City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening. I call to order this nine March 2026 city council meeting. Mr. Short, will you lead us in pledge? I aliance 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. Thank you, Mr. Short. Item two is adoption of the meeting agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda? So moved. Thank you, Mr. Sh. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Wood. Any discussion? All in favor say I.

I. Any oppose? Eyes have it. 5 Z. Item three, matters from the mayor. Uh, I'm under the weather, so that's why I have my mask on. I don't have anything. Item four, matters from council.

Um, I attended the uh merch the downtown merchants meeting um on Friday. um which I try to do on a regular basis. It been a few months since I got down there. Um and I just would like to report I'm very happy and um with all the the progress that they're making and the way they're working together in order to uh help promote downtown and promote Wes as a whole. So I'd like to mention the fact that the downtown merchants are doing a fantastic job.

Anything anybody else? All right. Thank you, Mr. Wood. Item five is consideration of the consent agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda? I'll make that motion. Thank you, Mr. Short. Is there a second? A second. Thank you, Mr. Comi. Any discussion? All in favor say I. I.

Any opposed? Eyes have it. 5 Z. Item six is consider introducing an ordinance granting a non-exclusive franchise to Verizon andor other biders to construct, install, and maintain small sale facilities and wireless facilities infrastructure in the cities right away. Call on the city attorney, Miss Michael.

Thank you, Mayor Lee. Um, similar to the franchise agreements we recently did for Chantel and Segra, U. Verizon has submitted a proposal for a 15-year franchise to install small cell facilities within the city's right of way. So according in accordance with the Virginia code, we'll have the first consideration of the ordinance. The the franchise has been advertised and we will hold a bid open bid hearing um on the next meeting and I'm happy to answer any questions. Any questions?

Is there a motion to introduce the ordinance? I'll make that motion. Thank you, Mr. Wood. Is there a second? Second.

Thank you, Mr. Spoke. Is there any discussion? This ordinance will be subject to a public hearing and receive final consideration at the March 23rd meeting. Item seven is consider adopting a resolution approving substantial amendments to the FY22, FY23, and FY24 annual action plans for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Program. Miss Tate. Um, good evening, Mayor Lee and members of council. As you'll remember, at a previous meeting, we did hold a public hearing on these substantial amendments. Um, and tonight are asking you to adopt the resolution, but I will briefly um describe those substantial amendments. So, a substantial amendment was prepared to reallocate a total of $67,237.87 87 cents to the community development block grant pedestrian mobility improvements activity that was identified in the FY2025 annual action plan. So the reallocated funds include the transfer of approximately 200 $2,600 from a completed FY22 administration project. Um around $4,000 from a completed FY23 Fairfax Hall renovation expansion project. um approximately $60,500 from a completed FY23 public facility improvement um ADA accessibility at Rosenwald and $8 from the completed FY2024 life works project rental and utility assistance. So the amended annual action plans for 22 23 and 24 were on public display. The city did hold a public hearing. We did not receive any comments and tonight are asking you to adopt the resolution approving those substantial amendments.

Thank you, Mr. State. Any questions? All in favor of adopting the resolution approving the substantial amendments, say, "I." I. Any opposed? Eyes have it. 5 Z.

Item eight is to receive the planning commission's 2025 annual report. Miss state. Um so the purpose of the um 2025 annual report is to just summarize what the planning commission accomplished and worked on um in the previous year. So some development highlights, we did two zoning text amendments that were actually on kind of the same um topic. So bay door orientation changes and kind of the first go at that was denied and then a second iteration um was approved. And so that is um describing how bay doors are oriented for car washes specifically in our entrance corridors and kind of where they set as either first tier or second tier development. We did do a resoning of Wesboro High School and that resoning was needed in order to have the new um wing and expansion of the high school um meet the existing code. We did three conditional use permits and then we also reviewed and approved three preliminary plats for Creekwood phase 2 amendment, Creekwood phase three amendment and then the Hopeman Ridge subdivision. Um this shows um conditional use permits in blue, resonings in red, and then preliminary plat approval in green. And you can see that um you know it kind of es and flows every year. Um, one important note is that preliminary plating commission for review no longer do that. Um, and that change um, comes from a state code change and a requirement that they not be um, reviewed by planning commission. So, if it's a byite development, it is staff um, approval. This just shows those various development applications throughout the city. So the blue is conditional use permit, the red is the Wesbury High School resoning, and then the green represent those um preliminary plats for um additional residential development. And in the case of Creekwood um subdivision, they weren't new

entitlements that happened last year. They were amendments to existing plans. So construction remains strong in 2025. Construction is underway at Aspen Grove, which was formerly referred to as the Roser Avenue town homes and then also adjacent to that, the Kira Heights um development. Construction also continues at Ivy Commons, Evershshire, Creekwood Village, and Anamarie Estates. Um and then those are the three preliminary plat. And so these show this map shows kind of all of the active um some more active than others but developments um throughout the city. So building has remained consistent since 2019 and we did see a significant increase last year. Um so we issued 210 permits 196 single family stick built homes. We had zero modular and zero manufactured home permits and 14 multif family um and that'll obviously increase with the completion of town center um drive also. Um so other planning efforts and very important planning effort the waysboro together comprehensive plan update is ongoing. It's envisioned to be a two-year process that kicked off early last year. Um council appointed a nine member steering committee steering committee. Um, we've also held two rounds of stakeholder meetings and two community open houses to date. Uh, we launched a public survey in midsummer and closed that in November. Currently, there are some draft goals that are have been created for each of the plans topic areas. So, transportation, infrastructure, public safety, housing, recreation, outdoors, education, health, environment, and history and culture. And those goals were reviewed with the public at that second open house. and work continues in this year with drafting that plan. Um we hope our plan

to have an additional openhouse in the spring um and other engagement events. Um we have also worked with um identifying a youth stakeholder group and a survey specific to the youth. Um and so we're really excited about the input that we're gathering um with that effort. Um, last year the 14th Street sidewalk greenway phase three project was completed. Construction finished in late spring of 2025 and that provides a continuous sidewalk from Wayne Avenue to Magnolia Avenue along 14th Street and then an upgraded pedestrian crossing at Wayne Avenue. It includes curb ramps and high visibility crosswalks at all intersections. And that was funding that was provided by VOTE's transportation alternatives fund funds which was formerly known as open container funds. Um, another completed project through the community development block grant program was at Rosenwall Community Center. So, a new ADA accessible crosswalk and sidewalk installed from Port Republic Road to the playground and to an entrance at the back of the building. Um, other community development block grant efforts, renewing homes of greater Augusta, provided critical home repair for three Wsboro homes and public service funds were provided to Warm Life Works um and Hero um Life Works and Hero were um for rental assistance and utility assistance. Um this isn't a city um initiated effort, but a VOTE effort and the city has been um certainly involved is a project pipeline study along US 340. Um it's really gearing us up for this round of smart scale to have um projects to apply for and to really improve safety um at some intersections along the corridor and obviously improve the multimodal facilities for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Um, speaking of smart scale, in our past round of smart scale, we were unsuccessful with getting some of our

projects funded. Um, the Ludowit pedestrian project, um, the Waynesburg Transit Access Project, although staff has worked with, um, the CSPDC and DRPT, and identified that project as a good candidate for a merit grant. And we did submit that application in February. Um, and that would be um, a favorable I think it's only a 4 percent local match. [snorts] And then like I said, smart skill round seven um, is open. I think the pre-applications are open now. And so we will be um, focusing on that project pipeline study from Rosser Avenue for those projects. Um, other transportation um, projects are the West Main and Broad Street streetscape projects. They are both um VOTE administered projects and they are still um in the design phase. Um the East Main Street streetscape project is locally administered and the plan is to reconfigure East Main Street from the Main Street Bridge to the eastern city limits. Um we've had to kind of scale back that project a little bit to fit within funding. Um and also have had to seek some additional funding, but design work kicked off um kind of middle of 2024. Um, we applied for additional funds and continue working with um, our transportation consultants, design engineers um, on the design of that project. That's all I have unless you have any questions.

Any questions? Thank you all fantastic job. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. No action is required on this council. Item nine is communication correspondence calendar. Mr. Hams.

Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor, members of the council, I would like to take a few minutes this evening and just provide some information on the status of opioid abatement activity in Wesboro and the Saw region. Uh, no action is requested this evening, but I do think um it'd be beneficial to kind of share a status on what we have done and what we're currently doing. Um, you may recall that the process generally began uh back in 2023 when Stanton, Augusta County, and Wesboro joined together to conduct a regional needs assessment and a planning effort to um survey the community and work with agency providers to understand um where there were opportunities to make investment in abatement of treatment, substance use, and abuse programs. U that work was presented to the councils to the two city councils and the board of supervisors in the fall of 2024. There was a fairly extensive um effort to um engage the community through a series of surveys, town hall meetings and public and agency engagement activities direct either direct meetings or um indirect. Um after that effort um the three localities Stanton Augusta County and Wesboro issued a request for proposals and ultimately um applied for a state grant to fund um an office on youth program and a and a program in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health. The office on youth is developing a substance abuse coordinator position um to really focus on prevention in the youth with youth in the area. Uh noting again that the office on youth is a regional agency that serves young people in Stan Wayne and Augusta County. The department of health uh program had two aspects. One was a mobile clinic that could go be

deployed um throughout the region and then a nurse navigator position. don't have a lot of activity, programmatic activity to report on these two initiatives in large part because both agencies experienced challenges hiring um filling those two key positions to direct the work. I believe the office on youth has offered to an individual and the department of health has either offered or is close to offer. So hopefully in the next um six to eight months or so I'll be able to bring back some activity in that regard. Um in addition to those localitydriven efforts, our portal or the city's portal has been um used to make uh or make planning to make or make regional grants. Um and regional I mean um perhaps better said non-municipal agency applications. So for example, the Wsboro public school project of the Riveridge Learning Center. The opioid abatement authority does not provide that uh school systems can be direct recipients of grants. However, um school systems can partner with their host localities and make uh grant applications through the city or municipality or county portal. And um we entered into such an arrangement with Wesboro public schools and they were successful in drawing down $640,000 in opioid abatement funds again to support the Riveridge Learning Center. Additionally, um our staff is working closely with the staff at Valley Community Services Board. Um that agency will be allowed to use our portal to make application um to the opioid abatement authority. Um they anticipate making a $5.7 million application to construct or help construct um the crisis receiving and

detoxification center in Fischersville. Uh, I want to make council aware of something that um the staff will work with our neighboring localities, the authority and valley community services board to fulfill. But in using our portal, the city is obligated to commit to the opioid abatement agency or authority that the facility once constructed will be used exclusively for the crisis receiving or detox center. And if the agency failed to fulfill that commitment, which I don't anticipate they would, but if they did, um, as the portal operator, we would be responsible for a prorat, a declining share financially to pay back the authority for the investment. Um, we will, that's a lot of um, responsibility and some might say risk uh, for the city to carry by ourselves. So the way that we will deal with that is um enter intoou agreements with Stanton, Augusta County, and Highland County so that they will share in that risk or obligation. Um so that in the unlikely event, an unexpected event that valley doesn't operate the center as they've said they will, um we can satisfy whatever financial obligation exists at that time. I would note that um neither of those um opportunities or um partnerships um impact our pool of funds or our ability to apply for funds. They're just we're simply facilitating access to the authority and then we reserve and preserve all of our access to u funds which at the authority you may recall might be helpful to remind um the council and the listening public that those opioid abatement funds are distributed in three or four separate um pools. So the city of Wesboro receives a direct allocation in settlement from

funds from uh providers and pharmaceutical companies who have settled. Um the state receives an allocation which they share um with localities. Um then there's a gold standard allocation um for which we can apply um because um the city has committed to fulfilling all the evidence-based criteria for the to qualify for gold standard funding. So, I I wanted to assure the council and the community that again our partnership and facilitation with Valley Community Services Board um and the Waysburg Public Schools does not impact our ability to draw down additional funds for programming. Where we are currently, we're ready for another round of regional programmatic grants. Um we've been work we continue to work with Stanton Augusta County and Wesboro ourselves. Um we issued a request for proposals last fall. We received four submitts. A committee of agency peer reviewers have reviews reviewed those submitts. Um that committee uh review committee consisted of the director of Blue Ridge Court Services, the director of the Shannondoa Valley Office on Youth, the director of the Valley Mission and a representative from the Central or the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge and they recommended funding uh two agencies. One is Blue Ridge Legal Services and then another the second agency is Strength and Peers. Um at this point we are working to develop grant submitts um to fund programs for those two agencies. Blue Ridge Court Services um anticip would like to hire um an attorney that would be dedicated exclusively to serving the homeless

population and um work primarily um with their civil legal needs. Um so I I suppose that would um involve bankruptcy, landlord tenant issues, um those things which uh can be a distraction or an entanglement that um become an obstacle to recovery and restoring health of the individual. That attorney would be a dedicated to would be dedicated to serving residents of Stanton Augusta County, Wesboro, and Highland. Um the strengthen peers program anticipates um broadening access uh to nlloxxone, expanding harm reduction services and um bridging u a warm or providing a warm handoff to support services. And so um that means a more direct support in connecting individuals with addiction or using um habits to support agencies more directly. Um the harm reduction is essentially um an exchange program, a needle exchange program. And then finally, um, access to Nlloxxone is, um, Nlloxxone is a pharmaceutical that provides emergency relief to somebody who's in crisis or cardiac arrest as a result of an overdose. At this point, um, we are not committed um to awarding funds. Again, we're simply taking those submitts that we received and um, developing a grant application that we would provide to the state. And I would imagine that I would be back um before you um updating you about where we were before those funds were awarded. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.

Questions. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. Item 10, citizen comment. Yes, sir. Uh Mr. John Benner. So, I'd like [clears throat] to remind uh everyone that plans to speak, you have four minutes. Uh you'll see the green light. When you have 30 seconds left, the yellow light will come on for you to wrap up wrap it up.

Uh good good evening, uh council members. My name is John Benner. I'm the animal science extension agent for Virginia Cooperative Extension. I did want to uh take a few minutes to provide a brief uh report of extension programming provided in the city of Wesborough for Wesborough residents for 2025 and the early months here through 2026. Um Virginia Cooperative Extension leads the engagement mission of Virginia Tech and Virginia State Universities, the Commonwealth LRA universities. Extension provides research-based educational programs for adults in nutrition, food safety, financial management, and agriculture. Extension also provides educational programs for youth through 4 youth development. In 2025, the Augusta County Office of VCE or Virginia Cooperative Extension was able to assist vegetable and garden cramp garden crop planting, cultivation, harvesting at Embrace Community Cent's Community Garden. We were able to host two summer interns, the majority of which were funded by the county, but um we appreciate y'all's assistance as well that helped uh cultivate the garden on three separate occasions providing over 48 hours of service to the garden. The interns assisted VCE's family nutrition program uh SNAPED assistant Kay Shainer who manages the garden. Uh Kay retired from VCE uh late this summer after 23 years of service. Um she uh currently works for Embrace as the uh uh one of the managers there at Embrace um center for community. Over 6,300 pounds of produce uh was distributed from the garden this year. Uh in 2025 for inschool programming was provided to 420 students at William Perry Elementary

School. Students learned about physics, biology, and life sciences through uh fun interactive lessons. 4H inschool program enrichment programs are already scheduled for this spring 2026 semester at William Perry and will include lessons on matter uh embryology and plant life sciences. 4H youth programming has also been delivered to Wesboro youth through junior 4 camp held each summer at we Skelton 4 uh educational center. At camp, youth learn various activities that focus on team building and character development. 4 camp participation is open to youth aged 9 to 14 years old that are residents of Augusta, Stanton or Wesboro. In 2025, Wesboro residents comprise one-third of Augusta 4H's camp participants. In February, our family and consumer science agent, uh, Becky Gartner, who is housed in the Rockingham office, uh, conducted a reality store, um, for approximately 20 students at Valley Academy. Reality store is a realworld financial simulation for youth. Students are given a family and income scenario. Then they must manage their hypothetical finances, make a budget, and plan out how to pay their monthly bills and other routine adult activities. Reality Store is a popular extension program provided in many other various communities throughout the state. Efforts are underway to incl to to continue these educational opportunities in 2026. Uh thank you very much for your support and I'll take any questions if we have time. questions.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Christopher Williams.

Hi. Um, my name is Christopher Williams. Um, I'm from Wayne, Virginia. I went to Kate Collins Middle School. Even recently graduated from not not recently. I graduated from the high school in 2017. Um it's upsetting to hear that there's a chance that the Waysboro schools could receive less funding compared to the other districts, especially considering that even when I graduated from there, they were still underfunded. Um it's not fair that the youth in the area aren't supported in any constructive way and that it's left up to the parents to make a lot of the dreams happen. a lot of the extracurriculars in that school don't receive funding uh in the ways that they should and compared to the other school districts, it's very far behind and I wouldn't be surprised if it still is. I know that the school recently did get remodeled. Um but it still leaves a lot of the u extracurricular things, things for students to do outside, things for kids to go out and do and enjoy themselves falling to the wayside and again on the parents to actually make sure that it happens in any way, shape, or form. When I was in high school, I was a part of the band program. Um, and starting up in the band program, the thing that we did a lot of fundraising for was getting new uniforms because the uniforms that we started off with were from the 60s, maybe even the 70s. I'm not 100% sure. And with any parent, they do know that as a whole that supporting music is a very big dream. Uh, equipment is expensive. Getting anything done is expensive, and it requires a lot of moving bodies to have an effective team on the force as big as a marching band. um making that dream happen of getting the uniforms because we did succeed at it in making it happen. I don't remember the exact number, but we had about 60 people on the team. Um about 200 people ahead, I'd say about 10,000 to $15,000 in total to get new uniforms for the entire team and have everyone looking up to spec, up to date, and enjoying themselves and feeling like more of a core part of and everything. It wasn't cheap. And that sacrifice came

at the expense of students donating their time, going out to car washes. Um, being on the marching band, I remember the drum line because I was on one of the captains. We played for the opening of the local big lots to receive funding for that. So, anything and everything to get our name out [snorts] bit by bit just to make our voices heard and to see that money could be continue to be taken away really hurts, especially as I still live in the district. I mean, I'm right across the street from Kate Collins, so I see him every day. Doesn't really help. Thank you, Caitlyn Cranbach.

Good evening. My name is Caitlyn Cranach. I'm a current junior at Wesboro High School. Um, thank you for having me here tonight as well. Um, as a student, I benefit from a lot of the programs that Waysboro is able to offer us. I participate in Shannidoa Valley Governor School, AP classes, dual enrollment courses, and I'm enrolled in virtual Virginia courses as well. Um, these opportunities are available to me right now because the schools are able to provide those resources because Wes City is able to provide that funding. Um, furthermore, I participate in a multitude of extracurriculars, um, service-based organizations, skill-based clubs, community outreach programs. I've, um, I volunteer a lot because the high school is able to offer me th those opportunities. Um, and I've made some of the best connections, um, in those clubs. And, um, a lot of that is funded by Wesro City. these experiences that I'm able to gain from these clubs um I'm able to gain because of the support from Wainsboro public from Wesboro City um and these experiences are invaluable to me. I know from firsthand experience that there are a large number of students who want to learn who want to succeed and who want to grow as they progress through the grade levels. As Waysboro grows, these students hope to grow with it. And for that to happen, the schools need to be receiving adequate funding to support each and every one of those students. I would urge all of you to remember these students in your decision-making and further remember that there can never be too much funding toward our youth's education and growth as individuals. Um, the more that we support our youth now, the more that's going to benefit us in the future as a city, as a state, as a nation. Um, and yeah, that's all I wanted to say. Thank you for having me.

Thank you. Thank you,

Tom Manible. Uh, good evening. My name is Tom Manville. I live at 145 Huntington Place, a Ward D. I am a Wesboro taxpayer and I've been one for quite a long time. I'm here tonight because I sat in this audience a couple weeks ago where the school board and the city council discussed the funding agreement, something that I actually care a lot about. You wouldn't know that with a shirt. Uh and I heard something that was quite and deeply concerning to me. I heard that no one remembered the why the funding or uh formula was created. And because no one remembered, the conclusion was that it needed to be changed. I am here tonight to give you the history. I was there. So what I remember was this. 22 years ago, I came home from work tired. My wife met me at the door and said very quickly, "You need to go down to the city council meeting tonight and speak in favor of the school board." I said, "What?" Well, she said, "Just go sign up and talk to them and tell them you support the schools." Now, I'm not one to argue with a woman who's watching my four children who are under the age of eight. So, I went. I stood in a long line of speakers that night. The energy in that room was extraordinary. The evening finished with Jonathan Love lady bringing down the house. I loved it. An impressive speech that ever had everyone on their feet. Jonathan [clears throat] may have been a Presbyterian minister, but I think there was a considerable amount of Baptist influence in that talk that night. A year later, same story, packed council meeting, passionate speakers about every conceivable school service. It was loud, names were called. The intellectual capacity of council members was not entirely off limits.

Apparently, school budgeting was a very painful process in Wesboro. And that is why Frank Lucent and Lorie Smith and the mayor and the vice chairman of the school board sat down together based on historical data. They hammered out an agreement, a formula both sides could live with, a genuine partnership. And that, as far as I was concerned, ended my career of speaking to city council meetings until tonight. After the agreement was reached, my wife Kathy joined the school board for 16 years. With her fiscal responsibility hat firmly in place, she helped to steer the B board and the school leadership toward sharp pencil budgeting, toward accountability, toward doing more with what they had. I watched it happen. It was never easy. There was many hard years and there were many hard choices, but they did it. Because of the formula, the school could see what next year's budget would look like. They could make decisions for the long haul, not scramble yeartoear. I became a genuine believer in the formula. And you see, to be honest with you, I always had a concern about the council that would try to play fair with it. Would they try to manipulate the numbers? I watched closely for 16 years, and they did not. The original agreement has delivered. The agreement allowed for some flexibility and decisions to exclude some revenues and the balance of end-of-ear balance carryovers and one-time considerations have not broken that framework. But what is proposed is a fundamental shift in the mathematics a way to for the a way to not honor the city's commitment to the shared revenues. The formulas have not made has not made public schools the richest in the region. Not even close. Teachers pay, class sizes are broadly in line with

surrounding districts. Facilities continue to lag Augusta County and Stanton, let alone our neighbors in Abomaro. But there they are more than respectable than they were. This 20-year-old agreement works and it works because it is simply fair and both sides have honored it. I ask you to reconsider your con your your your thoughts, talk to the school board and do the math. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you, [clears throat] Tom. Peerless.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you. My name is Tom Purus. I have lived in Wesboro for nearly 30 years as an orthopedic surgeon, a taxpayer, and a father. I have three children. All three attended Waysboro public schools. And while all three achieved success there and beyond, it is the system that contributed to that success that compels me to speak here today. My three kids are all out in the world now. Zach is a senior sports writer for CBS covering the NFL's Commanders and Ravens and NCAA men's basketball. Rebecca will earn her doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan, tirelessly and enthusiastically working as hard as she can to cure breast cancer. Sam is an engineer in Southern California, helping develop medical devices that help prevent strokes and treat brain aneurysms. Whatever they have become, they became it here in these classrooms with these teachers in this school system. I am not here for my children. I am here because I am worried about those children who come after them and how the 3% cap potentially devastates what those children will inherit. My children do not succeed because Wainsboro has the best funded schools in the region. It does not. Teacher pay is competitive but not exceptional. Facilities lag behind Augusta County and Stanton and classroom populations are manageable but not small. What Wesboro has had for 20 years is stability. An adequate funding formula that has allowed the schools to plan, hire, and invest in programs where any child can show up and excel. Stability is what the funding formula provides. And stability is exactly what that 3% cap destroys. 3% sounds reasonable until you understand how it works. Under the current formula, schools receive 42.5% of city revenues. When city revenue increases, school revenues increase proportionately. When city revenue falls, schools tighten

their belts, too. Fair enough. A yearly capped increase of 3% though is a flawed system. It caps the upside without protecting the downside. And the capping of potential school revenue compounds over time. For example, in any year where city revenues might grow by more than 3%, say 7%. The school's budget increase is limited to 3%. That 4% difference is not deferred or recoverable. It is gone. And next year's 3% maximum increase calculates from that stunted baseline. Over time, since city revenues more often than not increase annually by more than 3%, the school's share of funding would fall further and further behind. Point of fact, if this cap had been present for the past 25 years, Wesboro City Schools today would be operating on 76 cents of every dollar they currently receive. 25 years of applying the proposed 3% cap would have cumulative cumulatively amounted to over 43 million less for city schools. This year's annual budget shortfall alone would be $5 million. That's not a model. That's not an estimate. That's math from the city's own audited revenue figures. $5 million is not an abstraction. It is teachers. It is programs. It is the counselor who catches a struggling kid early and it is the properly paid teachers who help motivate any child to excel and do great things in the world. I know because my children benefited from this that system and I cannot in good conscience be silent while this council proposes to take that away from the children who come next. Waysboro City Schools need the adequate funding provided by the current funding formula. Do not trade that for a 3% ceiling. I'm asking this the uh city council please do not sign this agreement.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Patrick Manibal.

Hi everybody. My name is Patrick Manaval. I live at 145 Huntington Place here in Wesboro. Um I grew up in Wesboro and I'm a graduate of Wainsboro public schools. I currently live in Texas where I'm studying uh to get my PhD in counseling psychology so I can work to provide mental health and sports psychology services to athletes across all ages and backgrounds. I'm home visiting my family. This is my first day back for spring break. And so what better way to spend my first day back than by coming to city council meeting. I'm glad to see you guys. Um but this tells you kind of how important and serious this is for my family and myself as an alumni and a proud little giant. I want to offer a perspective tonight that I don't think has has really been brought up in the conversation enough and it's not the data since you've heard about the data but I want to talk to you about the the system level change that influences the outcomes. Specifically, I want to talk about the difference between intent versus impact. So I believe that people often hold good intentions when making decisions especially when it impacts the lives of others. Now, that being said, any good intentions I might have don't hold much power if the impact hurts someone else. An example I like to share that explains the importance of keeping impact at the forefront is about driving a golf cart. Say I'm out on for a round of golf with my friends. Now, full disclosure, I'm only good at putt putt. Uh, but I were to park my golf cart on the course, but it's on a slight hill. We could say it's a 3% grade maximum. I think that cart will be just fine. Leaving the key in the ignition, I step out of the cart and I go play. What I don't realize is that leaving the cart on that 3% grade long enough wouldn't hold over time. It starts to roll down the slight hill and my unsuspecting friend breaks their foot after the car runs over their unsuspecting foot. While my intentions were pure and I can say, "I didn't know the slope was that steep. I didn't want to hurt you. That wasn't my intention." It doesn't change the fact that my friend now has a broke broken foot. The

impact left a mark. Similar can be said for the system we operate in and the policies we put in place. The proposed changes to the funding formula may be coming from a place of pure intentions for supporting women'sboro public schools. I sure hope it does. However, the impact that this resolution could have and would have historically would put our children and young adults at more of an uphill battle than we already face. Ways public schools has never been overfunded in my lifetime. I can attest to this as being a lifelong citizen and even a former school board student representative. When I went to college, I quickly saw how many of my peers high school experiences gave them opportunities that Waysboro students only could dream about. These were these class offerings, educational experiences, and this overall investment in schools that blew me away. I was a freshman at high school at Wesboro High School 10 years ago, and I'm very grateful for the experience I've had. And I wish for any student that's a freshman there now to have more funding, not the potential for less. The system is a powerful entity as you all know and the responsibility is not easy. The system that you as leaders serve holds systemic change powers and so considering the true impact that this resolution ha will have on the kids in our community should be of utmost importance. Simple numbers can hide complex consequences. But when my impact hurts others, it doesn't matter about my intent. While a driver can have pure intentions, a broken foot at the end of the day is still a broken foot. I'm asking the school board to not sign this agreement and for you all to reconsider. Thank you.

Darcy Martin. Thank you so much. I appreciate the opportunity to speak. My name is Darcy Martin and I live at 700 Refe Road. My family moved to Wesboro when I was 5 years old. I graduated from Wesboro Public Schools and from the University of Virginia. I worked here for decades as a store owner and as the manager of a veterinary practice. I raised my family here. I am now retired, still here, and still caring about Wesboro's future. My two children attended Wesboro Public Schools. As a result of the strong educational foundation they received, they both obtained master's degrees. My son returned to the area and teaches physics at the Shannondoa Valley Governor's School. The community invested in his education and he turned around and gave back, teaching the next generation of students from across this region, including students from right here in Wsboro. Recently, a former student of his returned to teach at the Governor's School and is continuing the legacy of giving back. I am here tonight as someone who has watched these schools for a very long time. As a student, as a parent, as a community member,

and now as a retiree who cares deeply about what the city leaves behind. When we commit to our school, when the funding is stable, when teachers feel supported, kids do better. You see it in the classrooms, in the community, and in the kind of young people this city produces and sends out into the world. And when that commitment waivers, when the funding gets uncertain, when programs get cut, when teachers leave for better supported districts, you see that too. Maybe not immediately, maybe not in a way that makes the front page, but it shows up. I want to say something directly to anyone in this room or on this council who might think that retired residents have less reason to care about school funding. my property value, my quality of life, the vitality of the businesses where I shop, the character of my neighborhood. All of that is connected to the quality of schools. Strong schools attract families. Families sustain communities. Communities sustain everyone who lives in them, including retirees. This is not a favor we do for young families. It is what a community owes itself across every generation. I grew up in these schools. My children grew up in these schools and my son now gives back to this locality through

them. We all benefited from the commitment and the support of people who went before us. I have spent my working life in this community and I intend to spend my retirement here. Bottom line, I love Wesboro and I want to see it continue to grow and prosper. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you,

Perry Meldon. Hi, council members. My name is Perry Meldden and I live at 8:30 Pine Avenue. My husband and I bought a home in Wesboro about a year and a half ago, and we look forward to becoming parents here. In buying a house, we hope to settle down, uh, set roots, raise a family. Uh, but having learned recently about this funding cap, we feel less willing to stay in Wesboro as our future kids become school age. We really love living in the valley. Uh but we were really shocked to learn about the discrepancy between Wesro's low 40s rate compared to Stanton and Augusta County where that rate is higher. Learning this difference makes us reconsider whether we should be thinking about moving elsewhere in the valley in the next few years. We have no interest in private school or homeschooling. We believe in public schools and we want to stay in Wesboro. Please say no to the proposed changes to Wesboro school funding unless you plan to contribute more, not less. I want to live in a community that invests in public services and that begins with public school education. Thank you.

Thank you.

Roger Gonzalez. Hello, council members. Thank you for your time. Um, my name is Roger Gonzalez. I live at 313 Quentyn Place. I'm a hus I'm a husband, a father of four, an editor at CBS Sports, an adjunct professor at Blige. I'm in grad school. Yet lately, what's been on my mind so much is Wainsboro schools. My wife works for Waysboro schools. Uh, my all my children go to Wainsboro schools. I'm just a bit concerned about where things are at the moment. And I just wonder if funding is cut, what that's going to mean for our schools. Um I think at as you as stand now, teachers are spread so thin, they're wearing more hats than ever, and I just don't see any way that gets any better if there's less funding. There's so many substitutes that are needed on a daily basis because of so many things teachers are going through. There's days where our son has four substitutes in a day and we just keep them home. It's glorified babysitting and it's not him getting the instruction he needs. And I worry that if we cut funding, what that's going to mean uh when it comes to subs when we're already in a bad spot, we need more experienced teachers to join us. Um I personally know two teachers who recently joined the schools who had never taught, never studied education, and I'm worried about where those standards go if funding is cut. Less teachers would mean potentially bigger classes. That helps no one. Less funding can mean less aids where our teachers need more support now, not less. Uh and I I believe in our schools. We have some tremendous people and tremendous students. Uh but I think now we need to support support our teachers more than ever before. And if we don't support our teachers, in turn, I think we're doing a tremendous disservice to our students. Thank you.

Thank you,

Adam Ciple. Good evening. I'm Adam Cyple. I'm a parent of two Wsboro public school students. My faith teaches me to care for the vulnerable, the broken, the poor, and above all, the children. Every year, my church challenges us to um we each get a focus word. This year, our collective word is stewardship. I've been reflecting on what it means to truly serve, guide, and protect what matters most. Personally, we also get an individual word, and my individual word this year is passion. From my time as a summer camp counselor and my um time spent in the classroom as an educator to my current role as a father, a scout leader, and a youth group teacher, my passion has always been serving young people. I bring this up because as elected officials, you are the primary stewards of this community. Tonight, I have to ask, what exactly are you stewarding? Our legacy has often been one of self-imposed limitations. We have seemingly taken a perverse pride in having the lowest tax rates and the lowest local school funding contributions. Remarkably, even in a time of high need and rising property values, there's a push to find a way to do even less for our schools. But stewardship isn't just about hoarding resources or doing less. True stewardship is about investment. When you prioritize an arbitrary 3% cap over the documented needs of our students, our community, you aren't protecting our money, you're devaluing their future. What message are we giving to the family moving here like the one we just heard from or the one who just started a job at Northrup Grumman? Does our stewardship say Wesburg is a place for you to build a life? What does it say to the family whose child needs federally

protected special education support? What does it say to the family that views education as the only road to the American dream? The path to opportunities they never had for themselves minutes ago. On the screen over here, we learned about a project titled Winssboro Together. I worry that the true message is becoming tragically clear. I worry that the decisions and stewardship that I'm hearing about is telling these families, "We don't care. You're on your own." Now, I personally know I'm not alone. I've heard from a lot of people tonight. Thank you, Chris, for sharing about the impact of music education. Thank you, Caitlyn, for advocating for your fellow students in your own education. Tom, thank you for being there then and now for our schools. Another Tom, thank you for sharing how Wespar students can impact the world. Patrick, thank you for raising awareness to unintended impacts and what our actions really mean. Darcy, thank you for reminding us what it means to be a member of this community and and remembering and what that looks like. Perry, thank you for your belief in Wesboro, the Wesbury that you moved here for, and thank you for your belief in public schools. Roger, thank you for support of all educators. That that came through, and it was wonderful. You all have the power tonight to choose what kind of stewards you want to be. You've heard from us. You can steward a legacy of limitations, or you can steward a community of opportunity. This community is watching and we will not accept a legacy of abandonment. Our children are worth the investment. Don't leave their future in the past. Thank you.

Thank you, [clears throat] Andrea Jackson. That's it. Item 11. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Also moved. Thank you, Mr. Short. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Mr. Wood. All in favor say I. I. I. We are journ. Um, can I get a picture of the funding formula guy shirt?