyle. Is there any further discussion? I ask the deputy clerk to take a roll call for the vote, please. Council member Kegman, yes. Council member Stor, yes. Vice Mayor Coyle, yes. Council member Chanel, yes. Council member Voit, yes. Council member Davis, yes.

Motion passes with all six members that are present. Um, I hate doing this, but we are going to take a five minute recess. I need to run around. And we um it's been a long day. My legs are cramping. We've been at this since 8 this morning. So, and yesterday, too. So, five minutes. We'll be back and we'll get on the next item on the agenda.

I know that pretty. Okay, we are now back into session and we are going to move on to item number 12, the acceptance of the VDH grant award for the town of Bowling Green for the gross alpha treatment and well replacements. And at this time, I will turn this over to our town manager, India Adams Jacobs. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, we've talked about this um a couple different times. Um, last year we uh created your first legislative agenda ever. Um, worked with our our state representatives. Uh, we were one of two communities that were carved out at the top um of the list to be able to be eligible for grant funding. I went to the general assembly a couple times last year um obviously worked very hard to to get us this funding um and we were awarded. Um so definitely just like to thank um council for their support um and supporting new things and adopting the legislative agenda. We've done that again um this year um to to really focus on our efforts and then work with our partners to help um reduce the burden on some of these costs to our residents. Um so before you you have the uh VDH grant award for council consideration um acceptance. I'll happily answer any other questions that you may have. Are there any questions from this council? I

I just want to highlight one aspect of it right here where it says this represents a 100% grant. No local match requirement. So it doesn't have those types of strings on it in of itself. Um yeah, it just has to be used for what's said here, which is the gross alpha and the wells. Um so there there's no concerns about how we we have to do something particular to get this money. This money is going to come in as is for this. That's all. Thank you. Would you like to go ahead and make a motion?

Sure, why not? Let me go find the whole thing on. Okay. All right. That's a lot of words. I move that the town council adopt resolution 2026-2 accepting the Virginia drinking water state revolving fund grant for $6,26,25 for the gross alpha treatment and well replacements project and authorizing the town manager to execute all necessary documents and take all actions required to secure funding and implement the project and I'll second that. So I have a motion from Councilman Voit, a second from Councilman Haggamman. Is there any further discussion on this? Um, I will at this time ask the deputy clerk to take a roll call. Council member Hagman, yes. Council member Stewart, yes.

Vice Mayor Coyle, yes. Council member Schnel, yes. Council member Voit, yes. Council member Davis, yes. Motion passes unanimously with the um council persons present. Six votes affirmative. Motion passes. And we'll now move on to um item number 13 on the agenda. The Virginia Queen. We just No, we just

we just did 12. Well, you want another another six more. [laughter] Um, item 13 on the agenda, the clean Virginia clean water revolving loan fund program. This is a loan authorizing FY2026, Town of Bowling Green, C-515890, Bowling Green Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements. I will turn this over at this moment to our town manager, Miss India Adams Jacobs.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, this item obviously goes back to the um wastewater treatment facility um sludge management item that we've talked about I think over the last six or eight months. Um after identifying that the drying beds had failed, uh again we worked with uh Moonshot Missions, which is a a nonprofit technical assistance firm um that has helped the call the town at no cost um through our partnerships uh with our partners um at the state and the federal level based on the consent order that we are under. Um and so they have helped us as well as working with AECOM uh that created uh the peer for this project. And then we submitted that application as a part of the VCWRLF program. and we were awarded um the lowinterest um loan for the uh improvements um for this project um at a rate of 0.5% for a term of up to 25 um years uh with a potential for principal loan forgiveness due to hardship. So, um what we have before you today um is um authorization to proceed um and move forward with that um project and be happy to answer any questions.

Are there any questions for our town manager at this moment? Mr. Stork, I'm ready to make a motion if you go for it. I move that town council adopt resolution number 2026-00003 authorizing the town of Bowling Green to proceed with the wastewater treatment facility improvement project and to accept and secure financing through the Virginia clean water revolving loan fund in the amount of 2,738,800 sorry 783 you said 738

I'm sorry 783800 at an interest rate of.5%. % for a term of up to 25 years, including the eligibility for principal forgiveness and further authorizing the town manager or her designate to execute all required loan documents and take all actions necessary to comply with programs requirements and advance the project. I'll second that. So, I have a motion from Councilman Stor, a second from Councilman Hagman. Is there any further discussion? I'll have the deputy clerk take a roll call. Council member Hagman. Yes. Council member Stor. Yes. Vice Mayor Coyle.

Yes. Council member Chanel. Yes. Council member Voy. Yes. Council member Davis. Yes.

All members have voted. Six. Affirmative. Motion passes. Item number 14 on our agenda, acceptance of re resolution number 2026-00004 authorizing the town to accept drinking water planning fund grant and to proceed with the GIS utility mapping and assist and asset management project. At this time, I will turn this over to our town manager, India Adams Jacobs.

Uh, thank you, Madam Mayor. Um, just keeping up with the theme. Um, we were lucky enough to receive this grant um to proceed with um additional GIS utility mapping work and asset management um of our utility system. Uh, one of the requirements of the prior grant um was to work towards an asset management plan which we have been working with um Moonshot Missions on um as well as CIRAP that that did most of our the work um this summer um with our public work staff to set up our our GIS system. Um and so this is really kind of a a second phase of that. Um and we've been awarded um the $30,000 for that as well um as staff training. Um so the item before you um is formal acceptance of that um via the resolution 26 2026-004. Are there any questions of the town manager?

And I'll make the motion. I move that the town council adopt resolution number 2026-00004 authorizing the town of Bowling Green to accept drinking water plan fund planning fund agreement from the Virginia Department of Health in the amount not to exceed $30,000 for the GIS utility mapping and asset management project. the further authorization of the town manager or her design designe designate to execute the plan funding agreement and to make all ne all actions necessary to proceed with this project in compliance with all applicable program requirements. A second.

So I have a motion from Councilman Hagman, a second from Councilman Voit. Is there any further discussion? I would ask the deputy clerk to please take a roll call at this time. Council member Haggman, yes. Council member Stork, yes. Vice Mayor Coyle, yes. Council member Chanel, yes. Council member Voit, yes. Council member Davis, yes.

All members present have voted. All have voted in the affirmative. Motion passes. Moving on to item number 15 on the agenda, the zoning ordinance text amendment. We did it. We took it out of order. I'm sorry. I We did it after the public hearing. Oh, was it on the agenda twice then? No, the earring is [clears throat] supposed to be. Well, that's okay. I'm so confused. That's why I had two different things in my package with over 20 minutes. Let's not

I was going to say y'all just want to keep us here till midnight. At this time, is there any unfinished business? Okay. At this time, I am going to reopen public comment. Anyone wishing to speak, please come forward. You have um uh I need point of clarity. Hold on. Give your name and your address and you have three minutes to speak.

Okay. It's nice. I just want just want to say that uh I'm tired, too. [laughter] I get I get it. Mayor, you're doing a great job. I'm very happy that I voted for you. This is one of the smartest councils that we've ever had. Thank you so much. Hey, you're dipping into my three minutes. [laughter] I have the the ability to let you go a little further.

Okay, go on. Uh you all are doing what I don't want to do and what I can't physically do. So you're doing a job that a lot of people won't apply for. Uh it is obvious that our town manager is very intelligent. She knows what she's talking about. Um she's uh doing her job. Most of you are happy with her. [laughter] No, that was a joke.

That was that was a joke. [laughter] Um, the only problem I have is it's either or and hopefully we get these audits done and and it'll be a broader um um Okay, the word is is gone. That happens quite often. You're all right.

Um uh dealing uh that's I'm going to dummy it down. dealing with the town issues that are important to the people in the town. Um, and um, and I I [laughter] did I understand correctly? I thought you said the three audits were done. Did you say they were done? No. No. Two. Two. Two are done. Two are done. 2024 should be coming to us within the next two weeks. Okay. So there's only one left, right? 2025. Yeah. Never going to be done. Okay. Everybody here. Okay. But I mean, we're we're getting caught up. Yeah.

Yes, ma'am. So, we're I I I know there was a mess. I know there was uh there there's a lot more people in the office than there ever was. So, you've had a lot of help and and I'm thankful for that. But I don't want it to cost the general public. [laughter] We are we are a small town and we are limited. So, but I do want to say thank you to the mayor. Thank you for the second even though you didn't know I was supposed to get up here. I don't need this. That's for sure. Um thank you for the uh second round. What' you say? Oh, it records you.

I need that either. Okay, but I'm gonna for now cuz I'm tired and you're tired and bless you. Thank you so much. [laughter] The next person coming up. Hello, Miss Craropper. Turn the mic on so it's recorded. Please give your name and it's red. Yeah. Why is that? [laughter]

It's a hot mic. That's why. 251 North Main Street. Mayor Town Councilman, thank you. Thank you for your hard work. I really appreciate it. The grant money that we have received, it's totally awesome. Kudos. What bothers me a little bit is that this grant money like the $6 million has stipulations. If those stipulations aren't met, we're screwed. Or if funding dries up. I hate for the town council to count on a $6 million grant and it ends up being a million and the USDA project dies. That would kill me. I'm just being honest. That would hurt so bad if a project that is to better the infrastructure of this town just dies. I mean, look at the money we spent just in engineering fees.

Thank you. Thank you. Y'all have a good evening. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all. So, thank you, Miss Craropper. Any other citizens at this time wish to speak? Mr. Giles, you're the only one left. Do you have anything to say? At this time, I will close public comment. And um we have our final member comments. Mr. Hagman. I have none. Mr. Stor, no. Thank you though. Vice Mayor Coyle. No, thank you. Mr. Chenol,

no. None. Go for it. No, thank you. It's time for a drink. [laughter] The heist is open. Make a motion. I make a motion to adjourn this meeting tonight. There's a second. All in favor, raise your right hand.