Supervisors Approve Support of Silent Falcon Job Creation Grant Time-Frame Extension, Note Full Funding of Samuels Public Library

After hearing from four residents of the Cedarville Heights Subdivision area regarding concerns about the length of time — estimated at 18 months to two years — an access road may be closed during planned VDOT-overseen upgrades in the coming year, and a final Public Comment on election day processes; then going through board and staff reports at its meeting of Tuesday, November 21, the Warren County Board of Supervisors tackled routine business including Approval of Accounts and Appropriations and Transfers, among other housekeeping items. As has become a routine expression of discontent with vagaries in some departmental Accounts and Appropriation submissions, South River District Supervisor Cheryl Cullers cast a lone dissenting vote on both the accounts and appropriations approvals.

The county supervisors pondered Cedarville Heights subdivision impacts of coming VDOT-overseen road improvement work projected to incur a lengthy – 18 months to 2 years – closing of a key area access road, among other issues, on Tuesday evening. Below, board Chair Vicky Cook had good financial news to report for Samuels Public Library – full FY-24 funding of over a million dollars and an increase in public donations in support of the library’s recent battle with ultra-conservative, anti-LGBTQ elements of one county religious community.

During her report, Board Chairman Vicky Cook noted that in the wake of joint approval of a new County/Samuels Public Library Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) maintaining the library’s operational integrity, the library was now fully funded for Fiscal Year 2023-24 to the tune of  $1,024,000. In the wake of the last library board of trustees meeting, of which she is a county representative, Cook also reported that the 501 C-3 non-profit Samuels Library “to date have exceeded their unrestricted donations by 1500% (fifteen-hundred-percent).” Royal Examiner verified those numbers with library representatives, who acknowledged a wide-ranging source of donations in response to the recent LBGTQ content/availability issues. As much as $75,000 to date has been donated to help with legal and appeal expenses likely to continue for at least a year, according to library officials.

Under “Unfinished Business,” the board then dealt with two items related to amendments to Family Subdivision Codes. First among those was a request to amend Chapter 180 of County Codes regarding “accessory uses for subdivisions and combinations of subdivisions and cluster housing developments to subsection E and to add provisions for family subdivisions and combinations of subdivisions and family subdivisions to the Agricultural (A) zoning district regulations.”

Second was “a request to amend Chapter 155 of the Warren County Code Section 155-3(B)(1)(b) Family Subdivisions to add subsection: Family subdivisions shall only be permitted for land in the Agricultural zoning district.”

Both requests were approved by 4-0 votes, with Supervisor Cullers abstaining as she explained over an off-handed remark at an earlier meeting noting that Cullers and her husband owned eligible property in an Agriculturally zoned area, so could profit from passage of the requested ordinance amendments. Cullers abstained, though she had pointed out that she had no role in bringing these code amendment requests forward.

Let’s talk about Silent Falcon

Moving towards a Consent Agenda with a 24th item added at the meeting’s outset, Cullers pulled one item, number 19, out for additional discussion prior to a vote of approval. That item was a vote on a Letter of Support for Drone operator Silent Falcon’s request for a 15-month extension to realize completion of its Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP) business development grant project. As noted in the staff summary in the agenda packet, the current completion date rapidly approaching is December 31, 2023. But as Silent Falcon CEO Grant Bishop explained at the November 14 supervisors work session, the company, which relocated what had been a manufacturing-based business here from its previous New Mexico headquarters, has pursued a change of focus to operational uses of its drone fleet. Primary among those operational uses are airport inspections utilizing drones and A.I. technology on what appears to be an emerging global target market.

At a Nov. 14 Supervisor’s work session, Silent Falcon CEO Grant Bishop addresses his company’s change of operational emphasis since relocating here from New Mexico. Below, with County Attorney Jason Ham to his left, County Administrator Ed Daley explains the county government shoulders no financial risk by endorsing Silent Falcon’s request for a 15-month extension of its state grant-supported Virginia Jobs Investment Program business development project.

County Administrator Ed Daley left, reminded the county board that their Harrisonburg-based County Attorney Jason Ham, right, was paid by the hour, including sitting and listening to reports unrelated to his work for the County while awaiting a re-positioned Closed Session at which he was needed for all three topics.

And while Cullers expressed concerns that Silent Falcon has not reached any of its original employment benchmarks, including job creation, County Administrator Ed Daley explained that endorsing the company’s requested extension presents no financial risk to the County. Any financial consequence of a longer-termed failure to meet its Virginia Jobs Investment Program benchmarks will rest with the company and the state government source of the grant.

Responding to questions, County Economic Development Director Joe Petty explained that the now County-overseen FR-WC Economic Development Authority has been working with Silent Falcon with the goal of keeping them here in Warren County as they face expansion and the need for a larger location than their current one at the County-owned Front Royal Airport (FRR). Noting the potential for good-paying, tech jobs for local citizens from the company’s presence and shifting operational goals, Petty told the supervisors, “We’re working to keep them here in Warren County.”

County EDA Director Joe Petty explained the now County-overseen FR-WC EDA is working with Silent Falcon in its search for a new location to house its expanding operational needs as it transitions its business model. “We’re working to keep them here in Warren County,” Petty said, due at least in part to the company’s tech job creation potential.

And with no financial risk at stake for the County, the board majority sided with Supervisor Delores Oates, who noted, based on staff input on that lack of financial risk, that it will cost the County nothing were Silent Falcon to fail in its operational shift and job creation goals. “It’s a risk worth taking,” Board Chairman Vicky Cook said of the majority opinion. Oates’ motion to approve the requested and required municipal letter of support for the extension that will be sent to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership passed by a 4-1 vote, Cullers dissenting based on her ongoing concerns about the company not having met its initial employment benchmarks. It was noted during the discussion that not only the company’s change of operational focus had slowed its initial job projections down, but the company’s relocation also came during a portion of COVID’s negative impacts on business operations in general.

Prior to adjournment, the board unanimously approved a trio of requests. Those included a Resolution in support of a Realignment of Private Access Easement for James Michel, a Conservation Easement submitted by Tom Lockhart, and proceeding with Phase 3 of the Senior Center redevelopment process. On that latter matter, while Chairman Cook noted that the project was now projected at a $61,000 budget overrun, original projections were double that at $120,000 over budget. And while Supervisor Oates observed that the $85,000 price of a range hood still gave her “heartburn,” she joined her colleagues in committing to the continuation and completion of the upgrades to the Senior Center.

With no other New Business to be added to the agenda, the meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

Click to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 21, 2023.