Local Government
New Officers Elected, County Supervisors Approve Lease Agreements on ‘RON’ Overseen Youth Center, for Warren Coalition, and Golf Course
Following a two-hour Closed/Executive Session discussion of pending legal matters related to the EDA “financial scandal” (see motion at end of story) and its consequences, including asset recoveries and liabilities, at 7 p.m. January 2, the new look, post-November 2023 election Warren County Board of Supervisors elected officers for the coming year. Elected chairman, unopposed on a nomination by Richard Jamieson, was Cheryl Cullers. Outgoing chairman Vicky Cook then nominated Jerome “Jay” Butler as vice chairman. Butler, too, was elected unanimously without opposition.
Cullers (South River District), Butler (Happy Creek District), and Cook (Fork District) then took to the dais with new members John Stanmeyer (Shenandoah District) and Richard Jamieson (North River District) to get down to the business of the new calendar year 2024.
The newly aligned Warren County Board of Supervisors’ first act of open session business of 2024 was the election of officers, done with the supervisors seated in the first two rows of public gallery seating. Below, Cheryl Cullers taking the center chairman’s seat, with Vice-Chair Jay Butler to her right, the board begins the business of a new calendar year.
Chief among that business were public hearings on three lease agreements. First up was the lease on the old Santmyers Youth Center building at Eighth Street and Commerce Avenue for the re-establishment of a Youth Center under the guidance of local non-profit Reaching Out Now (RON). Second to be considered was a lease with another community-oriented group, the Warren Coalition, and finally, a renewal of the contract on operations at the County-owned Front Royal Golf Course. And spoiler alert — all three leases would be unanimously approved.
Board Reports – Uh oh, snow
But with that new year’s business comprised of a 21-item Consent Agenda and the three public hearings on lease agreements, those public hearings were not advertised to begin until 7:30 p.m., nearly 20 minutes away, new Chairman Cullers led the meeting into board reports. Both new and returning members expressed thanks to former members Walt Mabe and Delores Oates for their service, Cullers adding thanks to Cook for her chairmanship of the past year. In her report, Cullers noted the first measurable snowfall of the winter predicted for the coming weekend, Saturday in particular. She urged county citizens to prepare early and stay safe, minimizing driving under hazardous circumstances should that winter weather pattern hit as predicted. See those board reports and comments in their entirety from the 10:30 to 18:20 linked County video marks.
Tongue firmly in cheek, in opening his County Administrator’s report following Cullers’s final board member report, Ed Daley noted that “we had several suggestions that the County should close, beginning tomorrow, in anticipation of the storm, but that was canceled,” drawing some amusement from the chair.
Chairman Cullers warned citizens of predicted snow accumulations this coming weekend. Below, County Administrator Ed Daley, left, flanked by County Attorney Jason Ham, drew some amusement with a follow-up report on a failed ‘suggestion’ the County shut down normal operations for the rest of the week to focus on preparations for the coming winter storm.
In a final move prior to the 7:30 launch of public hearings, the board approved the lengthy Consent Agenda with just one removal for additional discussion. That removal was item 20: “Approval of Salary, Deputy Commissioner III, Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office.” The Consent Agenda was then approved as amended. After some discussion in the absence of Commissioner of the Revenue Sherry Sours, where the relative employment grades of involved individuals, one retiring and one moving into a new Constitutional Officer department, were explained, the board also unanimously approved the submitted staff salary arrangement.
Youth Ctr. perspectives
During the lead public hearing on the Youth Center lease with RON, following Deputy County Administrator Jane Meadows’s introduction, Chairman Cullers invited RON President and founding member Samantha Barber to the podium to add any observations on the pending agreement (30:50 mark of the linked County video). Barber lauded the board and County staff for “staying the course” as the planned resurrection of a county-wide youth activities center and program has developed. “When we started this, we didn’t know the magnitude of work that had to be done,” Barber said of physical plant issues that have been addressed. “But you all did not waiver at all in supporting this venture,” she told county officials.
Barber then addressed a survey done among community students on what they were looking for from a youth center. “And sometimes we think that kids ask for the craziest things. But I can tell you that they were asking for quiet spaces to read. They were asking for something to eat after school. They were asking for tutoring opportunities. They were asking for games, from volleyball to just having a safe space. One student said, have security,” Barbour said, turning toward Warren County’s new Sheriff Crystal Cline, seated in the audience gallery. “They said ‘Please have security because we want a place to feel safe.’ And that was just from students in our school system,” Barber added, noting the plan to reach all the community’s youth, including private and home-schooled children.
‘RON’ President and founding member Samantha Barber, at the podium, gave a stirring account of preparation and cooperation between her group and county officials, as well as input from students on what they hope for from a resurrected County Youth Center. Below, Barber’s daughter, Kimberly Walker, now 24, a college graduate in the early stages of a professional career, she noted, joined RON members Jennie Dunavan and Marlena Conner in support of the organizational commitment and dedication RON members, and thus far involved County personnel, have and will bring to the table of Youth Center operations.
“And seeing the comments we received from kids was very much beyond tear-jerking where you would not believe these simple things they are asking for. And even in having conversations, they’re so excited about this opportunity. One thing the parents are really happy about is that, unlike the last time, there’s going to be a day that’s dedicated to all middle schoolers as well because we have to reach not only our high schoolers but our kids in the middle schools.
“We just wanted you to know that beyond this, we are dedicated. We are talking about creating an advisory team,” Barber added with a nod to Meadows as an invitee to that committee. “We want to work closely with our community, with our County, with our school system, Dr. Ballenger, with our principals, to make sure that what we’re doing for our students is what our students need. And that we’re adhering to those needs.”
Acknowledging the County’s move to create a “Drug Court” to help deter illegal drug use in a more positive manner, Barber also expressed hope for a positive Youth Center impact to counter negative “street culture” influences the community’s youth have encountered for decades as they are coming of age in this community.
During the public hearing, Barber was followed to the podium by RON members Jennie Dunavan and Marlena Conner, who noted she is also a teacher at Skyline Middle School and Samantha Barber’s now adult daughter, 24-year-old Kimberly Walker. All added to Barber’s comments about the amount of dedication being felt and commitment to the Youth Center project throughout RON’s membership. See those additional comments from the linked video marks 41:30 to 48:50.
With no additional discussion from the board, on a motion by Jay Butler, second by Vicky Cook, the board unanimously approved the lease agreement as presented.
The agenda staff summary on the RON lease agreement states: “Reaching Out Now requests to lease the Raymond E. Santmyers Youth Center located at 200 East 8th Street to provide leadership, empowerment, and service programs constituting public recreation activities for youth for free or at a reduced cost.”
As to cost and financing, it noted that: “The County shall not charge Reaching Out Now rent during the term of this Agreement or any renewal term if Reaching Out Now uses the Facilities to provide leadership, empowerment, and service programs constituting public recreation activities for youth for free or at a reduced cost.”
The County will also pay utility expenses for water, sewer, and electricity during the first-year term of the lease, subject to appropriation after June 30, 2024. After that, it appears RON will be responsible for basic utilities, as well as additional service costs like Internet.
In the wake of early verbal support of the new Youth Center project, attempts to determine a level of financial or other commitment the Front Royal Town Council is considering authorizing to the project have thus far been unsuccessful.
Warren Coalition lease agreement
After hearing an introduction and summary from Deputy County Administrator Meadows again (49:45 video mark), this time with no public hearing speakers, the board unanimously approved a lease agreement with the Warren Coalition. The staff summary noted: “The Proposed Lease Agreement between the County of Warren, Virginia (County) and the Warren County Community Health Coalition, Inc., (Warren Coalition) is for the use of the Warren County Community Center, Classrooms 1 and 2. The term of the agreement commences January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. Warren County Parks and Recreation Department and the Warren Coalition approved this proposed Lease Agreement on November 8, 2023.”
VA Golf LLC lease agreement
And going 3 for 3 on the night, following an introductory statement by County Finance Director Alisa Scott (52:50 video mark), the supervisors again unanimously approved a lease agreement, this time with VA Golf LLC to continue its management of the County-owned Front Royal Golf Club, the term to begin January 2, 2024, ending January 1, 2027, with three options to renew for 3-year periods each time.
The County will pay VA. Golf LLC $1,750 per month retainer fee on the 1st of each month ($21,000 per year). That cost was not an issue for the supervisors, as it was reiterated by VA Golf principal Louis Nichols that prior to entering into the lease agreement with VA Golf, when the County was self-managing the course, it was losing between $150,000 to $300,000 per year. The original deed of gift on the property to the community mandated that it be used for golf.
And with that and a nod toward some citizen appointments made as part of the Consent Agenda, the County supervisors’ first meeting of the calendar year 2024 was adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
Motion into Closed Meeting
The motion to go into the earlier referenced two-hour closed session regarding FR-WC EDA legal matters — and it appeared to have been a full two-hour meeting as the board members were leaving the adjacent closed meeting room right at 7 p.m. as the open session was about to begin — read:
“I move the Board enter into a closed meeting under the provisions of Sections 2.2-3711(A)(7) and (A)(8) for consultation with legal counsel pertaining to actual or probable litigation and the provision of legal advice regarding the Industrial Development Authority of the Town of Front Royal and the County of Warren, Virginia (the “EDA”), the Town of Front Royal, the EDA vs. Jennifer McDonald, et al., the Town of Front Royal vs. the EDA, et al., the EDA vs. the Town of Front Royal, other potential claims and litigation relating to other possible liabilities of the EDA, the recovery of EDA funds and assets, the outstanding indebtedness of the EDA and potential bank actions related to the same.”
