New Economic Development Director Shares Modus Operandi At Joint Town Council and Board of Supervisors Work Session

The June 4 joint work session of the Town Council and the Board of Supervisors began with a word from Town Manager Joseph Petty about the Joint Tow Board. Questions asked in the past about procedure were answered as he detailed the roles of the town manager and the county administrator in processing applications and identifying vacancies on the board, as well as the roles of the council and the supervisors in the final appointment. This newly clarified process will be important as terms expire on August 31. Part of that process will be determining which members, if any, wish to continue in their capacity on the towing board. Petty noted the proposed modification for one civilian member who, while being a citizen of the town or county, is not affiliated with any law enforcement represented on the board and has no affiliation with any towing company in the town or county.

(Above and below)The Town Council and the Board of Supervisors met for a special meeting on June 4. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

Mayor Lori Cockrell raised the question of whether there should be a cap on the number of service providers for the joint towing enterprise. The answer was largely “no”. In the interest of a free market and keeping the process competitive, the consensus between council members and supervisors was that excellence would not be best served by a cap. It was noted that the market is not currently flooded with eager providers. It was also noted by Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal that a kind of natural selection will work in which excellent service will coincide with superior tools and resources, while providers who do not have those assets will naturally exit the scene. Law enforcement plays a key role in identifying the difference, according to Veitenthal.

The County’s new Director of Economic Development, Patrick Barker, was present at the special TC-BOS meeting.

The County’s new Director of Economic Development, Patrick Barker, attended the meeting and shared not only the first draft of his six-month vision but also an explanation of how he does business and where he sees himself in the Front Royal and Warren County scene. Acknowledging the community’s fraught history with the EDA, he clarified that he does not answer to the EDA, but rather to the county administrator. His posture toward the insolvent EDA is gracious, acknowledging that it has certain assets, but ultimately, he sees it as one tool among many. He also expressed a willingness to collaborate with Retail Strategies, a consultant that has been working with the Town over a broader timeframe. Ultimately, he wants to involve all stakeholders, not just answer the phone, but put boots on the ground to discover what people want and make it a reality.

The work session concluded with an exchange on tourism, during which multiple council members expressed strong views on Front Royal’s centrality to that industry. What would a County tourism manager look like, considering the lion’s share of the work that has been and continues to be done by Town Tourism Director Lizi Lewis and her staff? “Front Royal is the brand,” council members like Glenn Wood said several times, pointing to the one hundred plus signs that indicate Front Royal on state highways and the necessity of connecting with Front Royal before enjoying the surrounding attractions. Supervisor Cheryl Cullers expressed hope that a County tourism manager could augment what the Town provides without duplicating efforts. Supervisor Tony Carter indicated that he would be quicker to allow the lion’s share of the responsibility to remain with the Town, while directing County funds to the Town for tourism in exchange for the Town’s financial assistance with economic development.

The discussion about funding was carried over from past liaison meetings between the Town and the County. Therefore, Councilman Joshua Ingram made an urgent push for action, which, on the County side, was met with a request for an MOA to specify exactly what the council hopes to receive from the supervisors for tourism. The point was made that although there may be a perception that the two entities parted ways in the tourism concern, Front Royal’s visitors center has continued to promote attractions in the county. With $0 currently coming from the County to the Town for tourism, the council may experience angst when the Town-orchestrated events like the royal visit generate benefits for the County in the absence of financial burden sharing.