No announcements out of Town Planners Closed Session with town attorney

The Front Royal Planning Commission adjourned to Closed Session shortly after 6 p.m., Thursday, October 21^st, for discussion with legal counsel. No announcement or action followed the Closed/Executive Session with Town Attorney Doug Napier. Vice Chair Connie Marshner convened the special meeting and closed session in the absence of Chairman Doug Jones, who arrived shortly after the commission entered the Executive Session behind closed doors.

As Town Attorney Doug Napier waits at far left, Vice-Chair Connie Marshner, left of table in striped shirt, leads Town Planning Commission and Planning Director into Special Meeting and Closed Session at 6:06 and 6:09 p.m. respectively, after consulting with Chairman Douglas Jones by phone. Jones arrived in time to participate in the Closed Session discussion with legal counsel on ‘recent, specific matter(s)’ before the planners, likely to face consideration by the town council. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

The Notice of the Special Meeting cited the Closed Session topic as “a specific matter(s) that very recently came up before the Planning Commission and to consider making recommendations which may need to be addressed by the Front Royal Town Council.”

That wording was altered slightly in the motion to go into closed session read into the meeting record Thursday evening, citing the subject as: “matters that came up before the Planning Commission and which may require recommendations by the Planning Commission to Town Council, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711. A. 8. of the Code of Virginia”

What that “matter” or “matters” may be remains to be seen, as no announcement or action followed the closed session before the special meeting’s adjournment.

By 6:10 p.m. the Town Planning Commission and Planning Director Lauren Kopishke were behind closed doors with Town Attorney Doug Napier. What ‘recent, specific matter(s)’ were under discussion remains to be seen. – Though press present but banished to the Town Hall second-floor hallway, speculated on a leading contender to pass the time.