A motion to correct language in the code fails on City Council vote because attached regulations will restrict urban agriculture

The Front Royal City Council met in work session on Monday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall to discuss several rather routine matters, most of which were scheduled to be considered at the May 28 meeting as part of the agenda. Before moving forward on these matters, Mayor Lori Cockrell presented a proclamation for council approval recognizing National Police Week from May 12-18. The holiday honoring the sacrifices of law enforcement officers was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 when he established Peace. May 15 is Officers’ Remembrance Day, which today has expanded into the week-long National Remembrance Week.

Mayor Cockrell took note of two recent memories from local officers. This was the recent naming of the South Street Bridge by former city police officer Lt. William Patrick “Pat” Farrell and the earlier renaming of the Commerce Street Bridge to FRPD Sgt. Dennis Smedley. Farrell was an FRPD officer from 1971 to 1982, when his early retirement was prompted by declining health following an on-duty incident in November 1977, when he was bitten and scratched by a suspect whom authorities did not know at the time was infected with the hepatitis B virus. Farrell eventually died of chronic hepatitis on July 24, 1991, at the age of 43. As noted above, Council recently dedicated the South Street Bridge in Farrell’s name, as it previously did with the Commerce Street Bridge for Sgt. Smedley, killed in the line of duty in 1983.

Following the announcement and commemoration of Officers Farrell and Smedley, Council adjourned closed session at 7 p.m. 6:35 p.m., for an interview to fill a vacancy on the planning commission and to discuss an item added at the beginning of the work session. It was noted that these were staffing issues related to providing a staffing replacement for Mayor Joe Waltz, who is currently absent due to illness. After the session closes at 7:30 p.m., as indicated in Amber Morris’s request to add this item, the Council unanimously authorized Finance Director B.J. Wilson to serve as city manager in Waltz’s absence.

Perhaps the most interesting discussion on a number of budget and financial matters expected to come before the Council at upcoming meetings was the issue of appropriating approximately $505,000 in expenditures requested by CFO Wilson as part of the budget amendment “to account for revenues that exceeded the FY24 budgeted amount and approving a FY24 budget carryover of $535,000 to appropriate $515,000 (which was found to have been changed to $505,000 in Wilson’s revised agenda package number) in in the form of additional appropriations” to the FY24 budget. While the agenda summary suggested that the money would be used “to implement the city’s paving plan and allocate $30,000 to protect City Hall,” some council members had other ideas, as expressed from 19:05 in the combined video from the city.

The idea of ​​using donated funds to achieve established Council goals other than street maintenance initially came from Councilman Glenn Wood (dealing with blighted, abandoned buildings or creating a deputy city manager position) and Vice Mayor Wayne Sealock (funding additional FRPD officer positions). Morris commented that she liked the damn building idea; however, it soon became obvious, with a twist (at 29:28 of the video). That twist was to hand over the money unilaterally to the city-supervised Front Royal Economic Development Authority (FREDA, also known as the Business Development Board).

“I think we’ve been looking at this for a long time since the FREDA foundation was endorsed in 2019 or whenever it started… We didn’t have the resources to fund FREDA. I also think FREDA’s one-time funding mechanism would generate annual income back to the city in the form of dividends if we did it right. So instead of throwing money at something that could be completed immediately, I think if we fund FREDA, let her loosen the reigns and get to work, it could generate revenue in the budget for next year and all the years after that. come and this is what we want to do.

After some additional conversations, Mayor Cockrell asked if the council would prefer to make an immediate decision to allow it to be voted on at the May 28 meeting or remand it to the first June work session for additional discussion and a budget decision for the fiscal year in which the funds will be included. The consensus was to indicate a work session in early June and a decision that would facilitate the commitment of funds in the budget of the appropriate financial year, depending on the final consensus on the use.

Another business

Several other budget requests were considered at the May 28 council meeting, the Tuesday after the Memorial Day holiday, with others moving toward June discussions and decisions. These included:

Item 3-A – Amendment to the FY24 budget regarding the receipt of funds for the replacement of electric poles. As noted in the staff agenda summary, Chief Financial Officer Wilson explained that the council was asked to “… approve an amendment to the City’s fiscal year 2023-2024 budget in the amount of $20,721.76. The city received $20,721.76 from Bright Speed ​​to reimburse the cost of replacing 22 utility poles. If approved, this budget amendment would offset additional expenses incurred by the Department of Energy Services to replace poles.

Additionally, the staff summary noted: “Pursuant to the Pole Connection Agreement between the Town of Front Royal and Bright Speed ​​(formerly Century Link/Sprint) it is specified that in the event the Town replaces one of Brightspeed’s poles with a Town storage pole, ownership of the pole passes to Brightspeed. However, Brightspeed is required to provide the city with a replacement storage pole. Unfortunately, Century Link has failed to follow this practice in recent years, resulting in a default of 22 poles owed to the City. After Brightspeed acquired the company, a decision was made to correct this discrepancy by invoicing Brightspeed for the city’s expenses in replacing the poles – for a total amount of $20,721.76.” The matter was adjourned to the May 28 meeting for action.

Position 3-B – Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Bad Debt Forgiveness – BJ Wilson/Staff Summary: Council is asked to approve the removal of 5 years or delinquent accounts receivable (bad debt) totaling $48,897.84 (151 utility bills) from the city books for the remainder part of the year fiscal year 2023-2024. Staff identified the accounts as uncollectible and uncollectible based on the Bad Debt Policy approved by City Council in March 2019 and the statute of limitations.

It went on to note that “Annually, the City of Front Royal bills approximately $30 million for municipal services. The City of Front’s Royal Department of Finance collects approximately 99% of annual utility bills before bills are deemed uncollectible and written off.” So bad debts account for about one percent of the city’s municipal services. Approved bad debts for the previous three fiscal years were: FY21 – $41,474.18; FY22 – $46,705.80; FY23 – $47,314.36, with a total of $48,897.84 in FY24 pending approval, expected to be approved at the May 28 meeting.

3-D position – Budget change for FY24, financing and purchase of a single-axle vacuum truck – BJ Wilson. The staff summary noted: “The city’s adopted FY25 sewer maintenance budget includes funding for an annual payment for a single-axle vacuum truck. Council will be asked to approve the purchase of a new single-axle vacuum truck; specifically the 3-yard Vaccon non cdl unit, from Atlantic Machinery Inc. benefiting from the Virginia Sheriff’s Association Heavy Equipment Purchase Program, bid number 24-05-0713 for $451,518.00. This new vacuum truck will replace unit #644 of a 1993 Ford L8000…Council will be asked to approve the purchase of a new single-axle vacuum truck; specifically the 3-yard Vaccon non cdl unit, from Atlantic Machinery Inc. benefiting from the Virginia Sheriff’s Association Heavy Equipment Purchase Program, bid number 24-05-0713 for $451,518.00. This new vacuum truck will replace unit #644 of a 1993 Ford L8000.” It appears that this item is scheduled for a vote on May 28.

Under “New business” the city council was informed by Chief Financial Officer Wilson in the absence of City Attorney George Sonnett that the city would be required, as it does every year, like all municipalities throughout the state, to adapt local traffic and vehicle regulations to any changes at the level state level. Staff recommended that Council approve the public hearing notice at the June 22 regular meeting to make the changes effective July 1, FY 2025.

The working session was suspended at 8:10 p.m

Click here to watch the May 13, 2024 Front Royal City Council meeting.