City Council - Special Meeting

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

Good evening, everybody.

Welcome to a very special meeting of the City Council tonight. I wanted to call the meeting to order. Clerk, could you start with the certification of the special meeting?

Yes. Hi. This is a special meeting called by the City Council, and it was duly posted and sent to the City Council simultaneously with the public.

Thank you. Let's start with roll call.

Mr. Agin? Here. Thank you. Ms. Conley? Here. Ms. Downs? Here. Ms. Flynn?

Here.

Mr. Snyder? Here. Ms. Underhill? Here. And Mayor Hardy? Here. Thank you, Council. Great.

Welcome again, everybody. It is a special night tonight. So I don't think we have any virtual meeting or remote participation because we're all here in person and I don't think there's any conflict of interest. So let's get on with business on the agenda. So before we talk about the actual vote and the resolution, I wanted to just say a few words about what this decision tonight in front of us means for the city. So the city manager, as we know, is the most important position, one of the most important positions in Fall Church. This is the person who leads our professional staff. manages our day-to-day operations, helps turn all of our priorities up here into action, and ultimately has an enormous impact on the quality of life in the little city. So finding the right person for this job was a big responsibility, and I think we rose to the challenge up here. We had a thorough national search, lots of input from the staff, from the community, and this council, and Seth Hemlerbos really stood out. Seth, you bring a remarkable depth of local government experience. But what impressed me personally the most is the combination of things that you bring to the job. You understand how to get things done. You understand the importance of place and community. And you're someone who listens and work collaboratively. And I think that's a really good fit for Falls Church. We are a city that wants to grow and evolve, but we also care deeply about what makes this place special. We want to be ambitious and grow without losing our sense of community. And we want to solve problems, not just talk about them. And we need a manager who can bring people together and turn ideas into results. So Wyatt Shields, thankfully we still get two more weeks with you. You have given 23 days of your life to the city and leave some very big shoes to fill. So we have the luxury of having you lead us for a little longer, but I know Seth will benefit from that transition immensely. So Seth, we are very excited to welcome you and your family to Falls Church. We're grateful that you said yes to this job and we're looking forward to everything that we will accomplish together. And Wyatt, thank you for everything you've done for the city and everything that you're still doing. And so with that, I will take a motion. Madam Mayor.

I didn't mean to interrupt the applause. Madam Mayor, I move to adopt TR26-27. Is there a second?

I think it's Mr. Snyder on the second. Don't worry, we'll have another one later. Let's call the roll, please.

And I'll read the title of that resolution, which is a resolution appointing Seth Hendler Voss as city manager for the city of Falls Church, setting compensation for the position and authorizing the mayor, to execute the employment agreement. And so we have a motion and a second to adopt on the table. And may I call roll? Yes, please. Okay, thank you. Mr. Egan?

Yes.

Ms. Conley? Yes. Ms. Downs? Yes. Ms. Flynn?

Yes.

Mr. Snider? Yes. Ms. Underhill? Yes. Mayor Hardy? Yes. Motion carries seven to zero. Thank you, council.

Now applause again. Now, I'm sure members of council would like to say a few words, and then we'd open up to other people as well.

Vice Mayor?

Well, thank you. This is a bittersweet day for all of us. Wyatt, Mr. Shields, you've done such incredible things for this community. And I always use the term from strength to strength. You've put us in a great position of strength. And I think it's going to be a perfect entry for Mr. Semler, for Seth. I'm going to call you Seth right now. But in terms of just really being able to set us up on a strong path, you've really just done so much great, many great things. I'm getting a little emotional up here. things for the city and as someone who's lived here 17 years and has just watched the city grown and watched all that you've done and the care that you've taken working with our citizens the gentle approach never jumping to conclusions always being such calm person no matter what is happening you've always been that calm presence which is so helpful for all of us up here on the dais and Mr. Hendler Voss I will say that we during the review during the interview process we had as the mayor said we had our staff very involved in this process and the staff were tremendously enthusiastic about your candidacy and just again I think because Mr. Shields has set us on a path of what it means to have someone who's passionate and compassionate, warm, and the staff has loved working for you, and I think seeing that seeing someone come in showing those same attributes has really got the staff excited so we you know i know everyone's going to say something but i'm just thrilled to have you here and um again um wyatt just thank you so incredibly much and i hope that we'll see you biking around the city for for many years to come thank you and congratulations very much seth very happy to have you thank you others

Connelly. I will just say that people often say the Falls Church is a special place, and it takes a really special person to lead Falls Church. So we are very excited to have you here and look forward to many, many wonderful things to come. Ms. Underhill.

Wyatt, I'll give you comments later because you're not going yet. But Seth, we are so excited to have you come and be part of this community. Something that I'm particularly excited about is your enthusiasm for placemaking and your love of community. And so coming into a community that loves community and then you love community, I think this is just going to be one giant love fest. And then just your people-focused attitude, your understanding, and your creativity are all things that I'm really looking forward to in this next era of false church. So thank you. Mr. Snyder?

In addition to comments that have been made, I'd like to especially thank all of our citizens who were involved in this process. We got input from our citizens as to what they were expecting from members of the boards and commissions. Particularly, I want to thank staff, especially our personnel department. It was tremendously helpful in this process. We had an excellent consultant and I want to thank council colleagues. I think this process was as rigorous as we could possibly make it. And so I welcome Seth and And I hope, as someone once said, the best is ahead of us. Thank you.

I'll just add on to my colleagues and their warm welcome. I think we've heard the term enthusiasm and sort of the celebratory nature of tonight, not only to celebrate Wyatt's decades of public service, but to bring in, you know, a person who has been also so committed to public service over the last decade or two decades. you know, of your professional career. And what really stood out to me sort of during the process was, you know, not only your credentials and sort of a story that made sense in terms of all the pieces fitting together and why this made sense, you know, as a next step for both you and for the city, but just your level of preparedness in coming into the interviews, sort of the genuine interest you took in the city, its staff, the council, the community, making your own secret visits here to make sure that the role felt right for you and appreciated sort of all of that preparation and know it will serve you well, both in your initial meetings with staff, helping to build relationships with staff and the work that you'll do on behalf of the community here. So really appreciate.

the process so far and looking forward to all the next steps to come thanks finally mr reagan so when when wyatt announced that he was retiring i think everybody on the council looked at each other and went what and i think we pulled together i came up with a plan and I would like to thank everybody involved in the process because I think everybody involved has done a wonderful job and has been very professional and really rigorous. But at the same time, I'm the newbie and I looked at it and I said, this is one of the most impactful things a city council member can do beyond anything else. And throughout the process, You've impressed us and I'm very excited. I think you're going to be a wonderful city manager and I'm very excited for this. We will lodge you. Don't worry. But I'm looking forward to working with you and however many years ahead of us in the city. Thank you.

Other comments? Mr. Shields.

Thank you, Mayor Hardy. I would love to make a few welcoming comments as well. And I'm sure I bet Seth wants to say some things too. But first, I want to congratulate the City Council on a rigorous and thorough and very successful recruitment process. And I know that all that participated in it, we're very thankful to be included in it. And I congratulate you on a great decision. And Sharon in our HR department, thank you for your support to the City Council in this process, as well as our consultant. On behalf of the city staff, Seth, we're really excited to welcome you to the City of Falls Church workforce. And on a personal level, my wife, Patty, who's here, she and I also look forward to welcoming you as neighbors and welcoming Amanda and Simon. Welcome to the City of Falls Church. And I know this is the first day of school for Simon, so this is a big day in a lot of ways, but welcome. We have Andy and Jenny, deputy city managers. We're really looking forward to working with you. Jenny, I think in a later action tonight, will be appointed as the acting city manager for the week prior to your arrival. And Sandy, who you met earlier, executive assistant in the office. We're going to have a phone call tomorrow and start getting things dialed in. And Cindy Mester, our community relations, also rounding out the city manager's office. We all look forward to welcoming you, as does the whole workforce. And then lastly, to our colleagues with Prince William County, thank you for the show of force. It's really awesome to see our county executive, our chief of police. Members of the County Board and the Park and Rex Board here supporting Seth tonight. Thank you, Mayor.

Great. Thank you. Anyone else like to make a few comments? Supervisor Ingrid, we welcome you.

I know an elected never takes the moment to speak. It's a mic moment? What? First of all, Madam Mayor, Council, thank you all for having me. I just listened to your comments and I'll just make two. So the first is I am not enthusiastic about losing Seth Hillenbaugh to Paul Church, but I am very enthusiastic about You all and the growth and the specialness of your city, you're getting a special person for this position. I've been on the board now for eight years. Seth has been there all eight of those years for me. He is very responsive. Everything you said, I'm living proof. He's your guy. And so I can simply, I came up here to support him because he's your guy. And I'm very happy to see this transition. So very happy to be here. Congratulations, Seth. Congratulations, family. This is an amazing day. So thank you very much.

Anyone else? Mr. Coyle. He's vice chair of our Economic Development Authority.

Well, I just wanted to say that, you know, the measure of a good executive is they could leave the next day and the organization is going to continue to do well. And I know that that's exactly where we are with Wyatt. He's just been the best person I've had to work with on the EDA and other matters with the city. There's an old quote that says, if you do what's right, people will know. But if they don't know, you know, and that's what counts. And I hope that's what Wyatt feels tonight, that he put everything on the field and he can leave proud of what he's accomplished. Thank you.

Thank you. Others? Welcome.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, members of the City Council. My name is Sharon Richardson, and I am the Woodbridge District Representative to the Prince William County Parks and Recreation Commission. I've served in that capacity since 2018, so all of my tenure on that body has been under Seth's direction. We serve as citizen volunteers. and act as a liaison between the Department of Parks and Recreation and our county board. So where they can't advocate for things, we can go and say, please give them more money for this, that, and the other. And I will keep my remarks brief. I just want to say that, as you've heard, you're getting a fantastic new city manager. And he has big shoes to fill, but I think he's the person to fill them. As a citizen serving on a county commission, I've watched Seth. navigate, trying to put together a comprehensive budget. He has solid proven experience listening to community members, other stakeholders, going to his staff and trying to make sure that all of those things are taken into account. And so if he can do that for our Department of Parks and Rec, I know he will do it for your city. And I just want to wish Seth and his family well. As you can see, it was important enough for us, many of us in Prince William, to come up here and say goodbye to him officially and to tell you what a great guy you're getting. So thank you very much. And outgoing city manager, thank you for your service. It sounds like you were also an amazing gentleman. Thank you.

Any others? And I welcome Seth to.

Madam Mayor, council members, staff, guests and citizens, former colleagues. I am overwhelmed with all of these kind remarks. I don't think I've ever heard so many nice things said about me in one room at one time. Truly, truly a humbling experience. I want to start out by simply summarizing just how incredibly grateful I am for this opportunity to serve the Falls Church community. From the interview process through this evening, my family and I have experienced wide open arms. So we've received congratulatory emails, a welcome packet, multiple offers to move. A plate of cookies showed up in the lobby of our apartment complex after we moved. It truly feels like we are coming home. And that's what makes Falls Church such a special community. I truly believe from walking your streets and talking to your stakeholders and residents that Falls Church really exudes a brand of community spirit that is found almost nowhere else in this United States. I want to thank you, Mayor Hardy and the council members for your trust and confidence to lead this tremendous team and to effectuate and carry out your very bold and exciting strategic priorities. This is a pivotal time for the community and the organization. With a lot riding on selecting a leader who can translate ideas into action. while fostering the engaged culture and the small town sense of place that has brought Falls Church so much success over its many years of existence. And to that end, I just want to let you know how seriously I take this appointment. I'm eager to roll up my sleeves and dive into all of the challenges with humility, authenticity, inclusiveness, collaboration, and a servant's heart. There's no doubt in my mind that the work ahead will be very, very challenging, but I'm convinced that we are assured success if we work together, if we listen to one another, if we communicate often and transparently, and we always look out for the best in each other. So speaking of a servant's heart, I also want to recognize Manager Shields for his many years of service. You have left an impact on this organization, on this community that will permeate this room and these streets. long after you hang up your hat and trade in these Monday meetings for more quality time with your favorite streaming services or any other guilty pleasure that you and your wife partake in. It's an absolute honor to be taking the baton from you, and I just want to let you know I'm going to carry it with tremendous pride. I'm looking forward to supporting and learning from the amazing staff here tonight and those who aren't in this room. I believe that the talent of this staff is the fuel that's going to help us achieve new possibilities. And I want to credit the mayor and council for involving the staff in the selection process, as was said numerous times tonight. It really speaks to the importance that you place in the perspective of the people who honestly are the ones who do all of the work, many of whom do that work behind the scenes. To all of the staff in the room tonight and all the staff that may be listening online, you to know that I look forward to building your trust and I look forward to doing really great work together. I'm also looking forward to engaging with the residents, businesses, and all the community leaders by listening deeply to your needs and your ideas and making sure that you understand how decisions are made and why decisions are being made. My favorite part of public service is building relationships and fostering trust, making believers out of people when it comes to local government. One thing that you can expect from me is that I will always listen. I will always be focused on making government accessible and responsive to all people. And I will always be focused on excellent service delivery and providing the best value for our taxpayers, our rate payers, and all of our residents in general. I'd like to thank my Prince William County colleagues and the leadership for joining us tonight. You know, over the last few days, there's been a lot of things written about our accomplishments together. But what really hasn't been reported on is how much I've learned and grown as a leader because of the team around me. And lastly, I want to thank my family, Amanda, Simon, are here tonight for all your support through this transition and all of your support for all my career successes as a whole. My eldest son, Miles, can't be here tonight. He's a sophomore at CNU. He's probably studying really hard right now somewhere. Simon did just finish his first day at Meridian, and so he and I are sharing a very special milestone together today. And then a special shout-out, of course, to our unsung heroes, our educators, who worked their butts off over the summer preparing for what promises to be a great school year. So I could say a whole lot more about this community, but I'll just end by expressing gratitude once again. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you all for welcoming me. I'm looking forward to a lot of very productive days to come, and I hope to meet all of you tonight during a reception if we haven't met to this point. Thank you. Thank you.

I guess before we move on to the acting city manager, Seth, if you'd like to come up for a photo.

A little slow on the uptake here.

And Wyatt, could you come up and join us as well?

Maybe Seth and I could be here. Yeah, let's come up. Come on up. Did they coordinate?

That's awesome.

Oh, yeah.

You making it okay? I think it's been better for you.

I was trying to stay out of your .

Putting him on the spot on the camera.

Okay, I think we have one more item of business, and then we hope everyone can stay and join us for the reception in the atrium. The next item is TR 26-28, the resolution to appoint Deputy City Manager Jennifer Carroll as Acting City Manager from September 5th through September 13th. Do I have a motion?

I'll move to adopt TR 26-28. Is there a second? Second.

It's Connelly in the second. Call roll, please.

Mr. Agin? Yes. Ms. Conley? Yes. Ms. Downs? Yes. Ms. Flynn?

Yes.

Mr. Snyder? Yes. Ms. Underhill? Yes. And Mayor Hardy? Yes. Motion carries 7-0. Thank you, Council.

Jenny, thank you for stepping up during that transition period. Okay, unless there's no other business, I'm going to adjourn us so we can go enjoy some refreshments. So I hope everyone can stay. Thank you all.

Meeting's adjourned.