Town Council Gets Update on Returned to Town-Driven Visitors Center Operations and Ponders How to Re-launch Youth Center

At its work session on July 10th at Town Hall, the Front Royal Town Council got a detailed briefing from Community Development and Tourism Manager Lizi Lewis on the return to Town staff-controlled seven-day-a-week Visitor Center operations and tourism promotion. Lewis’ presentation begins at the 3:30 mark of the linked Town video. That promotion includes both business and natural amenities on both sides of the town-county line.

And while joint Town-County tourism promotion was not part of the presentation, it appears that discussion is likely to be included on the upcoming July 20th Town-County Liaison Committee agenda. There seems to have been a recent disconnect in municipal communications on how to proceed with joint municipal tourism development, marketing, and management centered on the jointly created 501-C6 stand-alone, not-for-profit Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) “Discover Front Royal.” If we recall correctly, during discussion of establishment of the DMO, it was noted that it would be able to apply for state tourism-related grants directly unavailable to the municipalities themselves.

Also, the Town is still regrouping after the ill-fated move, circa 2019/20, to subcontract tourism/Visitor Center operations to a Tidewater-based contractor. That contract was not renewed after the contractor unilaterally closed the Visitor Center several days a week without notifying town officials.

Youth Center moving forward

The other major topic of work session discussion, beginning at the 45:00 mark of the linked Town video, was how to fund and successfully launch a re-established Community Youth Center. The proposed site is the currently unoccupied former Santmyers Youth Center facility across the creek from Bing Crosby Stadium at the 8th Street Bridge over Happy Creek. Representatives of the non-profit youth, student, and family support group “Reaching Out Now” were present to follow up on information on their operations and ability to coordinate and even lead this joint endeavor. “Reaching Out Now” representatives brought their proposal for this three-way joint endeavor on behalf of the community’s youth to council and the board of supervisors, on June 12 and 13, respectively. The County owns the former Santmyers Youth Center building.

Royal Examiner file photo of ‘Reaching Out Now’ representatives Samantha Barber, left, and Sina May at June 12 work session when Youth Center proposal was first brought to council. At July 10 work session, May was accompanied by ‘Reaching Out Now’ members Marlena Conner, Jennifer DeHaven, and Robert Hupman.

Remaining at issue, as first noted during its June meeting with the “Reaching Out Now” non-profit, was enabling funding in a Fiscal Year 2023/24 budget that was already finalized when the proposal was brought forward last month. Near Monday’s discussions’ outset, possible revenue of $75,000 in two installments, $25,000 currently and $50,000 in January, was broached.

Mayor Lori A. Cockrell also revisited the issue of realizing this project without creating a precedent for any project brought to the Town, or County, by another non-profit in the future. She noted that normally the Town has stayed out of direct funding of non-profit projects. The nature of this project to the benefit of youth community-wide — Public Schools, Private Schools, and Home Schooled youth would all be eligible to participate, it was pointed out — was cited as a potential basis against such a precedent on mandating funding for all non-profit projects in the future.

As to attracting youth to a new youth center, Reaching Out Now representatives noted that the plan was for this to be a “student-led” youth center, with programs or events recommended by the students themselves, as opposed to adults dictating activities to them. Present from “Reaching Out Now” were Marlena Conner, Jennifer DeHaven, Sina May, and Robert Hupman.

The potential of an August 28 public hearing on the proposal was suggested. It was also noted that a budget amendment to authorize the funding would not be necessary because the cited funding is less than 1 percent of the total Town budget.

Other business

The balance of the work session from the 1:36:59 video mark dealt with in the order addressed:

Three items are slated for a public hearing on August 28, 1/ the Comprehensive Plan Review and recommended Update; 2/ a Ramsey Inc. rezoning; and 3/ an Ordinance Amendment regarding “Town Code 75  Pertaining to Transient Occupancy Tax.

Three items slated for the Consent Agenda for routine business on August 28, 1/ a bid award for curb & gutter installation; 2/ an FY-24 Budget Amendment “to accept funds from VRSA for Pavillion Damage”; 3/ and another FY-24 Budget Amendment related to a “Comprehensive Solid Waste Utility Cost of Service Fee/Rate Study Contract.”

And finally, potential items for the agenda for the July 20 Town-County Liaison Committee meeting.

Click here to watch the Town Council Work Session video.