New FRPD chief introduced to council; 5 affirmative votes in 11 minutes

Major Kerry L. ‘Kahle’ Magalis of the WCSO, will be taking over as Front Royal’s chief of police on Oct. 1. Photos/Roger Bianchini

Magalis brought a strong support contingent to his official introduction to his new bosses on the town council.

At a brief, 11-minute meeting on September 11, the Front Royal Town Council was introduced to its new police chief, Major Kerry “Kahle” Magalis and passed four agenda items, as well as a consent agenda without dissent.

Magalis, accompanied by eight family members, told the mayor and council he was grateful for the opportunity to head the town police force.  While not an internal departmental appointment, Magalis like his non-interim predecessor Norman Shiflett is making a short trip across town from a major’s position at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.  Present from the Front Royal Police Department were Captain Jason Ryman and Acting Chief Bruce Hite, who welcomed Magalis into the fold, effective October 1.  Hite, who came out of retirement to help FRPD through former Chief Shiflett’s post-foot surgery recovery and was named acting chief upon Shiflett’s May 1 retirement, said he would continue to serve the department through the end of the year to see Magalis’ transition goes as smoothly as possible.

From left, Acting FRPD Chief Bruce Hite, Captain Jason Ryman and incoming Chief Kerry L. ‘Kahle’ Magalis.

With the welcome aboards out of the way, by 5-0 votes (Connolly absent) council approved the second reading of the vacating of unimproved right of ways at 16^th Street and 1521 North Royal Avenue requested by David and Jean Butler (see related story); accepted a Deed of Gift for a Conservation Easement from Llewellyn LLC on 40 acres in the floodplain along the south bank of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River at the northern edge of town; and implemented a 2009 Resolution to abandon an undeveloped ROW for a portion of West 8^th Street to William M. and William J. Biggs.

Of the latter item, Vice-Mayor Eugene Tewalt noted that it was a matter dating to his tenure as mayor that had slipped through the municipal bureaucratic cracks for the past eight years.  The Town agreed to deduct the cost of damages to a fence and gate claimed by Biggs dating back to the original negotiation.  The amount of $2,586.83 for repairs will be deducted from the price of $30,000 owed to the Town for the property referenced in the November 9, 2009 Resolution on the property conveyance to the Biggs.

In a fourth matter added to the agenda by a 5-0 vote at the meeting’s outset, council approved a budget amendment to accommodate the sale of the old FRPD headquarters at 24 West Main Street.  The budget amendment notes a $22,000 payment to the realtor with the $253,000 remainder of the $275,000 sales price going into the Town’s Contingency Fund to be used as authorized by council were a need to arise.

Council also approved without dissent an eight-item consent agenda – and then it must have been time for a season-opening, Monday Night Football doubleheader …