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WELL,[Wallops Research Park Leadership Council Meeting on May 27, 2026.]
GOOD AFTERNOON.UM, LEE, I GUESS THE, THE OFFICIAL APPROACH HERE IS TO SAY WE, WE CONDUCT A CALL TO ORDER, I'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER MM-HMM
UM, MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT.
SO BASED ON THE MEMBERS PRESENT THAT I COULD SEE, UH, MR. DAVE PIERCE, MR. GRAHAM, AND I FORGOT YOUR NAME, GRIFFITH GRAHAM GRIFFITH, AND MYSELF.
UH, AND BASED ON THAT, THE, MY DETERMINATION IS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM.
UM, AND THEREFORE THIS WILL BE AN INFORMAL, UNOFFICIAL CONVENING OF THESE MEMBERS OF THE OPS RESEARCH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
AND, AND ANYTHING YOU DO FROM HERE ON OUT, AGAIN, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN OFFICIAL ACTION, BUT, UH, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO DIRECT BY CONSENSUS, IF YOU WANT TO INFORMALLY DIRECT US TO LOOK INTO THINGS, THAT KIND OF THING, WE CAN STILL DO STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT PASSING THE MINUTES, UM, GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION, WHICH WE HAD ANTICIPATED GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION, CANNOT GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL JUST ADJOURN INFORMALLY AS WELL.
SO, THAT BEING SAID, ITEM TWO ON THE AGENDA, ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA, WE WOULD NOT HAVE AN OFFICIAL AGENDA.
HOWEVER, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT WE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES LAID OUT IN THE AGENDA AS A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE.
AND WE DO HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS. SO IF WE CAN JUST FIND LITERALLY FIVE MINUTES JUST TO GO OVER A COUPLE OF ITEMS FROM STAFF.
AT THE END OF THE MEETING, BE FINE.
UM, SO I WOULD ASK THAT EVERYONE REVIEW THE MINUTES IF THEY HAVEN'T DONE SO, IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES FROM LAST WEEK, LET US KNOW.
UH, WE WOULD NOT CONDO A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, ALTHOUGH I, UM, AND I, NO ONE HAD SIGNED UP, I ASSUMED NO.
UM, SO IN OLD BUSINESS, WAS THERE ANYTHING WE WOULD WANT TO, WANTED TO DISCUSS IN THAT SPACE? THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE UNDER OLD BUSINESS IS JUST THE CONTINUING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PRIORITIES.
WE'VE CLEANED UP THE DOCUMENT A LITTLE BIT.
OF COURSE, WE FORWARDED THAT TO YOU FOR, UH, FOR YOUR REVIEW AND FOR YOUR COMMENT.
BUT AS SUCH, WE'RE NOT REQUESTING THE ADOPTION UNLESS YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S READY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S THERE FOR YOUR DISCUSSION.
IN, IN THE, IN THE DRAFT FORMAT, WE'VE ADDED A LITTLE BIT OF LANGUAGE WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES PROMOTE MEAN? WHAT DOES SUPPORT MEAN, AND WHAT DOES EXPAND MEAN? THE LANGUAGE IS A LITTLE THIN THERE.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WE DID KEEP THE QUOTE UNQUOTE ACTION ITEMS. SO THE THINGS, UH, THAT THE STAFF HAD BROUGHT, UH, A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBMIT A-V-B-R-S-P SITE CHARACTERIZATION GRANT, UH, PRODUCED AN OFFERING MEMO, WHICH WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE.
ONE OF 'EM IS, UH, YOU KNOW, APPLY FOR FUNDING FOR THE ROAD, WHICH I ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE ON.
UH, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT ARE, UH, ARE STILL IN THE DOCUMENT.
WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK JUST FOR THE GROUP AT WHAT THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE AND MODIFIED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES THAT MIGHT STAFF MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS BEFORE WE RIGHT.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STILL ORGANIZED IN THE SAME FASHION WHERE WE, WHERE WE GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRODUCTION AS TO, UH, WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS.
UH, IF WE COULD SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, WE DID ADD SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT, UM, UH, PARTNERING WITH OTHER, UH, AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE CLUSTER ENTITIES, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS MEMORIALIZED.
AND, UM, UH, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT, WELL, THIS IS ACTUALLY NEW, TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER DOCUMENTS AND ENTITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE COULD INTERFACE WITH.
UH, TALKING ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH WE ARE NOW UPDATING.
UH, WE'VE MADE, UM, A NEW MENTION ABOUT THE, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, UH, AND THAT THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, UH, WISHES TO WHICH TO ALIGN WITH THOSE DOCUMENTS, BOTH FROM A LOCAL LEVEL.
AND THEN AS WE GET INTO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, TALKING ABOUT, UH, REGIONAL AND STATE ENTITIES THAT, UH, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALIGNMENT THERE.
SO, UH, UH, FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE, UH, THERE IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN PRODUCED BY THE AIMA NORTHAMPTON, UH, PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION.
THE REGIONAL HOUSING STUDY, WHICH WE ALL KNOW CAME OUT IN 2022, IS OF GREAT CONCERN FOR ALL OF THE CONTRACTORS AS WELL AS THE, UM, UH, FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, NAMELY VIRGINIA SPACE, THE US NAVY, NASA, ALL OF THE, UM, ALL OF THE, UH, UH, PRIVATE COMPANIES AS WELL, UH, HAVE A STAKE IN SEEING HOUSING DEVELOPED IN THE, IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO, UH, UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INDICATING THAT HOUSING IS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY, LIKEWISE,
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UH, SHOULD BE A STRATEGIC PRIORITY FOR THE, UM, UH, FOR THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, GOING TO AN EVEN BROADER REGIONAL CONTEXT.GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE, WHICH, UM, WHICH IS A, UH, UH, DHCD UH, UH, EFFORT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS, UH, IT, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE FOCUSED ACROSS THE BAY, BUT THERE ARE SOME, UH, THERE ARE SOME, UH, UH, SOME MENTIONS OF AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE.
UM, UH, UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS, THAT KIND OF THING ARE ALSO MENTIONED IN THE GOOD VIRGINIA REGION FIVE DOCUMENTS.
SO THERE IS A NATURAL CONNECTION THERE.
CONTINUING ON, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE ECOSYSTEM, UH, IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UH, THE VIRGINIA SPACE PORT AUTHORITY MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS ALSO ONGOING RIGHT NOW, IS ANOTHER DOCUMENT FROM, UH, FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE, FROM A STATE LEVEL PERSPECTIVE, THAT, UM, THAT THE, UH, UH, THAT THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SHOULD BE, UH, ALSO PAYING ATTENTION TO.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, LILLIAN
WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE LOSS RESEARCH PARK, WHO IS THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL? AND, UH, AND THAT'S JUST REALLY BASIC INFORMATION FOR, AGAIN, FOLKS WHO ARE JUST PICKING THE DOCUMENT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME AND MAY NOT UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO, WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO ON DOWN.
UM, PRIORITIES, AGAIN, REINFORCING THE GREAT, UH, UH, THREE POINT MESSAGE OF WHAT THE WALT'S RESEARCH PARK LEADERSHIP COUNCIL INTENDS TO DO FOR PROMOTING THE, UH, FOR PROMOTING THE PARK, UH, SUPPORTING THE PARK AND ITS TENANTS, BUT ALSO FROM A GREATER PERSPECTIVE, UH, SUPPORTING THE, UH, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM.
AND THEN WHAT CAN WE DO TO EXPAND.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROMOTE SUPPORT AND EXPAND, WE'RE CONSIDERING THE INTERNAL RAMIFICATIONS AS WELL AS ANY EXTERNAL RAMIFICATIONS OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP.
WE COULD CONTINUE TO SCROLL DOWN.
LET'S KEEP GOING THROUGH TO THE END.
UH, RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS.
THIS IS KIND OF WHERE, UH, WHERE THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL HAD COME FORWARD WITH ITS HIGHER LEVEL, UH, PROMOTE, SUPPORT, AND EXPAND CONCEPT.
AND THE STAFF HAD, UH, LOOKED SIMULTANEOUSLY AT, UM, AT MORE SPECIFIC CONCRETE ACTION ITEMS. AND AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, THOSE ARE NOT, UH, THOSE HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE WE FIRST INTRODUCED THEM IN, UM, IN THE LATE 2025.
WHAT WE TRIED TO DO AFTER, AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF THE PROMOTE, SUPPORT AND EXPAND CONCEPT IS TO, UH, IS TO, UH, UH, UH, TIE EACH ONE OF THESE ACTION STEPS INTO ONE OF THOSE, INTO ONE OF THOSE CONCEPTS.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A SHORT LITTLE, UH, SHORT LITTLE STATEMENT THAT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR EXPANSION, FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, NOT JUST VERBIAGE, JUST FOR THE, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF, OF, OF VERBIAGE.
BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A NICE LITTLE FRAMEWORK FOR, UH, FOR APPROACHING HOW THE WEALTH RESEARCH PARK LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, UH, UH, CONDUCTS ITS BUSINESS AND CONDUCTS ITS ACTIONS.
SO LET ME ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
I, OF COURSE, EVERYONE'S WELCOME TO.
UM, DID, DID YOU GUYS HAVE THE OFFER MEMO THAT LEE'S REFERENCING? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME.
DID EVERYBODY GET A COPY OF THAT? YOU SENT, YOU SENT IT OUT.
NOT IN THIS PACKAGE, BUT IN THE PREVIOUS PREVIOUS, OKAY.
BELIEVE THE PACKAGE REPORT, AND IT'S NOT CHANGED.
I, I DID START PLAYING WITH IT AND STICK IT IN AI TO TRY TO, TO CREATE A MORE CONCISE VERSION, BUT I, I DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH SUCCESS AS I HAVE.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ITEMS HERE, LEE, THAT WERE THE ACTION ITEMS? I MEAN, ARE WE, I I'M ASSUMING STAFF HASN'T WAITED FOR THE OFFICIAL ADOPTION OF, OF THESE PRIORITIES,
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OR WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WAIT FOR THINGS THAT ARE LOGICAL NEXT STEPS.YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, GRAHAM, YOU HAD MENTIONED WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND APPLY FOR A-V-B-R-S-P, UH, UH, SITE CHARACTERIZATION.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN STEPS TOWARDS TALKING WITH, UM, WELL, ABIGAIL PATTERSON, FOR EXAMPLE, IS, UH, IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, SHE'S A-V-E-D-P STAFFER AND IS, UH, IS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
UM, WHAT WE, AND, AND THERE ARE TWO, UM, UH, WE'LL SAY TWO PARTS TO THE SITE CHARACTER OR TO THE V-B-R-S-P PROGRAM.
ONE IS SITE CHARACTERIZATION, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A PREREQUISITE FOR, UH, FOR A, UH, FOR A SITE DEVELOPMENT BRAND.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UH, WE DO HAVE A PORTION OF THE RESEARCH PARK THAT IS ELIGIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED TIER FIVE, WHICH IS BASICALLY SHOVEL READY.
BUT OUR OFFICIAL, UH, OUR, OUR OFFICIAL DESIGNATION IS, I BELIEVE IT'S TIER TWO.
SO IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT OFFICIAL, WE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO, WE WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO AFTER A, UH, A SITE CHARACTERIZATION GRANT, WHICH WOULD ENTAIL HIRING A, UM, UM, A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT, USUALLY AN ENGINEER THAT WOULD DO A LOT OF THE, UM, UH, A LOT OF THE DUE DILIGENCE.
IT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, A GEOTECH ANALYSIS.
IT MIGHT INCLUDE, UM, UH, CULTURAL RESOURCES ANALYSIS, THINGS OF THAT SORT.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK AS WELL AS OUR PARK? YES.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EDA HAD DIRECTED THE, THE, UH, PDC OR IS AT LEAST IN TALKS WITH THE PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION TO DO A, UH, AT LEAST A SITE CHARACTERIZATION GRANT.
I SUSPECT THAT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK WOULD, UM, WOULD HAVE, UM, A FAIRLY DECENT TIER THREE, MAYBE EVEN FOUR.
I'M JUST MORE INTERESTED IN TAGGING ONTO THEIR YEAH, YOU COULD FUNDED PROCESS REALISTIC.
UM, YEAH, YOU COULD SUBMIT A HOLISTIC APPLICATION, LOOK AT BOTH PARKS.
AND THE GRANT, I MEAN, MATCHES AT, AT MINIMUM, I THINK PROBABLY EVEN MORE.
SO I'D ASSUME THERE'D BE A MATCH, RIGHT.
FOR THE GRANT, OR, UH, IT DEPENDS ON THE LOCALITY SIDE.
LEE, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOUR TALKS WITH ABIGAIL, BUT WHAT'S THE MATCH REQUIREMENT FOR VBR RSP FOR AKIMA? OH, GOSH, I DON'T HAVE THAT IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S NOT, IT WOULDN'T BE, I DON'T THINK IT'S A FULL MATCH BASED ON HOW OKAY.
YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY PURSUE THAT.
AND THEN I SENT YOU THE, UM, THE DOD JUST CAME OUT, OR DOW JUST CAME OUT WITH A GRANT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT MM-HMM
FOR, UM, UP TO $20 MILLION FOR SUPPORT ADJACENT TO MILITARY INSTALLATIONS OR FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS.
ARE YOU GUYS GONNA PURSUE THAT? WE'RE NOT GONNA PURSUE THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MIKE MASON AND I HAVE DISCUSSED IT.
WE'VE ALSO DISCUSSED IT WITH THE PDC.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH, UM, UH, UH, WITH A MEMBER OF THE EDPI, HIS NAME ESCAPES ME RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK IT WAS MATT WEAVER.
ANYWAY, MEMBER, MEMBER OF WHAT? VEDP.
AND, UM, AND OUR, OUR CONCERN WITH SUBMITTING THAT, UH, THAT DSIP GRANT DEFENSE COMMUNITIES INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PROGRAM WAS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE REQUISITE DOCUMENTS IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE PLANS.
WE DON'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THAT REALLY NAILED DOWN.
WE JUST HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF HOW MUCH FUNDING WE THINK WE WOULD NEED, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A TRUE COST ESTIMATE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITIVE DECENT BRAND NEXT YEAR.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT WE'D BE A LOT CLOSER TO, UH, TO SUBMITTING SOMETHING.
SO YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS COMING UP WITH THOSE COST ESTIMATES? YES, BECAUSE, BECAUSE OUR, BECAUSE OUR FIRST ASK WAS FOR FUNDING FOR ABOUT $9 MILLION WHEN THE PREVIOUS SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRAY, JUAN PABLO SEGURA, CAME AND VISITED THE SHORE.
UM, JEFF AND DAVE, YOU WERE MM-HMM
I REMEMBER, WERE INVOLVED IN THAT MEETING.
AND, AND WHAT HE ASKED US RIGHT THERE AT THE, UH, MARINE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM WAS, GIMME A FIGURE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT IT FOR? AND ONE PAGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE PROVIDED HIM.
SO WE PROVIDED HIM WITH A LETTER WITH SOME BASIC COST ESTIMATES FOR BASICALLY FOR, UH, FOR SEWER IMPROVEMENTS IN NORTHERN CROMAC WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE GREATEST NEED.
UH, NOTHING REALLY EVER CAME OF THAT.
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THE TIME THAT MEETING HAD COME AROUND, THE ELECTION HAD ALREADY OCCURRED.SO HE WAS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, HAD, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU.
SO THAT WAS HANDED OFF TO THE CURRENT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE'S OFFICE, AND ROB AND I HAVE MET WITH THEM.
SO, I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH THAT.
AND I, I, MY QUESTION IS, WHY ARE WE NOT, WHY WOULD YOU NOT ALSO GO AFTER FEDERAL GRANT MONEY IF THE COST ESTIMATES THAT YOU SUBMITTED WERE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE STATE? WHY AREN'T WE SUBMITTING FOR FEDERAL GRANT MONEY? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING WITHOUT HAVING LOOKED AT IT, THAT OFTENTIMES ISN'T A WAR STOPPER ON A FEDERAL GRANT? IT DEPENDS AND ALSO DEPENDS ON WHO'S TALKING TO IT.
SO, SO THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, GRAHAM, IS FUNDING REQUESTS ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE REC WE HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING BASED OFF OF, UH, OFF OF A, UM, YOU KNOW, A ONE PAGE REQUEST, OR THE CRITERIA FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, DISBURSEMENT OR THE SPENDING OF THAT FUNDING JUST CAME WITH BASICALLY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE PAGE WORTH OF WORTH OF CRITERIA, WHAT HAVE YOU.
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL FUNDING ARE MUCH HIGHER.
SO IT WAS EASIER TO APPROACH, FOR INSTANCE, THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND TRADE WHO IS SAYING, GIVE ME A FIGURE AND WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
VERSUS GOING THE FULL NINE YARD OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE FULL DISTANCE OF HAVING TO HAVE COMPLETE COST ESTIMATES WITH ENGINEERED PLANS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE THERE.
BUT TO THE POINT OF REQUESTING FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE FUTURE, WE ARE NOW CONDUCTING THAT NORTHERN NIMA COUNTY, UH, UH, SEWER UTILITIES, UH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY, KIMLEY HORN'S DOING THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, I'D SAY WE'RE PROBABLY ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING, UH, IN TERMS OF A FIRST DRAFT SOMETIME IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
BUT THAT DOCUMENT IS GOING TO PROVIDE SOME HARD NUMBERS IN TERMS OF, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD COST IN NORTHERN AMA.
SO WE'RE REALLY WAITING ON THAT.
THE, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE FEEL LIKE WOULD BE A FEATHER IN THE COUNTY'S CAP, WHICH IS A CONTINUING, UH, WHICH IS A CONTINUING ITEM, IS THE, I BELIEVE IT'S UP TO $6 MILLION FOR WATER, UH, FOR SEWER IN NORTHERN AKAMAK, UH, IN THE, UH, IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE COUNTY'S BUDGET.
THE COUNTY'S THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, YES.
THE COUNTY'S BUDGET IN THE, IN THE COUNTY, AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MATCH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE.
FOR INSTANCE, IF, UM, IF, UH, SECRETARY CHENERY COMES BACK AND SAYS, OKAY, WELL, WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PUT FORTH IN A LADDER TO HER AND TO THE GOVERNOR, DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE WALLOPS, UH, WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY? OR IS THAT, THAT AMOUNT INDEPENDENT FROM THAT, THAT AMOUNT IS INDEPENDENT, BUT, BUT THE SEWER STUDY THAT KIMLEY HORN IS DOING FOR US, IT DEFINITELY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT.
THE, ON THE, THE TREATMENT PLAN ON BASE.
DOES IT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT TI IN THE NORTHERN MACK COUNTY STUDY, OR IS IT, I THINK THAT BE POSSIBLY IT, IT, IT WILL BE REFERENCED IN THE PLAN, BUT I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CONSIDER IT A MAJOR FEATURE OR AN ASSET.
I'M GUESS, YOU KNOW, STUART HALL IS THE, IS THE, UH, IS, IS THE, UH, IS THE POINT PERSON FOR THAT ONE, BUT OKAY.
BASED OFF OF WHAT I HAD HEARD, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TI PLANT REALLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THE AMOUNT OF EFFLUENT THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE DISCHARGED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE REALLY NEED IN NORTHERN AKAMAK.
SO I THINK THAT THAT SYSTEM, BUT HOLISTICALLY, IS IT LOOKING AT WHAT THIS IS GONNA BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, HELP CREATE IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT IN AKIMA COUNTY? OF COURSE, IT DEPENDS ON THE PLANT SIZE, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD SUPPORT.
BUT WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE COMING IN.
YOU KNOW, ATLANTIC TOWN CENTER IS ONE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT HAD, ITS, UM, UH, THAT WAS NOT APPROVED ABOUT 12, 13 YEARS AGO.
THAT DEVELOPER IS STILL AROUND MM-HMM
AND HE'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE CENTRAL, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A, UH, A PARTNER IN THAT.
'CAUSE HE'S OFFERED LAND FOR A SEWER TREATMENT FACILITY IN THE MACKINAC.
BUT THE SEWER STUDY, YOU KNOW, GETTING BACK TO THE FUNDING REQUESTS THAT'S GOING, THAT WOULD BE A KEY FEATURE OF ANY APPLICATION MOVING FORWARD ONCE THAT'S COMPLETE.
SO YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE THE NATURAL GAS STUDY.
I WOULD PUT THAT IN THAT SAME PACKET.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GOING BACK TO D
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OFFICIALLY, IT'S STILL D-O-D-D-O-D-W TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN NORTHERN AKIMA COUNTY THAT WILL SUPPORT, OR AT LEAST DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THE INSTALLATION.I MEAN, THEN GET ALL THE, PUT ALL THE PLANS IN THERE.
AND I WOULD SAY, SO THE, WHEN'S THE GAS STUDY? SEE WHAT YOU CAN GET.
DO, DO YOU RECALL THE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JUST, UM, JUST APPROVED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, AWARDING THE RFP TO CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES? AND TO THE, TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, GRAHAM, ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, STATE FUNDING, THAT WAS STATE FUNDING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US BY DELEGATE BOXING.
AND IT WASN'T, DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T THROW IT ON THE FEDERAL GRANT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE RECEIVING, NO, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THINGS OF HOW TO TRY TO ACCESS THE DOD MONEY.
I'VE SPENT A LOT OF IT MM-HMM
AND, UM, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF IT RIGHT NOW.
AND ONCE YOU GET IN THAT DOOR, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF ROOM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR.
AND IF YOU'VE LAID OUT A BUNCH OF NEEDS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, MY RESPONSE, HEY, WE'RE DOING NATURAL GAS STUDY, WE'RE DOING WATER STUDIES, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION.
I'M SAYING THAT FOR MY VIRGINIA SPACE FRIEND AS WELL.
UH, TRANSPORTATION, ALL OF THOSE THROW IT ON THERE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING IN.
IF YOU START THINKING ABOUT, UH, THE POLITICAL SITUATION AS, I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET SOMETHING IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO, SO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND I DID DISCUSS, WELL, DO WE, OR DO WE NOT GO FOR A DECENT GRANT THIS ROUND, WHICH WOULD BE A REALLY QUICK TURNAROUND.
WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UH, OF ADMINISTRATION ALONG WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, UH, THE DECISION WAS, AND WE DID CONVEY THAT TO THE EDP AND TO THE PDC THAT WE JUST DID NOT FEEL LIKE WE WERE IN A GOOD POSITION TO BE COMPETITIVE.
WE WILL BE MORE COMPETITIVE NEXT YEAR, THOUGH.
SO THE OTHER ITEMS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT WE TALKED TO, THE, THE REVISED PLAN FOR THE PARK ITSELF, ARE WE SEEKING GRANT FUNDS FOR THAT? IS ANY MOMENTUM ON THAT ASPECT? RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST AN ACTION ITEM.
IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN FOLLOWED THROUGH ON IT.
SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO MAKE THE, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD, A GOOD GO VIRGINIA GRANT APPLICATION, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.
MASTER PLAN STUDY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF REACHING OUT TO GO VIRGINIA, UH, AND FINDING OUT WHAT THEIR PROCESS IS.
WE QUITE FRANKLY DON'T HAVE DHCD.
WE, WE QUITE FOR, FOR GO VIRGINIA SPECIFICALLY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, ONE PERSON THAT REPRESENTS THE EASTERN SHORE ON THAT BOARD.
BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT WE REGULARLY ATTEND.
WHEN I'M AWARE OF THE ONLINE MEETINGS, I GO ON TO, I GO TO THE ONLINE MEETINGS.
BUT, UH, IT, OF COURSE, THE ACTIVITY IS MORE THAN JUST THAT.
SO WHAT AGENCY DOES THAT FALL UNDER? DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S WHAT LISA TOO, I REMEMBER.
AND THE EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE JUST, UH, WAS AWARDED A GO VIRGINIA GRANT.
SO ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS IS EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THEY PROBABLY UNDERSTAND THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A, AN AVENUE FOR YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER COLLABORATING, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, HOW TO BE COMPETITIVE, AND UTILIZING THAT, THAT MONEY STREAM.
IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE, UM, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDED WITH RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION FUNDING, AND RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION FUNDING IS JUST STARTING TO COME OUTTA RICHMOND.
AND SO THEY FOUND ANOTHER, THEY WENT TO ANOTHER WAY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
SO THEY, THAT WAS PROBABLY A PRETTY QUICK TURN.
I MEAN, THAT HAD TO HAVE BEEN WITHIN THE LAST, IT WAS NINE MONTHS.
I WOULD SAY IT WAS LESS, BUT THEY PROBABLY HAD EVERYTHING READY TO GO.
THEY HAD AN INITIAL, YEAH, THEY APPLIED ABOUT NINE MONTHS AGO.
SO THEY HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
THEY PROBABLY WENT TO, TO THIS, UM, WITH PROBABLY IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
SO, GRACE, LET'S SCROLL THROUGH SOME MORE OF THE, UH, ACTION ITEMS. UH, SWOT ANALYSIS.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT SAYS UP HERE, JUST DESCRIPTION PENDING.
THAT'S JUST ONE OF THESE, UH, UH, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER, UH, STANDARD ITEMS THAT MOST ORGANIZATIONS, UH, DO.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DEFINITELY PUT A, UH, ANOTHER OR MORE FLESHED OUT TO, BUT CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF, OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
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WHO WOULD BE DOING THE SWOT ANALYSIS? DEPENDS IF YOU WANT STAFF TO DO IT.IF YOU WANT A CONSULTANT TO COME IN, SO YOU COULD HAVE IT CONTRACTED OUT.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TO.
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL, UH, UH, MODERATOR THERE FOR EXPANSION.
OF COURSE, WE'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT IT FROM A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT OR AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT.
PADS FOR TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND USES WOULD ACTUALLY TIE INTO A-V-B-R-S-P SITE READINESS.
UH, YOU KNOW, INCREASE SITE READINESS, SAY FOR TIER FIVE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING INQUIRIES ON, WELL, DO YOU HAVE A SITE THAT'S READY TO GO NOW? MM-HMM
UH, OR HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO GET THROUGH THE PROCESS? AND IF WE HAVE A SITE THAT'S READY, THEN THAT REALLY CUTS DOWN ON, UH, UH, ON, UH, ON TIME TO MARKET FOR THESE, UH, FOR THESE PROSPECTS.
AND IT'S A NON-STARTER IF YOU DON'T, IN TERMS OF COMPETITIVENESS MM-HMM
IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING READY, THEN YOU'RE ONLY COMPETITIVE FOR TENANTS THAT DON'T HAVE URGENCY.
AND IN AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE WITH THE WAY CAPITAL IS FLOWING RIGHT NOW, RIGHT.
PROSPECTS THAT ARE RECEIVING CAPITAL HAVE URGENCY TO GET TO THEIR END MISSION.
SO IT'S, IT'S A NON-STARTER TO NOT HAVE A SHOVEL READY SET.
SO THE, THE RESEARCH PARK HAS SOME LEG UP IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ROADS, THE WATER, THE SEWER ARE ALREADY IN.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, FOR INSTANCE, BEHIND THE FENCE, WHERE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PRIME SITES NEAR THE TAXIWAY.
UH, UH, THAT MIGHT BE, THAT MIGHT BE ONE SPOT FOR, UH, FOR MAKING A PAD READY SITE GOING INTO AEROSPACE GATEWAY, WHICH IS THE ROAD THAT LEADS TO THE CUL-DE-SAC, WHERE ROCKET LAB IS MM-HMM
AGAIN, UH, UH, FULL UTILITIES, INCLUDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
SO, UH, SOME OF THE LEAD TIME INVOLVED IN THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, CUTTING TREES DOWN AND PREPARING A PAD, UH, DEPENDING ON THE URGENCY MIGHT STILL, YOU KNOW, THAT STILL MIGHT BE TOO MUCH TIME FOR, UH, FOR SOMEBODY.
PLUS THEY'VE GOTTA GET THROUGH THE WALLS RESEARCH PART WITH THE, WITH THE, UM, UH, SITE PLAN COMMITTEE.
SO THERE IS STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A PROCESS LEAD TIME INVOLVED IN THAT, BUT ANY LEAD TIME THAT CAN BE REMOVED IS GONNA BE PLUS FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT STANDPOINT.
SO WHAT IS SITE READY? I MEAN, IS IT, IS IT GRASS? IF IT HAS GRASS ON IT, IS IT NOT SITE READY? OR IS THE PERMITS ARE PULLED AND EVERYTHING'S, IT'S MORE, IT'S CHARACTERIZATION GETS YOU PAST TIER TWO UTILITIES AND, AND THE OTHER THINGS GET YOU TO SHOVEL READY.
SO THAT IT, IT'S 12 TO 18 MONTHS FROM DECISION TO HAVING A BUILDING BUILT IS, THAT'S WHAT WE WORK BACKWARDS FROM ON THE REAL ESTATE TEAM.
AND THE E-B-R-S-P GOLD STANDARD IS TIER FIVE, WHICH ACTUALLY GOES BEYOND JUST HAVING THE PAD READY, WHICH GETS INTO, WELL, HOW QUICKLY CAN THE PERMITS BE, UH, CAN BE IMPROVED, OR ARE THE PLANS ALREADY APPROVED.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AGAIN, THAT GOLD STANDARD THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE, UH, THE V-B-R-S-P PROGRAM AND HOW THAT COULD INFORM, UM, UH, PAD READY SITES OR THE DECISION TO CREATE PATENT READY SITES, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A, UH, AN, AN INVESTMENT, UH, LOCALLY.
AND LOOK, ONE MORE QUESTION, LEE, THE, MAYBE YOU'RE GONNA TALK TO IN A MINUTE, BUT THE, UM, THE PENDING FEDERAL REQUEST FOR, TO CONNECT THE TAXI WAY, WOULD THAT IN ANY WAY AFFECT THE OTHER SITES AS BECOMING CLOSER TO SITE OR SHOVEL READY? NOT UNTIL THE BURN'S ACTUALLY IN, BUT I MEAN, EVEN WHEN YOU DID THAT, WOULD IT? OR IS IT JUST STRICTLY THE ROAD? I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD REALLY, UM, AFFECT THE, THE, UH, UH, THE TIER.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IF IT DOESN'T ADD TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO I SHOULD SAY, REDUCING THE LEAD TIME IN GETTING A BUILDING UP, UH, I GUESS IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO DO A, UH, A, A, A PROJECT OR A BUILDING BACK THERE, IT WOULD BE LESS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR BECAUSE, UM, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS OF THE LOSS RESEARCH PARK, IT'S THE LOCALITY OR MACK COUNTY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING THE ROADS IN.
BUT THE DEVELOPER ITSELF IS RESPONSIBLE, OR THE PROSPECT ITSELF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING CONNECTED TO UTILITIES.
SO THERE ARE LITTLE BITS AND PIECES THAT ARE,
[00:30:01]
ARE NUANCED WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING THAT SITE READY.IF THERE'S NO ROAD NOW AND SAY THAT, WELL, WE, WE DEFINITELY WANT THAT SITE, WE'D STILL HAVE TO DO, WE STILL HAVE TO BUILD THE ROAD, WE STILL HAVE TO GET IT APPROVED.
YOU KNOW, ALL THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO THE, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER IS THE ROAD IN AND OF ITSELF, I DON'T KNOW, WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP REDUCE SOME LEAD TIME, I THINK.
WELL, I WAS REALLY THINKING, DO WE, IS, DO WE THINK THERE MIGHT BE ENOUGH FUNDING IN THERE TO CLEAR SOME OF THOSE SITES TO ADD TO, TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL, HOW THEY HAD DUE DILIGENCE DONE ON IT IS THE FIRST QUESTION.
LIKE, HAVE THEY HAD THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL DONE? LIKE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THOSE ARE THE FIRST STEPS BECAUSE THAT'S, AND YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE TWO YEARS TO DO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, OR, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE THE WHAT KEEP YOU AT HOLD YOU AT TIER TWO.
DO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ROADS LAID OUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN.
SO IF WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN THAT SHOWS THAT FULL CIRCLE, REALLY.
BUT I MEAN, YOU'RE ENGAGED WITH ABIGAIL ON THAT.
UH, MY THOUGHT IN TERMS OF PRIORITIES THOUGH, WOULD BE THAT HA, HAVING A HIGHER READINESS SITE ADJACENT TO THE TAXIWAY SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
THE SUB PRIORITIES OF EXPANSION, ONE OF THE SITES THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE TAXIWAY, THAT'S A DIFFERENTIATOR.
YOU KNOW, A SITE CLOSE TO WHILE SWIPE FACILITY GREAT.
A SITE ADJACENT TO A TAXIWAY THAT YOU CAN TAXI OUT TO THE RUNWAY MM-HMM
THAT WOULD BE IMMEDIATE COMPETITIVENESS.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD PROSPECTS THAT HAVE INQUIRED ABOUT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TAXIWAY, SPECIFICALLY THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TAXIWAY, BECAUSE IT IS CLOSE TO, UH, IT IS CLOSE TO THE ROADS IN THE RESEARCH PARK PROPER.
UM, ONE OF THE SITE CONSTRAINTS IS TOPOGRAPHIC IN NATURE.
IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE, YOU SEE THAT BIG AMOUNT OF DIRT, UM MM-HMM
THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF EFFORT TO QUOTE UNQUOTE BALANCE THE SITE AS AN ENGINEER.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE ROAD, RIGHT? SO, MM-HMM
CAN WE JUST TURN THE BULLDOZER
WELL, HERE'S, HERE'S A NUMBER.
HERE'S A, HERE'S NUMBER TWO UNDER, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDER EXPANSION THAT NASA LEASE ACCESS ROAD THAT WE'VE REALLY JUST BEEN KIND OF REFERRING TO ALL ALONG, UH, INCREASING ACCESS TO THAT SOUTHERN END OF THE TAXIWAY.
AND I GUESS NOW IS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY TO TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE, THE STATUS OF THAT FUNDING REQUEST.
SO THE FIRST FUNDING REQUEST HAD GONE THROUGH SENATOR KANE'S OFFICE DID GET VERY FAR, JUST TODAY.
WE DID GET SOME NEWS THAT, UM, THAT IT HAS MADE IT ONTO, I BELIEVE, A SUBCOMMITTEE'S, UH, UH, UH, BILL TEXT, WHICH IS EVIDENTLY A REALLY GOOD STEP FORWARD IN, IN, IN A PROMISING DEVELOPMENT IN THAT WHAT IS NOW A $1 MILLION REQUEST.
PREVIOUSLY IT WAS 900,000, BUT THE FIGURE THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE EMAIL THAT WAS FORWARDED TO ME ABOUT AN HOUR AGO IS A MILLION.
SO THAT IS GOING THROUGH A CONGRESSWOMAN, UM, KICKIN OFFICE.
AND, UH, WE'VE JUST RECENTLY, AGAIN, JUST GOT THAT UPDATE.
SO THE, THE CONCEPT OF INCREASING ACCESS THERE AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TAXIWAY HAS COME THROUGH JUST, UH, SEVERAL, UM, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS THAT LIKE THAT SPOT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE, UH, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE DIRECT CONNECTIVITY FROM THE ROADS IN THE RESEARCH PARK TO THAT PATENT.
THAT'S WHY THAT WAS SEEN AS A PRIORITY BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO APPLY FOR SOMETHING.
AND THAT APPLICATION WAS, UH, WAS ACTUALLY REALLY MINIMAL AS WELL.
UH, THERE WERE NO ENGINEERED PLANS, BUT WE DID PROVIDE AN AERIAL, UH, WITH A, WITH A CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT, IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT IF, IF I WAS, IF, IF I'M ANYBODY CALLS ME ABOUT IT, I'M GONNA SAY, HEY, DID YOU SEE THE RECENT DELIVERY VIA THE ANTONOFF 1 24 THERE, WHERE IF YOU HAD THIS CAPABILITY, YOU COULD HAVE THE A IN COMING IN AND MOVING CARGO DIRECTLY INTO THE PARK, RIGHT.
WHICH WOULD BE, AND IF YOU EXTENDED THAT ROAD, RIGHT, YOU COULD GO ON THE BACKSIDE OF H 100 WHERE WE WENT INTO, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT, YOU'VE INCREASED A LOT OF CAPABILITY WITH NOT VERY MUCH ROAD.
AND WE'VE GOT A ROAD TO NOWHERE, WHICH WE NEED TO LEVERAGE WHAT'S PREVIOUSLY BEEN SPENT IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO
[00:35:01]
THAT.BUT, BUT, BUT I MEAN, YOU COULD COME STRAIGHT THROUGH THE GATE, OUT THE PARK AND DOWN TO THE ISLAND IF THERE WERE THE, THE OTHER, THIS VIRGINIA SPACE AND OTHER FACILITIES FROM THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO, YEAH, I THINK, NOT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT IF WE DO AN EDIT TO THE, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THE OFFER? THE OFFER MEMO.
I STILL LIKE THAT CAPABILITY STATEMENT ONE PAGE FRONT AND BACK.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, I GET A PICTURE AND I, I'VE SEEN SEVERAL OF THAT ANTONOFF SITTING ON WALLOPS DELIVERING FOR ROCKET LABS.
THROW THAT ON THERE WITH THAT'S WHAT IT LOOK, THAT'S AN AMAZING CAPABILITY.
THAT IS A BIG FREAKING RUNWAY.
YOU CAN PUT C 5, 7 47, ANY OF 'EM DOWN ON THERE.
UM, THE POINT BEHIND NUMBER TWO IS THAT THAT ACTION ITEM IS ALIVE AND WELL.
SO IF WE GOT THAT FUNDING, WHERE WOULD THAT BE? I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING WHAT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, I ASSUME? FEDERAL BUDGET CYCLE.
FY 27 GET ACTUALLY FUNDED UNTIL MARCH OR APRIL.
WE'RE AT THE END OF THE PRACTICE.
THE ONLY THING ON THIS IS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS INFORMAL, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING OFFICIAL, BUT MY THOUGHT PROCESS WOULD BE IN THE DISCUSSION THAT THIS IS A BASED DOCUMENT, AND FROM THIS WE WOULD GET TO A VERY CONS, VERY SHORTENED, SUMMARIZED ONE PAGER OR LESS THAT JUST SHOWS, HEY, HERE'S OUR PRIORITIES.
IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, YOU GO BACK TO THIS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PUT ON THE WEBPAGE OR WHERE ELSE THE KIND OF MARKETING AND WE HAND OUT.
CAN I ADD ONE PLEASE? I MEAN, YEAH, I THINK THE PART OF THE END IS TACTICAL.
THE PRIORITIES ARE KIND OF STRATEGIC IN NATURE, AND SO COMBINING THEM INTO ONE DOCUMENT IS TRICKY BECAUSE THE PRIORITIES ARE NOT GONNA CHANGE, BUT THE TACTICS ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO CHANGE.
SO I WOULD SECOND THAT YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE THE PRIORITIES THAT STANDALONE ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, BUT NOT AS QUICKLY AS YOUR ACTIONS.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DOCUMENT, WE MENTIONED THAT IT IS KIND OF A LIVING DOCUMENT, BUT THAT, UH, THAT THE TACTICAL ASPECT OF IT, AS YOU PUT IT, IS NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP THAT WE WOULD FLEX TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT, UM, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THEY TEND TO POP UP THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF, LIKE WILL IN ADVANCE, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE DECENT GRANT.
YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN WE WERE MADE AWARE OF THAT, WE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT THAT WOULD BE A QUICK TURNAROUND, BUT A GOOD POSSIBILITY FOR THE NEXT ROUND.
WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THE, UH, WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THE ACTION ITEMS IS JUST, UH, IT COULD EITHER BE SEPARATE OR AN APPENDIX TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE STRATEGIC PART OF THE DOCUMENT, BUT POINT WELL TAKEN IN TERMS OF, UH, IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCE THERE.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAD PROPOSED ANY NEW BUSINESS, MR. PAM, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, NO.
UM, SO, BUT WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE HERE.
WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS HERE IN WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN NEW BUSINESS? OKAY, GOING AHEAD.
SO, OTHER MATTERS, UM, LEE, I THINK WE'VE LISTED, FOR INSTANCE, WE START WITH THE ROCKET LAB UPDATE.
THIS IS JUST A, UM, IF WE COULD GO TO THE, UH, UH, TO THE, UH, EX THE EXTENDED, UH, AGENDA.
SO YEAH, UH, UH, WE DID REACH OUT TO ROCKET LAB.
I BELIEVE WE DID NOT OFFER ANY, ANY NEW, UH, INFORMATION FROM, UH, FROM LAST TIME WHEN WE MET IN FEBRUARY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FROM ROCKET LAB SPACE CENTER, AUSTRALIA WAS THE SAME THING.
WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE, UM, THAT THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO, UH, GET THEIR HANGAR UP AND RUNNING.
DAVE, YOU PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT SPACE CENTER AUSTRALIA THAN THE COUNTY STAFF DOES.
UM, WELL, JUST IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR CUSTOMERS, UM, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH, UH, NASA TO, UM, UH, CONTINUE TO WORK ON, UH, THE, UH, THE FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM MM-HMM
SO THEY'RE STILL IN, YOU KNOW, UPGRADE MODE WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR FACILITIES.
AND, UH, UH, UH, MR. PALMER, WHO, MIKE MASON AND I HAD A CALL WITH GOING BACK TO, UH, JUST
[00:40:01]
BEFORE THE LAST MEETING HAD INDICATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE I, IT WAS LIKE A 2025, UH, UH, ITEM PUNCH LIST OR, OR WORK PACKAGES THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH TO GET THERE.UH, TO GET THEIR FACILITY UP AND RUNNING WAS REALLY GONNA TAKE THEM THROUGH THE END OF THE SUMMER, AT LEAST BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO REALLY, UM, UH, START OPERATING.
THAT'S HOPEFULLY ANN, I THINK WE HAVE VIRGINIA SPACE NEXT, LEE.
SO, UH, LILLIAN POBA IS HERE TO OFFER SOME COMMENT ON WHAT'S NEW AT VIRGINIA SPACE.
LILLIAN, I WORK FOR THE SPACEPORT AND OUR NORFOLK HEADQUARTERS.
I'M HEAD OF OUR EXTERNAL RELATIONS.
UM, NOT TOO MUCH TO REPORT SINCE I THINK WE LAST GAVE YOU AN UPDATE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR CAPTURING THE MASTER PLANNING EFFORT THAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE COUNCIL APPRISED OF THAT AND MAKE SURE THE COUNTY IS INVOLVED AS WELL.
UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH, UM, WE BROKE GROUND ON THE NEW AERIAL HANGAR AT AKIMA COUNTY AIRPORT, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN KIGGINS DELEGATE BLOCKS AND WAS IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE, VIRGINIA SPACE ARE MANAGING THE PROJECT, AND THEN IT'S GONNA BE TURNED OVER TO THE COUNTY.
UM, OUR NEW INTERN CO COHORT HAS STARTED THIS YEAR, SO WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING A LOT MORE INTERNS OUT AT THE WALLOP SITE.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, LAUNCHES, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR LAUNCHES HAVE BEEN ON THE CLASSIFIED SIDE, BUT CONTINUE TO MONITOR OUR WEBSITE FOR ANY PUBLIC LAUNCHES AND, UM, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO MAKE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INVITATIONS TO OUR, UM, LOCAL OFFICIALS IF THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REVIEWING.
CAN I ASK YOU WHAT'S, SO ANY UPDATES ON FIREFLY AND WHAT THEIR TIMELINE IS FOR COMING? NO, NO.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON PAD ZERO, MINIMUM PAD ZERO MODIFICATION TO SUPPORT THEIR LAUNCH VEHICLE.
SO THERE'S NO TIMELINE? NOT RIGHT NOW, NO.
I DEFER TO THEIR WEBSITE FOR ANY, UM, I DON'T ANNOUNCEMENT ON FIREFLIES, UM, LAUNCH VEHICLE LAUNCH, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THOSE MODIFICATIONS.
UM, HOW ABOUT THE, THE, IS THE, AND I DANG, I CAN'T THINK OF WHERE IT IS, BUT THE CLAN PLANT IS THE CLAN PLANT, YES.
UM, WE HAVE SOME STAFF WHO HAVE MOVED INTO THE BUILDING, SO WE'VE COMPLETED THE PHASE ONE OF THE RENOVATIONS, AND WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THE REST OF IT THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S A, A GREAT PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE, THE AREA.
IT, IT'S GREAT VISIBILITY FOR US, IT'S GREAT FOR OUR STAFF AND EXPANSION, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WE, WE KIND OF SKIPPED ROCKET LAB, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO THE SLOOP GUT DREDGING PROJECT? YEAH.
UM, I CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE COMMENT.
UM, THE MARS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, SO OUR 610 ACRES ARE GONNA BE USED FOR SOME OF THE DREDGING SPOILS.
I KNOW THAT, UM, SOME OF THE ACTIVITY, UM, IF IT HASN'T STARTED ALREADY, WILL BE STARTING MOMENTARILY.
AND I DON'T KNOW, DO YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY STARTED? THEY STARTED YESTERDAY.
ANY NEW CUSTOMERS THAT YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AT THIS TIME? NO NEW CUSTOMERS RIGHT NOW THAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU.
BUT YEAH, I HAD A, I SPENT A FEW MINUTES WITH GENERAL MERCER AT THE HANGAR OPENING, SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE IT.
YEAH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
DID WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON ROCKET LAB? NO.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT REFERENCING ROCKET LEXUS, THEY'RE ALREADY THERE AND THEY'RE CONDUCTING AIR CARGO OPERATIONS.
I JUST, AND AND I, I HAVE MENTIONED IT TO THEM TRYING TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROPERTY HERE TIED RIGHT TO YOU, TIED TO THE AIRFIELD, AND WE'RE POTENTIALLY GETTING THIS ROAD THERE.
SO, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS OPEN ACCESS TO EVERYBODY.
BUT I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER.
'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN EXPANDING OPERATIONS IN A LOT OF PARTS OF THE GLOBE.
SO, 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING.
LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DID WE HAVE? WE DID VIRGINIA SPACE.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT WE'VE GOT LEFT ON OUR OTHER MATTERS IS WHATEVER, UM, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO OFFER FROM A WILD STANDPOINT.
WELL, I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, WE WERE GLAD TO HOST GRAHAM TODAY TO GO ON A TOUR OF THE FACILITY, SHOW THE FACILITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO OFFER UP AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO, UM, RFI UNUSED NASA FACILITIES THAT WOULD BE, UH, CAPABLE TO SUPPORT AEROSPACE BUSINESS.
UH, ALSO OUR CONSOLIDATION EFFORTS TO, UM, CONSOLIDATE THE CAMPUS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
[00:45:01]
UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE TIED TO THE RESEARCH PARK, UM, WHERE H 100 SITS IS ON THE BORDER OF THE RESEARCH PARK.AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS AVAILABLE.
THE HYPERSONIC WORK CONTINUES TO EXPAND, UM, THE, UH, SUPPORT WE PROVIDED TO THE ARTEMIS TWO LAUNCH SHOWCASED WALLOPS CAPABILITIES SUPPORT MOON TO MARS.
AND SO WE LOOK TO EXPAND THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, MOST NOTABLY IS LAST FRIDAY THERE WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE AGENCY THAT WALLOPS WOULD COME UNDER, UM, NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, UM, UH, MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE FLUSHED OUT, UM, OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
SO THAT'S, I THINK THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO SEE AND SUPPORT OF THE SLOOP GUT, UM, DREDGING.
AND, UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOLKS ON EXPANDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE SOUTH ISLAND COMPLEX.
SO WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
WE ALSO CONTINUE TO WORK ON PLANS TO, UM, ESTABLISH AN, AN INDEPENDENT CONCURRENT RANGE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER CAPABILITY SO THAT WE CAN DO MULTIPLE LAUNCHES AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THAT'S KEY TO OUR, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, DOW SUPPORT.
I WAS CURIOUS AND, AND I MEAN, MAYBE IT'S TOO EARLY TO KNOW, MAYBE I'M HOPING, AND, AND YES, HOPE IS NOT A METHOD, BUT WITH THE NEW ALIGNMENT WITH LAUNCH, PRIMARILY A LAUNCH FACILITY, PERHAPS THAT MAY GIVE SOME INTEREST TO SOME NEW CUSTOMERS FOR THE PARK AS WELL AS TO NASA.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I THINK THAT THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CAPE IS AT NEAR FULL CAPACITY IN TERMS OF ITS LAUNCH MANIFEST.
AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SPACE FORCE, THEY THINK THAT WALLOPS IS IDEALLY SUITED TO BE A RELIEF VALVE, A LIMITED RELIEF VALVE FOR THE CAPE, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW ENTRANTS WHO SAY IF YOU'RE A NEW COMPANY AND YOU WANT TO GET ON THIS, THE RANGE SCHEDULE, YOU'RE GONNA, UM, BE SAY, LOOKING AT TWO YEARS FROM THE TIME YOU APPROACH THE CAPE.
WHEREAS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET LAUNCHED AT WALLOPS FAIRLY QUICKLY, LIKE WITHIN A YEAR.
IT'S MORE ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE SAFETY PROCESS.
SO WE THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE FOR SMALLER ENTRANTS, UM, BUT ALSO THE TWO, UM, LARGER VEHICLES, BOTH NEUTRON AND THE A THREE 30, THE ANTER AND THEN ECLIPSE, THESE VEHICLES ARE GOING TO BE SUPPORTING, UH, THE SPACE FORCE IN THE FUTURE THAT'S GONNA INCREASE THE, THE CAPABILITY THAT WALLOPS HAS IN TERMS OF PUTTING LARGER PAYLOADS AND THEN CARGO INTO LIN, OR IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
SO I, I THINK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR SMALLER LAUNCH COMPANIES TO, TO COME IN PROVIDERS, AND WE WERE TALKING TO GRAHAM EARLIER TODAY.
THERE'S PAYLOAD PROCESSING, WHICH GENERAL MERCER TALKS ABOUT FREQUENTLY.
SO THERE'S, IF, IF WE CAN SEED WASTEWATER TREATMENT, ALL THAT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS OUT OF THE GATE NEAR THE RESEARCH, UH, RESEARCH PARK.
SO I THINK IT, WE'RE JUST BUILDING UP THAT ECOSYSTEM.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, UM, UH, THERE'S, UH, A, A DEVELOPMENT, UM, I WAS MENTIONING TO GRAHAM EARLIER, UM, CREDOS IS A COMPANY THAT RECEIVED, UM, A LARGE, UH, CONTRACT FROM, UH, DOW TO SUPPORT HYPERSONICS.
THEY ORIGINALLY WERE LOOKING AT THE RESEARCH PARK.
THEY'VE ALSO, I THINK, GOT FACILITIES THAT THEY, UH, WENT TO THE OLD PERTON FACILITIES IN PRINCESS ANNE.
BUT THESE ARE ALL COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING TO WALLOPS THAT ARE GONNA SUPPORT HYPERSONICS.
WHY WOULD SOMEBODY GO TO PRINCESS ANN, ET CETERA, JUST 'CAUSE OF THE TIMELINE.
I THINK IT WAS A AVAILABLE FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, THAT PERTON WAS GIVING UP THE OLD, UH, SAND ROCKET FACILITIES.
I MEAN, BUT THAT'S GREAT INPUT FOR THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DEFENSE GRANT AS WELL.
I MEAN, PART OF THAT, WHEN YOU START OUTLINING YEAH, WE CAN PROVIDE INVESTORS, PROVIDE A LOT OF BACKGROUND INFO, WHATEVER YOU NEED FOR THE GRANT LEAD.
WE'RE GLAD TO WORK WITH YOU DIRECTLY TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE SEE THE DEMAND SIGNAL AT WALLOPS FOR SUPPORTING DOW IS REALLY STRONG.
AND NOT JUST ON THE LAUNCH SIDE, BUT ALSO ON THE UAS
[00:50:01]
SIDE.AND MY THOUGHT, LEE, IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO THROW DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS THAT MAY OVERLAP TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES, OH, WELL THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM.
THAT'S A PROBLEM WE WANT TO HAVE IF YOU WENT TO MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, AND FIGURE OUT WHO'S PAYING FOR WHAT.
BUT, AND, BUT I THINK WITH, YOU KNOW, I THINK KENNEDY IS GONNA HELP WALLOPS A LOT IN TERMS OF SCALING, SCALING UP ITS ABILITY TO SUPPORT LAUNCH.
BUT RIGHT NOW, ANYBODY THEY SEND UP, I MEAN, OTHER THAN FACILITIES IN YOUR, FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT SOME ANTIQUATED FACILITIES YOU'RE LOOKING AT DEMOLISHING, SO WHERE CAN THEY GO? EXACTLY.
I THINK THEY'RE, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S GONNA GET REALLY GOOD IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY CAN INVEST IN, IN TERMS OF LAUNCH AND CONSTRUCTION.
DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ON THE HRSD PLANT TRANSFER? HAVE YOU ANY UPDATES ON THAT? WE HEARD TODAY THAT, UM, IT IS STILL WITH NASA HEADQUARTERS.
UM, UH, MR.
AN EASEMENT SHOULD BE VERY QUICK.
I DON'T HAVE A, SO THE EASEMENT YEAH, AND I DON'T WANNA HOLD YOU TO IT, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT HE SAID TODAY.
GENTLEMEN, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? DO DO, DO THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN RICHMOND? OF COURSE.
UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TALK, OF COURSE, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, AND I THINK, AND LEE AND I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION YESTERDAY.
UM, WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS A VIABLE, THE, THE STATE STATE CODE HAS DETERMINED THAT THIS IS A VIABLE ENTITY.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT ALL WHAT WE'VE HEARD HERE TODAY IS THERE'S A LOT OF NEED AND A LOT OF GOOD INSIGHT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
AND WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO MAKE IT A MORE VIABLE ORGANIZATION.
AND, AND, AND I THINK WE'RE, IN MY OPINION, WE'RE HINDERED BY OUR CURRENT MEETING SCHEDULE.
NOT THAT I WANNA FORCE GRAHAM TO DRIVE OVER HERE ANY MORE THAN HE NEEDS TO, ALTHOUGH IT'S A BETTER TIME OF YEAR NOW.
'CAUSE AT LEAST WE GOT SOME SEAFOOD THERE.
UM, BUT ALSO MAYBE IF WE WERE TO MOVE THE LOCATION CLOSER TO THE FACILITY, CLOSER TO THE PARK, THAT WOULD MAKE, THAT MIGHT, THAT MAKES, IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR AT LEAST YOU, FOR THE NAVY, FOR THE MARINE SCIENCE CONSORTIUM.
SO I'M ALWAYS GONNA CALL IT THAT.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AND SO I WANTED TO THROW THAT WE CAN'T MAKE ANY REAL DECISIONS, BUT AT LEAST THROW THAT IDEA OUT FOR DISCUSSION.
WE'RE OPEN TO HOSTING ANY TIME.
UM, WE ARE CERTAINLY WILLING TO TALK WITH CHE SINCE HE HAS THAT UPSTAIRS CLASSROOM THAT WE'VE MET HIM BEFORE.
THAT'S A GREAT SPOT FOR, UH, THE PARK LEADERSHIP COUNCIL TO MEET.
WELL, EVERYONE GETS THE MOST PEOPLE THERE IS MY OPINION.
YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN, THAT'S THE CALL.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNTY STAFF, IT MAY HAVE SOME IMPACT ON COUNTY STAFF, BUT THEN AGAIN, I MEAN, THE THING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YESTERDAY AND, AND BEN'S NOT HERE, SO I WON'T BEAT HIM UP TOO MUCH FOR NOT BEING HERE, BUT WE'RE USING A 20 YEAR, 30-YEAR-OLD PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY TO RECORD THE EVENT ANYWAY.
SO I'M HAVING A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO THROW OUT ALONG THOSE REGARDS IS I THINK THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO HAVE ANY MOMENTUM AND HELP STAFF KEEP MOMENTUM AND FOCUS FROM WHAT THE, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SEEING WITH THE CURRENT MEETING SCHEDULE AND COUNTY ATTORNEY'S IN THE BACK.
AND WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WELL WHAT ARE OUR VIRTUAL MEETING OPTIONS? UM, I'M NOT SAYING WE WOULD GO FULLY VIRTUAL, BUT, BUT WE COULD LOOK AT THAT AS WELL WHEN WE CAN RECONVENE.
UM, IT'S, IT, I DO IT WITH OTHER STATE ENTITIES AND OTHER PUBLIC, SO IT IS DOABLE.
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TO INCREASE THE, THE, THE, THE MEETING RHYTHM, UM, AND THEN STILL MAINTAIN, FOR INSTANCE, TWO IN-PERSON MEETINGS OR THREE OR FOUR ANNUALLY, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES IS WHAT I WAS THINKING.AND AS LONG AS WE COULD GO INTO CLOSED SESSION IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AS WELL, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
AND LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, 'CAUSE THIS IS ABOUT US GETTING SOMETHING DONE AND RIGHT NOW WE, AND, AND I'M GUILTY OF IT.
I TOLD YOU GUYS THOSE WHO DO STUFF LAST WEEK, AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, DID I, OR LAST QUARTER.
AND UH, I MEAN, IT JUST HAPPENS, RIGHT? YOU GET HUNG UP WITH THE, THE MORE IMMEDIATE TASKS.
I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS THINKING ABOUT IT AND GETTING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE CAN EXCHANGE EMAIL, BUT SURE.
I THINK WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT UNDERLYING CHALLENGES AS TO WHY THIS ENTITY OR BODY HAS STRUGGLED IN THE PAST AND HOW DO WE MAKE IT BETTER.
AND JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD, YOU MENTIONED BEN, YOU MEANT BEN FOX, THE COUNTY'S IT DIRECTOR.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, ONE OF THE, UH, LOGISTICAL ELEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO FACTOR INTO ANY VENUE CHANGE IS THAT, UH, UH, UH, BEING ABLE TO STREAM ON THE COUNTY SYSTEM IS, IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, NOW YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, THE, UM, THE RECORDER.
BUT THE PRIMARY IS THE, IS THE SYSTEM THAT THE COUNTY HAS HERE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS, UH, IN THIS ROOM.
BUT IT GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY, I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO DO A ZOOM CALL.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE CRITERIA.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT, OTHER THAN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD NOW IS THE ONLY PUBLIC INTERACTION ANYWAY.
SO YOU CAN TURN OFF MESSAGES AND, AND I MEAN, LIKE I SAY, IT, IT, IT'S DONE PRETTY FREQUENTLY.
AND I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY, CAN YOU RECALL SINCE, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY PUBLIC, ANYONE COME IN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THAT I CAN RECALL.
MOST OF THE ATTENDEES WHO WERE NEITHER COUNCIL MEMBERS NOR STAFF WERE, YOU KNOW, AT THE INVITATION OF THE COUNCIL OR STAFF TO PROVIDE UPDATES.
MR. PAMPER, ANYTHING ELSE? UM, JUST AGAIN, A REALLY QUICK NOTE.
UM, THE COUNTY IS GOING THROUGH ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE AND WE EXPECT THE AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE CLUSTER TO BE, UH, HIGHLIGHTED EVEN MORE THAN IT WAS IN 2018, UH, VERSION OF THE, OF THE COUNTY COMP PLAN.
REASON BEING, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CHANGES IN NORTHERN, NORTHERN CROMAC, NAMELY ROCKET LAB IS, UH, IS, IS, UH, CONSIDERED A, A NEW AND VERY, UM, VERY INFLUENTIAL, UH, FORCE IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR NOW.
IF AIMA COUNTY AND THE WATS FLIGHT FACILITY AND THE RESEARCH PARK ARE NOW ON THE MAP, THAT HAS STARTED TO YIELD AT LEAST INCREASED INTEREST.
SO WITH EVERY COMPANY THAT COMES IN IN, LET'S SAY THAT WE DO LAND ANOTHER ROCKET LAB SIZED COMPANY THAT EXPECTS TO BRING ANOTHER 250 EMPLOYEES, THAT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT FOR NORTHERN AKAMAK, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D HAVE TO PLAN FOR.
MY BASIC, UH, MY BASIC, UM, UH, UH, PREMISE THERE IS THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 2018 THAT WE NOW HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR IN NORTHERN AKAMAK AND REALLY COUNTYWIDE.
BUT THAT, UH, THAT IS ONGOING.
NOW WE HAVE JUST FINISHED THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ASPECT OF IT.
WE'RE, WE STILL HAVE OUR SURVEY OPEN, WHICH IS OF LAST THURSDAY.
WE HAD ABOUT 132 RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY.
WE'VE CONDUCTED TWO WORKSHOPS, FIVE POPUPS, AND UH, OF COURSE WE HAD THE JOINT WORK SESSION BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM HERE ON OUT, THE CONSULTANT, THE BERKELEY GROUP WILL BE DOING THE PLAN WRITING AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION SEPARATELY HAVE ADOPTED THE NEXT SLATE OF JOINT WORK SESSIONS.
THERE ARE FOUR OF THEM LEADING UP THROUGH, UH, MARCH OF 2027.
AFTER THAT POINT, IT'S GOING TO BE FINALIZING THE PLAN, HOPEFULLY FOR ADOPTION BY AUGUST OF 27TH.
THAT DOVETAILS NICELY WITH VIRGINIA SPACES MASTER PLANNING EFFORTS, AS WELL AS OUR, UM, OUR, UH, PARALLEL EFFORT TO PLAN FOR SEWER AND NORTHERN MACK.
AGAIN, WE'VE GOT KINLEY HORN WORKING ON THAT PLAN, WHICH WE EXPECT TO FACTOR HEAVILY INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS WELL.
SO LET ME SHARE SOMETHING JUST SO IT'S OUT THERE AND MAYBE SOMEWHERE SOMEBODY WILL GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND IF, IF BEEN DETECTED.
AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT MS. PROCTOR, SHE MAY, SHE'S GOOD.
SHE READS ME ON SOMETIMES IF I COME OFF AS A CURMUDGEON ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN THOSE PLANNING CYCLES, ONE, I
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WORK IN THAT SPACE AND I THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND AS YOU SAID AS WE, BEFORE WE STARTED THE MEETING, TALKING ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF THIS INDUSTRY AND THE FUNDING OF THIS INDUSTRY, FIVE YEARS MIGHT AS WELL BE 40.
AND AND I THINK THEY'VE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BUILD IN THAT FLEXIBILITY.
'CAUSE WHAT DRIVES ME PERSONALLY, NUTS IS YOU GET IT YEAR FOUR AND THE SITUATION HAS TOTALLY CHANGED AND SOMEBODY'S GOING, WELL THAT'S NOT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE'VE MOVED ON, THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE GET FUNDING FOR THOSE PLANS, WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS TO DO THOSE FANS PLANS IN ORDER TO MEET OTHER FUNDING THRESHOLDS AND STUFF.
BUT WE GOTTA REALIZE WHAT THAT IS.
AND I MEAN, I, RIGHT NOW IN MY MIND, I CAN COME UP PROBABLY TWO PAGES OF CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GONNA CONFRONT THAT PROBABLY AREN'T GONNA BE COVERED IN THE, IF VIRGINIA SPACE ROCKET LAB, NASA ARE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE'RE TRYING TO ENABLE THEM TO BE.
UM, I WOULD HOPE, AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT VIRGINIA SPACE NOW THAT I HOPE THE, OUR PLANNERS ARE TALKING DIRECTLY BECAUSE YOU CAN, YOU CAN, I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO SEE IT ABOUT SOME, PROBABLY SOME PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME RECENT THINGS IN THE NEWS FROM THE WEST COAST THAT I THINK THAT PLANNERS NEED TO LOOK AT FROM A SAFETY, SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD SITUATION.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS OUT THERE THAT ARE SECOND AND THIRD ORDER EFFECTS OF WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GO.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE CAN'T EVEN GET A ROAD BUILT.
SO THAT'S WHERE I GET FRUSTRATED.
SO, WELL, I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY DON'T KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOURSELF WHEN IT COMES TO THIS.
I CAN TELL I DON'T ANYBODY, IF, IF, IF, UH, IF THERE IS ANYBODY WHO LISTENS TO THE RECORDING AND SAYS, HEY, I'VE HEARD ABOUT THE COMP PLAN THING.
I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO OFFER SOME COMMENT.
I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, BUT THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, RIGHT? IF YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ANY OF THE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, UH, EVENTS, UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK UP AND TO, UH, TO REGISTER YOUR OPINION IS DONE.
BY ALL MEANS, REACH OUT TO A MEMBER OF STAFF.
IF YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE REACHING OUT TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL, DO SO.
BUT GET THE WORK TO US AND WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, AS WE LIKE TO SAY, PUT THAT IN THE HOSPITAL.
AND PLEASE DO THE SURVEYS, RIGHT? YEAH, PLEASE DO THE SURVEYS.
THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR COMING AND I HOPE WE'RE GONNA GET BETTER AT THIS.