[Wallops Research Park Leadership Council Meeting on August 26, 2026.]
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AND I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER, UH, THE AUGUST MEETING OF THE WALLACE RESEARCH PARK LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
UH, AS JUST NOTED, WE HAVE FIVE OUT OF SIX PRESENT.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY NEED FOR ADOPTION OF A REMOTE PARTICIPATION.
UH, NOBODY HAS REQUESTED REMOTE PARTICIPATION.
I DO WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO, TO NOTE WE, WE'LL BE HERE FROM SOME LATER, BUT DELEGATE HAM HAS ALSO JOINED US TODAY, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.
IT'S BEEN MOVED TO PROPERLY SECONDED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, MR. CHAIR, UH, ONE HOUSEKEEPING ITEM THAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO, UH, UH, ANNUALLY ADOPT THE REMOTE PARTICIPATION POLICY THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR YOU IN YOUR, UH, UH, IN YOUR PACKETS.
BUT NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN NOTED TO BE, UH, A ADOPTED ANNUALLY.
SO, SINCE WE HAVE NOT YET DONE THAT THIS YEAR, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST, UH, UH, MOVING THAT, MOVING IT ALONG.
LET'S JUST DO THAT UNDER WHOLE BUSINESS.
AND YOU AND I DISCUSSED THAT, SO, OKAY.
SO LET'S GET THROUGH THE MINUTES.
UM, OF COURSE, IN MAY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAD NO QUORUM, BUT I WOULD, UH, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR DEBATE ABOUT THE MINUTES.
A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I WAS TRYING TO COMBINE 'EM BECAUSE ONE OF 'EM, NOT ONE OF 'EM.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, THAT MOTION ALSO PASSES PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD.
SO, NO PUBLIC COMMENT AND UNDER OLD BUSINESS.
UH, SO AS MR. FABERG STATED, WE HAVE AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT, MS. PROCTOR'S HERE TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW IT BY THE LETTER OF THE LAW AND TO ADOPT OUR REMOTE PARTICIPATION POLICY.
AS WE SAID, THERE'S NO CHANGES, SO, UM, WOULD APPRECIATE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE REMOTE ANNUAL REMOTE PARTICIPATION POLICY.
SO, IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECONDED THAT WE HA WE ADOPT THE, THE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL PARTICIPATION POLICY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE THINK OTHERS SAY AYE.
MR. PAM, THE FIRST ITEM THERE IS THE, THE RESOLUTION.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ADDRESS THAT SINCE I PUT IT ON THE PLEASE? WE, UH, WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AT YOUR REQUEST AND, AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME MOVEMENT ON THAT, WHICH I WILL GLADLY, UH, LET YOU, UH, EXPLAIN AND TALK.
SO, SO I, I THINK EVERYONE, OR MOST OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAD PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING FOR NASA, NOT MR. PIERCE, BUT THIS HIRES TO, UM, NAME THE FEDERAL FACILITIES OR THE SPACE FLIGHT FACILITIES ON LOLO'S ISLAND IN HONOR OF MR. THOMAS YOUNG.
UM, THAT GENERATED A LOT OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND WAS ACTUALLY RESCINDED, UH, LAST MONTH'S MEETING.
I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE SAW FROM THAT IT'S NOTEWORTHY FOR THIS BODY TO LOOK AT THE GREAT, THE PUBLIC INTEREST, THE PUBLIC OUT, OR ALSO THE LACK OF INFORMATION.
I THINK SOMETIMES THAT IS A CHALLENGE TO GET THE CURRENT INFORMATION OUT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I CAN REMEMBER RIDING THE FOOTBALL PRACTICE WITH ROB HAM AT HIGH SCHOOL AND US TALKING ABOUT THE SHORES ABOUT 30 YEARS BEHIND A LOT OF TIMES.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED IN OUR AEROSPACE, UH, OR OUR AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
AND WE DO HAVE TO WORK AND LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE GET BETTER INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT, BUT WE'VE ALSO GOTTA CHERISH THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC COMMITMENT ABOUT PUBLIC RESPONSE ACROSS THE BOARD FROM EVERYBODY WHO WAS INVOLVED PRO AND CON.
AND THERE WERE SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS I RECEIVED DURING THAT.
I'M HOPING TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THOSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WOULD EVEN DARE COMMENT ON THE TOPIC, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
WELL, I MEAN, FROM, FROM A WALLOPS
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PERSPECTIVE, I THINK OF ANY OF, OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UM, TOM YOUNG HAS HAD, UH, JUST AN AMAZING CAREER IN AEROSPACE.AND, UM, WALLOPS IS, UH, JUST HAD SUCH A RICH HISTORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE LICENSE PLATES THAT SAY NORTH CAROLINA WAS FIRST IN FLIGHT, WE LIKE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE COMMONWEALTH WAS FIRST IN SPACE.
UM, WALLOPS PLAYS JUST AN AMAZING ROLE, EVEN TODAY IN A VITAL AEROSPACE ECOSYSTEM.
NOT JUST ON THE SHORE, BUT PART OF HELPING NASA GET TO THE MOON AND ON TO MARS.
WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF WHAT TOM YOUNG DID, BUT WE'RE ALSO PROUD OF THE, THE COUNTLESS THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT GATE AND MADE WALLOPS WHAT IT IS TODAY.
I JUST GET TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE TODAY WORKING WITH OUR, OUR PEOPLE AND I'LL BE GONE AND THERE'LL BE A NEW GENERATION, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT OFFENDED BY IT.
WE THINK THAT HONORING HIM APPROPRIATELY, WE, WE JUST HAVE POLICIES ON RENAMING, ET CETERA, THAT I, I KNOW THAT WAS EXPLAINED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY HAS PASSED AWAY TO, TO NAME.
AND SO, ANYWAY, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO HAVE THE RICH SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR ALL THE STUFF THAT WE DO AT WALLOPS AND THE COLLABORATION.
I THINK THAT WE'RE IN A, OPENING UP A NEW ERA WITH, UH, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, WHERE WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON EXPANDING LAUNCH AT WALLOPS.
AND, UM, I THOUGHT THAT OVER OVERALL, THE COMMENTS IN THE PUBLIC MADE FOR A RICH CONVERSATION MM-HMM
AND, UM, IT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE LOVE THE FACILITY, RIGHT.
AND HOW IMPORTANT THE FACILITY IS ON THE EASTERN SHORE TO OUR FUTURE, TO OUR CHILDREN, TO, I MEAN, WE ARE ONE OF THE KEY PLACES WHERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN BE INTERNS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, WE ARE A, A, A FEDERAL LAB THAT STUDENTS CAN COME AND GET EXPERIENCE IN QUANTUM OR LASERS, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GET THAT? AND OUR PRIVATE BUSINESSES IN THE COMMONWEALTH ARE GONNA BENEFIT FROM THAT.
WE APPRECIATE, UH, NOT JUST 'CAUSE HE'S SITTING HERE, DELICATE BLOCKS HIMS, ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT, ALL THE SUPPORT FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD 350 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE THIS SUMMER IN, UM, UH, UH, SPACE COAST SCHOLARS THAT'S FUNDED BY THE COMPANY.
SO, I, YOU KNOW, I I, I'M, I'M NOT TAKING ABACK OFF WHAT WAS MENTIONED.
I THINK WALLOPS NAME IS ICONIC AND IT WAS NEVER AT RISK, BUT STILL IT'S
I DON'T WANNA REVISIT THE DEBATE
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE.
WHEN YOU SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, SPACEX IS GONNA BUILD, STARTED BUILDING A LAUNCH COMPLEX IN LOUISIANA OF ALL PLACES, A TOWN WITH 300 PEOPLE, 300 OR 30.
BLOOMBERG REPORTED THE OTHER DAY THAT, UM, UH, SPACEX PLANS TO LAUNCH 3,500 ROCKETS AND 2030 1.32.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR WALLETS TO GET IN THE GAME, BUT YOU GOTTA ADMIT THAT DOES INDICATE A LOT OF COMPETITION AS WELL.
I THINK WE'RE WELL PUBLIC WITH ROCKET LAB AND NORFOLK GRUMMAN TO DO A LOT AT WALLETS AND ALL THE NEW COMPANIES THAT WANT TO MR. CHAIR, WAS THE RESOLUTION RESCINDED ENTIRELY? YES.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS PRESENTED AND IN THE END IT WAS, IT WAS RESCINDED IN TIME.
SO MOVING ON, UM, NEXT IN NEW BUSINESS, UH, AND MR. PAM, WOULD, YOU'D BETTER LIKE TO DO THE INTRODUCTION.
UM, IN YOUR STAFF REPORT, WE INDICATED THAT, UM, UH, GRAYSON I, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF REACHED OUT TO, UH, NANCY DEN AND HER STAFF.
SHE'S THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HAMPTON ROADS EXECUTIVE ROUND TABLE.
UH, THE REASON WHY WE REACHED OUT TO HER WAS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS BODY, UH, HERE HAS ACTUALLY MENTIONED GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE AS A POTENTIAL, UH, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT PARTNER, FUNDING PARTNER FOR, UH, FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.
UM, NANCY AND I, TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY EVER, UH, MET, UH, UH, IN PERSON.
WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, UH, IN, UH, VIRTUAL CALLS IN THE PAST.
BUT WE FELT THAT IT WAS, UH, THAT IT WAS TIMELY THAT, UH, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL WAS TALKING ABOUT GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE,
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AND AS THE EXECUTIVE ROUND TABLE IS THE SUPPORT ORGANIZATION FOR, UH, GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE.WE DID REACH OUT TO HER TO LET, UH, YOU KNOW, TO LET THE ROUND TABLE KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OUR STANDARD TALKING POINTS ABOUT, UH, NORTHERN MACK AND THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
THE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF, UH, OF STATE AND FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S COMING INTO, UH, INTO THE AREA, UH, IN, IN THE BITS AND PIECES LIKE THE SLOOP GUT DREDGING PROJECT, THE, UH, UH, THE, THE NATURAL GAS, UH, UH, EXTENSION, THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY'S DOING BY SETTING ASIDE, UH, UM, UH, SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS FOR, UH, FOR SEWER IN NORTHERN MACK, THE NEW BRIDGE OUT AT, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADING OUT TO THE ISLAND AT WILD.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFLUX OF MONEY OCCURRING.
BUT ALONG WITH THAT, THERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING ON.
AGAIN, THOSE STANDARD TALKING POINTS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CHILDCARE INCENTIVE.
UH, UH, $225,000 MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A A LOT, BUT IT'S A START TO TRY TO GET CHILDCARE, SOMETHING THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT.
BUT, UH, ALL OF THOSE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT, UM, THAT, UH, UH, THE STAFF FELT LIKE WE COULD BE REACHING OUT AND TELLING THAT STORY A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO ONE OF OUR STEPS WAS TO REACH OUT TO NANCY AND HER GROUP TO SAY, HEY, UH, WE'RE HERE.
WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS GOING ON.
GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE HAS BEEN MENTIONED AS RECENTLY AS THIS SUMMER, SO WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP AND, UH, AND, UH, UH, UH, TAKE PART, SEE WHO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT.
AND TO, AND TO MEET SOME MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE NANCY GERD, AND SHE'S HERE, SHE DROVE UP FROM, UH, NORTHFOLK THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, UM, AND, UH, UH, SHE'S GOT A PRESENTATION THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, UH, JUST GIVE ON HER ORGANIZATION AND WHAT THEY DO.
AND, UM, THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL FOR, UH, INVITING ME AND
I THINK WE'VE WRITTEN YOU LETTERS.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GOTTA DO IT.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I AM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE, AND I, I DO HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT I, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH IT SLIDE BY SLIDE.
I REALLY WOULD, WOULD BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS, BUT I, I DID WANT TO SAY A COUPLE THINGS LEVEL SET.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF OBVIOUSLY CONTINUED CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT MAYBE A COUPLE KEY MESSAGES I WOULD SAY IS, UM, UH, HAMPTON ROADS, UH, REALLY, AND FOR GO VIRGINIA, WE REGION FIVE, WE ARE 17 COMMUNITY, UH, MUNICIPALITIES.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE EASTERN SHORE, UH, WE INCLUDE WILLIAMSBURG, THE WHOLE SOUTH SIDE, ALL THE WAY UP OVER TO THE OLIVE WHITE IN FRANKLIN.
SO THAT'S OUR FOOTPRINT FOR REGION FIVE.
AND SO WE HAVE A COUNCIL FOR THAT SEPARATE FROM THE ROUND TABLE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL EASTERN CHORE.
WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MEMBERS.
UH, SO JEFF HOLLAND, FOR EXAMPLE, IS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS.
WE DO HAVE TERM LIMITS, SO WE ROTATE, BUT HE'S A MEMBER.
SO WE REALLY ACTIVELY SEEK MEMBERS ON THAT COUNCIL, ON THAT COUNCIL REPRESENTING THE GEOGRAPHIES AND INDUSTRIES, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENTS, UH, MARSHA, MARSHA CONSTANT, DR.
CONSTANCE SERVES ON THE GO VIRGINIA COUNCIL.
AND PORTER BRANNAN HAPPENS TO SERVE ON THE ROUND TABLE.
SO WE ARE MINDFUL OF MAKING SURE ALL THAT HAPPENS.
UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN HAMPTON ROADS, AND I AM HAPPY TO SAY WE ACTUALLY WORK IN, IN, IN CONCERT WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, US, THE ROUNDTABLE, UH, THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION, THE HAMPTON ROADS ALLIANCE DOES A LOT OF BUSINESS RETENTION, EXPANSION, WORKS QUITE A LOT WITH THE EDP GRAHAM.
I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, THE HAMPTON WARRIORS WORKFORCE COUNCIL, UM, VERY CLOSE, UH, PARTNER WITH, UH, THE BAY CONSORTIUM.
IN FACT, THERE'S A MORE FORMAL PARTNERSHIP NOW AS OF JULY ONE.
SO MY MESSAGE HERE IS WE HAVE SOME OF US WHO ARE IN REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, UH, YOU'RE PART OF US
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE, NOT JUST SAY THAT, BUT ACT AS IF RIGHT.
AND REALLY FIND OPPORTUNITIES.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY ONE THAT SPEAKS TO THIS COUNCIL, AND THAT'S ALL AROUND ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY AND AEROSPACE.
SUPPORT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH AND SUPPORT FOR HAMPTON ROADS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY, I THINK, A CRITICAL RESOURCE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'M JUST GONNA ROLL THROUGH A COUPLE THINGS.
PLEASE STOP ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US.
UH, THE LEADERSHIP AT HAMPTON ROADS, UH, EXECUTIVE ROUND TABLE.
UH, WE HAVE OUR CORPORATE CEOS AND UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS WHO ARE BASED IN HAMPTON ROADS.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, DOLLAR TREE, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, IS BASED HERE.
THEY'RE A MEMBER, UH, STEEL, WHICH HAS AN OPERATION OF COURSE, IN, UM, GERMANY HAS A MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN PRESENCE.
WE HAVE BEEN WANTING ROCKET LAB, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT BECAUSE
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WE TYPICALLY SEEK, UH, THE HIGHEST LEVEL.BUT WE WOULD LOVE A ROCKET LAB.
IN FACT, WE'VE TALKED TO THE, UH, ROCKET LABS, UM, STATE REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR SOME IDEAS ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.
AND THEN, UM, WE ARE THE SUPPORT ORGANIZATION, AS I SAID, FOR GO VIRGINIA.
AND THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS, UH, THAT GIVES US AS A REGION, SOME DOLLARS AT THE PER CAPITA REGIONAL LEVEL THAT CAN BE ALLOCATED TO PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA GROW KEY INDUSTRIES.
AND ALSO, UM, A POOL OF FUNDS AT BEGINNING GO VIRGINIA AT THE STATE LEVEL CALLED THE COMPETITIVE FUNDS.
AND EVERYTHING WE DO, BECAUSE WE'RE ONE ORGANIZATION, IS REALLY TRY TO ALIGN MAJOR PRIORITIES FOR THE REGION WITH THOSE DOLLARS.
'CAUSE THOSE DOLLARS ARE, LIKE, I, I JOKE ABOUT IT.
I CALL IT VENTURE CAPITAL FOR PROGRAMS. 'CAUSE THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT IT IS.
IT HELPS US START UP THESE AMAZING PROGRAMS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION, UH, JOB CREATION, UH, INDUSTRY SCALE UP WITH THE IDEA THAT, UH, PUBLIC MONEY, OTHER FEDERAL MONEY CAN HELP THEM GROW.
AND TO BE FAIR, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW OTHER STATE FUNDS DOWN THE ROAD AFTER GO VIRGINIA MONEY HAS BEEN EXPENDED, COULD EVENTUALLY SUPPORT THIS.
AND SO THE PATHWAYS TO, UM, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, ALL THAT WORK THAT'S GOING ON WITH VIRGINIA WORKS IS AN, IS AN EXAMPLE.
BUT WE'RE STARTUP MONEY AND WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD TO SPEND IT.
UM, SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT QUICKLY ABOUT US.
AND THIS IS A QUICK SORT OF SCHEMATIC.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S WORTH POINTING OUT THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATION'S, PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL.
OVER HERE IS THE GROUPS I MENTIONED.
SO THE ALLIANCE, THE WORKFORCE COUNCIL ARE TWO BIGGEST CHAMBERS.
SO WE HAVE THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA CHAMBER AND THE HAMPTON ROACH CHAMBER.
WE HAVE MANY OTHER CHAMBERS TOO.
UH, OUR MEMBERS, UH, THE PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION, UH, BOB PRO FOR US IS A BIG MEMBER, UH,
HAMPTON ROSE, MILITARY AND FEDERAL FACILITIES ALLIANCE.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM.
AND THEN, UH, WE INCLUDE THE URBAN LEAGUE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SUCH A BIG FOOTPRINT IN ALL THE WORK THEY DO.
SAME THING FOR INNOVATION AND CIVIC, BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY GIVING US A PIPELINE OF LEADERS SO THAT THOSE GROUPS WE MEET LITERALLY, UM, EVERY OTHER MONTH.
AND THE REASON WE MEET, NOT A FORMAL GROUP, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE OR A PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO ATTACK AS A REGION, WE CAN DO IT COLLECTIVELY.
THAT'S ONLY, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING ABOUT TWO YEARS.
AND THE REASON THAT'S IMPORTANT IS WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE A VOICE AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UM, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE MORE AND MORE A VOICE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
'CAUSE THERE IS ACTUAL FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE CAN SPEAK AS A REGION AND NOT HAVE FIVE OR 10 VOICES SAY, WELL, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UH, THIS IS THE REGION'S GO VIRGINIA GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION PLAN.
WE, WE DO ONE BY LAW EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE ONES THAT ARE CERTAINLY RELEVANT TO THIS COUNCIL.
UH, BUT NONE OF THESE WOULD PROBABLY SURPRISE YOU.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY STABLE AS INDUSTRIES FOR HAMPTON ROADS.
UM, THE ONE THAT WE'VE ADDED MORE RECENTLY IS LIFE SCIENCES, UH, BECAUSE THERE IS BEGINNING SOME WORK IN BIOTECH, BUT FRANKLY, WE ARE A DEFENSE, MARITIME, ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY PLACE.
AND WE NEED TO LEAN INTO IT AND BUILD ON IT AS A REGION.
AND SO, HENCE THE, THE YELLOW EXAMPLES.
THIS IS JUST SORT OF A SCATTERGRAM ABOUT HOW WE'VE SPENT 94 MILLION OF OUR GO VIRGINIA MONEY SO FAR.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE A LOT ON ROBOTICS, ADVANCED, UH, WORKFORCE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
MARITIME PROBABLY, AGAIN, WOULDN'T SURPRISE YOU.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE HAVE A FULL LIST OF KIND OF HOW THAT'S BEEN SPENT.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL BRANDS DIRECTLY ON THE EASTERN SHORE.
THE MOST RECENT ONE IS WITH EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UM, WHICH WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE APPROVED.
PROBABLY ABOUT WHAT, RECENTLY? YEAH.
SO YOU GUYS ARE OFF AND RUNNING NOW, UM, WITH A, A VERY COOL, UM, PROGRAM THAT'S ALL AROUND TRAINING FOR, UM, ADVANCED AIR, UH, MOBILITY.
THREE YEARS AGO THERE WAS A FEDERAL GRANT CALLED EDA TECH HUBS.
WE ACTUALLY PULLED TOGETHER A GROUP FOR THE WHOLE DEL MARVA PENINSULA.
UH, YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCATTERGRAM ON THE MAP HERE TO GO AFTER THAT GRANT.
THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED NEXUS, NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND UNCEDED SYSTEMS. WE LITERALLY HAD A HUNDRED PARTNERS IN THREE STATES.
UH, WE HAD THREE GOVERNORS SIGN LETTERS.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY, TRULY AMAZING.
AND WE, WE PROPOSED A CONCEPT OF LITERALLY AN ADVANCED AIR HUB BECAUSE OF THOSE THREE STATES, BECAUSE OF THE ASSETS THAT ARE THERE TODAY.
AND BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY, OBVIOUSLY TO DC WE DID NOT WIN.
BUT WHAT COMES OUT OF THESE THINGS SOMETIMES WHEN YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER, IS A BELIEF.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THERE, THERE, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIND OTHER THINGS TO GO AFTER, WHICH WE ACTUALLY HAVE DONE.
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UM, SO WE DID APPLY FOR THAT.THERE WAS A, A SIMILAR ONE A LITTLE BIT LATER, UM, THAT WAS WITH NSF AND, UH, V VIPS, C-V-I-P-C TOOK THE LEAD ON THAT ONE FOR THE STATE.
UM, SO WE TOOK A LOT OF THIS MINUS, UM, MARYLAND AND DELAWARE.
AGAIN, IT WAS A STATE APPLICATION AND FED THAT TO FIPSE, UH, FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR THAT DIDN'T WIN ALSO JUST ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONTINUE TO USE THIS AND, AND THERE'S A TRUE NUCLEUS OF PARTNERS HERE THAT, THAT WE COMPUTER GO ON.
DO, DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHY, WHAT THE DOWNSIDE WAS OR WHAT, WHY DIDN'T WE WIN, I GUESS WOULD BE, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER TELL YOU.
SO I FO YOU THOSE A LOT, BY THE WAY.
YOU KNOW, THEY NEVER TELL YOU THE TRUE REASON.
AND SO SOME OF IT COULD BE POLITICAL.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS GOES, UH, AT A FEDERAL LEVEL.
THEY KNEW THE REGION WAS APPLYING.
YOU COULD SEE WE HAD THREE STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING ACTUALLY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT WE NEVER GOT A REALLY GOOD ANSWER.
AND, AND OF COURSE THEY, THEY SAID, WE'LL, READ THE CRITERIA.
AND THEN THERE, READ, READ THE OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT WANT.
AND OF COURSE, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THERE WEREN'T ANY OTHER THAT WERE KIND OF ADVANCED HERE WITH, THERE WERE A COUPLE IN CYBER AROUND, THIS IS AGAIN, A NATIONAL AWARD, RIGHT? SURE.
SO, BOTTOM LINE, WE DIDN'T GET A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK, WHICH IS REALLY DEMORALIZING 'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW.
IS THERE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT'S COMING FORWARD THAT WE COULD
SO, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS THE ROUND TABLE IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, WE'VE USED SOME REALLY INTERESTING AI TOOLS THAT WE'VE MADE UP AND CREATED TO NOT JUST MINE DATABASES, BUT HELP US SORT OF DRILL DOWN INTO THEM ARE THESE THINGS THAT WE REALLY SHOULD APPLY FOR AS A, AS A REGION.
AND MORE AND MORE WE'RE CONNECTING WITH THE STATE.
'CAUSE THERE'VE BEEN A COUPLE RECENTLY THAT IT'S BETTER IF, IF THE STATE HAS APPLIED, THERE'S ONE FROM A AN NSF AI GRANT THAT THEY'RE GONNA STATE A STATE HUB.
SO OBVIOUSLY SOMEBODY FURTHER DOWN THE UP THE CHAIN
BUT WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MONTHLY CADENCE WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION STAFF WHO ARE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY THINGS AHEAD OF TIME.
SO WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST TO YOUR POINT, TO, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK AT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
HAVE, HAVE YOU, UM, OR WAS THIS PART OF, OR HAVE YOU GUYS THOUGHT ABOUT ADDING A, A NATIONAL DEFENSE COMPONENT TO THIS SO NATIONAL DEFENSE COMPONENT? 'CAUSE I, I, I KNOW IT'S LIKE SCIENCE AND AEROSPACE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF MONEY'S FLOWING INTO NATIONAL DEFENSE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE RECENTLY WENT AFTER A DEFENSE INNOVATION UNIT RFP, BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN ON-RAMP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO SET ONE UP IN VIRGINIA.
SO ONCE AGAIN, HAMPTON ROADS APPLIED FOR IT.
UM, WE WROTE IN THE LANGUAGE, UH, THAT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, UH, UVA WAS APPLYING FOR ONE AND, UM, GMU AND UNFORTUNATELY THE TIMELINE WAS VERY QUICK.
SO WE ALL WROTE A SENTENCE IN OUR APPLICATIONS THAT SAID, IN THE EVENT, ONE OF THEM, ONE OF US WINS, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THIS TOGETHER.
SO WE DID WHAT YOU, WE WANTED TO GET A, WE HAVEN'T HEARD ON THAT ONE.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, LIKE YOU SAY, WITH THE DEFENSE DOLLARS AND MARITIME.
SO I HAVE TO ASK, AND AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GOING DOWN THE WEEDS, BUT IT'S OKAY.
SO DO YOU GUYS SERVE AS A SUB-GRANTEE IN THAT SCENARIO AND THEN YOU'RE ADMINISTERING THE FUNDS? OR IS IT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? YEAH, SO, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE ROUND TABLE.
WE ARE A CONVENER, FACILITATOR, ORGANIZER, BUT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO RUN THE GRANT.
WE REALLY WANT THE RIGHT ORGANIZATION TO RUN THE GRANT.
UH, SO WE DON'T TAKE A, AN AN AD.
LIKE IF WE HAD WON THIS NEXUS GRANT, IF WE HAD WON IT, LET'S JUST SAY WE DID, UH, WE HAD PROPOSED TWO OR THREE GROUPS THAT COULD RUN IT, NOT US, NOT THE ROUND TABLE.
UM, WE WOULD'VE PARTICIPATED, YOU KNOW, AS OUR, AN ADVISOR REGIONAL ENGAGEMENT.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER, I THINK, ADVANTAGE OF US.
WE'RE SORT OF A, WE'RE SWITZERLAND, IF YOU WILL.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SKIM OFF SOMETHING OR TAKE A GRANT.
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HOW YOU ACTUALLY ADMINISTER THE, THE, THE FUNDS DOWN TO THE LEVEL, YOU KNOW, DOWN TO THE EXECUTION LEVEL.
SO BILL VIRGINIA IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO THE STATE MONEY, UM, THE WAY THE STATE MONEY WORKS IS EACH REGION IS CONSIDER CONSIDERED THE GRANTEE.
SO IN THE EVENT, OR LET'S JUST USE EASTERN S SHORT AND YOU'RE THE SUB-GRANTEE.
EVEN THOUGH THE EASTERN SHORE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS DIRECTLY RECEIVING THE FUNDS, AND WE'RE A PASS THROUGH, BASICALLY GOT MM-HMM
SO STATE MONEY, THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS.
SO WE SIGN THE CONTRACT, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE AS REGION FIVE, UM, BUT DR.
MINE IS HERE, REALLY GETS THE DOLLARS AND,
[00:25:02]
YOU KNOW, HAS TO REPORT THE PROGRAM AND REPORTS IT AND REPORTS ON IT BACK UP TO THE STATE, IF THAT HELPS.THE STATES GO VIRGINIA AND THEN FEDERAL, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF HAVING BUSINESS LEADERS WHO SAY WE SHOULDN'T COMPETE WITH OTHER ENTITIES IN THE GROUP.
YOU KNOW, IF COMMUNITY COLLEGES NEED TO GO AFTER IT OR ANOTHER NOT-FOR-PROFIT OR WHATEVER, WE'RE HAPPY TO FACILITATE AND CONVENE, UM, THE PLAYBOOK, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY CRITICAL BECAUSE THE HAMPTON ROADS ALLIANCE, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IS REALLY OUR REGIONAL GROUP THAT PLAYS A ROLE IN BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND EXPANSION.
THE, THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THEM.
UH, THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, PUBLIC SECTOR MEMBERS, UH, THAT PAY A PER CAPITA DUES STRUCTURE FOR THE ALLIANCE.
UH, THE OTHER BIG DIFFERENCE IS THEY ARE, THEY WORK HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE EDP ON BUSINESS EXPANSION.
SO IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU WORK DIRECTLY WITH, WITH THE ALLIANCE OR AN INDIVIDUAL CITY.
WE, WE ARE NOT ON THE GROUND, IF YOU WILL, WE'RE, WE'RE MORE STRATEGIC IN GRANT MANAGEMENT, IF THAT SOUNDS, UM, LIKE A CLEAR DEFINITION.
HOWEVER, WHAT THE, WHAT THEY DID IS THEY TOOK OUR GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION PLAN, THAT SLIDE I SHOWED YOU BEFORE AND GAVE IT A MUCH BETTER NAME DEAL, DEFENSE ENERGY, AEROSPACE LOGISTICS.
THEY PERSONIFIED A GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION PLAN.
IT MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.
SO THIS IS DIRECT SMACK DAB ALIGNMENT,
OF GO VIRGINIA GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION PLAN, GROWTH AND GROWTH AND DIVERSIFICATION, MONEY, THE ALLIANCE DRIVING THE FRAMEWORK.
AND THEN THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS HERE THAT ARE RUN BY DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE YOU COULD SEE THE, SORT OF THE SWIM LINES, IF YOU WILL.
BUT HOW WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP FOR HAMPTON ROADS.
AND SO, BACK TO GO VIRGINIA, WE HAVE ACTUALLY FUNDED $26 MILLION OF GO VIRGINIA MONEY THAT HAS SOMEHOW SUPPORTED THAT PLAYBOOK EITHER THROUGH, UH, ADDITIONAL STUDIES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY.
WE'VE DONE SOME AIR STUDIES, UH, WE'VE DONE A ROOTS AND CORRIDOR STUDY.
UH, WE'VE DONE AN ENERGY MAP ALL WITH GO VIRGINIA MONEY.
UH, WE DID SEVERAL PLANNING GRANTS.
WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, UM, IF, IF THAT 26 MILLION HADN'T COME FROM, FROM GO VIRGINIA, SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD'VE HAD TO PAY FOR IT.
SO IT'S REALLY AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX, UM, FOR LAUNCHING THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
IS THAT, UM, WHERE YOU WOULD FIND THE CORRIDOR THAT THEY EXAMINED BETWEEN WALLOPS AND WALL? YES.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY, I THINK ON NEXT SAW, UM, SHOULD BE.
SEE WE SOME CORRIDORS RIGHT THERE.
UH, WE DID A TALENT PATHWAY STUDY.
THE WORKFORCE COUNCIL DID, UM, AVIATION AEROSPACE, AND THAT WAS A, A SITE ASSESSMENT.
UM, SO EVERY ONE OF THESE HAD SOMETHING TO DO DIRECT TO UNRE SYSTEMS IN, IN AIRSPACE.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL CURRENT.
AND THERE IS, UM, OF COURSE
THE BRAND NEW ONE AT THE BOTTOM THERE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE PENDING.
THE, THE BIGGEST ONE ON THE LIST IS MOBILITY INNOVATION.
ACTUALLY, THAT'S A MIS MISSPELLING, IT'S MOBILITY INNOVATION, UH, CENTER THAT'S AT NEW NEWPORT NEWS AIRPORT.
THAT'S TO DO AN EV TALL EVENT, VERTICAL TAKEOFF AND LANDING SITE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT, THAT'S WHAT THAT, THAT IS.
SO THINK ABOUT THAT MONEY THAT'S BEING USED TO BUILD OUT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE TRAINING AT THE NEW NEWPORT NEWS AIRPORT.
AND IT'S LINKED INTO THE STATE EIPP.
THAT'S, UM, WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, I THINK I HAD A SLIDE ON THAT.
WELL, I DON'T, I THOUGHT I HAD AN IPP SLIDE.
BUT ANYWAY, THE POINT IS, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM TO LINK PEN, UH, VIRGINIA WITH PENNSYLVANIA AND SEVERAL OTHERS ON ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY, WHICH I KNOW IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, OBVIOUSLY IN THE WHOLE AIRSPACE AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WALLACE.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, IN THE, IN THE BROAD, THE BROAD SPACE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, MESSAGE, WE TRY TO USE GO VIRGINIA MONEY.
WE, NOT RANDOMLY, BUT, BUT LINE NANCY, UM, THANKS FOR DRIVING UP HERE WHILE WE'RE ON THE GO VIRGINIA PARK.
CAN YOU TALK SPECIFICALLY HOW IT'S BEEN UTILIZED WHEN IT COMES TO SITES AND IN TERMS OF MAYBE MASTER PLANNING OR DUE DILIGENCE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE? THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE ASK THE STAFF TO LOOK MORE INTO GO VIRGINIA, BECAUSE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE WALLOPS RESEARCH PARK, THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'VE GOTTA GET DONE.
UM, AND I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE FUNDS CAN BE APPLIED FOR THAT.
YEAH, SO, SO THERE'S A, SOME, SOME STATE POLICY ON SORT OF THE, THE AREAS THAT GO VIRGINIA CAN SPEND COMPARED TO THE EP.
AND SO, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS A LOT OF SITE PREPARATION, SITE READINESS, UH, ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
AND IN FACT, I, I ACTUALLY THINK BACK ON THAT STUDY THAT WE ALREADY DID, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT, HOW MUCH WAS COVERED ALREADY.
'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
UH, IT MAY HAVE BEEN TOO HIGH LEVEL AND NOT SORT OF MORE DETAILED FOR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
[00:30:01]
UH, WITH THE CITY OF CHESAPEAKE TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.SO MY ADVICE WOULD BE, UM, SEPARATELY FROM THIS MEETING, THE BEAUTY OF REGION FIVE AND GO VIRGINIA, IS WE'RE, WE'RE LIKE YOUR CONSULTANTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT AROUND TO APPLY FOR MONEY.
WE COULD ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THIS, TALK TO THE STAFF AND, AND GET YOU GOING IF YOU THINK THIS COULD BE OR NOT, OR GET YOU ON A PATH.
THAT WOULD BE MY ADVICE, THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY SIT DOWN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT.
JUST BECAUSE I'M, I'M AWARE IN OTHER REGIONS THAT, THAT THIS, UM, WE DO GRANT MONEY HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR MASTER PLANNING FOR, UH, STRATEGIC TYPE DOCUMENTS.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY THE GRADING AND, AND, AND THE THINGS THAT V-B-R-S-P DOES, BUT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT GOING AFTER.
SO US RICHMOND IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
UM, ALL THREE HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PROBLEM, WHICH IS UNDERUTILIZED COMMERCIAL SPACE IN URBAN AREAS.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT? AND IS IT A BARRIER OR WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH IT? SO THAT'S ONE WHERE, AGAIN, THREE REGIONS GOT TOGETHER.
WE CAN, WE CAN WORK WITH OTHER REGIONS, LOVE TO DO IT.
UM, TO DO A BASICALLY A, AN ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR POTENTIAL REUSE, A ADAPTATION, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE, NOT, NOT DIRECTLY APPLICABLE.
BUT MAYBE ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE, OFFICE MARKET REVITALIZATION.
SO CAN WE GET, COULD YOU SHARE THE PLAN? YES.
I THINK THAT'D BE INTERESTING FOR ALL OF US TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND ALSO HAVE A FLAVOR.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION, AND NOT BEING THAT FAMILIAR WITH GO VIRGINIA, ARE, IS IS THERE WINDOWS OF THAT ARE OPEN FOR, FOR SUBMITTING? OKAY.
SO, SO THE FIRST, FIRST WINDOW IS, UH, THE PRI A PRIVATE COMPANY CANNOT APPLY.
HOWEVER, UNITS OF GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGES NOT-FOR-PROFITS, UH, GENERALLY ARE, CAN BE APPLICANTS.
UH, NO STATE AGENCY OF COURSE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T MATCH GO VIRGINIA MONEY TO STATE MONEY, AS WE ALL KNOW.
UH, NUMBER TWO, WHICH WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM HERE, IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH TWO, ONE OR MORE LOCALITIES, WHICH OF COURSE WOULD NOT, WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM HERE.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE QUARTERLY CYCLES.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS COMING UP AWFULLY QUICKLY IN SEPTEMBER.
AND WE'LL BE PUBLISHING OUR, OUR OUR 20 27 1 REALLY SOON.
SOON AS THE VIRGINIA BOARD ANNOUNCES THERE ARE QUARTERLY DATES FOR NEXT YEAR, MORE THAN LIKELY IT WOULD BE EARLY JANUARY.
AND IT'S ROUGHLY ON A QUARTERLY CYCLE.
AND YOU APPLY TO GO VIRGINIA REGION FIVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A REVIEW PROCESS LOCALLY AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
UH, AND THEN IT GETS ELEVATED TO THE STATE, EITHER TO THE FULL BOARD IF IT'S A, UM, COMPETITIVE OR UM, UH, UH, PER CAPITA GRANT.
IF IT'S A PLANNING GRANT, THEY CAN DO IT ADMINISTRATIVELY.
SO THIS COULD BE IN A PLANNING GRANT, WHICH MEANS YOU COULD DO IT A LITTLE QUICKER.
UM, BUT IRRESPECTIVE OF DATES, MY ADVICE WOULD BE DON'T WAIT AROUND FOR THOSE DATES.
LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION SOONER THAN LATER SO THAT WE CAN GET YOU ON THE RIGHT PATH IF THAT.
UM, AND THIS JUST A LITTLE TINY MORE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE, THE ROUND TABLE.
AGAIN, WE, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME BEING A COLLABORATOR COORDINATOR.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE LOGOS UP THERE.
THIS IS A, A LETTER THAT WE SENT EARLY IN THE, UM, THE NEW ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT ALL THE RISK AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO WE HAD FOUR AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY AND OF COURSE, DEFENSE AND OFFICE AND MARITIME.
THIS IS LIKE, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THE, ON THE OPPORTUNITY.
'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH OF IT FROM HAMPTON ROSE.
AND THEN RISKS, WHICH AGAIN, I WON'T GO THROUGH, FRANKLY, WE'RE SPENDING LESS TIME ON THIS THAN WE ARE ON THE OPPORTUNITIES.
'CAUSE THE OPPORTUNITIES MAY DISAPPEAR IF YOU DON'T JUMP ON 'EM.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, MARITIME PROSPERITY ZONES RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, THAT'S AGAIN, A PARTNERSHIP WITH VEDP.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE DOING SOME SIMILAR WORK.
IT MAY OVERLAP WITH OPPORTUNITY ZONES, WHICH OF COURSE EVERY, UM, MUNICIPALITY'S LOOKING AT, THIS IS A POTENTIAL NEW FEDERAL, UM, POLICY HASN'T MADE ITS WAY INTO LEGISLATION YET THAT WOULD IDENTIFY A HUNDRED ZONES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT WOULD BE USED FOR EXPANDED, UH, MARITIME CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THE PART THAT'S CRITICAL IS THE WORD GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY, BECAUSE IT'S EVIDENT THAT THE GOAL HERE IS TO GET OTHER STATES BESIDES VIRGINIA IN THE HUNDRED.
AND SO PART OF OUR MESSAGE AS HAMPTON ROAD AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA IS THE CONTENT, THE DENSITY, THE PARTNERS, THE ECOSYSTEM IS HERE.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD OUR
YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTA BE BUILT AROUND THAT.
AND THE TIMELINES NOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THOSE DATES.
SO IT'S ALL HAPPENING LITERALLY RIGHT NOW,
[00:35:01]
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME IS FOR ROUND TABLE ON THAT.AND THESE, AGAIN, THERE'S THE DEFENSE INNOVATION UNIT EXAMPLE I MENTIONED, UM, THAT YOU HAD ASKED ME ABOUT IT FOR A DEFENSE PROJECT AND IT WOULD ACCELERATE COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE PARTNERSHIP IS A COMBINATION OF, UM, ODU IS LEADING US.
ODU IS LEADING IT WITH EVERYTHING THEY HAVE GOING ON IN THAT AREA, BUT IT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH HAMPTON UNIVERSITY.
I CAN GO RIGHT THROUGH THE LIST.
UH, 7 5, 7 COLAB, UH, UH, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY IS IN THERE, UH, SEVERAL OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND A COUPLE OF OUR COMPANIES.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'LL BE ANYTHING COME OUT OF THAT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO HAVING SOME DISCUSSION WITH FLEET FORCES BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE TO TAKE THAT COALITION I DESCRIBED EARLIER.
AND THE OTHER FINAL THING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAMPTON ROADS,
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EVERYBODY.
AND SO THERE IS NO REGIONAL PLATFORM, RIGHT? THERE IS NO REGIONAL WEBSITE.
SO WE STARTED THIS WITH THE ROUND TABLE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO SAYING, HOW DO WE DO, WE DID A STUDY.
WHY ARE PEOPLE COMING AND GOING, LET'S FIND OUT NOT JUST THE NUMBERS, BUT THE WHY.
ONE OF THE REASONS IS I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS PLACE.
SO VEDP, AGAIN, I'M TELLING YOU, UH, WE GOT SEED MONEY FROM VEDP TO DO, UM, THE START HAMPTON ROAD LANDING PAGE WITH DCI.
AND IT YIELDED AMAZING RESULTS.
YOU KNOW, ALL YOU DO IS YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HERE, AFFORDABILITY, GREAT PLACES, THINGS TO DO, GREAT JOBS, UH, AND YOU MARKET IT TO OTHER STATES.
YOU SEE WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PICKUP YOU GET AND YOU GET A LOT
SO WE, WE TOOK THAT SEED MONEY AND ONCE AGAIN, YOU GO VIRGINIA MONEY, UM, THIS TIME THE HAMPTON ROSE, UM, CHAMBERS RUNNING THAT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT RUNNING IT, NOT RUNNING IT, WE'RE NOT TURNING INTO THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
THE CHAMBER'S RUNNING IT RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY GO VIRGINIA MONIES TO BUILD OUT THE TALENT PARTNERSHIP OF IT, NOT THE MARKETING.
SO MORE TO COME ON THIS, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR EVERY, EVERY REASON TO INCLUDE ALL OF OUR BEAUTIFUL PLACES.
AND THEN LAST AND LEAST, BUT, AND THEN I'LL STOP.
THAT'S IT IS, YOU KNOW, BACK TO ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY AND, AND AEROSPACE.
THIS IS SUCH A KEY INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW MORE THAN EVER.
I I, I DON'T HAVE TO SAY THAT TO THIS GROUP.
I REALIZE I'M QUITE PREACHING HERE, BUT IT'S SO CRITICAL BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, INTERNATIONALLY WITH TECHNOLOGY AND WITH OTHER STATES COMPETING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND SO I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN HAMPTON ROAD IS NOT JUST TAKE SORT OF THE, THE ASSETS AND LEADERSHIP WE HAVE AS WITH THAT NEXUS PROJECT, BUT THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE ALIGN IT WITH THE STATE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW VIPC IS DOING SOME WORK LOOKING AT ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT IT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT THE MOBILITY INNOVATION CENTER I MENTIONED EARLIER IS PART OF THAT EIPP PROJECT.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT PENNSYLVANIA ACTUALLY WON.
BUT DOD DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION WAS A PARTNER AND WE WERE A PARTNER WITH THEM.
AND THE NEWPORT NEWS AIRPORT WAS A PARTNER WITH THEM IN THE LOCATION.
AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, WE, WE, WE LISTED THE RFI.
THIS IS NOT EVEN A COMPLETE LIST.
WE ALL KNOW THERE'S A FAR BIGGER LIST THAN ANYTHING HERE.
AND THE OTHER ONE WE HAVE OUR EYE ON IS THAT RFI FOR THE NASA OWNED LAND.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY INCREDIBLE MM-HMM
SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT HOW HAMPTON ROAD CAN LEAD VIRGINIA AND VIRGINIA CAN LEAD INABILITY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S LITERALLY WHERE WE ARE.
AND, UH, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY AND, UH, WHATEVER FURTHER ENGAGEMENT, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO IT.
AND UM, IT'S JUST TOO IMPORTANT A REGION HERE TO NOT BE INCLUDED.
SOMETIMES WE GET TO BE PART OF HAMPTON ROADS AND SOMETIMES WE AREN'T.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND SAYING THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY WELL SAID.
I MEAN, WE WERE AT THE, UM, GO REGION FIVE SESSIONS, UH, RECENTLY AND OUR FOCUS GROUP SAID, IT'S AMAZING HOW DISCONNECTED THE EASTERN SHORE IS FROM A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HAMPTON ROAD.
I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING ALL THAT.
I GUESS FOR US, IT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW DO WE ENGAGE TO BETTER CONNECT TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY, THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST PLACE ON THE WHOLE EAST COAST.
IT IS TO ADVANCE AIR MOBILITY AS YOU COME EAST.
SO, UH, A VERY SPECIFIC ASK WOULD BE, WE NEED A REPRESENTATIVE ON SOME OF OUR TASK FORCES.
SO SERIOUSLY, YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE ONE OR TWO NAMES YOU WANNA GIVE ME, IT COULD BE YOU, YOU DECIDE.
BUT THAT, THAT HELPS ENORMOUSLY BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND THEN PLUGGING IT IN WITH, WITH AGAIN, WHAT, WHAT FIPSE ISS DOING.
[00:40:01]
BE GREAT.THAT'S, THAT'S NUMBER ONE THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AS, AS WE'RE DOING THIS, THIS STUDY, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO LOOK, UH, MORE DRAMATICALLY AT EASTERN SHORE AND THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ABOUT HITTING A LOT OF THE OTHER BARRIERS AND CONCERNS THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER.
TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE HOUSING.
HOUSING AND CHILDCARE AND SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES.
AGAIN, THAT'S OUT OF GO GO VIRGINIA DOES NOT FUND THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED, WE'VE TRIED, BUT, YOU KNOW, TRIED TO SAY WE'VE GOTTA FOCUS ON THE, THE INDUSTRIES, BUT WE ALL UNDERSTAND ALL THOSE ELEMENTS ARE ARE PART AND PARCEL OF IT.
SO IF THERE'S MAYBE ANOTHER WAY WE COULD FIGURE THAT OUT AND DO SOMETHING REALLY DRAMATIC, I THINK THAT WOULD BE QUITE INTERESTING.
I REALLY THINK THAT SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE THAT'S LIKE TAKEN THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE PIECE.
UM, THE OTHER QUICK THING IS, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, WITH THE, UM, PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION AND, AND DOYLE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT THAT GROUP ABOUT MAYBE EVEN DOING A, A DEEPER DIVE STUDY FOR JUST THE EASTERN SHORE, UH, ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT OBVIOUSLY FOCUSED A LOT HERE.
SO WE, THAT'S A PURE NOTE, NO PAPER YET ON IT, NO CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK JUST THE INVOLVEMENT'S CRITICAL AND US KNOWING ABOUT YOU.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
SO LET ME, LET ME GET, I MEAN, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THIS BODY TO, TO ATTEND OR TO SURE.
'CAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME, WE TRY NOT TO GO CRAZY ON MEETINGS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE, SOME OF THE WORK GROUPS.
BUT THE OTHER WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE DO GET OPENINGS ON THE REGIONAL, THE REGION FIVE COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY GOOD THOUGHT HERE, YOU KNOW, IS JUST GET SOME MORE NOMINEES FROM THE EASTERN SHORE FOR SLOTS ON THAT COUNCIL.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED ON THE ROUND TABLE, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TRULY LOOKING FOR ROUND, UH, WILE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO JUST, YOU KNOW, THE MORE, THE MORE TOUCH POINTS, YOU KNOW, THE BETTER.
SO YOU'RE NOT CAPPED ON THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS.
NO, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEND SOMEBODY, AND THAT'S, I KNOW WE TALKED TO ROCKET LAB, BUT THEY'RE NOT OUR ONLY CLIENT OR OUR ONLY NO, I KNOW COMPANY.
WELL, THERE COULD BE ENOUGH ONE, SO DON'T, DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF.
I MEAN, BUT THAT ONE, THE ROUND TABLE IS, IS CORPORATIONS AND BUSINESSES.
AND, AND THE THEORY BEHIND IT IS THEY'RE NOT BEHOLD TO ANY ONE GEOGRAPHY AND THEY'RE THINKING BIG PICTURE ABOUT THEIR COMPANY AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
UM, AND THERE WITH OTHER CEOS.
AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW THAT GOES.
AND SO, LIKE AT OUR RECENT MEETING WE HAD, THAT SECRETARY WAS THERE WITH US SECRETARY KAIN AND MATT SCHWARTZ, WHO OF COURSE WAS, UM, THE CHIEF DEPUTY HERE FOR FLEET FORCES.
THEN HE FLEETED UP WITH ADMIRAL CODDLE TO BE CNO.
SO WE HAD THE TWO OF THEM TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE VERY ISSUES I'M SAYING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING NATIONALLY, WHY HAMPTON ROAD MATTERS, WHY VIRGINIA MATTERS.
SO, SO, UH, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE LIKE EASTERN SHORE REPRESENTATIVES IN THAT GROUP TOO.
SO HAVE YOU BEEN TO WALLOPS? YES.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT I HAVE BEEN THERE.
I THINK SHE NEEDS, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, I WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.
OH REALLY? I DIDN'T BRING THAT THING ABOUT.
SO YOU GOT UP THERE ABOUT UNMANNED VEHICLES, LET'S LET'S SAY SPACE.
I MEAN, LET'S PUT SPACE ON THERE.
AND, AND THAT'S, SEE, THAT'S SOME TERMINOLOGY ISSUES.
I THINK PEOPLE SORT OF GET STUCK.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD SOME BROAD BASED TERMINOLOGY ALSO HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SPACE, THERE'S SPACE AND THEN THERE, THERE'S ALL, THERE'S PIECES TO IT, NOT UNLIKE MARITIME, YOU KNOW? AND, AND WHERE ARE WE? AND WHERE'S THE SWEET SPOT FOR HAMPTON ROADS IN VIRGINIA? SO, UH, I, I THINK THE, THE FIRST BABY STEP HAS BEEN SORT OF THIS ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY.
IT'S EASIER TO EXPLAIN MM-HMM
YOU SAY, OKAY, I'M ON THE GROUND NOW, I'M GOING THIS WAY, GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SORT OF EXPLAIN THESE THINGS TO PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT, WHY YOU NEED THE TRAINING AND WHY THEY'RE HAPPENING REAL TIME.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO MORE ON SPACE.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID ONE OF THE, UM, UH, AIRSPACE DAYS AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY ABOUT TWO, THREE YEARS AGO.
AND I REMEMBER GOING INTO ONE OF THE OFFICES AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WALLOPS.
AND THEN YOU GO, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW WALLOPS WAS IN VIRGINIA.
I'M LIKE, OH, WELL, YEAH, IT, IT IS.
SO I THINK SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO JUST TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS ALSO.
IS, ARE THESE, UH, GRANTS, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF LIKE, ADVERTISING? LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS HIGHLIGHTING WHAT WE DO IN AVIATION AND AEROSPACE SO THAT WHEN YOU COME INTO AIRPORTS IN VIRGINIA, IT'S RIGHT IN YOUR FACE.
'CAUSE IF YOU FLY INTO HUNTSVILLE, YOU FLY INTO OTHER AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, IT'S RIGHT THERE.
IF YOU GO TO HOUSTON, YOU SEE ALL THIS STUFF THAT YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, GOING TO GET YOUR LUGGAGE.
WHAT, HOW CAN WE BETTER PROMOTE, UM, NASA, UH, TO FACILITIES, WHICH IS UNIQUE IN VIRGINIA, IN HAMPTON ROADS, AND, UH, AND TRY TO DO, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT YOUR POINT IS.
PEOPLE KEEP, I, THE WORST THING PEOPLE SAY IS THAT WALLOPS IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET, YOU KNOW? WELL, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A, A WELL KEPT SECRET.
HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE HELP PROMOTE THAT? AND ARE SOME OF
[00:45:01]
THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE DOING, UH, ABLE TO HELP US, UM, PROMOTE AND ADVERTISE THE FACILITY? I, I THINK THE, THERE'S PROBABLY FOUR MANY FACETS TO DO IT.UM, THE START IN HAMPTON ROADS IS ACTUALLY ONE WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE FE THEY FEATURE STORIES ABOUT PLACES AND PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HAMPTON ROADS, AND IT'S SOCIALIZED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO ONE VERY SPECIFIC ONE COULD BE THAT OKAY.
BECAUSE THEN YOU CAN, YOU KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE POST IT, YOU COULD SHARE IT A LOT.
SO THAT'S ONE THAT'S E EASIER MANAGED, YOU KNOW, UH, SIGNAGE IN AIRPORTS IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, I MUST ADMIT I WALK THROUGH THE NEW NORTHERN AIRPORT SOMETIMES.
I'M LIKE, WHY IS THAT COMPANY ON
WHY ARE THEY THERE? I MEAN, SOME, I I DO, I TRULY UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND SOME I'M LIKE, I WONDER WHY THAT'S THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT NASA, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THE VIRGINIA PENINSULA CHAMBERS DOING QUITE A LOT TO PROMOTE NASA LANGLEY, UH, THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, A LOT OF, UM, INFO DAYS, WEBINARS, UH, THEY HAVE VISITS.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO DO QUITE A BIT, BOB MCKENNA AND, UM, THE, UH, GREATER PENINSULA NOW GROUP, PARTICULARLY WITH THAT LOCATION, AND PARTICULARLY RECENTLY WITH THE, UH, THE RIBBON CUTTING OVER THERE.
I'LL SAY I GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT.
NANCY, UM, THE MARYLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION JUST HAD A WALLOPS INDUSTRY DAY UP IN SALISBURY.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THERE'S A, THAT A REGIONAL GROUP COULD FACILITATE ABSOLUTELY.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE GROUPS THAT MAYBE COULD HELP US WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, VAMA, VSBA, UM, BUT, BUT ABSOLUTELY INHABIT ON THE VIRGINIA SIDE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING THING TO DO.
OR EVEN JUST REGIONAL PROMOTION OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I THINK THAT'S VERY MUCH ON THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND.
AND OF COURSE, FUNDING BEING A CHALLENGE.
AND, AND TO GIVE YOU OUR SALES PITCH, OF COURSE, DAVE'S SELLING SPACEMAN.
WE'RE SELLING LAND, WE'VE GOT A REALLY NICE PIECE OF PROPERTY ADJOINING HIS AND, AND THEIR NO, I KNOW YOU DO.
AND IT'S OPEN AND YOU KNOW, AND I THINK PART OF THIS IS GETTING PEOPLE TO SEE IT YEAH.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, I RECENTLY, DAVE HELPED ME FACILITATE SOME FEDERAL FOLKS COMING IN AND THEY'RE LIKE, IS WALLOPS AN ACRONYM? YOU KNOW, KNOW? AND SO, I MEAN, AND WE'VE GOT THIS AMAZING AIRFIELD WITH A INCREDIBLE TRANSPORTATION CAPABILITIES.
NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE A PORT CAPABILITY AS THE DREDGING GOES FORWARD, WHICH, UM, ROCKET LAB IS SAYING THEY'VE GOT ALL THESE PEOPLE NOW WANTING TO ASK THEM IF THEY CAN USE IT, WHICH IS INTERESTING.
BUT WE'RE EXPANDING OUR CAPABILITY, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GET, WE'VE GOTTA EXPAND OUR TAX BASE BOTTOM LINE.
AND, AND PART OF THE PROBLEM, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, IF MARYLAND HELD THAT ABOUT 40% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT, AT OPS MARYLAND YEAH.
AND, AND THAT'S PARTLY BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, AND CHILDCARE AND JUST AMENITIES.
UM, I THINK IF THEY BUILD, START TO BUILD THAT STUFF UP, MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE SCALE SIDE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE GAP.
SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX.
THEY'RE NOT GO VIRGINIA, YOU KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR SURE.
BUT YOU KNOW, LEE, YOU AND I TALKED SOME ABOUT THAT THE DAY, FIRST DAY WE TALKED, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THINKING HOLISTICALLY ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECES THAT ARE GONNA NEED TO BE FUNDED AND FIGURED OUT, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, ONE, ONE THING CAN BUILD ON ANOTHER.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, GO VIRGINIA DOESN'T DO THAT.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T FUND THOSE KINDS OF INFRASTRUCTURES.
BUT I THINK IF IT HELPS US GET THE WORD OUT, WE'VE GOT THE OTHER PIECES THAT'LL SELL THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND TO SAY WE'RE OPEN TO BUSINESS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, AND I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE ALL THE DISCUSSIONS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT PLAN, THOUGH.
AND YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE YOU, UH, BE A REGULAR ATTENDEE TO OUR, OUR WALLETS REGIONAL PARTNERS.
I, I FOUND THAT VERY INTERESTING.
I THINK TO GET, FOR OUR GROUP TO GET MUCH MORE ENGAGED IN THAT TOO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A TWO WAY STREET ON THAT ONE.
AND IT GOES TO WHAT GRAHAM'S TALKING ABOUT IT, HOW WE CAN BETTER CONNECT.
JUST GOING REALLY QUICKLY, WE'RE AT THAT POINT IN THE AGENDA WHERE WE TALK ABOUT UPDATES FROM SOME OF THE, UH, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA.
UH, THEY, THEY SUBMITTED, UH, OR JENNIFER GOOD ROOM, SUBMITTED SEVERAL, UH, BULLET POINTS FOR UPDATES AND JUST PARAPHRASING HERE.
THEY'VE HAD RECENTLY HAD THEIR STRONGEST QUARTER IN THE COMPANY'S HISTORY.
UM, THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED 13 TIMES A YEAR TO DATE AND ON TRACK
[00:50:01]
TO HIT THEIR HUNDREDTH LAUNCH OVERALL LATER THIS YEAR.UM, THEY HAVE BOOKED MORE THAN 50 NEW ELECTRON AND HASTE MISSIONS.
UH, UH, TOTALING $266 MILLION.
THERE'S A, UH, IT INCLUDES A RECORD $266 MILLION, UH, UH, SPACE FORCE SUBORBITAL MISSILE DEFENSE CONTRACT.
THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED CONTRACTS FOR SIX NEUTRON LAUNCHES.
THEY'VE ALSO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A NEW MOBILE LAUNCHED PLATFORM FOR ELECTRON, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS A, UH, SMALLER ROCKET COMPONENTS FOR THE NEUTRON ROCKET ARE REGULARLY ARRIVING AT THE A IT FACILITY.
AND THAT'S OFF OF, UH, THAT'S JUST OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, MAIN GATE BEFORE YOU GET TO THE ISLAND.
AND THEY ARE TESTING THE HUNGRY HIPPO FARING.
UM, THEY WERE RECENTLY CONTRACTED BY THE SPACE FORCE TO LAUNCH A MISSION WITHIN 24 HOURS, AND THEY DID SO IN UNDER 17 AND LOOKS LIKE THAT THEY ARE EXPANDING INTO EUROPE AND THEY'RE ABOUT TO ACQUIRE IRIDIUM COMMUNICATIONS.
AND AS YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE SLOOP GUT DREDGING PROJECT, UH, CONTINUES TO THE POINT WHERE THEY HAVE GOTTEN MORE THAN HALF OF THAT PROJECT DONE AS FAR AS VIRGINIA SPACE GOES.
UM, WE TALKED WITH ONE STAFF MEMBER WHO WAS CONCENTRATING MOSTLY ON THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS, UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, WAS KICKED OFF IN JANUARY.
AND, UM, AND THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
THE MASTER PLAN IS BASICALLY CENTERING AROUND THE, UH, MARS INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE DARBY FARM.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE LAUNCH TEAM MAINTENANCE FACILITY, WHICH WE ALL KNOW WAS THE, UH, WAS THE CLAM PLANT.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE THE MAIN UPDATES THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM SOME OF THE, UH, UH, AEROSPACE PARTNERS.
WE DID REACH OUT TO, UM, SPACE CENTER AUSTRALIA.
WE DIDN'T HEAR BACK FROM THEM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYBODY YOU WANT US TO REACH OUT TO, CERTAINLY LET US KNOW AND WE CAN TRY TO MAKE THOSE, UH, THOSE CONNECTIONS FOR YOU.
ANY UPDATES FROM YOU GUYS TOO OR ANY OTHER? UM, WHILE I JUST ADD FROM, FROM WALLOPS PERSPECTIVE, UM, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF TRANSITIONING WALLOPS TO BECOME PART OF KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
THAT'S UNDERWAY, THAT SHOULD BE, UM, FORMALIZED ON OCTOBER THE FOURTH.
UM, OUR CENTER DIRECTOR IS, UH, BRIAN HUGHES.
AND, UM, IT, THE, THE, THE SHORT FORM OF THAT IS THAT OUR COUNTRY'S AMBITIONS IN SPACE REQUIRE A LAUNCH CADENCE UNSEEN BEFORE, UH, WALLOPS WILL BE THE CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN LAUNCH AT NASA IN BOTH SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED LAUNCH VEHICLES WHERE KSC WILL BE FOCUSED ON HEAVY LIFT, UH, UH, THE SPACEX, STARSHIP, AND BLUE ORIGIN LAUNCH VEHICLES, WHERE WE ARE GONNA BE LAUNCHING TWO OF THE, UH, DELTA TWO VARIANT LAUNCH VEHICLES NEUTRON AND, UH, THE NEW ROCKET, UH, NORTHROP GRUMAN VEHICLE ECLIPSE, OR, UH, THE INTERIORS A THREE 30.
SO THIS IS VERY EXCITING FOR US.
AND AS YOU SAW, THEY RELEASED TWO RFIS, ONE FOR EXPANDING THE LAUNCH COMPLEX.
ONE FOR, UM, GETTING A COMMERCIAL OPERATOR TO COME IN AND DEVELOP PAYLOAD PROCESSING FACILITY.
AND THOSE WERE BOTH, UH, RELEASED LAST NIGHT AROUND 10 30 ON UM, SAM.GOV.
SO YOU CAN PULL DOWN THAT RFI.
SO YOU MIND, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ONE? UM, TO EXPAND THE LAUNCH SITE SITE IN TERMS OF MORE PATHS.
AND THEN NORTH ON WALLOP ISLAND TO DEVELOP PAYLOAD PROCESSES.
SO ALL DRIVEN TOWARD COMMERCIAL ACCESS TO SPACE.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY, AND, AND THAT'S JUST AN RFI.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT LOOKING FOR INFORMATION, SOMEONE TO DO IT.
UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW, AND IF ANYONE HAS A, THERE'S A, AN INTERVIEW THAT PETER BECK WITH ROCKET LAB RECENTLY DID TALKING ABOUT, THEY'RE EXPANDING 'CAUSE THEY ARE BUILDING OUT DOWN THE ALASKA SITE.
UH, KODIAK AND THE MOBILE, AND NOW GERMANY, SOME OTHERS.
BUT WOULD, IN THIS SCENARIO, WOULD THAT OPEN ANOTHER POTENTIAL PAD FOR NEUTRON? SURE.
AND WALLACE, IF THEY WANTED, UM, CERTAINLY HAVE WE TOLD THEM.
BECAUSE THEY, HE ALLUDED TO A SECOND PAD, BUT HE WAS NOT COMMITTING TO WEAR, SO THEY'RE GONNA BUILD TWO ELECTRON PADS, UH, KODIAK.
I I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE, IF
[00:55:01]
THEY FOLLOW THAT MODEL, IT'S, IT MAKES SENSE.UM, I, I THINK I'LL, UH, CONCLUDE THERE.
UM, FOR THE, UM, THE GUT DREDGING IS THAT, THAT'S ON THE SOUTH END OF ISLAND, NORTH END.
SO NEAR, NEAR THE UAV RUNWAY? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S, UM, WHERE THE, UH, OLD, UH, LIFESAVING STATION IS.
SO TO GO ALL THE WAY AROUND, I, I WAS JUST WONDERING BECAUSE I WAS ENTERTAINING AND MAYBE BEING ABLE TO DO SOME, UH, UM, SENSOR, WEAPON SYSTEM TESTING FOR UNMANNED SURFACE VEHICLES.
BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, TO COME AROUND THERE, WE NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, DEPTH FOR THOSE TO BE ABLE TO, TO TRANSVERSE THE AREA.
BUT IF THEY ARE READY OR DREDGING THAT YOU HAVE DEEP 27 FEET, WHAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, ROB, DO YOU KNOW? I THINK IT'S ABOUT SEVEN AT LOW WATER.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE HOT WATER? YOU'RE TALKING 13, IT'S FROM, YEAH.
YOU GOT A FAIR AMOUNT OF WATER COMING.
YOU GOT A LOAD OF WATER COMING INLET AND IT'S JUST ON THE BACK, ON THE BACK SIDE.
BUT, BUT I, AND, AND THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, ME NOT GIVING A REQUIREMENT OR ANYTHING, JUST KINDA OF ASK THE QUESTION.
SO THE, UM, AND I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S ON THE BACKSIDE OF, BUT IF WE'RE COMING AROUND WHERE THE UAS RUNWAY IS THERE, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DEEPER RIGHT THERE ALREADY AS YOU STARTED TO COME INTO THE, SO THAT, THAT SAND MOVES A LOT ON, ON THAT, ON THAT POINT.
THAT'S WHY THE, THAT'S WHY THE, THE, THE CHOICE WAS TO GO BACK WHERE THE SAND DOESN'T MOVE SO MUCH BECAUSE THAT INLET THERE ALL, ALL ON THAT TIP SAND MOVES BACK AND FORTH.
SO THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT RUNNING A, UM, A BLACK, FOR BETTER WORD, A DOCK OUT TO THE INLET MM-HMM
BUT, BUT I, THAT, THAT TO ME IS, IS RISKIER THAN DOING THIS BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT MAKING THIS POSSIBLE USE FOR UNDERWATER OTHERWISE.
WE'RE WE'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE YOU OUT THERE, SHOW YOU.
I HAVEN'T BEEN BACK HERE IN A WHILE, SO MOSQUITOES DIDN'T LAST.
ANYWAY, I'LL CONCLUDE MY COMMENTS LATER.
SO, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UH, COUNTY UPDATES ON TWO KEY INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVES.
UM, WE HAD MENTIONED THE, UH, NORTHERN MACK UTILITY MASTER PLAN.
THE, UH, THE STAFF CONTINUES TO WORK WITH KIMLEY HORN.
UH, STEWART HALL, THE OTHER DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MYSELF AND THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MIKE MASON.
MIKE MASON, HAD A, UH, VIRTUAL CALL WITH KIMLEY HORN TO MAP OUT THE CONTENT FOR THAT, UH, NOVEMBER 4TH WORK SESSION.
THERE WILL BE ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, VIRTUAL CALL WITH THEM BEFORE THE WORK SESSION TO FINALIZE THAT.
BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY, UH, THE WHEELER DEFINITELY MOVING ON THE, UH, ON THE UTILITY MASTER PLAN, UH, ALSO LEADING UP TO THAT NOVEMBER 4TH WORK SESSION ALSO WITH REGARDS TO NATURAL GAS.
THAT HAS BEEN A QUESTION THAT COMES UP IN THIS BODY, UH, WITH THIS BODY OCCASIONALLY.
THE, UM, UH, THE LATEST IS THAT THE CONTRACT WITH CHESAPEAKE UTILITIES TO BEGIN EXAMINING FEASIBILITY AND THE POTENTIAL DESIGN HAS BEEN FINALIZED.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANY ACTIVITIES HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN PLACE YET, BUT THAT CONTRACT IS IN PLACE.
UM, ANY MOVEMENT FROM YOUR SIDE ON THE, THE WASTEWATER PLANT? YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO UPDATES TODAY ON THAT, OTHER THAN I KNOW THAT THEY WERE WORKING, UH, WITH, UH, NASA HAY WORKERS STATE.
AND UNDERSTANDING YOU DON'T CONTROL IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, I CAN CERTAINLY, I CAN CERTAINLY GET ONE, BUT, UM, I HAD NO NEW UPDATE.
UM, ONE THING THAT I DID HEAR WAS THAT, UM, WE ARE NEARING COMPLETION WITH OUR NEW CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
ON THE, ON THE FACILITY, WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO HOUSE, UM, 75 LITTLE PEOPLE.
AND IT'S A PERMANENT FACILITY, SO IT'S REALLY NICE.
IS THAT, THAT WITH EXPANSION OF AGE GROUPS OR STUDENTS? SAME AGE GROUPS? I THINK IT'S STILL THE SAME AGE GROUPS.
THEY WON'T HAVE INFANTS, BUT THEY'LL HAVE, UM, LIKE TWO THROUGH TWO THROUGH, UH, KINDERGARTEN.
AND IT'S OPEN TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE PRIVATE SPACE COMPANIES LIKE ROCKET LAB OUTSIDE THE GATE, OF COURSE, THE NAVY.
[01:00:01]
PROGRESS.UH, I BELIEVE THAT BRINGS US TO NUMBER EIGHT, REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR AND COUNCIL, ANY REMARKS? I, I DID WANNA MENTION REALLY QUICKLY FROM THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SIDE OF THINGS, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE JUST LAUNCHED OUR ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROGRAM.
WHICH HAS, I THINK DEFINITE TIES TO TALENT PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT WE TALK ABOUT.
ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM AS OF THIS FALL.
I GOT THE NUMBERS THIS MORNING, AND BASED ON SOME REVERSE TRANSFER AND OTHER THINGS, WE'VE GOT ONE STUDENT IN THE PIPELINE TO BE DONE IN DECEMBER AND ANOTHER ONE TO BE DONE IN MAY.
SO IN TERMS OF SPEEDY DELIVERY,
AND I, I, I'LL, I'LL BE TALKING TO YOU ALL MORE ABOUT THE GO VIRGINIA, UH, UAS GRANT THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH DIRECTLY.
UH, THERE ARE DEFINITE TIES WITH THE PROGRAMMATIC OFFERINGS, AND WE'RE GONNA BE REFURBISHING TWO FIXED WING DRONES, YOU KNOW, AT THE COLLEGE THAT WILL ENHANCE CURRICULUM AND TRAINING, BUT ALSO IT'S GONNA FEED IT TO OTHER AREAS LIKE ELECTRONICS AND A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS.
SO I WILL BE TALKING TO YOU ALL MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN LASTLY, IF YOU DIDN'T SEE, WE JUST OPENED, UH, AN EXTENSION OF VIRGINIA CAREER WORKS ON THE CAMPUS ON MONDAY.
SO IN TERMS OF A, OF BEING A, WE'RE TRYING TO BE A HUB AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, TALKING ABOUT JOB TRAINING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS, THOSE THINGS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN ONE LOCATION ON OUR CAMPUS.
SO JUST TRYING TO FEED THE GENERAL MESSAGE OF TRYING TO BE THE HUB AND THE ECOSYSTEM PERSPECTIVE THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FOCUS ON.
SO WANTED TO MENTION THOSE EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING.
ANYTHING FOR THE GROUP? UH, JUST AT THE FAR AS NAVY, A LOT OF CHANGES IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR, SO WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OUR MASTER PLAN AND HOW WE FIT IN THAT OVERALL SCHEME.
UH, I, I DO THINK, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION EARLIER, THE, THE, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE AND KIND OF WHAT WE, WE HAVE THERE, AND JUST GOTTA BE CAREFUL WHAT I SAY IN UN UNCLASSIFIED ENVIRONMENT.
BUT, UM, I, I SEE THERE A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR, FOR GROWTH.
UM, BUT IF WE ARE GONNA BRING AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE OR, AND, AND CAPABILITY IN, WE'RE GONNA NEED INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT BOTH TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
JUST RIGHT NOW, WE TRANSITION TO THIS WHOLE NEW ACQUISITION, UM, KIND OF FRAMEWORK.
AND YOU PROBABLY GUYS HAVE BEEN HEARING IT IN, IN THE NEWS.
SO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY IN JANUARY, MY, MY HAIR WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONLY 25% GRAY.
BUT, UM, BUT I, I SEE SOME GOOD THINGS COMING OUT OF IT.
WE JUST, IT JUST TAKES TIME TO KIND OF RAMP UP AND, AND, UM, UNDERSTAND THE TRUE STRATEGY AND HOW WE CAN, UM, REALLY, UH, UH, IMPLEMENT IT.
YOU, I THINK YOU SPOKE, SORRY.
AND I, YOU, I'VE SPOKE PROBABLY ENOUGH, BUT I WILL SAY ONE, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE EVERYBODY GET TO COME AND SHARE SUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
NANCY, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP DELEGATE BLOCKS AND THANK YOU ON SHORT NOTICE.
UM, I JUST DON'T KNOW MY, KEEP UP ON MY SCHEDULE, UH, MONTH TO MONTH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST OF THESE MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE WALKING OUT AND I THINK AT LEAST WE'VE HAD SOME POSITIVE DISCUSSIONS AND, AND WE'VE SEEN SOME GROWTH.
UH, YOU KNOW, BUT WE GOTTA DO THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT WE NEED PEOPLE TO COME IN AND DO IT.
AND, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE RESOURCES ARE GONNA BE KEY ALSO, HOPING THAT WE COULD PARTNER THIS GROUP WITH OUR ECONOMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH IS YOUR NEIGHBOR THERE.
UM, SO, UM, NO, I, I VERY GOOD.
UH, IT MAKES ME FEEL MUCH BETTER, UM, THAT WE'RE MAKING SOME PROGRESS AND WE'RE CAPTURING THAT PROGRESS.
UM, SO, UH, MOVING ON TO ITEM NINE.
UH, NEXT MEETING CURRENTLY IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18TH, UH, 2026.
DOES ANYONE AT THIS FAR OUT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT DATE THAT THEY KNOW OF? NOT THAT I KNOW OF RIGHT NOW.
I, I WILL BE OUT OF COUNTRY THAT DAY.
THOUGHTS, SHOULD WE TRY TO, HOW LONG? I MEAN, THAT WEEK? THAT, THAT WEEK.
I MEAN, IF, IF MY RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU CAN GET A QUORUM, PRESS YEAH.
WE WILL LOOK AT THAT AND TAKE THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION SPRING FORWARD.
[01:05:01]
UM, AND DO WE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD A NEED FOR A CLOSED SESSION, SO I THOUGHT LEAD LAST TIME YOU HAD WANTED TO GO INTO CLOSE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM.IS THAT OB IS THAT BEYOND, UH, YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS TRUE.
YOU ALL ON A, UH, ON A, A CODE NAMED VEDP PROSPECT.
AND SINCE I HAD, SINCE WE DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AS A CLOSED SESSION.
UH, I THINK THAT MOST OF US ARE, AT LEAST THREE OF US ARE AWARE OF THAT ON THE COUNCIL AT ANY RATE.
NO FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO NO NEED FOR THE CLOSED SESSION BASED ON THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
UM, AND I THINK THAT MOVES US TO A MOTION FOR A MOVE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING, PLEASE SAY AYE.