Town moves to save and utilize Chamber; ponders Sheetz North Shenandoah Avenue traffic issues

What a difference a week makes, as the dominant tone of aggressive hostility about how federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Securities) money would be divided and administered between Warren County and the Town of Front Royal, was absent from a June 8^th council work session discussion.

Rather, the necessity of working with the county government to distribute relief funding to, not only many local businesses suffering from the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic restrictions on public gatherings and operations, but also the survival of the Town’s preferred third-party facilitator of the disbursement of that very federal pandemic relief funding, the local Chamber of Commerce.

A pandemic-masked Niki Foster, left, and Chamber Board Chair Ray Bramble, dark blue shirt, mask down at right, listen to multi-faceted discussion of the Chamber’s future amidst pandemic financial concerns and relief options. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini – Royal Examiner Video/Mark Williams & Mike McCool

At the top of Monday’s work session agenda was the Chamber of Commerce’s request for financial assistance from the Town and County to support it through Coronavirus pandemic revenue losses that have threatened its operational survivability, at least in the short term.

Perhaps ironically it appears that it will be a portion of the County’s $3.5 million in federal CARES Act money that will achieve the Chamber’s financial viability through calendar year 2020.

Following a joint meeting of town and county officials that the media and public were not invited to with a limited number of; involved elected officials present, it appears agreement on disbursement of a total of $60,000, $30,000 from each the County’s and Town’s shares of that relief money, will be taken off the top to fund the Chamber through the end of the calendar year.

That matches the Chamber’s request of $5,000 a month from each municipality from July 1 through December 31, 2020. It seems that the Chamber’s membership businesses are not the only ones suffering from the pandemic emergency management restrictions.

As previously reported, the Chamber has not only seen its major annual fundraiser, the Wine & Crafts Festival, among others cancelled, but has also reported a drop in membership renewals believed tied to business consequences of the pandemic emergency management restrictions on operations of many of those member businesses.

With that federally funded money poised for approval by both municipalities to support Chamber operations and some level of agreement implied on additional implementation of those federal relief funds – council moved to discussion of its locally funded relief proposal.

A good plan – if there’s money

It was noted that on May 11, council had tabled action on a proposed budget amendment setting aside $1 million for “business recovering efforts”. Staff summaries and discussion indicated those relief funds would largely target facilitating payment of back Town utility and tax bills.

But with some complications in utilizing the federal CARES funding to that end, council is keeping alive its proposed local relief plan.

It was noted that as of July 1, the Town may start disconnecting utility service for customers that have not paid on those bills and/or made payment plan arrangements with the Town Finance Department to begin catching up.

“We’ve been around and around on this,” Interim Town Manager Tederick began of staff development of a plan in April utilizing Town resources for pandemic relief.

Town Finance Director B. J. Wilson passes Town pandemic relief logistical info to Interim Town Manager Tederick.

“Today we believe we still are in agreement that this is a really good framework for how to disperse up to a million dollars that we believe was the council’s intent to disperse to businesses. And putting a focus on those businesses that were considered non-essential and were impacted the greatest,” Tederick said, pointing to two unnamed businesses “that still cannot open”.

Tederick explained that the most pressing issue before them was who would be utilized as the necessary third party to facilitate distribution of Town resources since state law prevents municipal governments from directly dispersing financial gifts or “grant” type, non-refundable resources.

With options including the Chamber of Commerce, it’s new though uncreated EDA, or in fact the existing EDA it still technically remains a legal founding party to – though in the wake of council’s choice of hostile civil litigation against, that option appears off council’s table – council faced a recommendation.

Vice-Mayor Bill Sealock worried whether the Chamber had adequate staffing, particularly in its current financial situation, to accomplish the work.

That led to some additional conversation with Chamber Director Foster, still present with her board chairman. Foster told the council that currently, she was a Chamber staff of one. But with the previously discussed CARES-facilitated relief package coming their way, that should change back to normal staffing.

Chamber Board of Directors Chairman Ray Bramble told the council that his board felt an obligation to help with the relief funding distribution if called upon: “Running that program, we feel like it’s our duty. It’s something we can do for the Town and the County,” Bramble stated. However, earlier discussions seemed to indicate a County preference for utilizing the existing Town-County EDA in that role.

But with the creation of a new unilateral EDA some time off, the council’s continued preference appears to be the ready, willing, and soon-to-be financially able Chamber of Commerce.

However, the involvement of $1 million of its own revenue on top of its CARES enabled approximate $1 million, appears to remain dependent on how the Town’s own Coronavirus pandemic emergency management revenues end up playing out. Though the transfer of some surplus contingency funds may be an option council would consider helping keep some businesses utility accounts active, so they can remain open as phased back into operations.

Sheetz and Northside traffic

One of the “other” issues tackled by the council at Monday’s work session were potential traffic issues entering or leaving the new Sheetz under construction on the North Shenandoah Avenue main northern entrance/egress in and out of town. Construction of an initial “slip lane” to facilitate northbound access/egress was discussed, as was the eventual construction of a left turn lane in for southbound traffic versus implementing a “No Left Turn” southbound designation. Vice-Mayor Bill Sealock expressed particular concern for left-turning traffic, particularly of fuel trucks entering the premises.

Town Public Works Director Robbie Boyer discusses traffic flow options in and out of the soon-to-open N. Shenandoah Ave. Sheetz.

Mayor Tewalt said the Sheetz opening could be just a month off.

Funding the cheaper creation of the slip lane as an attempt to not block through traffic heading toward the bridges appeared council’s choice initially moving toward that opening date.

See the entire work session discussion, including movement on the new Blighted Building Ordinance and facilitation of rebuilding by owners of properties deemed to be unsavable, in this Royal Examiner video: