While Town feathers ruffled by Roundtable exclusion, it wasn’t personal

As noted in an update to our story on the August 23 Infrastructure Act Roundtable hosted by the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) featuring Senator Mark Warner at the Inland Port in northern Warren County, the absence of Town of Front Royal officials was explained by the lack of an invite. However, it wasn’t a slight aimed at Front Royal, as a VPA official explained in an emailed response to Town Manager Steven Hicks inquiry on the Town’s exclusion. Rather, only Northern Valley County officials were invited. That was due to a facility meeting room capacity issue, had representatives from all the town governments in those involved counties been invited.

“Given the limited space available, invitation to local governments were limited to the chief elected and chief administrative officers at the county level,” VPA Director of Government Affairs Andrew M. Sinclair wrote Hicks the morning of August 24th with a “cc” to Senator Warner’s office.

‘We didn’t invite who?!?’ Senator Warner may have been exclaiming to Va. Port Authority Chairman John Millikin at meeting’s outset. Below, well, maybe town officials could have sat on the floor under the roundtable that wasn’t there. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

In an afternoon response, Hicks expressed disappointment at that rationale, pointing to the Town’s independent political, economic development, and utility apparatuses, the latter serving Warren County’s north corridor where the Inland Port is located.

But thanks to Royal Examiner’s exclusive video, Front Royal and all Northern Valley town officials excluded have online access to the Roundtable discussion and Q&A. And the line to Senator Warner’s office is always open for updates on the status of Infrastructure Act funding distribution, as will those to the Virginia Port Authority’s Norfolk headquarters be on how that funding is becoming available to Virginia maritime and Inland Port-related uses. In fact, contacted about Front Royal’s exclusion Warner Press Secretary Valeria Rivadeneira told Royal Examiner that they would “be engaging directly with the Town on the particular infrastructure concerns unique to Front Royal.”

And with a positive Front Royal Town Council consensus recently being reached on Councilman Gary Gillispie’s suggestion the Town begin re-establishing positive relations with the county government by reversing course on pulling out of Town-County Liaison Committee meetings, perhaps a quick call across town could link Front Royal officials directly to information acquired by county officials, including County Administrator Ed Daley, at the Roundtable.

Aerial perspective of the Inland Port site in northern Warren County – Roundtable was in the building showing as a white rectangle and upper box at lower left-center; below, and there’s so much room outside – but it is a little noisy, and then the bugs.

As a hint to what they might hear, we include Daley’s response to two questions Royal Examiner later asked him about the Roundtable. Our first question was: “What did you make of the answer you got about the RR crossing blockage problem as Infrastructure Act funding might become involved?

“Yes, this is definitely an infrastructure priority. The Inland Port is a tremendous asset for Warren County and the Valley. We are concerned that as the Port grows like we all want, that we need to address related infrastructure needs such as I-81, Route 522 North, and the railroad blockages – which are becoming more frequent in the Rockland Road and Bentonville areas. We have been talking about the needs for I-81 for 30 years, so we need to get 522 North and the blockages on everyone’s radar.”

We then asked Daley about his overall impression of the Roundtable.

“We were very pleased to be invited. The funding situation in Washington is as fluid as the political one. COVID has put tremendous strains on our Inter-governmental system, with local governments holding the bag. There have been many mixed messages between the states and the federal government. We were pleased to hear the emphasis on broadband because this may well be the greatest public investment the Valley has ever seen – and it is needed. Senator Warner has always been a straight shooter, and we appreciate his candor.”

One thing town officials won’t be able to catch up on was the after-Roundtable mixing with other northern valley County, Inland Port and other officials present. Here, WC Board Chair Cheryl Cullers, left, and WC Administrator Ed Daley, right, discuss what they heard following Roundtable’s adjournment.

So, hopefully working lines of communication between town and county governments across the northern valley will lead to positive exchanges of information on potential Infrastructure Act funding options discussed at the Roundtable, in conjunction with direct federal contact through the senator’s office and related state information through the Virginia Port Authority.