Joint Public Hearing and Regular Called Meeting

possibly Philip Robinson

0:00 Philip Robinson here. Alright. We're on.

possibly Julie Harris

0:04 Julie Harris here. Sam Van Saun is absent, and so far so is mister Nunnally.

Speaker 3

0:14 But we have a quorum. Yes. Yes. Mhmm.

possibly Julie Harris

0:17 Is there a motion to approve the agenda?

Speaker 3

0:20 So move.

possibly Philip Robinson

0:22 Second. Second. All

possibly Julie Harris

0:25 those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Is there a motion to approve the minutes from the 12/11/2025

Speaker 4

0:33 Town Council regular call meeting? I move that we approve the 12/11/2025 Town Council regular call meeting minutes as submitted.

possibly Philip Robinson

0:42 Second.

Speaker 3

0:44 All those in favor. Aye. I abstain. I was not here. Opposed.

possibly Julie Harris

0:59 Unless otherwise stated, the financial report is accepted.

1:05 We'll move on to public hearing. Before the joint public hearing, we will have a roll call for the Planning Commission.

Speaker 5

1:15 Chapman, you here? Yeah. We're here, Steve. We we don't have a quorum, so we'll have a a public hearing in our meeting.

possibly Julie Harris

1:22 Okay. So we have Chapman and Strait and that's all. No call ins.

1:31 Okay. So then. One lawyer.

1:42 Do we want to move? Do we want to move on to public comment and see if you can get Jeremy? We will come back to the public hearing.

1:54 For public comment, I want to remind anyone that comes up to speak for public comment that the protocol for speaking is there on the table and the timer is there.

2:15 So we will go on to public comment and come back to the public hearing.

2:22 Is there anyone? The floor is now open for anyone that wishes to speak during public comment.

2:37 I'm sorry. I it's my fault, but could you slide the yeah. There we go. Yes, ma'am. Hello,

Speaker 6

2:46 everybody. My name is Irvington here. I'm a Gloucester County native, and the Board of Directors over at the Steamboat Area Museum has seen fit to appoint me as the new Executive Director. Congratulations. Many of you this evening. I've spent the past few days poking around the town of Irvington, meeting as many people as I can. I can tell you, you have a beautiful community, and I can't wait to be a part of it. I've been learning a lot about the legacy of the steamboat era, the men and women who built Irvington and the surrounding region, and the amount of economic input that they put here into Irvington, what they were able to build in such a short period of time.

3:22 And I find that there's probably people smiling down somewhere as somebody who studied business my entire life, that they can look down and see the museum as not only telling their story of how they built Irvington in the region, but also by having a museum and inviting people to visit Irvington, learn its history, and spend money in the local area, that we are, in a way, carrying on that work. So I look forward to seeing you all at the museum, and thank you so very much for inviting me into your community.

3:48 Welcome. Thank you.

Speaker 7

3:56 Madam, please let the record show that mister Nunnally was tardy, but he's present.

possibly Julie Harris

4:03 So noted. All right, we'll go back to let me get it up. Is there anyone else for public comment?

4:16 Is Jeremy? there? We

4:25 have four of them now. Have them on speaker. Jeremy's on speaker.

4:33 See you on there. Alright. Is counsel willing to acknowledge mister Taylor remotely?

possibly Philip Robinson

4:47 So public hearings closed? Public comments. Public comments. I

Speaker 5

4:50 think. I don't see. Nobody else has stepped forward. Alright.

possibly Julie Harris

4:54 Yes. Okay. So we'll go back to the public hearing. Mister Taylor is remote.

5:08 So we will now have a joint public hearing on conditional use permit application 2025 Lightfoot 426 Gallyhook. First reading, mister Nelson. Yes,

Speaker 8

5:19 this is to operate a short term rental at 26 Gallyhook Drive.

possibly Julie Harris

5:27 Any comments in regard to this conditional use permit?

Speaker 8

5:36 Bill had reached that number yet haven't we? You're right. If this if this is proved, we're at 33 of 35. However, as the New Year's begun, your town administrator needs to begin his audit to make sure people are using their STR license. If they're not using they will lose it.

possibly Julie Harris

6:02 So no comments from the public regarding

Speaker 4

6:05 this conditional use permit. And they will have somebody within sixty minutes to manage it when it becomes active? Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 3

6:15 Recording in progress.

6:25 Alright,

possibly Julie Harris

6:25 if there are no comments in regard to the CUP, no further comments for public comment, we will move on to report from the mayor. As usual in January, I'd like to give a state of the town report. In 2025, we had many valuable discussions on possible capital projects. We also made a successful move in August to the new town office. The town purchased a new router, firewall, and file sharing network equipment for the town office. For the July fourth parade, the town hired an event planner who did an excellent job coordinating the parade of 80 participants.

7:08 Illuminate Irvington was an excellent collaboration between the town and IBBA for an exciting Christmas event. Town Council sponsored the annual Christmas Eve event at the Christmas tree at the Methodist Church. And then also, I want to send I gave you yours. Okay. And I want to oh, Wayne. Wayne. And I also want to send this around for discussion mostly for next month, but just to give everybody a heads up. This year, Council is revamping the committee format.

7:49 For the public there are these sheets on the back table if anyone wants to look at them. We have a sheet of four potential committees. An additional committee could be added, but we don't want the committees to get unwieldy as we had six and seven committees before, and that just becomes unwieldy, as I said. So we want to look at these four. We could possibly add another. There's some additional notes that you see underneath those committees. But what I would like for everyone to do is to think about which two committees you might be interested in serving, and then next month we will have more discussion.

8:41 This is just like an FYI think about it until next month. And then in February we will have more discussions about who wants to be on these committees. These committees, I would like for them to kind of choose their projects, but we can certainly discuss what could be under those committees, what projects they would entail.

Speaker 7

9:07 May I ask you a question? Are you then not re electing the committees that are in place? Oh

possibly Julie Harris

9:16 no, if you're on HR and you want to be on HR, then say that next month that I want to continue in that capacity. So no, I'm not trying to throw anything out. I just want to get some committees underway that we can then narrow down capital projects and things that we want to accomplish this year. So if there are no questions, just take this and think about it and we'll have further discussion in February.

9:53 Okay.

9:59 Report from the town attorney.

10:06 Hi. Happy New Year. I don't think I have anything, but thank you. Okay. Report from the town administrator. Happy

Speaker 8

10:13 New Year. I do not have a report.

Speaker 3

10:16 Wow. It's gonna be fast. Mhmm. Don't jinx us. Report

possibly Julie Harris

10:21 from Planning Commission.

Speaker 5

10:31 Chapman, 62 Old Mill Road.

10:35 Last Planning Commission meeting. There

10:41 we

Speaker 7

10:41 go. Excuse me? Flip the timer. Oh, he doesn't have to. He doesn't have to? Can see it's posted. Alright.

Speaker 5

10:55 Unless you don't want me to speak, I'd be happy to witness. Anyway, Smith presented the final report of the Public Safety and Traffic Committee for discussion. We approved it, and Marston forwarded it to the mayor, and I assume one of those committees will take it over from here. If you can present it if you'd like to do that. PC initiated by motion, by vote of four to three, a code change to 154 on hotels, motels, and inns as described in detached motion.

11:24 We'll go into the details. But basically, we're changing both the definitions and then putting limitations on transient accommodations specifically. I think there's a lot of discussion about that recently. And so if the Town Council endorses that motion, which was an initiation motion based on Sam Anderson's guidelines, we will incorporate into an update to the 154 code that will then come out and go through the public hearing and 15.22-four process.

11:57 So you need to endorse that or we won't do that.

12:03 And then we reviewed and adopted the town code of conduct and the PC remote petition oh, remote participation policy as Charles instructed us to do every year. Any questions?

possibly Philip Robinson

12:17 Speaker You stated that it was four to three on the 154. Could you highlight a little of the discussion on each side? Speaker

Speaker 5

12:28 Yeah. Excellent question. A couple of people just felt that, why don't we place any limitations on And the answer was because there's been a lot of complaints about the issue. And that was the primary thing, and there's a few minor dual comments. But that was really it. Okay. Anything else?

Speaker 7

12:50 Okay, we're done. Thank you. What restraints did you come up with? Oh, we used

Speaker 5

12:56 as a link to the had also worked with Justin on basically I'll read the proposed code. Hotels, motels, and inns. Transient accommodation for visitors. It shall be unlawful for any person to put up or stay in any hotel, motel, or in for longer than thirty days in a sixty day period. It shall also be unlawful for the owner operator or manager, or person in charge of the hotel, to permit an allowed person to stay in the hotel, motel, or in excess of thirty days in a sixty day period.

13:23 That's the language from Williamsburg's code, basically, just his copy. We then added to that, These conditions only apply to CUPs approved after the adoption of this code change. In other words, it doesn't affect the tides in or hope and glory or refill or any of those. So we grandfathered everybody else, which I think the attorney advised that we couldn't change the rules on them anyway.

possibly Philip Robinson

13:50 I will say in some jurisdictions, there are also some exceptions for emergency shelters for if an employee who is working there lives on-site. So we might want to look at Newport News and Williamsburg and all have those exceptions. So we need to kind of be sure that the appropriate exceptions are included. Well, and particularly with COVID happening

Speaker 3

14:21 so recently, there were people that came down here and started they rented their homes out for a long period of time. They were just STRs initially.

Speaker 5

14:32 Our code doesn't prevent anyone from renting their home. This is only for hotels. Hotels and Oh,

Speaker 3

14:38 I'm sorry. Good. Okay. Have Thank

Speaker 5

14:41 code for that.

Speaker 3

14:43 But we don't have anything short term rentals. Oh, you're right. If they do more than thirty days, they're long term. Right. Right.

Speaker 5

14:49 You're right. Thank you. I think, Phil, what we can do is we'll work with Charles and I are working with the attorney and see if we we need to add any of that because I think that the town administrator can probably just make those exceptions too. Right? Well,

possibly Philip Robinson

15:01 if the ordinance is the ordinance, I don't know if the town administrator can accept. I mean, they're written into the ordinances of Newport News and Hampton and all these other places for a reason.

Speaker 5

15:13 Charles and I will work with the attorney and have any of those any any of the potential exceptions in here. I I have I have looked at Hampton and Newport News, and and they're they all kinda have the same exceptions. I the Williamsburg had that too, and I just didn't wanna put that many words in.

possibly Philip Robinson

15:29 Okay. But we get hit by a hurricane or tornado We'll add them back in. Yeah. Okay. Could the council not take some sort of emergency action

Speaker 3

15:38 in regard I understand it's an ordinance, but could that be part of the ordinance? Sure. Sure.

possibly Philip Robinson

15:43 This is not addressed somehow. I I still said these exempt those those reasons for exceptions are listed. I just didn't copy them. And I will I don't know if it's right now, but there have historically been several employees at the Tides Inn who lived at the Tides Inn. Right. Right. And we exempted them anyway. Yeah. But

Speaker 5

16:04 Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, does the Town Council endorse us working on this with Charles and the attorney? Please. Yes. Great. Thank you. I mean, do we Do we need a motion? I need a motion to

possibly Philip Robinson

16:15 do that. Let's do that at the March 18. We just need just to

Speaker 3

16:19 work on it. It's not the then comes back to us. Yeah. He's just further working on Yes. Further. Yes. Great. Thank you.

possibly Julie Harris

16:29 Alright. Under old business, discussion of purchasing new holiday decor. Alright. Well,

Speaker 3

16:41 I enticed Bob to drive five hours round trip down to South Hill, Virginia to look at their small? They

possibly Julie Harris

16:50 don't have what we were looking at. Yeah. They do on that like on that lake. That's

Speaker 3

16:55 well, I got I got it from Nina. I did see. And she had just that was not in the four towns she gave me.

possibly Julie Harris

17:03 Warsaw wasn't. I well, I'm sorry to interrupt you. But no. No. No. I'm I didn't know that. Yeah. Well, I asked her because I thought they were only four and five feet in diameter. And she said, Oh, well, those are four and a half feet, but

Speaker 3

17:19 they were on the light poles by that little lake. Okay. Well, I just got off the phone from talking with her this morning, and the ones we're buying are five feet, four feet, and three feet. She didn't mention four and a half, but it was almost a wasted trip. We got down there and they certainly have some six foot ones, but they're very huge in the middle of open space because they sit over top of lamps, you know, they have the big lantern. And they actually look skimpy, they were huge in diameter.

17:53 And those were the ones on Main Street. Those were the 40 rees they recently bought. And I thought, oh my gosh, she didn't understand when I asked her for the references that we wanted to I wanted to see what we were getting ready to buy.

possibly Julie Harris

18:08 Well,

Speaker 3

18:10 as I was fussing, Bob was driving around trying to find a restaurant to placate me. And we got up on the side street and we did see four four foot wreaths just like ours. However, they were hung on very tall utility poles. These wreaths were almost 20 feet up, and they looked really chinchy that far out of away from eyesight. And and I they didn't look good. They just said we didn't look good. So I was really concerned about that. And and talking with Nina this morning, she was here almost two weeks ago, not quite, but our decorations were already up.

18:55 So she was able to see and made a point to see how high up the foam pole they had they were mounted. And even though she and I both still think the five foot wreath would look the best. She does think the four foot would look just fine given how far down the pole they are hung. So I feel good in saying let's let's go with the the four foot wreath. What's the difference in cost?

19:25 Pretty significant. But now if we get this order in, they've extended it until the end of February. We get the 30% discount. So based on the quote she gave me, 40 reads would have us in at $32,320. If we went without the discount, if we miss the deadline, we're up to 44,500 and something. So that's $12,000 saving if we buy all 40 now. Now this does include all the new hardware we would need to hang. She's already told me the wreaths. Mean, the the wreaths but the bows also?

20:10 Oh, the bows will come with it. Yes. The now these are double sided if you remember, you know, so there's both on both sides, LED lights, and so the hardware is included. Shipping because if we if we did all 40 at one time, shipping would probably be just about a full tractor trailer load. So that's going to run us around $1,800 for shipping. Now, once they get the order, it takes them about eight weeks to do that many. And as soon as they're through in the factory, which I think is down in North Carolina, they would ship them.

20:51 So she advised if we waited until the end of February, right at the last minute, that it would probably be mid April before they would ship them. And I was thinking of buying time for sheds and whatever we have to make decisions in that regard. So and she also said she thinks that our existing decorations, the lanterns, could probably quite easily be sold on govdeal.com of municipalities will buy stuff like this, and then they turn right around and go to Moscow who commercially will renovate those, rehab them.

21:33 It's not very expensive because when she told me that, I even talked to her about the cost on rehabbing what we had. And considering they stripped them down, they sandblast them, put new powder coating on there, new wiring, everything is practically brand new when they get through. It's really not that much of a cost savings for us. They wouldn't cost as much as the wreath, but if it was a new lantern like that like our old it wouldn't be that much of a difference since they completely redo them.

22:02 So but she thought we could probably get some pretty decent money if we tried to sell them online.

Speaker 7

22:09 That was gonna be my question. Keeping the old ones.

Speaker 3

22:14 Well, know a lot of people don't like them, but I I like them. I I like the feel they give Irvington and and personally, the Christmas wreaths are gorgeous. The quality is is outstanding. But they just don't like Irvington to me. You see wreaths everywhere. I don't know if you've been through Whitestone with their the big snowflake things. I thought I thought those looked pretty nice. But there's nothing else really here in the catalog that just hit me that said, yes, that's it.

22:45 You know, everything was up. Yeah. But what? I've had it before about people tell me we

Speaker 7

22:50 wish we could keep going. Well, I'm one of them. How much would it cost us to redo them?

Speaker 3

22:58 She'd have to get a good look at them. And what she would want to do is just come and get one when we're through with it for this season and either take it next trip down North Carolina or ship it down there and have them give us a quote. Can

Speaker 7

23:12 we get that done by the end of February? I'm sure we could.

Speaker 3

23:16 I suggest we try that. Well, if I'd be willing to go and buy me dinner, maybe I'll go down North Carolina and deliver one. I'll drive here and buy you dinner. There you go. But, yeah, I mean, if that's what you would like me to do, I'll I'll look into that. Although

Speaker 7

23:31 the six people make me very happy. That's the six people. Well,

Speaker 3

23:36 we do have until One in particular. Well, we do have we do have towards it till the end of November excuse me, February 28 and still get the 30% discount.

Speaker 7

23:48 What do you think? Can we maybe try to build this?

possibly Julie Harris

23:51 I like the laughter. Mhmm. Let's give

Speaker 7

23:53 it a shot, Frank. Okay.

Speaker 3

23:57 I am happy to do that. I'll

Speaker 4

23:59 be honest. I don't like the idea of four foot race. What do you I am concerned about storage and size and weight and I'm kind of with you. I don't really know that they say Irvington any way shape or form to me and I sort of worry that if we cannot solve our storage problem well, they are gonna get beat up very quickly. This is a lot of money to suddenly have to be rehabbing them, whether we have to ship them down there somebody up here is doing it to clean them up because we can't store them well.

24:43 They're going to take up a lot of risk. Why is it say when you say it's going to be a whole tractor trailer to get them to us. That's a lot of space and so I am a little concerned that those Reese will show wear and tear very quickly in all probability and that's a big investment. I do personally kind of prefer just the straight light ones, they're a lot cleaner to me. I think they're also going to be easier to store in the long run. No, you still get something like that.

25:17 Like the snowflakes or the crabs and the dead rises that Kilmarnock has. You know, I think those are they're just not as wide. They don't have as many small pieces to them. So I think there's I would be interested in trying to find out what options there are of that type if we're not gonna move now. And I don't object to sending a lunch a lantern to North Carolina to get an estimate. But I I would like I don't feel like I don't know how much we've really looked beyond the reef.

25:55 It's well,

Speaker 3

25:56 I've just touched base briefly, Phil, to talk about storage and what have you and he's been thinking about that and he's on that aspect of the detail, so. Well,

possibly Julie Harris

26:09 I don't know what other companies are available, but There's not much. Right. Because you and I looked through that catalog and there really wasn't much. Well,

Speaker 3

26:20 I get I get all these updates from them now. I mean, she sends me and there is one other. There's a new catalog, but it's pretty much the same. And they're about the biggest one on this coast. There's another one on the West Coast. Do we know where Whitestone got their snowflakes from? No. But I I would Probably. This seems to be their territory here. They're I've been all over the Internet. There's just not really very many companies at all that do this commercial type decorations and it's it's just not much to choose from in that regard.

26:56 So she was able to look up when we bought these lanterns. And she said, you all have way gotten your money's worth out of these because I told her they were they were when I moved here in '98 and she was looking them up and she she found she found the cost but she couldn't get the the ship date. She was gonna find that out of curiosity but she said we've definitely gotten our money's worth out of them. So, alright. Well then I will get back with her in the morning.

27:28 I will find out about gold decorations. And in the meantime, I can look at some of those snowflakes and whatever and see what kind of a and try to get some pictures. Do we have a color copier Charles in the office? If I wanted to make some color pictures of snowflakes and things, we could get that distributed to counsel. Perfect. Thank you. Anything

possibly Philip Robinson

27:55 else for me? Has anyone assessed? It's probably been called talking to the installers. Do we have any particular poles that the electrical is not working, the outlet's not working, something? Or are we are we just gonna replace whatever is on whatever existing pole with what is now? My question is is do we need to assess this? I don't believe we have any on Steamboat Road. I'm not advocating for that. But is are we happy with the distribution of where they are?

28:30 Because this would be the time to kind of So

possibly Julie Harris

28:33 we I thought we did have some on Steamboat. Do we? Yeah. Here. Are there some on Steamboat? We used to. I don't know if it's still days. The way, but at the beginning. Alright. So that's how we get to the number 40. Is that correct? I mean, it's some on Steamboat. And there's a few heading towards White Stone and a few coming down the lower end of King Carter. Okay. I'm just But there's nothing on Chesapeake. Right? The electrical for them was done during

possibly Philip Robinson

28:57 Right. The electrical for these Yeah. It was redone because they had to raise it or lower it or anything. So Yeah. It's just sometimes

Speaker 3

29:06 you see one that's out, and I don't know if it's electrical or if it's the light or something. Just Well, we had to bring all the electrical outlets, for lack of a better word, up to code. That hadn't been too long ago, five, six years ago because it was pretty pricey. Yeah. Dominion made us do that and it wasn't cheap. The other

Speaker 4

29:24 thing that might be worth investigating is asking whoever hangs our lights whether or not they would be comfortable trading out because I imagine the lanterns are going to hang differently than the Reese. They'll hang similarly But

Speaker 3

29:41 we have to double sided. Frame. What change out the hardware

Speaker 4

29:46 that you hang it on? So I think we understand whether or not the man who currently has our lighting contract is comfortable doing that work. I asked nine,

Speaker 3

29:55 and I didn't ask that person, but she did tell me that the big one, the five foot one, it's going to take two people and a boom bucket. She thought of the four foot ones that one person could handle it weight wise. Okay. I

Speaker 4

30:12 still think it's worth probably talking to him to make sure that we budget appropriately in case it's going to up our hanging Well, he already told you it would take two people? Yeah.

Speaker 9

30:21 So when we had the sample one, which I think was the five. That was the five. It was five. The bigger one. Okay. Yeah. So he came to the office and tried to lift it and he was like, yeah, we take two. Mhmm. Definitely. Because part of it for him is that you're in a one person bucket and you have to steer the bucket and hold the thing at the same time. And he was like, there's no way a person could hold this and steer it and be safe. But I think also to Kay's point, what she's talking about is the hardware that stays on the whole year round.

30:51 Rentally there that they just hook the lanterns on. All of those would have to be swapped out and we have to pay somebody to do that. That's correct. Swapping out with the new hardware and so that's something that I have talked to him about and he said that if we got to the point where we bought something new, he would want to look at it and then he would have to develop a bid for us to the cost to do the swap out that would be extra obviously to our current contract with him.

Speaker 3

31:20 So that is on my list to finalize once we determine exactly what we're going to purchase. Well, I know you know you want to work. I

possibly Julie Harris

31:31 don't know if you want to drive to Warsaw. I don't even know if they're still up, but... They

Speaker 3

31:34 may not be, but you know, I'll call. I mean, I called them before I went down.

possibly Julie Harris

31:39 I can give them realize that four and a half feet was an option, but I I... Well, I...... Tell they were smaller, and I contacted her. Excuse me. And she said they were four and a half, which I thought was strange because I... Like I said, I didn't remember seeing that in there. But they hung them on those light posts that are around that lake. I

Speaker 3

32:05 don't know where a

possibly Julie Harris

32:06 lake is in Warsaw. Yeah, if you've just gone right through Warsaw. Oh, near RCC campus. No, if you've just gone straight through Warsaw No, it looks like a retaining wall. Yeah, it's a retaining wall. Yeah. Oh,

Speaker 3

32:21 okay. That... That's

possibly Julie Harris

32:23 a whole different picture in my mind. Okay. Yes. Thank you. But it's, like, after that... Was it Jeeks? It's right past the the intersection of the ACE. You're headed towards us. You go down and... Okay. Yeah. On the right hand side. Okay. Yep. Or the left hand side. You can check this, you're going to

Speaker 3

32:44 us. Tell me east or west. Can deal with Oh, dear. Alright, well I'll check on that. Pardon? It's not a very big league. There is a fountain. No, it's not. There is a fountain. Okay. Alright, well I will definitely follow-up on those things and look at them. Okay?

Speaker 7

33:01 I was late, so I don't know whether anybody said it or not. I didn't attend Christmas celebrations, but my wife did. One of the comments she made was that one of the council who has made an exceptionally outstanding elf. Got some sales. And she won't these things. Make sure I commented on how good that elf was. And what a nice ceremony to turn there to be.

Speaker 4

33:28 So I'm gonna pile on to that because we actually need to thank the Ranson family because they donated all the candy and Santa might have a little bit of ransom connection.

33:43 So we were very fortunate that the Ranson family was willing to help quirky with her duties too.

possibly Julie Harris

33:52 Well, sure to thank you. It's

Speaker 7

33:57 What'd you do, right, John?

34:01 Next,

possibly Julie Harris

34:03 under old business is storage for holiday decor. And I would just like to check with counsel that if counsel is willing to give staff, in particular Mr. Dyson, the authority to look for possible storage places in the interim before we have our own. There are some storage units in Kilmarnock that he's familiar with and some others in the area so that once these decorations come down they have a good place to go.

Speaker 7

34:42 Do we need a motion for that or is that just administrative? I would prefer a motion, yeah. I move that we give him that authority.

Speaker 4

34:49 Second.

possibly Julie Harris

34:51 All right. All those in favor. Aye. Opposed?

34:58 All right. And then

Speaker 4

35:02 update from budget and finance? Yes, ma'am. All right. So the budget season is upon us. Just to remind you all, we shared a schedule that was adopted at the December meeting, I believe. During January, we are trying to identify companies that we need to get updated quotes from. We will be working to prepare a file for Planning Commission. We're going to change the format of the capital budget a little bit to make it a little bit more friendly, so we'll be sharing something with you guys hopefully by the end of January.

35:39 On February 2, no, February 3, we changed budget and finance meetings. I'm sorry. We are going to have a standing budget and finance meeting. The Public Town Council and Planning Commission are invited to attend. And we will review the current state of the budget and begin to identify additional questions, issues, and holes. And at the Town Council meeting in February, we will be discussing what changes we might want to make to the budget so that we can see a budget.

36:12 Budget and finance met on Tuesday. We are going to consider looking for a local bookkeeper and or hiring a town treasurer who would be local. We have also identified some potential changes to the budget, which include incorporating the rescue squad as a charitable donation, adding $1,500 in professional services. That 15,000.

36:39 That was 1,500. 15,000 in professional services to have an on call arrangement with an engineering firm such as AES because we have had a number of times when we have needed engineering services and for the town administrator to come to Town Council and get permission, it prolongs that process. So the thought was to put it in the operating budget, so it was there. To add the possible addition of a backboard for the tennis court and a basketball hoop on the town commons, to begin to plan for regular replacement of the pickleball nets, to increase the parade coordinator hours for the July 4 parade, and increase the parade budget to accommodate doing more for the 200 birthday of The United States, and also to increase charitable donations.

37:26 We will also be doing some work on the budget files, as I alluded to, particularly the capital budget page to try and facilitate a more comprehensive and easy to understand picture of our finances. It's a little confusing that we say we have all this money and then we take out the money that's in the CDs because then it makes it look like we don't have as much money for capital projects as we actually do. We'll be fussing a little bit and we will just a heads up that there'll be a format and format changes coming.

37:56 And I believe that is all I have from budget and finance. Thank you One for doing of the

Speaker 7

38:01 real assets this town has is an extremely capable budget and finance committee that have really done great work for this town over many years, especially with Ms. Bradley's leadership. But I would like to make it publicly known that I wish the budget and finance committee could find a way to eliminate the real estate tax. I don't think we need it. We certainly have the assets and the money in the bank much more than any town that I know of this size.

38:40 So in looking at the budget, I would hope you could find a way to eliminate our real estate tax. Thank you.

38:53 Okay.

possibly Julie Harris

38:53 Any other comments?

38:57 Alright. Moving on to new business. Are there motions or recommendations by Town Council members?

Speaker 7

39:09 Madam Mayor, on that point, what I would think in the act of transparency, a blanket statement of motions doesn't tell the public at all what kind of motions are coming. But

possibly Julie Harris

39:28 they do when you make the motion.

Speaker 7

39:31 Yeah, at that point but you know, maybe they would like to know what's coming is all I'm saying. I think that before a motion can be made, it should have been discussed somewhat And then the an action on that particular matter is followed by a motion. So

Speaker 4

39:51 I think I was the one who recommended moving this into new business because what was happening when I attended Town Council meetings and when I first joined town council was that during a committee report, the committee would report what they were doing, and then there would suddenly be a motion on the table. And I suggested that that motion should actually be under new business and not as a part of a committee report. And that's why we added the motions or recommendations by Town Council members in new business so that if a committee had something they needed to discuss, the discussion would have happened as a part of the committee report or as a part of old business.

40:27 If And there was a new motion, it would come up in new business. So that's where it came from. I think it's an excellent idea to

Speaker 7

40:34 change it that way. But what I'm saying is, I would think the new business should say motion on a matter that has been discussed. It it shouldn't just come out of the sky. Right now, the way that I can make a motion right now under that to move the to buy the Town Council members, automobiles. Well,

Speaker 3

40:59 we have to have a motion in a second before we can discuss anything technically. We don't always follow that Robert's rules. So was just... So... Yeah. So I I'm you clarifying a motion.

Speaker 4

41:12 The reason we did it this way was that for example, budget and finance used to sometimes meets the same week as Town Council. So there's no way for us to know coming out of budget and finance when the draft agenda is sent out, what motions we want to do. So they can't be put on here because we don't, we haven't met as a committee yet. And so that's why it's as broad as it is, is to enable people to have a committee meeting if that even if that committee meeting happens between the time the agenda is published and the town council meeting and still be able to make motions.

Speaker 7

41:49 Okay, I think you were absolutely correct in moving it under new business. My point is I think it being under new business we ought to know what that motion is going to be. Have some clarification of what the motion is going be. New business motion from committee number X about stuff that was discussed. That's all I'm saying. Really truly as it's written, I could do something crazy like that move right now.

Speaker 3

42:28 Well, sure you could, but then we'd have to discuss it. But,

Speaker 7

42:33 you know, I would say that I would get it. Somebody would get a chance to tell me how crazy it was.

Speaker 3

42:40 Not a bad idea. Your point is taken, sir. To tell that crazy idea. Your point is taken sir.

Speaker 7

42:50 That's all I want to point out. Okay. It's in the way you write the agenda. That's all. It's not a big deal just the way you write the agenda.

possibly Julie Harris

43:00 Okay, thank you. Going on to other items under new business. Is there a motion to renew the Atlantic Union Bank CD ending in 2928? Can

Speaker 4

43:15 I can I recommend that we just do all four of them at the same time? Time. Please. Okay. I, Mary Carey Bradley, move that we roll over all four existing Atlantic Union Bank CDs that is to renew each CD with its current length of time. Let's

possibly Julie Harris

43:32 let's put in the numbers so just... Okay. Okay.

Speaker 4

43:37 So all four existing Atlantic Union Bank CDs with accounts ending

Speaker 9

43:44 2928? Yep.

Speaker 4

43:46 I'll get it. 2928, 3223, 3029, and 2725.

Speaker 9

43:52 That is to renew each CD with its current length of time. So it would be six months each except 2725 would be three months.

Speaker 4

44:00 Well, that's why I just said its current length of time. Just

Speaker 9

44:03 clarifying.

possibly Julie Harris

44:05 Okay. So, Ms. Bradley made the motion and Mr. Nunnally, you seconded? Yes, ma'am. So all those in favor? Aye. Opposed? Okay. Next is a motion to readopt the town's remote participation policy. Now

Speaker 3

44:29 in reading that, I didn't note any changes. Is that correct? No changes. It's just required by state. Okay. So

Speaker 7

44:35 moved. I

Speaker 3

44:37 second. All

Speaker 7

44:39 those in

possibly Julie Harris

44:41 favor. Aye. Opposed. We need and there I have, did everybody read over the code of conduct? Yes,

Speaker 3

44:54 ma'am. Once again, there's no changes in that. Correct? Correct. I'm going

possibly Julie Harris

45:00 to pass around because we have to sign this to confirm that we have reviewed and understand the code of conduct. So just please sign and and send back to me. But so is there a motion to review the town code of conduct? To readopted. Readopted. Yes, I'm sorry. So moved. Second.

45:30 All those in favor. Aye. Opposed.

45:37 Alright. Next is the reappointment of the town's public officials. And as you see on the agenda, it says, as required by the town charter, following each regular municipal election and organization of the council or assume thereafter as maybe practical, the town council should elect a town clerk, a town treasurer, a town attorney, and a code enforcement officer. So is there a motion to reappoint the town clerk, mister Tyson? So move. Second? Second.

46:10 All those in favor. Aye. Opposed. Is there a motion to reappoint the town treasurer, the firm of Robinson, Farmer and Cox. So move. Second.

possibly Philip Robinson

46:25 Second.

possibly Julie Harris

46:27 All those in favor. Aye. Opposed. Is there a motion to reappoint the town attorney, the firm of Sands Anderson? So move.

Speaker 7

46:38 Second. All

possibly Julie Harris

46:40 those in favor. Aye. Aye. Opposed. Is there a motion to reappoint the code enforcement officer, mister Nelson? So move. Second. All those in favor. Aye. Aye. Opposed?

46:58 Okay. Under announcements, the town office will be closed on 01/19/2026 and the servants of Martin Luther King Day. The next Town Council regular call meeting will be 02/12/2026 at Irvington Baptist Church. Move we adjourn. Wait a minute. She got through. This meeting will include the annual workshop on FOIA COIA which will be at 05:30 and presented by our town attorney

possibly Philip Robinson

47:35 Kelly Kemp. That is only for people who didn't were not in it last year. Correct? It's everything. Required

Speaker 9

47:41 for people who have not had it.

possibly Julie Harris

47:44 Okay. Yeah. Correct. Right. And it will be at 05:30 here. So if for example, if you listen to it, it's preferred that you attend. So those are the three announcements. And as I said, that's 05:30 on February 12 followed by the regular meeting at 06:30. Alright, now, mister Nunnally, is there a motion to A second.

Speaker 3

48:15 Second.

possibly Julie Harris

48:16 All those in favor. Aye. Opposed. Good job. Alright. The meeting is adjourned.