Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Public Hearing, Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia
Length: 2h 46m (video)
Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7267
Agenda (Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=73&clip_id=7267

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-20. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:11:55] Well, good evening, staff. Good evening, supervisors. Good evening, Loudon. I'd like to call to order the May 10, 2023, Loudon County Board of Supervisors public hearing. This room has a hearing loop. If you need hearing assistance, please switch your hearing aid to the telecall mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well.

[00:12:12] Please see the clerk to request one. As a reminder, if you are a member of the public and you come today to address the board, If you are not in the boardroom and you wish to address the board on items number 1, 3, or 5, which at this time are on the consolidated hearing agenda, please call the number scrolling across your screen at this time.

[00:12:34] All members of the public who have signed up to speak will be allotted two and a half minutes. If you are in the boardroom, we ask that when your name is called, please come to the podium and state your name for the record. The timer on the podium will indicate your remaining time. When your time has expired, please yield the floor to the next speaker.

[00:12:55] And if you're providing your comments via phone, I ask that you use your stopwatch to track your time. When taking public input for items, I will first ask if there's anyone in the boardroom wishing to speak. Then I will go to the moderator and ask if there's anyone there who wishes to speak.

[00:13:13] Please note that there's a slight delay between the boardroom and the broadcast. Our person today is Andy Treler. Andy, are you here? Yes, ma'am. How are you doing?

[00:13:29] Very well. You can hear me just fine? Yes, I can. Wonderful. Okay, everyone, if you will please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[00:13:59] Okay. Supervisors, we will hear the following on the consolidated agenda. As a reminder, these items have been consolidated because there are no outstanding issues. Staff has recommended approval. The applicant has waived the presentation, and there are no public speakers registered.

[00:14:16] Item one, proposed conveyance of county property, conveyance of sanitary sewer easement of the town of Leesburg. Item three, AGDT 2022-2057, request for withdrawal of land belonging to Bradley and Tandy Bondi from the Beaverdown Valley Agricultural and Forestry Districts.

[00:14:42] Item number five, Special Exception 2022-0041, it's a Topgolf lighting item. Are there any members of the public who would like to speak on these items? Anybody on the WebEx that you can see, Andy?

[00:14:58] No, ma'am. Wonderful. Seeing none, I'm going to close Exaltate it here, and I'm going to go to the motions on these items. Item number one, the proposed conveyance is in the current Catoctin District, and so I'm going to go to the Catoctin District Supervisor, Mr. Kirshner.

[00:15:16] I wasn't expecting that. Your motions are in. Well, why not? We do it every time. Well, no, I thought you were going to go to Leesburg. Oh. I'm ready. You want me to read the motion, correct? I do. I move the Board of Supervisors approve motion 2B for the approval of the deed of easement for the town of Leesburg as provided in the May 10, 2023 public hearing item number one, staff report.

[00:15:41] Second. Motion's made and seconded by Supervisor Umstead. Discussion on the motion? No discussion. No discussion. Okay. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 9-0. Item number two is in the Blue Ridge District.

[00:15:58] Thank you, Madam Chair. Well, it's item number three, correct? I'm sorry. Yeah, number three. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve motion 2B for the approval of the request to withdraw the Beaverdam Valley Agricultural and Forestry District as provided in the May 10th 2023 public hearing item number three staff report motions made and seconded by miss brixman discussion on the motion only that that their purpose for their stated purpose for doing this withdrawal is to put the property into conservation easement which generally provides more protection than the ag and forestal district so i'm very supportive of this as long as that happens thank

[00:16:37] you thank you anybody else seeing none on paper say aye any opposed that motion will pass 9-0 Item number three, the Topgolf item, Ms. Glass. I'm five, rather, the Topgolf item. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:16:53] I move that the Board of Supervisors approve Motion 2B for approval of the special exception as provided in the May 10th, 2023 public hearing item number five staff report. Motion to be seconded by Mr. Sainz. Cush on the motion. Yes, Madam Chair. I just want to thank my colleagues for supporting the lighting special exception change for Topgolf.

[00:17:13] This lighting plan will make the lights in the Topgolf facility less intense for the neighboring parcels and for the nearby roads since the lights will be brought off from the top of the building and it will be installed within the golfing bays.

[00:17:31] I've received complaints from constituents from the intense lighting associated with Topgolf. So after working with county staff and Topgolf, I'm glad that we've arrived at a solution which makes the lights lower to the ground and shine tighter on the driving range.

[00:17:48] These lights also allow Topgolf to utilize a new ball tracer technology for customers. Topgolf is a great business for the community, and I look forward to seeing their continued success. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.

[00:18:04] I would just associate myself with your comments. I was literally going to say almost the exact same thing. What else? I don't feel like I say aye. Any opposed? That motion passed 9-0.

[00:18:20] Supervisors, I'm going to take item number four first because item number two is going to take a much longer time. So we're going to go to the Pacific Corporate Park item. So, vamos a tomar el elemento dos, el final, porque tomar más tiempo.

[00:18:43] No idea if that was good or not. Y'all got me? Okay, cool, cool, cool. It's getting there, it's getting there. Jazz hands. Gracias. But if everyone would come down for eye number four, I'd appreciate it.

[00:19:02] I've been doing Duolingo, so I'm really, really trying. good evening staff we well my computer's not coming on but otherwise we're ready when you are

[00:19:25] good evening um my name is zachary pile i would like to present pacific corporate park

[00:20:23] The subject's site is 43.28 acres. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Do you want to introduce Mr. Pyle? No, you knew, you knew, you knew it was coming. I don't know, Dan, what you trying to do?

[00:20:39] You knew it was about to happen, so you want to go on. Come on, Dan. And I am Dan Galindo, Director of Planning and Zoning. And this gentleman is? This is Zachary Pyle. He said his name. Hi, Zachary Pyle. Hello. How long have you been with the county?

[00:20:55] About a year. About a year. Have you been here before, before the board? A long time ago. Does anybody remember Young Zachary? They gave you a hard time then, too. They gave you a hard time already? Okay, then you can go. I'm going to go, then. So, tonight I'd like to present Pacific Corporate Park.

[00:21:16] The subject site is 43.28 acres. It's located within the Broad Run Election District. It's located south of Waxpool Road and west of Pacific Boulevard. The existing uses around the site are mainly data, office, and commercial uses.

[00:21:33] with a golf course used to the north the applicant is requesting a zoning conversion to rezone about 43.28 acres from the planned development industrial park under the 1972 ordinance to the 1993 revised laudan county zoning ordinance they're also requesting a zoning modification to permit building heights up to 100 feet without additional setback from property lines or streets this image

[00:22:07] shows is zrtd plat the site is within the suburban employment place type which encourages office production of flex space uses up to a 1.0 far it's also in suburban policy area which supports economic growth within the route 28 corridor the applicant is requesting a z mod or a zoning modification to allow buildings up to 100 feet without any additional setback currently within

[00:22:44] this district you would if they'd be required to have a 75 foot or 115 foot setback for 100 foot building but they would like to keep that at 75 feet instead can you say that again Zachary please sorry so currently for this district the setback requirement is 75 feet they're proposing up or well I'm sorry I'm confusing myself right now they're proposing 100 foot building

[00:23:18] which would require 75 feet of setback and an additional 40 feet for that additional height over 60 feet. So they're allowed to have a 60-foot building with 75 feet setback. And they want a 100-foot building with no setback, with no additional setback?

[00:23:35] No additional setback. All right, thank you. The applicant has a proffer statement, which includes some architectural commitments, including 25% glass or window components, at least 30% precast concrete panels, various primary and secondary building materials site screening in the form of a 20-foot earthen berm wall combination with landscaping around a proposed

[00:24:07] substation and also the preservation of the existing stormwater pond of the Planning Commission for this with the recommendation of approval staff also supports board approval however there have been some changes to the proffer statement uh which uh now are will be incorporating some additional uh language to uh uh cover some requests from the district the supervisor including the a side a sidewalk around the site as well as a

[00:24:42] um a 10-foot shared use path and some signal easements for a traffic signal and also a public walkway easement along the uh existing stormwater pond and the applicant will have a lot more information on all that, and with that I can take any questions. Thank you, sir.

[00:25:03] Ms. Glass, this is your district. Would you like to go first? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, staff, for the presentation. I have a couple of questions. What kind of pedestrian facilities does the county-wide transportation plan call for along the property's frontage, and do the applicants propose improvements comply? So the county transportation plan calls for a shared

[00:25:38] use path along Wax Pool Road, which already exists at the site. Along Pacific Boulevard, the CTP calls for a 10-foot wide shared use paid path there, as well as on Broderick Boulevard.

[00:25:59] Apprentice Road, however, the CTP calls for a six-foot shared-use path or a sidewalk. So the applicant's proposal basically meets those regulations except for the one side along Broderick Road.

[00:26:16] Okay. Understanding the new proffers have not been reviewed by the county attorney's office, are there any other initial concerns with the updated proffers? Not with staff at this point, pending review by the county attorney's office.

[00:26:33] Thank you. Chair Randall, do you or staff have any issue with this application going to the June 6th business meeting for action instead of June 20th? The June 16th meeting is a very full meeting, so I would actually prefer it to go to the June 6th meeting, but I have no idea if it would pass.

[00:26:51] I don't mind putting it on that agenda if staff has no issues with it because the other agenda is much more full, but I don't know what's going to happen with it when it gets there. Okay. Then can I ask staff, staff, do you feel that if it passes tonight that we can move it from June 20th to the June 6th meeting?

[00:27:13] Yes, we believe we can meet that deadline. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Turner. The only question I had was the depiction, the reduction, and the setback. Is it just on that corner of the building or is it all around the building?

[00:27:29] That's correct. Originally, it was for the entire property, and during the process of review, we limited it to that one specific corner of the property. So, asking for the wave of the setback just on that green area depicted on the slide. That's correct. Okay. Thank you. Ms. Bricksman.

[00:27:47] Thank you. I had a couple questions. If this was approved, the substation would not require any further approval, and would it be required to come back for specs? If this were approved, there are provisions for the substation within the proffers, which would make it possible for later on not to have the need for a CMPT permit.

[00:28:15] Also, it's a dedicated... Sorry, I didn't quite understand that. And within the proffers, it mentions the substation use on site. So with that being in the proffers, if you were to approve those, it would, I guess, take out the need for a commission permit later on.

[00:28:35] and there wouldn't need to be a specs either no okay okay um and then the storm water pond that's there is that going to be covered up or removed like what happens with the storm water pond so we specifically work with the applicant to preserve that area of the site um okay they do have the option to come back later at a later date within the proffers to apply for a special exception to modify that area as long as they keep the original square footage of the the pond

[00:29:12] surface okay um so it'll be preserved unless they come back and make changes to that later date if they want to okay and the buildings that are on there then they will be torn down that's my assumption i'm not i'll defer to the applicant to answer that okay thank you thank you mr saynes thank you um all right so over the past year what percentage of applications for a suburban employment place type have been data centers any chance do you know i would have to come back with

[00:29:49] an answer for that um if you can that'd be greatly appreciated and then in the staff report it was noted um the staff says part of the benefit of this application is it will boost uh the dullest airport how how is that so can you repeat that question please in the staff report it was noted that this application would boost the the dullest airport how is that possible how is that so it's i don't think it's specifically meant to say boost the airport itself but the route 28 tax district um in terms of uh having a greater economic base for that site okay from the from the tax district

[00:30:28] okay that makes more more sense than the airport part because when i read that i was like what okay um and then for the power lines and then any power that's going to the potential data centers Is there other proffering to have the lines underground? I have not been privy to that type of detail on the project.

[00:30:48] I know that there's a dedicated substation for the proposed data center use. But in terms of the scope of what I had to review for the ZRTD, that was a part of our review. Okay, I'll accept when it comes time if you don't cover it, but thank you. Thank you.

[00:31:04] If you go to page two of our presentation, the orientation on page two versus page four a different orientation can you point to where that where the corner is on page on the on page two the corner where they're going to have the in the buildings that are higher the uh corner on this if you're looking at this image should be the bottom right corner right where that pointer is that what mr buffington's pointing right now okay that's correct um i i'm not saying that i have an issue with with anything but i'm i'm very curious because normally staff will recommend no if there's

[00:31:44] almost anything that's just not allowed. And so this is a pretty big change to allow the increased height of the data center with no additional setback. I'm not saying that I won't say yes to this because of that, but I'm really curious to why is this a yes for you all? And I've never thought that doing something one time creates a precedent, but are you worried that other data centers will come up and could ask for the same thing? Tell me how you all got to yes on this fairly big change to what we normally require. For this site in particular, we came to that conclusion due to the prevailing

[00:32:23] use around the site, there's already a lot of commercial, industrial buildings out there. At this height? Probably not the height they're proposing at 100 feet, but pretty close. The office buildings are probably pretty close to that height. And what's the setback for the office building? I would have to go check on that. Yeah, it's interesting it's just I mean the staff is very consistent and you will recommend no because it's just not it's just something that's out the ordinary so for the for the to recommend yes

[00:32:59] to something this this big I'm just curious as to why and again that doesn't mean I'm going to go one way or the other it's just kind of it's it's new for you all to do that that's all so okay thank you very much good evening y'all have 10 minutes you can stay at the table you can stand at the podium, whichever one you want, we are ready.

[00:33:19] All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm Brian Winterhalter with DLA Piper, and I will stay at the table right here. I'm here with Doug Fleet and Elizabeth Nicholson of American Real Estate Partners, and we are very excited to be before you with this application this evening. Mr. Pyle, if you could pull up our presentation, please, and we will get started.

[00:33:38] You may already all be familiar with American Real Estate Partners, as you'll see in our slides in a minute. American Real Estate Partners is, if you'll recall, the company that acquired the Verizon IT, government IT headquarters site, now known as Quantum Park, and brought the CBP to that property in a major economic development win for the county, and we're looking forward to continuing to provide additional economic development wins for the county with this site as well.

[00:34:07] Next slide, please. Can we start this time, please? Oh, I'm looking at this clock. That clock says... Okay, I'll just watch this clock. That's cool. Okay. Here's an image of Quantum Park. You see the blue area is the long-term Verizon leased area.

[00:34:24] The purple area is development by a line for data centers, and the green area is the CBP, Information Technology Headquarters. So, again, a major employment campus in the county delivered by American Real Estate Partners. Next slide, please. ARIP also is in the process of topping out and completing the first data center building that they are constructing in the county at Bowmead, the ABX1 building.

[00:34:48] I think some of you have seen that building, and this is just to give you some background on the company and also their high quality of design in their data center buildings. Next slide, please. To focus specifically on this site, you see it here. We've talked about it already. It's currently zoned PDIP under the 72 ordinance.

[00:35:05] It's designated for suburban employment uses in the general plan. Next slide, please. And we are proposing to convert it to the revised 93 ordinance and to seek a modification to permit building heights up to 100 feet without additional setbacks. It is important to note that the building height within the property is already permitted to be 100 feet.

[00:35:23] We are just 40 feet closer to the property line than we could be otherwise. Next slide, please. Here's the location of the proposed modification. Again, it is a narrowly tailored modification just to this one particular corner of the property. And the reason for the modification in this location is related to the configuration of the buildings and the existing stormwater management pond, which we are proposing to retain.

[00:35:47] So in essence, there's a bit of a push-pull here. If it moves closer or farther away from the corner, it's moving closer to the pond. If the building moves farther back from the pond to preserve the pond, then it's moving a bit into this corner, which is the reason for the modification. Next slide, please. With respect to the modification, obviously, we're not changing the density of the site or the uses.

[00:36:07] It's allowing us to have a more compact building form and, again, to pull the building away from the stormwater management pond, and it only affects a small portion in this one corner of the site. And we work closely with county staff to more narrowly tailor this modification based on the scope of the proposed development.

[00:36:23] Next slide. Here you see the surrounding uses, which have been mentioned already. I won't go into this detail, but obviously we're surrounded by commercial office data center uses, the golf course to the north. And we think that this is absolutely an appropriate location for additional data center development given its comprehensive plan recommendation and the surrounding uses in the property.

[00:36:45] Next slide, please. So there were three main topics of conversation at the Planning Commission, which I will run through briefly, the architectural design of the buildings, the screening for the substation, and the stormwater management pond and related landscaping. Next slide. So we've committed to architectural design commitments that include those that you see on the screen with respect to the amount of glazing in the building, architectural and precast concrete, and specific building materials which are identified in the proffers.

[00:37:13] Next slide, please. Again, this is the same rendering that you saw before of the ABX1 building. This is not the exact same building that will be constructed on this property, but it is representative of the architectural design of the buildings that we're contemplating for the site. Next slide, please. This isn't exactly a focus of the architectural design materials as such, but this gives you a sense of the massing of the buildings on the site, although they will look more like the ABX1 example in terms of the actual building treatment.

[00:37:40] Next slide, please. With respect to the substation, we have committed to screening for the substation that's 20 feet in height. That screening will be consistent with the finish of the data center buildings. We will have supplemental landscaping as well. The 20 feet in height will be comprised of an earthen berm and the screening wall, and it is a total of 20 feet.

[00:38:02] So if it's a four-foot berm, then it's a 16-foot wall and so on. Next slide, please. With respect to the stormwater management pond, we have committed in the proffers to maintain substantially the same overall surface area of the pond. We will maintain the existing landscaping or provide supplemental landscaping to make sure that there is an aesthetic view along Waxpool Road of the property, which was important to staff in the consideration of our application.

[00:38:27] We may make minor changes to the configuration of the pond, not significant changes, but we may make some minor modifications. But again, we are committed to the same overall surface area with our proffers. We also wanna be transparent and straightforward with the board that we may come back and seek approval for a fourth building.

[00:38:45] Right now, that is not the plan. The design for the site, that is contemplated, and we are working on agreements with potential data center tenants. That would be a three-building configuration. So while we're not anticipating a fourth building, we wanted to be straightforward and identify that that may be possible.

[00:39:02] If that ever comes to fruition, it would require a future special exception and we'll be back before you seeking a request for that that would be subject to presumably additional conditions. Next slide, please. This is an exhibit that shows the VDOT planned shared use path along Prentice Drive.

[00:39:20] Next slide, please. And this is our proposal, to have a 6-foot sidewalk on Prentice Drive, a 6-foot sidewalk on Broderick, and a 10-foot shared-use path on Pacific Boulevard. And the real reason that we're doing all this is to try to maintain as much of the existing mature tree cover around the perimeter of the property as possible.

[00:39:40] There are some nice trees out there. We certainly want to do our part and be a good corporate citizen for the county and provide pedestrian connections around the perimeter. But we also would really like to maintain as many of the trees as possible. They are not all going to survive. The construction of a shared-use path or a sidewalk won't necessarily involve some tree removal.

[00:39:59] But a six-foot sidewalk that is narrower than a 10-foot shared-use path on Prentice and on Broderick will allow us to preserve more trees. It's tight in there, and we want to do the best that we can, which is why we're proposing a six-foot sidewalk. Those were the items that were discussed at the Planning Commission, and then more recently the perimeter of the property, the tree preservation and the sidewalk and shared use path commitments in coordination with the supervisor's office and with county staff as well.

[00:40:27] And we believe we've addressed all the issues and we would be very grateful for your support and I'm happy to answer any questions. - Well, you're giving us two minutes and 45 seconds back. That's amazing, thank you very much. Supervisors, we'll go to questions. Ms. Glass, I'll go to you first. - Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:40:43] And thank you again for your presentation And thank you for working with my office regarding the proffers that we had spoken about. And I ask one question. Would the applicant be willing to make the six-foot concrete sidewalk on the Broderick and printage frontages a six-foot asphalt trail instead?

[00:41:09] We'd be happy to, Supervisor Glass. Thank you very much. And the reason why I ask that is that because it would be better for those who would like to bike instead of the sidewalk with the bumps every three feet.

[00:41:25] So I appreciate that. We would agree with that. We've offered also, Supervisor, to maintain that path so it will be taken care of in the care that it needed to be. Thank you. What kind of trees are the trees along the property's perimeter?

[00:41:42] Do you know that? The type, I don't. there are clearly some maple trees there in the presentation if if a tree has to be removed because of the construction we've offered also to replace it okay okay and do you know how tall is the tallest building currently on the site um it's uh it's five stories and i believe uh story to story is just short of 15 feet but then there's a mechanical penthouse that's an additional

[00:42:22] 12 feet. So, that would put it, you know, above 75 feet. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Good. Ms. Bricksman. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, it sounds like you're saying that you have to build the substation to power the data centers that you want to put there. Is that the case? That is the case. To answer Supervisor Sane's question, the substation is against the power lines, Supervisor, and therefore or there's a direct connection to the Dominion facilities along the power lines, and then between the substation and the building, it is anticipated to be underground.

[00:43:02] It is anticipated to be what? The connection between the substation and the buildings will be underground connections. Oh, that's within the property, though. Within the property. But at the property, the substation is directly adjacent to the power lines. But the substation has to be connected to some other power lines across the county, correct?

[00:43:22] Yes, there's high tension voltage power lines that run right along Wexpool Road. And we have cited the substation to be in a spot that's good for Dominion, but also less visible from the road.

[00:43:39] But we provided some additional screening to be a combination of both the berm and the wall. And in addition, that wall will be of similar material as the building. So it will be a high quality screening. Yes, I did hear that part. So, because it's going to have its own substation and you already have power lines from Dominion going to that substation, this will not, in your opinion, add to the power constraint that we already have in Eastern Loudoun?

[00:44:07] Or are you going to be able to power this, basically, is the question? Yes, we're already working with Dominion's team. It's been given a name, the Broderick Substation, and it's in their long-term plans. The name of the substation is what?

[00:44:22] The Broderick Substation. Broderick Substation. and the timing of when you're going to get this all built and up and running so dominion's schedule right now is to complete that substation by the early summer of 2026 and we're hopeful to have the first building completed shortly thereafter okay and what is in the buildings that are on the property right now what businesses are operating there they've been completely vacated by Verizon. They've experienced significant deferred maintenance. Two of the buildings

[00:44:57] haven't been operational for two years. And Verizon now Yahoo has left the property. Because they were going to leave anyway or because they knew it was going to be purchased for a data center? They had made the election prior to the pandemic that they were in essence selling this unit to a private equity group, and they didn't feel that this was a need for a long-term home. They had greatly reduced the amount of personnel that this division had. They weren't

[00:45:31] filling up but a fraction of that old AOL campus. They have, in effect, created that and affected that merger with Apollo, and with the pandemic, everyone went remote, but they were planning to relocate, which I believe they're in the process of relocating to another building in Ruston.

[00:45:50] Okay, thank you very much. Mr. Kirshner. Thank you guys for coming in. I had one quick follow-up question. Did I hear you say there was a four-foot berm with a 10-foot wall on wax pool along? The commitment is for a 20-foot screen wall in total with the earthen berm as well. So if it's a four-foot berm, it would be a 16-foot wall. If it's a five-foot berm, then it would be a 15-foot wall. But a total of 20 feet between berm and wall. So there's no commitment on the berm to wall ratio? No. Can we get a commitment 50-50 on that? We could. I think in talking to the county staff supervisor,

[00:46:30] they preferred to have a berm that was in that four to six foot range and the wall would be the balance of that. I think they felt that they didn't want the berm to be so high. Okay. Well, my personal opinion is if you have a berm a little higher, it looks a little less like a prison so maybe we could just we could work on that um we actually offered what we thought was a balance with a little bit of a total package that was more 16 feet yeah between berm and wall there was a a requirement a request by several folks that wanted to extend it to 20 feet right

[00:47:06] it does uh require with that size wall that tall wall a lot more structure which we're prepared to do okay um we're we're um i don't know the exact ratio that would look aesthetic okay but a berm of about six feet is probably going to feel more aesthetic okay um our our commitment is to make the county happy with with a total height requirement how about a supervisor happy how's that and a supervisor too okay yeah i mean my my personal feeling is when i drive by these and this is obviously not my district so i would defer to the district supervisor but i feel like

[00:47:42] more berm and the natural plantings with the wall then above that it's probably a little better look I'm not a civil engineer sir but I I think that that might that tall of a berm and how it how it feathers out might create some water drainage issues okay we're perfectly happy to do whatever ratio or combination would make everyone happy it's just a function of what's actually practical from a drainage standpoint. Madam Chair my remaining time can I ask staff if if they what their thoughts are and in terms of heights of the berm if they're prepared. Absolutely

[00:48:17] yeah prepared to talk about that. Back when we this issue came up about the substation screening we came to the determination it was like around the four to six foot earthen berm or the berm part between four and six feet and then the wall would make up the rest of the 20 feet but Is there a reason? Is it the water reason for that as opposed to more of a berm?

[00:48:45] I think it's based on what has been done on other sites. I don't think it's something that we're not, we could be flexible on for sure. But those are my thoughts for coming. Supervisor Kirshner, just so you know, the applicant is perfectly happy to create a balance that would be aesthetically pleasing.

[00:49:05] Thank you, Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. And thank you all for presenting tonight. I'm going to ask some tough questions that not reflect on your application, which is a good application in my judgment. But I do want to highlight some realities here so we start talking in holistic terms about the total comprehensive package when we approve a data center and when we're talking about a data center.

[00:49:30] Do you have an electricity service agreement in hand? We don't have an electric service agreement in hand, but we have a commitment from Dominion And since we're providing the land for the substation and we're actually providing funding for that substation, that it's an agreement between Dominion and they, we're not taking 100% of the full measure of that substation.

[00:49:53] Yeah, and I get that, and I wouldn't expect any other answer from Dominion, and I understand the position they're in. Is electricity being able to provide to the, is it the Broderick substation?

[00:50:10] Is that what you call it? That's correct, sir. The Broderick substation, based on completion of the Wishing Star Mars line to the Dulles Corridor? That's correct. Okay. So, and I know that the current estimate is late 25.

[00:50:28] They expect to have that Wishing Star Mars circuit completed, And then that'll power into the Broderick substation, and then you should be able to get the electricity service agreement. That's correct. The power actually will flow through the lines that are along Waxpool Road. Okay.

[00:50:43] And so that's why Dominion felt that, and Dominion has been very receptive, that they'd like to see a substation in this spot that would serve not just this property but the community as well. Okay. Just to clarify in a little bit of time that I have left, I learned just this past week, I thought all the data centers in eastern Loudoun County were power constrained.

[00:51:04] That's not true. It's only the data centers located in Data Center Alley, what's known euphemistically as Data Center Alley, that are technically considered constrained by Dominion and would be served by the Wishing Star Mars circuit. I want to emphasize that circuit is not sufficient to power all the data centers that are currently anticipated to be built in eastern Loudoun County.

[00:51:25] There is more to come, and we're going to hear about that. It doesn't affect this application. But I did want to isolate the fact that you are dependent on wishing star Mars being completed in order to. We are, Supervisor Turner. What Dominion has indicated to us is that we've been planning for this development for over two years.

[00:51:44] That's what I figured. This has been long in Dominion's planning cycle. So this is one that we feel assured. Obviously, it's our risk, but we feel assured Dominion will complete. Again, we're providing funding for what would be a gas-insulated substation, very similar to what we did at the ABX-1 at Bumid.

[00:52:05] And I've got four seconds. That's good. Thank you very much. I appreciate you. Thank you. Mr. Buffington. Thank you, Madam Chair. So all of the currently existing buildings or structures would be removed. Is that right? That's correct. They really don't meet current code anymore.

[00:52:21] Yeah, they're falling apart. Nobody's taking care of them. So I think this is a good application. On the berm, around the substation, will there be vegetation and plantings? There'll be landscaping, ascetic landscaping around that, yes. Right.

[00:52:37] And there'll be, I just want to confirm that there won't be any large fence with Constantino wire all the way around this whole thing? There will not be, sir. So it won't look like a prison? No, sir. All right, now, with all seriousness, I think it's a good application. I appreciate that something better than what's there now is going to be here in the future, so thank you.

[00:52:57] Thank you very much. First of all, thank you for answering the question as to why the heights and the setback. That was my main question, and you answered that right away, so I really do appreciate that. The only other question is, you said when you have shown some of the illustratives for past data centers, it may not look just like this. Do you have an illustrative already ready or something very, very close for this one? We don't at this point. We're still working on the building design.

[00:53:26] It's always been our desire and intent to try to provide something that's aesthetic relative to the market. I think there's been a lot of buildings that have fallen short within the marketplace. So we've always tried to maintain a standard. We tried to show that and demonstrate that with what we built at Atlanta County Parkway at Bowmeat Circle. Our hope and desire is to, and we have a very good design team, build something that would be on that same level of aesthetic. Thank you. I appreciate that. You know, the truth is, even when people know the tax savings they have because of the data center market, we get a lot of complaints about data

[00:54:04] centers, and the one we hear the most is just how they look, that they are just not attractive. Now, a lot of those are because were built many, many years ago, but I have really tried to focus in on the aesthetics and the design standards and all those of data centers, so I do appreciate that.

[00:54:21] If you could have something, any idea by the time you come back to the meeting, I think the motion would be for the sixth. We will come up with a rendering that will be emblematic more of that. We're still working on design. Okay, that would be great. Thank you.

[00:54:36] Thank you. I appreciate it. Is there anybody from the public who would like to speak on this item? If not, Ms. Glasser, would you like to make a motion? Yes, Madam Chair. I move that the Board of Supervisors forward ZRTD-2022-0001 and ZMOD-2022-0011 Pacific Corporate Park to the June 6, 2023 Board of Supervisors Business Meeting for action.

[00:55:03] Motions made and seconded by Ms. Umstead. Discussion on the motion, Ms. Glass. Yes. I'd like to thank you, Chair Randall, for accommodating this application. at the June 6th meeting. I'm supportive of this application. I want to wholeheartedly thank the applicant for working with me and being so willing to provide an attractive data center, campus through the application.

[00:55:29] If anyone knows this area, that's where when you're coming off of Route 28 onto Waxpool Road and you're coming up over the bridge and coming down, That's one of the first things that we usually see versus the Wegmans on the right-hand side.

[00:55:47] The AOL is on the left-hand side. So that will be something that people see when they come into Ashburn. It's a campus. This application will mean the end for the old AOL campus in Loudoun County, which I feel is an icon building that everyone has recognized for decades, right, As you enter Ashburn on Waxpool Road, it is a campus that has a large pond, mature trees, and walking trails, and I'm glad the applicant is willing to preserve those features as they look to redevelop the site.

[00:56:21] The reason I'm willing to make a deviation on the Broderick Drive Trail from the transportation plan's 10-foot trail goal to a 6-foot trail is because I'm looking to preserve those mature trees along Broderick Drive. Most of the data center campuses that are being developed are usually clear-cut when they're redeveloped, and it takes years to achieve to have those mature tree canopies.

[00:56:49] This is a site where we'll have an existing large mature tree buffer that the applicant wants to preserve as well. To do that, we must explore a smaller trail option that will not disturb the trees as well. I do not take a deviation from the plan lightly, but feel in this situation it is necessary to achieve the goal of pedestrian connectivity and provide screening from the roadway.

[00:57:16] I want to again thank the applicant for this cooperation on this application, as well as county staff for their work. I look forward to supporting this application in June. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:57:31] In your design, we've got some time here. I've seen an illustrative of another data center being built elsewhere in my district that has green walls. It's a really innovative design. So there's living green growth on lattice up the sides of the walls in pattern shapes, and it's really, really innovative.

[00:57:50] Just put that in your playbook, if you could, as you design it. We will, Supervisor Turner. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Sains. Thank you. Yeah, Supervisor Glass triggered my memory with the building being the former AOL headquarters.

[00:58:06] Is there any, the thought just crossed my mind when you mentioned that, is there any thought to do any memorial or paying homage to what used to be? Hey, dial up telephone. With a CD-ROM? With that squeal sound.

[00:58:24] Very good. Very good. Exactly. It's a great question. We hadn't really thought about that, but, you know, having a marker would be a nice thing to do, I think. Yeah, there's something that could. That little man, that little running guy. Yeah, that little running guy.

[00:58:40] That running man. It's when Yahoo left and took all of, there was actually a little museum that they had on site. We were hopeful that there was a couple of signs that we could keep and repurpose, but they took all of them.

[00:58:56] Well, yeah, there's something you could do because that is. They're probably going to be on eBay at some point. Probably so. But, yeah, there's something you could do to think about a little bit more because that is. But it's actually interesting. In the signage for the park, you know, a lot of the data center users don't like to have signage, but maybe we'll think of some interesting marker that we can have that will be on the trail or something.

[00:59:19] Yeah. And then, yes, to Supervisor Turner's point as well, and just Chair Randall, as her request, that there's a way you can give us the illustrators for these actual buildings ahead of June 6th. That would be greatly appreciated. Then you look at design, as we talked about. You have the standards that I sent to you and look at other buildings.

[00:59:39] And you see the building on Bowman that is definitely going in the right direction. But we can look at some other opportunities to do some amazing things. Let's take an opportunity and do them here, especially at this location, because as Supervisor Glass mentioned, right when you come off 28, you take that left exit.

[00:59:57] A lot of people pass this building, pass that property every single day, day and night. So let's make it something worth their while. I hope when we're done, you'll be very proud of that corner. I hope so, too. Thank you. Thank you. The motion is made by Supervisor Glass, seconded by Supervisor Umstead.

[01:00:12] All the people say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 9 to 0. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Supervisors, we are going to go to the final item of tonight, which is item number two, the Community Development Block Grant annual action plan.

[01:00:29] Will staff please come to the table? Supervisors, if we need to, and we don't need to yet, But if we need to, without objection, if Ms. Lasseter-Smith is in the room, I may ask her to come answer a question.

[01:00:45] And I'm not there yet, but if we need to, I'm assuming you're in the room. Yeah, there you are. If we need to, I may ask her to. But first, let's have staff. And I know we have seen this presentation, supervisors. However, with the room being full of people and with all the questions we have received, I think it would behoove the public to be able to see the presentation.

[01:01:12] And so I am going to ask staff to allow for the nine-slide presentation to do the presentation for us. Thank you very much. Good evening, Chair Randall and members of the board. I'm John Hall, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

[01:01:29] I'm joined with me tonight, Staffers Assistant Director Brian Regan and Community Development Black Grant Manager Johnette Powell. We are presenting this evening the proposed third year annual action plan for the county to submit to the federal government, the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development.

[01:01:52] Statutorily, we are to submit this report, this annual action plan, no later than 45 days prior to the start of the county's fiscal year. We can, however, request an extension if necessary. Go back one slide.

[01:02:09] That's not the beginning of the... There you go. All right. All right. There we go. Sorry. I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure you got... No problem. So we are proposing to present the third-year proposed annual action plan.

[01:02:25] Just a little bit about the timeline. Each year, 45 days prior to the beginning of the county's fiscal year, we must submit our annual action plan so that we don't lose or put our funding in jeopardy. We can, however, ask for an extension, and in extenuating circumstances, HUD will most likely grant that for us.

[01:02:45] A little bit about this process that we did, I just want to walk through. Last fall, we announced through a press release that the grant application process was open in October, November. And then in November, the application deadline occurred.

[01:03:02] And then we had our review committee to actually review proposals that were submitted after staff had reviewed them and packaged them for the review committee. Since that time, we performed program monitorings on some of, well, actually all of our grantees for this current fiscal year.

[01:03:20] And now we have made recommendations in consultation with the Housing Advisory Board and the Finance Committee as well. So we're here tonight to conduct the public hearing and to discuss additional actions that can occur with this proposed annual action plan.

[01:03:38] With the next slide, please. The estimated or the actual funding that we have been allocated for our fiscal year 24, which is the federal fiscal year 23. So there's some toggling with fiscal years.

[01:03:54] I just want to be clear because the screen says fiscal year 23. That is federal fiscal year funding. We run ahead of the federal fiscal year. I'll put it that way. Normally we'll refer to it as program year 23. But our fiscal year 24, these funds, we will get $1.4 million.

[01:04:13] So actually $1,441,396. That does include roughly $36,000 of reprogrammed funds that we calculated at the time. We will come back and discuss that here and later on in the presentation.

[01:04:29] But for purposes of submitting this proposed annual action plan, the dollar amount is $1.4 million. The review committee reviewed the proposals in several categories, And the recommendations are on the next slide, which give an overview of how we're going to spend this $1.4 million.

[01:04:52] No more than 20% can be used for administrative purposes. That comes up to $281,000. No more than 15% can be allocated for public services. That is a statutory requirement, and based on our allocation, that amount is $216,000.

[01:05:08] Then basically the remainder of the funds of that 1.4 can go for our other projects that we designate in our consolidated plan and in our annual action plan what we designate to be high priority funding categories.

[01:05:26] So here we have capital projects as well as RFP for additional capital projects and I have affordable housing added but the whole category is capital projects. The next slide, to go into greater detail on the specific categories that were recommended for funding, we'll talk first about the public services component, which, again, is limited to 15% of our annual entitlement.

[01:05:55] We have three recommendations that came from the Housing Advisory Board, and this is to fund Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Crossroads, with jobs and counseling training, as well as Loudon Citizens of Social Justice or laws.

[01:06:18] These three projects represent all of our 15% allocation, which is $216,209. The next slide will show what our funding recommendations are for the capital category, which is basically all other funding categories.

[01:06:38] This amount totals $1.

[01:06:53] 2 million and is broken out as funding for laws, $22,000 for a bathroom renovation, Habitat for Humanity for acquisition and rehab of single-family dwelling. And then the remaining of the funds, aside from the 20 percent administrative dollars, would be for housing affordable activities through a procurement where we would ask the public what projects they had to present that are shovel ready and helping to create or increase rooftops throughout Loudoun County.

[01:07:21] Staff's recommendation is that we modify the Habitat's request down to $150,000. That was discussed in the Finance Committee meeting, and that recommendation holds true.

[01:07:39] I do want to report that Habitat has a house under contract that will probably close within the next 60 days, most likely. It is not for the full amount that is here, neither the $650,000 that was discussed.

[01:07:56] They are proposing to use a slither of the funding by July. The staff recommends that the board approve this proposed third-year annual action plan as presented.

[01:08:13] I do want to pivot and discuss a couple of other things that have occurred throughout our debriefings with the applicants that we've had and just concluded this week. And then I also want to talk a little bit about some of the additional activities that we must do parallel or following this action. So let me start with the latter first. If you recall, HUD just recognized Loudoun County as a participating jurisdictions, which means we're going to receive home investment partnerships and title grant for the first time. By receiving these funds, we will be required to

[01:08:51] amend our consolidated plan, and we will have to submit a substantial amendment to our third year annual action plan that we're working on right now. With that substantial amendment that we must submit, we can't do it all together because of the statutory requirement to submit this third year proposal, you know, by 45 days prior to the start of our fiscal year. What we as staff have been have been doing is is basically analyzing our our projects that we funded over the over the

[01:09:24] past few fiscal years that needed to be closed out in the HUD system and some of those projects had funding left over some were you know nominal amounts some were a little bit larger amounts and so what we plan to do and intend to do in the next upcoming weeks is to draft our substantial amendment using reprogrammed funds so that it can be submitted to HUD before your summer break and it would go to the July public hearing. So these amounts that we're anticipating that we'll

[01:10:02] have of reprogrammed dollars I believe will address some of the needs that have been relayed to us for additional dollars for categories outside of the public service line item. So the capital programs if you see on our slide we had three proposals and we're recommending funding two of them at this time I believe the third one with which is in med would be funded with this reprogram funds that we would open up another public comment period because that is that's the requirement of the substantial amendment we would open that up June 1st is what we're targeting so

[01:10:42] that we can meet your July 12th public hearing meeting. And so these things will happen in parallel. So we'll come back July 12th with reprogrammed dollars for a substantial amendment to the third year proposed annual action plan and an amended consolidated plan that adds our home investment partnership dollars to the grant, which is a requirement before we can receive the funds. So I know I may have split some conversations there, but I want to make sure that everyone

[01:11:19] understands what we'll be doing going forward. I don't. Supervisors, I know it's out of order, but I just need, I just, would you go back to the list and then the nonprofits that, so the Northern Virginia Family Services, Farmless, Ordinary, OAR, would you go down the list for the next nonprofits that would have been funded or it's a whole new grant process so the short

[01:11:53] answer is no so the public service category where we had about 10 grantees were capped with the funding because of the 15% statutory requirement of all we can fund is $216,000 out of our annual entitlement okay so the proposed grantees for that category staff continues to recommend that slate okay now the only difference is when we get to the capital category so we had three applications and only two were recommended for for funding so the third one that was not

[01:12:29] recommended for funding which is in med that is where i'm saying we have basically scrubbed our portfolio and we have additional dollars that we can reprogram through another public comment process okay i'm saying okay but okay are you done i'm saying okay and i'll ask you questions in my time later okay I thought you were coming up with a well I'm I'm saying okay I don't I'll

[01:13:02] come back okay okay so just to frame it the action that staff is recommending for this evening is to to act on the the third year proposed annual action plan as presented if you choose not to to recommend that tonight we will go to the board meeting May 16th but our annual action plan is due to HUD by 11.59 p.m. on May 16th.

[01:13:32] So we have to do something. However, I can ask HUD for an extension, which they've already indicated is possible. We're going to go to questions. We're going to go to questions.

[01:13:49] And I might have some questions for Ms. Smith, but we're going to go to questions. Okay. Mr. Letourneau. Big picture. We get these funds from HUD, right? And it's a, I assume, an annually appropriated hub program?

[01:14:09] Yes, affirmative. So, and we're essentially a pass-through in that we, you know, identify local recipients using a criteria and a process that we have. Yes. But that could change at the federal level at any time.

[01:14:25] And let's just say we're about to hit a fiscal cliff. There is potentially spending cuts coming. discretionary spending of all kinds could be impacted at some point, not with funding that's already been appropriated, but in future years, right? Yes, we're an entitlement community, and so our annual allocation will always stay subject to congressional appropriations. Right. So I guess the point I'm making or asking is, it may not be the wisest thing for organizations to be

[01:14:59] really dependent on a federal source like this in this political environment and fiscal environment, regardless of how we allocate it. Because all we do on an annual basis is allocate depending on what we have and what our allocation is. And then now we have set up a process. We do have the housing advisory board that reviews these applications, right? Using the criteria that we've established yes yeah and staff is then also reviewing this and uh agreed with the recommendations

[01:15:36] right yes yeah um and then what i think i heard you say at the end is what we're trying to do is see if there are essentially balances in previous allocations that were not spent that we could reallocate to some organizations depending on where they fall right affirmative Okay. I just will ask, was IMED one of those organizations that had balances?

[01:16:04] Yes. In prior years, they have had balances on both of their categories, public servicing, as well as capital. What we're planning to do is take some of that leftover money to see if it's been already repurposed or reallocated, so that would be part of the program.

[01:16:23] They had not entirely spent down their previous allocations. That is correct. Okay. Do you think that that factored into the recommendations that were made? Yes. It did. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Ms. Brixman. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[01:16:40] So in the category of public service projects for the 216,000, do you know how many applicants we had for those, for that? Ten. Ten. Okay. And we found three that we were going to fully, well, almost fully fund.

[01:16:58] It looks like laws got 130,000 of there. And when you were judging the applications as they came in or the team was judging them or the committee was judging them, was it similar to what we have done previously in that they had to get like 80% or 70% rating?

[01:17:22] So my question is, what was the sort of cutoff that we decided? My understanding is it has not changed, and 80 is the minimum score. 80 is the minimum score. Okay. And so only three organizations scored 80.

[01:17:39] Is that correct? Or 80 or above? 80 or above, yeah. No, more than three. No, more than three, yeah. She's confusing. Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, about eight. Right. Yes.

[01:17:55] If you look at page 77, then it shows all the ones in their scores. Okay, okay. um i'll go i'll go take a look at that and then the on the capital project rfp and administration activities um how many applicants were there for that one for that tranche we only had three applications and two out of the three were recommended for funding oh wow and two those two that were recommended were funding were the only two that scored above 80. okay um and then

[01:18:29] And so the RFP for Housing and Affordable Activities, we're holding out the $770,000 for RFPs to come in and the chance that we could spend that money if an acceptable RFP comes in? Yes. Okay. Which of the two categories did NMED apply for?

[01:18:48] Both. Both. Okay. All right. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Ms. Umstead. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, NMED could still be considered in the capital category later this year?

[01:19:12] Yes, for the simple reason that we only had three applications in the capital category, and they were the only one that is not recommended for funding. And since it appears that we have additional funds that we may need to use, fully expend by June 30th of 2024, that could be a potential solution.

[01:19:35] So, NMED has not been able to expend all the funds that's been allocated in past years, and is that right? From fiscal year 2020 through the current cycle, so, well, let's not talk about fiscal year 23 because that one hasn't ended yet.

[01:19:56] So, for 20 and 21, I believe, 20 and 22, I'm sorry, there were funds that were left. In our discussions within MET, they indicated that challenges that occurred during the pandemic on both sides of the transaction with our staff as well as their team led to additional challenges why money was not spent timely.

[01:20:25] Does HUD care about that, or does HUD require that the monies be spent or returned? HUD definitely cares about it.

[01:20:41] They hold us, as the entitlement community, accountable. So every year there is a time limit standard test. Our test is every May 2nd, every year, and we cannot have more than one and a half times our annual allocation in our line of credit, or we will get written up for it, basically.

[01:21:01] So we want to ensure that the projects that are identified for funding are able to fully expend their dollars within the fiscal year that we've assigned it. So this current fiscal year, all of the projects should be fully expended. Basically, by June 30th, we do give a 30-day window, so July 30th, to submit their final requisitions, but it should be closed out.

[01:21:26] In the public services category, if a grantee does not expend any money, whether it's a dollar or more than a dollar, those funds cannot ever be rolled over to another fiscal year. And so that money, we basically have to reprogram it.

[01:21:44] And so that's part of this exercise that we're doing, staff and I are doing, to identify what dollars need to be reprogrammed. Final question. Does NMED need our staff assistance in putting together a proposal to get additional funds and can staff provide that assistance?

[01:22:06] I don't believe they need our technical assistance. They had already participated last fall with some of the technical workshops. We had quite a few of the grantees actually participate in our meeting with them previously.

[01:22:23] I didn't get that indication, but we will offer it as an abundance of caution. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. Kind of a lightning round here. This is a five-year CDBG program, and we're in the third year of the five-year plan.

[01:22:41] The organizations that we funded in year one, are they funded on the basis of receiving funding for the full five years, which it seems to me to be, to Supervisor Letourneau's point, kind of risky to anticipate you're going to get funding for five straight years?

[01:22:57] Or are they aware of the fact that each year of those five years, they're basically going to have to zero-base justify their program? On the grant application, there is a clause that says that no, I'm not citing it verbatim, but I have it here, but basically that no applicant should solely rely on funding from Loudoun County.

[01:23:22] And then in the public services category of the funding, it says that no grantee will receive more than three consecutive years of funding and must lay off for a year before re-appointing. Okay, if an organization in the public sector side fails to expend all its funds and we can't roll those funds over, is that a black mark on Loudoun County as an administrator of the program?

[01:23:46] No, we just have to reprogram it and use it. Okay, what about on the capital side? The capital side, we would just continue to reprogram it. The regulation just explicitly states that we cannot carry over funds in public service. But it doesn't reflect badly on Loudoun County as a pass-through for the federal funds?

[01:24:04] Only if it affects our timely expenditure, our line of credit. If we go over more than one and a half times our annual allocation, that's when it will reflect on us. Okay. IMED does phenomenal work, but I'm having set up grant programs before.

[01:24:20] I'm a stickler in the objective nature of our scoring system and our evaluation for each of the grant applications. So my question is a sensitive one, but I want to ask it anyway. If this were any other organization besides INMED, would we have found the reprogrammed funds and found an option for any other organization if they had not received capital funding like INMED didn't?

[01:24:47] What I'm trying to get at is I bristle when I hear organizations that are able to ask for reconsideration by the judges, us and you, through some sort of compelling humanitarian need, which is certainly they can ask.

[01:25:04] But I'm worried when we are we are when it's a variance from the standard, when we are changing our procedures from our normal procedures in order to accommodate someone who happens to be upset. You follow what I'm saying? I don't want to introduce a subjective element here, and so what I'm trying to get at is this is a subjective element that's been introduced that's going to allow us to use the reprogrammed funds.

[01:25:29] Yes, is a short answer. My thought, hearing your question, is that we want to make sure that money is always spent timely, and then we offer debriefings for applicants who were not recommended funding.

[01:25:50] And we should do that every time we have a funding round so that applicants know how to strengthen their applications or where their weaknesses were. Or, you know, if we just run out of funding. However, in the case where we may have additional dollars, then we try to create the opportunity for victory.

[01:26:10] Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Glass. Thank you, Madam Chair. So you had stated that the funds for, I think it was 2020, and you had given another year, were not fully expended.

[01:26:26] Have they been expended now, you know, up to this date? Yes, both of those years, I believe it's fiscal year 20 and 22, both of those years the funding was completely expended after extensions were granted.

[01:26:46] Okay. So when the prioritization of the CDGB grant changed to focus more on unmet housing needs, were organizations who were previously awarded funds to pay for facility improvements, were they made aware of the county's priority shift?

[01:27:17] My response to that question is they're independent, mutually independent of one another. So for the community development block grant dollars, our policy is our consolidated plan that was done.

[01:27:32] We're going into year three now, so it was done two years ago. And so that is a five-year plan that we submit to HUD to let HUD know this is what Loudoun County is planning to make its high-priority funding areas. And then as we do the annual action plan that feeds into that five-year consolidated plan, we're reemphasizing nothing has changed to HUD.

[01:27:56] These remain our high-priority funding activities. So if the consolidated plan was done in conjunction with the unmet housing new strategic plan, which I don't think it was because the strategic plan was adopted in 21, that there may be some overlap with priorities, housing being one always.

[01:28:20] But just to say that it's been a shift in priorities based on the unmet housing new strategic plan, I don't agree with that assumption or that response with that question because they're two mutually exclusive documents.

[01:28:35] Now, we can always modify that consolidated plan. If there's an urgent need that happens, if we have massive layoffs and we need to address an urgent need or a force majeure, we can always modify that five-year plan with HUD.

[01:28:54] But historically, entitlement communities don't unless there's something substantial. Okay, thank you. All right, Mr. Sainz. Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay, so I'll just ask some quick questions here. This is a grant funding process, so we don't have any contracts or agreements with any of these organizations that apply year over year.

[01:29:15] Is that correct? Their actual agreements are entitled contract agreements. I'm not sure if I understand your question. But the agreements are, if you have agreements, but these are not guaranteed. agreements are not guaranteed that we're going to give you money year over year that's that's correct they're for one year terms okay and you have to go through applying process review and then depending on your scores then uh then you'll you'll be awarded the funds yes all right so again there's no guarantees no guarantees okay um and you mentioned earlier i know you've met with

[01:29:51] in med and reviewed a few things and answered questions and replied to emails and you know et cetera. So, but you said that there's possibly not this round, but maybe another round that they might be able to get some funding. Uh, what would that timeframe look like? We're planning to open up the next public comment period, June 1st, so that we can have a, your meet your July public hearing date. Okay. And are they, were they made aware of this? Yes. Right. And just your opinion

[01:30:25] here. Would you say that it's, I'm going to say, should anybody who's applying for these grants or the funding, should they be always expecting to get something or should they operate as if they're assuming they're going to get funding every year? No, any applicant should always leverage funding and actually not solely rely on 100% funding or supplanting of funds from any grantor. And that

[01:31:02] is clear in our grant application. And why is that? Sustainability sake. Our funds may change, our priorities may change, but we want to make sure that we're open for everyone to participate who has a viable proposal and that we are serving the total community. And would you say the applicants are, we're getting number one, we're getting more each time and they're getting better and better would that be accurate or from staff's assessment uh this review cycle they said we

[01:31:40] received better quality applications i think we received a few more applications but they accredited to us given that technical assistance after the press release was really was announced we had some some pre-planning or pre-submittal workshops right so people are taking advantage of that. And because of that, things are getting better and better with their applications every time. Yes, that's what we're seeing so far. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sainz. Okay, to Ms. Brixman's question. If you go to page 73, it's the public service applications. There were quite a few that received a score of 80 above and didn't get funded, including

[01:32:19] the Northern Virginia Family Services, whose score was 87.2. A Farm Less Ordinary score was 85, OER score was 84, NMED score was 81, and Mobile Hope was 80.8. And so just under that section, there were a lot, there were other nonprofits that scored above NMED that also did not get funded under that section. I have a couple of questions. Under this section, the public service application, laws is funded. Now, I'm not asking about the other section yet,

[01:32:53] the capital but this is the public service i thought that law that funding for laws for this part of an application process had been removed because they were receiving a steady stream of income from the county because they were one of our five now four core non-profits so i understand the capital side because they also got funding on the capital side but under this side the public service site, I didn't know that laws, and I'm not saying I want to take a penny from laws, I'm not saying that, but I didn't realize they were still part of this grant process in this way.

[01:33:33] Yes, our process has been independent of the nonprofit arm when the other grants were awarded. So this is exclusively community development black grants. So they applied back in... Because it's not county money. Excuse me?

[01:33:49] Because it's not county money. Okay, yeah, all right. That's absolutely fine. Of this money that we're doing, there's a very large pot that is going to housing, just housing.

[01:34:08] Is any of that money for the housing money, I now have missed how much, I think it was like $700,000, it's a very large pot. Is any of that going for displacement, or is that all kind of building homes? Is that like Habitat? at. Right, the displacement, that'll be separate under the ARPA. As the ARPA money. So now that's going for displacement. Right, so this proposed $717,000, the idea behind this is to help leverage some of our local money that we have from the multifamily loan fund, the half penny sales tax,

[01:34:43] to put that all in one RFP so that developers and the public as a whole can look to put deals together that will help us increase rooftops. Okay. And then I just want to ask this question again, because I just want to make sure that I know that I know that I know. When you talk about another process that may come in June because of other money that is available, are you guaranteeing that InMet would get money? Because I don't want that guarantee out. I don't want them to think that if that's not the guarantee you're trying to say. What we're proposing to do, we are

[01:35:22] scrubbing our portfolio and we've identified a healthy chunk of dollars that need to be reprogrammed and spent by June 30th of 2024. So what we are anticipating is to confirm and verify those numbers in the next week or so so that we can open up a public comment period June 1st using this particular activity for Inmed simply because they're in the capital category because they're not being recommended for funding. As of right now, that funding does not total their request. It

[01:35:59] would cover the annual lease payment of basically $147,000. And their annual lease payment is $142,500. So if that number stands where it is, then that is the amount that we can reprogram. And we would most likely recommend that for consideration during a public comment period.

[01:36:24] Supervisor, if you don't mind, can I have 30 more seconds? So you're saying that you're opening up a public comment period. Okay, but do you open up a public comment period just for one nonprofit? No, this is where we would do the substantial amendment that we have to add our home investment partnership dollars as well.

[01:36:46] So there will be other actions in there that we need to do to submit to HUD for our home, our home program that we're going to kick off. So we would also have in there additionally for adding substantial amendment for our CDBG dollars for reprogrammed dollars that we have this money that needs to be spent by June 30th or 24. And again, these dollars have we've scrubbed and there were projects over the last several years that left money on on projects that We're closing out, and so this is being reprogrammed and reallocated.

[01:37:27] I'll try to ask my question a different way when we get to a motion because I am sure it is how I'm asking the question, but I still don't quite understand the answer. So I'll ask the question again when we get to the motion.

[01:37:44] Thank you. We do have quite a bit of speakers on this item. And when I call your name, if you come to the podium closest to you, that would be great. Some people will have an interpreter, and if you have an interpreter, then you have double the time.

[01:38:05] So, oh, wow, wow, lots of people speaking. That's great. No, really, I'm not kidding. It really is. All right, so I would call your name like three names in advance. And so you know that if you are up next, you can go to either podium. So let's start with Abigail Portilio, followed by Jennifer Laster-Smith, followed by Rankin Ahmed, or, yeah, Ahmed.

[01:38:34] Hi. Good evening. Buenos noches. Okay, buenas noches. Good evening, yes. What she can do, she can do the whole, don't start. She can do her whole presentation, and then you can translate the entire thing so that you're not going back and forth and back and forth.

[01:38:57] Okay. Okay. Bring that microphone a little closer. Okay. Okay.

[01:39:26] during my fight against the postpartum was invaluable for me. It would be a great loss if the program's doors were closed, since it has always been open to the community, to all the people that we need.

[01:39:49] And I invite you to consider the impact that would have in MED if they would have closed the doors Y el centro ya no podría dar los servicios que no da a la comunidad este yo agradezco mucho a ellos siempre han estado emocionalmente y físicamente ayudando a todas las personas que necesitamos del apoyo como es INMED

[01:40:19] okay thank you hi my name is Abigail and I would just like to share a little bit with you still with you all about the importance for me that is INMED me and my family in my family i was a participant in this program of healthy families of inmed and it's been an incredible support for me from the from my first pregnancy and the support the emotional support that i received that they provided me with during my my struggle with

[01:40:52] postpartum depression was incredible uh it would be a great great loss if the doors were closed and if it were to be closed, because it's been always open to the community that has most needed it.

[01:41:08] And I would request that you consider the impact that InMed has had on my family and in order to try and keep this center open. Thank you. Senator Portillo, gracias por hablar.

[01:41:25] Next speaker is Jennifer Lasseter-Smith, followed by Rankin Ahmed, followed by Eliza Chavez. Good evening. sorry good evening board of supervisors i am jennifer laster smith i'm the director of in med and i want to thank all of you for the conversations that we've had in the last couple weeks i especially want to thank mr hall and johnette for listening to us and talking with us about this um because uh you're absolutely right this is a year-to-year application

[01:42:00] it's not something that we would ever 100 percent count on except in this instance because it's something that we did together in many years ago nine ten years ago now um and so um hopefully now we're all on the same page and understanding that first of all in med will definitely spend out all of its grant funds and for our capital grant we're talking about less than two percent of our capital grant from 2020, which as we all know from March until July of 2020, things were different. But

[01:42:39] other than that, that's the money that was left on the table for our capital grant. And the staff at the time, the county staff at the time with our services grant, like we worked through the money on the table with our services grant they knew why we knew why and it was just it it was the constriction of the grant and so hopefully we're all we all better understand that context now but through all of this i just want to emphasize like how much the collaboration in

[01:43:15] this partnership means to us like we've seen this as a a public private partnership with corporate partners as well as the county and that is vital. I have 42 seconds and that's not enough time to tell you about the special place that is the Opportunity Center in Sterling that allows moms to teach other moms to sew and kids to get help and getting into the academies of Loudoun and now and you know just 59 other organizations serve the community out of that space. It's not just a space. It's not just a place. All of these green shirts are here to tell you that it's not

[01:43:53] just a place. It's a community. It's a community. And so I'm begging you to help us figure this out so that and give us the time to figure it out the next step after that. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Smith. Ranking the mob followed by Eliza Chavez followed by Nursi Morales. It's Ranking Ahmed is next. Okay. I don't know. Good evening, Mr. Ahmed. Hello. How are you guys? Well,

[01:44:32] wonderful. So I'll just get into my speech. Hello. My name is Rakeen, and I'm a volunteer at InMed. I've been a volunteer since the start of this year, and during my time spent at the Opportunity Center, I've experienced many great memories interacting with the children and the staff at InMed, from helping the kids with schoolwork, aiding in group-based activities, and learning exercises, to even just observing the amusing ways the kids interact with one another.

[01:45:06] All those experiences have brought me much enjoyment. Despite my short time at InMed, one thing has always been clear to me from the beginning. InMed is an integral part of the community, and it holds much value to so many families.

[01:45:23] The center goes above and beyond to not only relieve many burdens, but also ensure that the kids learn and develop skills that will help them thrive in the future. I wish to continue being a part of this wonderful community, and I humbly ask for your support today in keeping InMed's doors open.

[01:45:44] Thank you. Thank you. Eliza Chavez, followed by Nersi Morales, followed by Leigh-Anne Morales. So the reason I'm calling your names in advance is so you can, like, make your way out of the pews and kind of be ready for when you come up next.

[01:46:09] Good evening. Good evening, everyone. My name is Nancy Morales, and I'm here to share with you how INMED has made a positive impact on my family's life. For example, my daughter's mental health has significantly improved with the help of the staff and alternative therapies offered at INMED.

[01:46:30] But I want to emphasize that this would not have been possible without the doors of INMED being open to us. Inmate is not just a building. It's a community. It's a community center that welcomes everyone regardless of their background, income, or social status.

[01:46:52] It is a place where families like mine can access research programs and service that would have been able to otherwise. And this is why having the doors of Inmate open to the community is so important.

[01:47:09] By keeping the doors of EMED open, it means that families like mine have access after school programs, tutoring, mental health services, and so much more. It means that children have a safe and welcoming environment to learn and grow.

[01:47:27] It means that parents have a place to turn to for support and guidance. I urge you to recognize the importance of keeping the doors of EMED open to the community. By doing so, we can continue to strengthen families, build strong communities, and ultimately invest in our future.

[01:47:50] Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you, Ms. Morales. Did we miss Ms. Chavez? Is Ms. Chavez here? Did we miss that one? She's not here. Okay, thank you. And Leon Morales, followed by Andres Dextry.

[01:48:08] Good evening. Good evening, everyone. My name is Leon, and I'm here to talk about EMED. To me, EMED is not just a place, a building, but my second home.

[01:48:26] I made so many friends here, and it's a place where I can be myself. EMED helped me with many ways, like improving my grades, discovering my passion for music, and teaching me cool skills like visual illustration and 3D printing.

[01:48:45] I also love it here because I get to learn cool things like music and art. It's important to me and my family, but EMED is not just important to me, but my family as well. It's a place where we could come together and learn and grow.

[01:49:00] Please help EMED to keep bringing more opportunities for fun activities for many other kids. Thank you. Mr. Morales, very, very good job. Thank you. I wonder if the guy coming after you is going to be nearly as well. Andres, are you?

[01:49:18] And then you'll be followed by Deborah Gilmore. Good evening. Hi, good evening. My name is Andres, and I'm here to talk to you about InMed. It's a place that I've been a part of since I was like seven years old. It's been a significant impact in my life and the lives of my family members.

[01:49:37] I started attending InMed when I was just like seven. I've discovered many skills there, including being a leader, dancer, artist. That is just through the youth program. InMed has not only helped me develop my talents as an artist, but it's also reinforced my grades in school and helped me teach others my age.

[01:50:00] I'm proud to say that I'm now excelling in all my classes due to the tutoring program, and I'm not the only one that has benefited from this. From a very young age, it's helped my family and many of other peoples that I've known.

[01:50:19] My mother, Gabriella Dexter, she has also been a participant of InMed for the past 10 years and is deeply grateful in support of the guidance she has received. My younger brother also loves going to NMED. He has many friends there where he learns new things every day.

[01:50:34] NMED has helped my parents and many others prepare themselves and train them with talks and excellent advice so that they can help their children during these challenging times in school. And I'm here to urge you today to recognize the importance of NMED building and the positive impact that it makes in our lives and the lives of many people in the community.

[01:50:56] This isn't just a community. It's a place where anybody from different backgrounds can meet up and you can meet new friends. And speaking from experience, it's not only for families. I personally haven't met other students from many schools, but I've expanded most of my time learning about different topics and backgrounds.

[01:51:21] And it just really helped me understand different types of lives and make new friends. And it would be a real shame it was closed. So Texas, you were every bit as good. Thank you very much. Good job. Deborah Gilmore, followed by Alex Leone, followed by, I don't want to mispronounce your name, Axmina Rodriguez, I think.

[01:51:46] Good evening, Ms. Gilmore. How are you? Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the board. My name is Deborah Gilmore. I'm the CEO of Laws, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault Services, formerly known as Loudon Abused Women's Shelter. While we are speaking in support of the CDBG 2023-24 Annual Action Plan, I do want to note that we are not at all taking a position on or commenting on any of our wonderful community partners with whom we share the Loudoun County nonprofit space.

[01:52:16] We are specifically asking that you fund within that plan public services project number three on page five of the action plan as recommended to help provide comprehensive crisis response services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and capital project number one on page six of the action plan for full funding to renovate half baths in our community services center and make an ADA compliant and accessible bathroom for those we serve.

[01:52:44] As Loudoun County's designated provider of services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, we offer legal representation, direct advocacy, and emotional support, emergency shelter, hotline response, and therapeutic services to more than 1,100 survivors every year.

[01:53:02] We serve all survivors, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, income, or physical capability. Research suggests that 99% of domestic violence survivors experience financial abuse.

[01:53:21] HUD automatically categorizes battered spouses and abused children as low to moderate income. This CDBG funding in the public services category would help support direct advocacy and hotline services for survivors, including vital safety planning, forensic medical exam accompaniment, and support and guidance throughout the court processes that are unfortunately a traumatizing part of recovery from domestic violence and sexual violence.

[01:53:49] Our services are free of the survivors, confidential and voluntary. We help survivors regain control of their lives and reestablish physical and psychological safety. By building safety, hope, and empowerment services together with survivors, we enhance our communities as places where all people can live self-sufficient lives free of violence.

[01:54:12] For the capital project, our advocates work out of both our shelter and our community services center near the courthouse. The community services center currently does not have an ADA compliant bathroom. It needs one. And our survivors with physical limitations need to have that equitable access to lives free of violence.

[01:54:30] you for your time thank you very much ms gilmore alex leone followed by um xmodo rodriguez followed by diego chavez good evening good evening hello i'm alex leone also known as teacher alex by the kids of the after school program and i am a youth mentor and volunteer at inmed out of all the truly amazing things i could highlight that this organization does whenever i was sitting down to try and write something up for this speech today there is one word that kept circling around in my mind, and that word was community. Walking into InMed every day feels like a giant

[01:55:07] pair of arms being wrapped around you. I have never felt so incredibly welcomed and embraced by a community of people. All the amazing human beings who have devoted their time and efforts in creating this environment, I admit, are not only some of the people that I am absolute closest to, but they are some of my biggest role models and inspirations to date. This environment that is created at the Opportunity Center is nothing short of magical, and I have seen how important this environment has been in being a key factor in our kids flourishing in all aspects of life.

[01:55:40] The after-school program is constantly trying to find new ways to support and nurture the minds of our students, but options are limited with a lack of funds. Funding programs and organizations like InMed are vital in creating a more powerful and capable generation of individuals for tomorrow.

[01:55:56] Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Now, I'm sure I have destroyed your name, the next person up, but if you would pronounce it for me, I would appreciate it, and you will be following. So, I think it's Ximena Rodriguez, followed by Diego Chavez and Naila Polkos.

[01:56:14] Good evening. Buenas noches. Miembros de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de London. Mi nombre es Ximena Rodriguez, y estoy aquí para brindarme apoyo al Centro IMET. IMET ha sido un apoyo crucial para mi familia, especialmente para mis hijos. Como hispanohablantes, he encontrado difícil ayuda para hacer las tareas de mis hijos y proporcionarles actividades extracurriculares que estimulen sus mentes.

[01:56:38] YME ha sido un salvavidas en este sentido, ofreciendo cursos de robótica, ciencia, arte, música, danza, cocina, programación y mucho más, además de ayudarles con sus tareas. YME también ha apoyado a mi familia con alimento, ropa y un recurso vital para nosotros en tiempos difíciles.

[01:56:58] No puedo exagerar el impacto que me ha tenido en mi familia y nuestra comunidad, pero ahora y me enfrenta la posibilidad de cerrar sus puertas, porque no han sido recomendados para el subsidio que paga el alquiler del centro. Estoy aquí para pedir su apoyo para que me mantenga sus puertas abiertas y seguir brindando servicios cruciales a las familias como la mía. Gracias por su tiempo.

[01:57:21] Thank you. Good evening. My name is Ximena Rodriguez, and I'm here to speak to you about the center, the INMED Center. INMED has been a great support, crucial for my family, especially for my children.

[01:57:39] As Spanish speakers, we found it difficult sometimes to get the help we need to help my children with their homework and provide them extracurricular activities that will stimulate their minds. InMed has been a lifesaver in this sense, offering classes on robotics, science, art, music, dance, and culinary programs, in addition to helping them with their homework.

[01:58:09] In addition to this, the educational opportunities NMED has supported my family with nutrition, clothing, and vital recourses for us during the times of difficulty.

[01:58:25] I cannot exaggerate the impact that NMED has had in my family and our community. But now I'm looking at the possibility that NMED may have to close their doors because they've not been approved by the subsidy that pays the rent on the center.

[01:58:44] I'm here to say, to request your support so that they can maintain their support during these times and to continue to provide these crucial services to families like mine.

[01:59:02] Thank you for your time. Thank you. Diego Chavez, followed by Nayeli Clarkas, followed by, okay, I'm going to spell your last name, P-A-R-A-N-J-A-P-E, because I am going to not pronounce that correctly.

[01:59:19] So when you come up, will you please pronounce it? Good evening. Good evening. I'm Diego Chavez, and I wanted to talk about how Inman has impacted my family and me and my sister. So my sister is part of the after-school program where she has been getting help with her homework, with her studies, and has been participating in many activities such as arts and crafts, dancing, playing sports, educational activities, and more.

[01:59:47] And through seeing her and participating in such activities, I was curious, and I went to volunteer for Inmed, and through volunteering, I was able to pursue my interest for teaching and helping kids.

[02:00:04] And through that, I was able to propose a digital design class, which was approved, and I was able to teach and provide to the children. I'm very glad for the opportunity that AIMIT has provided with me, and I hope that you keep all of these things in mind when making your decision.

[02:00:24] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chavez. Nayeli Corcas, followed by Arania, I think that your name is, and I'll let you say your last name, followed by Genesis Pacheco. Good evening.

[02:00:40] Good evening, members of the Board of Supervisors of Loudoun County. My name is Nayeli Cureas, and I am here today to share with you the impact that Ainman Center has made on my life and the lives of my siblings. As a student of the teen program at Ainman and a volunteer at the afterschool program, I can personally attest to how important this organization is for me and my community.

[02:01:01] At Ainman, I feel like I can truly be myself and express my passions without fear of judgment. This is something that is not always easy to find, especially for young people like myself. The after-school program is particularly important to me because it gives students like myself an opportunity to engage in different activities and socialize with our peers.

[02:01:23] This has been crucial for me in building relationships and feeling a sense of belonging. INMED provides a safe environment for us to explore our interests and try new things, which is something that is not always possible in other settings. But INMED is not just important to me. It is important to my brothers as well.

[02:01:40] They also attend the after-school program, and I found it to be a valuable resource for their social and academic development. It's a place where they have fun and learn at the same time, which is so important for their growth and well-being. I am here today to ask for your support in keeping the doors of EnMed open.

[02:01:57] The building where EnMed operates is at risk of closing due to a lack of funding, and this would be devastating for our community. The after-school program and teen program have been life-changing for me and my siblings, and I know that there are many others who feel the same way.

[02:02:13] I urge you to reconsider the decision to withhold funding for eMed's rent and instead provide the support that they need to continue operating. Let's work together to ensure that the families in our community have access to the resources they need to thrive. Thank you for your time.

[02:02:30] Thank you. Our next speaker is Arana. I think I see your name right, and then you're going to say your last name for me, followed by Genesis Pacheco, followed by Andres, you I know, Andres. Good evening.

[02:02:48] Good evening. My name is Aria Pranchpe. I'm a junior in high school, and I've been a volunteer at InMed for one year now. In the past year that I volunteered here, I've been lucky enough to see the difference that InMed has made to children from elementary to high school ages. From safety skills to reading and writing skills, to English, to STEAM programs, which is science, technology, engineering, art, and maths, InMed has been teaching children to dream big, learn plenty, and work hard. This is reflected in the role models who make InMed possible and provide the resources and opportunities for students to learn and grow, have fun, and that has truly made an impact. By exposing children and teenagers to different subjects, they've been able to cultivate a broad skill set and discover what they enjoy doing, which is a huge part of who we become in

[02:03:28] the future. InMed enables the kids of today to learn and explore so they can become amazing leaders tomorrow. InMed is dedicated to preparing kids to become amazing leaders tomorrow, and They've never stopped working to help children, so please don't stop working to help them. Thank you. Thank you.

[02:03:45] Genesis Pacheco, followed by Andres, followed by Stephen Ahart. Good evening. Good afternoon. My name is Genesis Pacheco-Velazquez, and I am 10 years old.

[02:04:01] I have been a student at Edmond for one year now, and I want to tell you why it's really important to me. Edmund has helped me and other children to improve our reading and writing skills. Thanks to teacher Debbie's help, my younger sister, who is six years old, has also improved in her reading and writing skills.

[02:04:20] Edmund offers many opportunities for us to learn new and interesting things, like coding and science classes, which I find fun and inspiring. They also have activities like dancing, where we can perform at community events, which makes me feel very special.

[02:04:37] Edmund is a very safe place where my family and I feel very comfortable. The school is big, and there's a lot of space to have fun. I love it there. Please support Edmund so we can have more fun and learn more.

[02:04:55] Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good job. Thank you. Andres, you will be followed by Stephen Ahart, followed by Debbie Hoff. Good evening, sir. Good evening, everyone. My name is Andres Uribe, and I'm here to speak to you today about a place that changed my life and has changed the life of many in the community.

[02:05:18] The INME Opportunity Center is not just a building. It's a sanctuary, a place where people of all age, race, and background can come together and learn, grow, and feel supported. I wish there had been an organization like INMED when I was young, a place where I could forget about my challenges at home and at school and be surrounded by the people who want me to be successful.

[02:05:47] INMED provides a space where individuals can discover new talents and learn new things regardless of their financial situation. What I love about INMED is that INMED is more than just an organization.

[02:06:04] It's a family. The staff, volunteers, and partners all work together to create an environment of acceptance where everyone can feel safe and supported. It's a magical place where diversity becomes one community and where emotional support is always available.

[02:06:25] I'm a resident of London County, so I'm here to ask you for your help. I urge you to consider how important this organization is for our community and to support us any way that you can. Together, we can keep this magic place alive and continue to provide a safe and supportive place for all of those who need it most.

[02:06:49] Thank you. Thank you, sir. Stephen Ahart, followed by Debbie Huff, followed by Marie Frias. Good evening. Hello. I want to thank the board for giving me the opportunity to speak. My name is Steve Ahart.

[02:07:06] I'm a 29-year resident of Loudoun County. I have volunteered at InMed Opportunity Center once or twice a week for the past eight years, back since 2015, in their after-school program, primarily tutoring children, helping them with homework, and helping them catch up to grade level if they're struggling in any subjects.

[02:07:28] On a weekly basis, I get to see the impact that MED is making from the moment that I walk in the front door. I often see parents in the lobby picking up fresh produce or other healthy food supplies. Then I make my way through the halls where oftentimes there's boxes just lining the halls full of clothes that are sorted to be distributed.

[02:07:48] And then I get to meet with the kids and see their happy faces and they're all eager to learn. The after-school program provides kids a safe place after school and is organized with fun and meaningful activities, healthy snacks, various programs. Myself, as a one-on-one tutor, it's always rewarding to see, you know, after a kid has been struggling with some concept, see the light go off in their eyes as they start catching on and they start to understand.

[02:08:17] And I know that the one-on-one attention that they're getting is worthwhile, and it's given them a better chance of succeeding in school and succeeding in life. I know that the various demands for funding is always exceeded by the supply of funds, but it's always been my belief that investment in our children is the type of investment that pays off several fold with myriad of benefits to our kids and to our community right now and in the years to come.

[02:08:45] After watching INMED staff and its many, many volunteers, I know that INMED is a tremendous resource for our community. It's an institution. I would hate to see the Opportunity Center close. I urge the Board of Supervisors to continue to invest in our children and provide funding for INMED and the Opportunity Center.

[02:09:08] I thank you very much for your consideration. Thank you. Debbie Huff, followed by Marie Frias, followed by Mikolo Lewis. Debbie Huff. It's Huss, Debbie Huss.

[02:09:24] It's Huss? Okay, well, we have Huss, H-U-S? Mm-hmm. Okay. I first came to InMed after my teenage daughter was out volunteering for her National Honor Society hours, and she came home and told me how fantastic it was.

[02:09:43] And so I looked up their volunteer opportunities. It was the summer last year, and I saw that they were doing STEM camps for the kids, and I thought that was quite impressive. And I'm a teacher, but taking a few years sabbatical after having a baby at the beginning of the pandemic.

[02:10:01] And so I was excited about the opportunity to come in and give my time and be with elementary age kids again. And so I was quite impressed over the summer when I went in just a few times that I asked them if they were interested in having an extra volunteer for their after-school program during the school year.

[02:10:21] And they said yes, they would love that. And I offered to come in two to four days a week. Two days did not seem like enough to me, and I struggle every week to make sure I get there all four days. I work with the elementary kids, and just like what everybody else said about in-med, it's a really impressive place.

[02:10:43] There's a lot of good happening there. You can see it from the elementary to the middle to the high schoolers, and the high schoolers who used to be the elementary kids now coming back to mentor the elementary kids. It's really impressive. When you talk about making generational changes, you see that at in-med.

[02:11:01] You see the help that they provide for all of the families. And just like the gentleman was just saying about when you walk in and you see the things around InMed, if you come every day, you'll see different things at InMed every day because they don't just come in and sit there waiting for people.

[02:11:19] There are people there. And the things change daily because people have needs and whatever their needs are, InMed can meet them. I also wanted to say that, Henesis, you did a fabulous job. She is 10 years old and, what is it, fifth grade, Henesis?

[02:11:37] Fifth grade? And she's already a mentor to the other kids at NMED. She's a wonderful young lady. She has two fantastic sisters, and she's already a mentor to them as well. It's a really impressive place. There's a lot of trust, and as you can see, together, everyone makes a big family at NMED.

[02:11:58] It's not individual families. Everyone comes together. I was worried at the beginning. Can I say one more thing? You may not. I'm hopeful. Okay, thank you. I look forward to June. Thank you.

[02:12:15] Marie Frias, followed by Mikolo Lewis, followed by Allison Russi-Kilia. Good evening. Okay, so good evening to everyone who is present and everyone who is not. My name is Marie Frias, and I stand before you today, like many others here, speak about the profound impact that INMED has had on me and the community.

[02:12:38] It has been two years now, two years since I was introduced to INMED, two years of understanding the importance of our community. I have watched individuals come in and come out through the doors of INMED, young mothers with their children, teenagers laughing with their friends, and grandparents in their work attire coming to pick up their grandchildren, and they always share a smile.

[02:12:59] INMED, like everyone else has said, has become a second home to me, a place where I have volunteered and participated in classes. The programs offered at INMED are too many to count, ranging from essential life skills to subjective topics. And there are always families that will flood up the signing-up sheets, eager to have a spot.

[02:13:20] The older students in these classes, they have been touched by the programs. They come in large numbers, and they're always open-minded to learn. No one is forced to be here. Everyone wants to be here. It is a testament of the quality of the programs and the dedicated instructors who teach them.

[02:13:38] We often think to ourselves, what would have happened if I could have done this in the past? Well, these children are getting these opportunities. They are learning new languages. They are learning new skills. They are learning how to be better people here. I have seen firsthand the positive impact that InMed has had on individuals and the community as a whole.

[02:13:56] It brings people of all ages and backgrounds together, providing opportunities for personal growth and development. I know you have heard the children talking. I know you have heard them babbling before. And I want you all to know that if INMED is closed, that the doors that are filled with opportunities will be closed shut because your support holds the key.

[02:14:16] I am here to implore you to reconsider the importance of INMED and the vital role it plays in the community. I am standing here along with these people and perhaps those who were not able to come. As you hear our stories, I want you all to remember that they are not the only ones that exist.

[02:14:33] And if it is allowed, more will come. Thank you. Stay there. Stay there. Come back, come back, come back. Tell me your name again. My name is Marie. How old are you? I'm 18 years old. How old? 18.

[02:14:49] I have seen a lot of people speak in this room. You are an excellent public speaker. Thank you. That doesn't mean nothing that you, that doesn't mean anything about this boat. Sorry. But I need you to know you are an excellent public speaker. Thank you.

[02:15:04] Thank you. I think it's Michelin Lewis followed by Allison Truciela. Good evening. Good evening. Thanks for allowing me to speak, board directors. My name is McCole Lewis. I'm a single mom. In 2017, I moved to VOA shelter as a recovering addict with three-year-old twin boys. I enrolled in NMED's Homeless Prevention Program, and that program actually had become the base of my regaining my stability. It taught me a lot of wonderful things in reference to

[02:15:41] re-establishing my income, getting employment, and my case manager is actually here today. Her name is Jester, and she played a big part in my life. And NMED itself has now become part of my family.

[02:15:57] I've graduated from that program a few years back, and I've actually become a mentor and spoke at quite a few of their functions. I stand here today amazed at these kids and amazed at the wonderful work that they, I I mean, that young lady brought tears to my eyes, amazed at the work that that center has done.

[02:16:18] Now I am an affordable housing homeowner, and I, you know, put IMED as part of the reason that I was able to accomplish that. So here I am now, disabled, and going through a lot of changes. And once again, I'm back to IMED to help with services and guidance.

[02:16:36] So if those doors are closed, it's not only closed for children, but also closed for single moms that get food, any kind of other assistance with rental or maybe even utility services and things of that nature. So I would ask that if possible, and I don't know if this is something that you guys do, come down to that center and actually see the people and the person that they affect in person.

[02:17:00] Because if these kids speak like that here in a forum, imagine how they are if they're in a center in their own environment. Thank you. Thank you. Allison Lucitella, followed by Walter Music, followed by Michaela Malaspina.

[02:17:24] Good evening. Good evening. My name is Allison Racitella. I am the Director of Development for Mobile Hope. I have a master's in social work and held a clinical license for many years. Grant making is investing. We all want the most efficient process to yield the best return.

[02:17:43] This is why I am here. A 59 and a 92. Same application, same rubric, two CDBG reviewers. One scored our application a 59, the other a 92. Does this concern you? Best practices indicate that this disparity should be addressed prior to moving forward with funding recommendations.

[02:18:06] This did not happen. These scores were accepted and averaged into the total score. With this process in place, how many deserving nonprofits were denied funding? I ask you, can something be both poor and exceptional at the same time? Supervisor Turner, along with several others, spoke eloquently about this process from the dais a few months ago, the first time this was addressed.

[02:18:30] Additionally, staff assigned our project a matrix code of cleanup of a contaminated site. This had no connection to the application we submitted. In addition, one reviewer erroneously referred to us as another nonprofit in comments.

[02:18:47] What is a training process for volunteer reviewers? Is their performance reviewed? And have you all considered hiring professional grant reviewers? Furthermore, on page six of the CDBG grant fact sheet, it states, the review committee meets with eligible applicants discuss funding requests do you have any concerns that this did not in fact occur would hud have any concerns i urge each of you to look behind the curtain to understand that the processes that lead

[02:19:22] to these recommendations may differ from what you envision that there is ample room to improve transparency and equity in this process historically it has been made abundantly clear that all grant money needed to be expended during the grant period. It seems hundreds of thousands are being carried over from last year. Have these rules changed? Hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars were spent by nonprofits to compete for CDBG funding. One of the three awards recommended by staff, CDBG funding recommendations on April 1st was $800,000, which promised to help four

[02:20:01] people. I ask you to consider, is this process working? Thank you. Thank you. Walter Music, followed by Michaela Malaspina, followed by Carolina Vesquez. Good evening. Good evening.

[02:20:23] My name is Walter Music, and I'm the owner of CertaPro Painters of Loudoun that happens to be in Supervisor Sainz District. CertaPro is a community painter partner of NMED, and we support the work of InMed's Opportunity Center. I am here to urge you to provide funding for InMed's Opportunity Center, which supports your affordable housing strategy for the following reasons.

[02:20:46] The InMed Opportunity Center delivers vital homelessness prevention services and resources to the low-income communities of Loudoun. These services are a key component for making it possible for those living in affordable housing to stay in affordable housing. The InMed Opportunity Center has provided emergency rental assistance to extremely low-income households at imminent risk of homelessness. The NMED Opportunity Center provides a free family resource center, which includes food, clothing, diapers, and other necessities for low-income families.

[02:21:23] The NMED Opportunity Center is a free education center. It has classes in financial literacy, budgeting, and home ownership courses, academic enrichment, and mental health support for children, as well as child abuse prevention for at-risk parents and workforce skills for under and unemployed individuals.

[02:21:43] In addition to that, there are 60 local nonprofits and county agencies that rely on the NMED Opportunity Center to deliver their resources and services to hard-to-reach, low-income families. NMED leverages each CDBG dollar to bring in nearly five times more than that.

[02:22:02] This equates to millions of dollars in complementary funds for the benefit of Loudoun residents. In addition, the NMED Opportunity Center serves as a satellite food pantry for Loudoun Hunger Relief. Last year, they distributed 12,170 food parcels.

[02:22:21] For these reasons, the NMED Opportunity Center deserves your capital funding. It's the right thing to do for Loudoun County and Loudoun County citizens. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Music. Mela Espina, followed by Carolina Vasquez, followed by Gusell, I think, Garcia. Good evening.

[02:22:48] Good evening. My name is Micaela. I'm 14 years old, and I've come here today to talk about all of the amazing things that have happened because of IMID. Not only have I begun acting and doing painting, and also trying out 3D printing. Stuff that I didn't even know whether I would like or not. I got opportunities that it would be impossible to get without this program. I know that all the

[02:23:27] people behind me are thinking the same thing. That without E-Med, we wouldn't get experiences like that. And that everything that we get, it's a gift. And I'm so glad for everything. And if you're shutting this place down. Sorry, I get emotional. Take your time. You're doing just fine. That shutting this place down means turning down every single thing that we could have. Opportunities

[02:24:03] that we could have. Future kids that want to come here. Taking away those opportunities, I couldn't imagine it. I was supposed to read this, but what I'm saying right now, it's speaking from the heart. I hope that you guys know that. God dang it. So if you guys could open the EMED doors again, that would be amazing. Thank you. Good job. Very good job. Thank you.

[02:24:40] Carolina Vasquez followed by little miss Buselia Garcia, who is eight years old. Good evening. Buenas tardes. Mi nombre es Elma Velásquez. Soy mamá de cuatro niñas, tres de las cuales participan en el programa de INMED desde hace un año.

[02:25:03] Y desde ese entonces he podido ver cómo ellas han podido superarse en su desarrollo académico y emocional, ya que han podido superar sus problemas en lectura y escritura con ayuda que han recibido de las maestras y de los voluntarios que se encuentran en INMED.

[02:25:20] Debido a que yo no puedo ayudarles mucho, ya que el idioma se me dificulta un poco. Además, les han ayudado en su desarrollo emocional, ayudándoles con su autoestima. INMED ayuda a familias completas a superar dificultades psicológicas, alimentarias, y escolares.

[02:25:40] Sería una gran pérdida que el programa de INMED cerrara sus puertas. Confío en que ustedes ayudarán a que esto no suceda. Muchas gracias. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Delma Velasquez, and I'm the mother of four girls, three of which have participated in the programs of InMed since last year.

[02:26:02] And I, and I've been so, I have received so much help on their behalf from the, the, and their, their development, their academic development, their emotional, and they have, they have, they've made some incredible progress in their reading, writing, and their self-esteem.

[02:26:33] And I cannot, let's see, I cannot, oh, yeah, it's hard for me to speak the English language. So for this reason, I'm very grateful for the help that I have received with my children's work. And so the emotional development, I've seen them make great progress overcoming emotional difficulties.

[02:27:02] And it would be a shame, a great loss if the program of InMed were to shut its doors. And I'm hoping that you will all help to see that this not happened. Thank you. We have one more speaker.

[02:27:18] And after that, we are going to take some votes right now. And so we might as well just hang out and watch the discussion on this item. Our last speaker is Guselli, I think, Garcia. She's eight years old, it says. Are you here? She's not here.

[02:27:35] Okay. Then that was our last speaker. Supervisors, I want to make a couple motions. So, Mr. Hall, if I understood you correctly, what you said is that the block grant, this has to go forward by 12 midnight on the 16th.

[02:27:57] Is that correct? Yes. Okay. 16th of June. Of May. Of May. Okay. Then I'm going to make a motion to suspend the rules.

[02:28:13] Motion to suspend the rules has been made in second. Discussion on the motion to suspend. I will have another, after we have this discussion, after we have the motion to suspend, I'll make the motion for the item and then I can have some discussions about what's happening in the room tonight on the motion for the item.

[02:28:31] But because we're so close to the deadline, I do not want to, I don't want to chance anything happening between now and when this and when they are due. So, motion is made. And seconded by Mr. Sains. Anybody else? I'm able to say aye. Any opposed?

[02:28:46] that motion passed 801. Mr. Turner has left the dais. I move the Board of Supervisors to approve the Community Development Block Grant fiscal year 2024 annual action plan provided in attachment 1 to the May 10th, 2023 Board of Supervisors public hearing staff report. Motion is made and second by Mr. Sains. Okay so I'm about to have a I'm about to have some really a hard discussion and I'm about to have a hard discussion. This night was both very heartening and very frustrating.

[02:29:19] There is not a nonprofit that we are dealing with that is not worthy to receive money. The reason the supervisors, for the most part, took ourselves out of this process and made this process a grant process that the staff ran was because at some point we are choosing winners and losers.

[02:29:44] And, you know, if somebody could reach a supervisor for their nonprofit, that nonprofit probably was the one that would get funded. And that's not the way that we should do this. This is a completely subjective process, and that is as it should be.

[02:30:01] No matter what deals people think they made, this is a year-to-year-to-year-to-year grant. And so there's no guarantee that you're going to get this money. and you should not program the money for especially your rent from a grant process that you do not know if you're going to get.

[02:30:17] That is not a wise thing to do. NMED is an incredibly important nonprofit. I have been there more than once. There was nothing that was said tonight that was not true. But there's not a nonprofit.

[02:30:33] There's not an incredibly important nonprofit. And if we take from one to give to the other, that is robbing Peter to pay Paul. And we should not do that, and I will not do that. I support our grant process, and we're not closing the doors.

[02:30:51] We are following the process that everyone has equal opportunity to have, everyone. And so I hear the emotion, I hear the pain, I hear the importance, I hear the hurt.

[02:31:09] But what I need you all to hear from me, from the county chair, is that I am deeply involved and aware of all of our nonprofits. And I did not see one on this list that is more deserving than the other. They are all deserving, which is why we try to not have an, why we try to have a subjective process, I'm sorry, objective, thank you, objective process that keeps out relationships.

[02:31:37] There are people who came and spoke that I know, that I care about. I am not supposed to make decisions because I know you and care about you. I am not. And so we're trying to have an objective process for that reason. For whatever reason, the application process for NMET this time for this category didn't go well.

[02:31:58] It is important for staff and NMET to sit down and figure out what happened. But it is not appropriate for the supervisors to jump over other nonprofits to give NMET money when they did not qualify this time.

[02:32:15] It is just not appropriate to do that. And it is hard to sit here and say this because with this room and sea of green looking at me, what I want to say is absolutely will give you every penny you ask for. That would be easy to say. It would also be a lie.

[02:32:32] And I won't sit here and lie to you. I absolutely will not do that. So I will talk in my closing comments about whether or not in June, through the capital process, money can be had. But I want you to know that if money is available in June, it is not because of what was said tonight, it's because of what Mr. Hall already explained.

[02:32:57] Because I don't want you to come believe that because you all came tonight, no matter how amazing you are, no matter how amazing the program is, no matter how impactful you were, I would not change my mind simply because of what you said tonight, because I would not take money from one nonprofit and give it to another nonprofit.

[02:33:18] That is not the right thing for me to do. It's not how I should handle things. I won't do that. I shouldn't do that. I will not do that. But we will talk about the other possibility when I close. Ms. Brooksman.

[02:33:35] Thank you, Madam Chair, if I might ask staff a question or two. In the capital applications, NMED did not get a score. Is that because they could not qualify because they had left money on the table?

[02:33:52] I'm looking at attachment three. So on attachment three, their score is misplaced in the column to the left, so they scored 75.4. Oh, they scored a 75.4. Okay. Okay. Well, that kind of answers my second question, because I was afraid if they were disqualified for this process, they might be disqualified for the RFP affordable housing process.

[02:34:15] No, they were not disqualified. Okay. So my second question is, the services that NMED provides is not directly always or 100% related to affordable housing. So are you certain that they will be able to apply in that RFP process?

[02:34:36] have a chance to qualify. The category is kind of a catch-all. So we have it currently entitled Capital. I just added a dash affordable housing to it. So it would be eligible CDBG eligible projects where we have a high priority funding activity. Okay. Presumant to our consolidated plan. Okay. And to your knowledge, will they be able to apply for that and potentially receive funds in time in that process to make sure the doors do not close? So first, my first response is

[02:35:12] all of our grants are reimbursable, so we don't pay up front. And this current fiscal year's grant were subject to when the federal government passed their budget or continuing resolution, and when we received our actual grant from the federal government. So we didn't receive our grant for this current fiscal year that started July 1st of last year. We didn't receive our grants until november okay so applicants are it's it's acknowledging the application that grantees and applicants should not expect to receive funding until august or september approximately

[02:35:49] okay this current fiscal year was even much later i'm kind of hearing a yes though because it's reimbursable right okay thank you um ms lassiter smith you should be extremely proud and i am extremely proud of your programming, just hearing what I heard tonight. I am extremely thankful for the work that InMed is doing. I would be distressed if InMed closes its doors because not only because

[02:36:21] of the great work you do, but also because of your location in the county, because you serve a certain demographic in a certain location where it's very, very much needed and would be sorely missed so I'm hoping that we can get it straightened out thank you madam chair thank you miss um stuff thank you madam chair I I would agree with what supervisor Brisbane said but primarily I just want to say that the chair gave a

[02:36:55] very difficult speech I know how difficult that was for her but I will absolutely support her position on this. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Kirshner. Thank you, Madam Chair, and I want to first of all thank everyone for coming. I'm not easily impressed, I don't think.

[02:37:17] Everyone that spoke, I was very impressed with the words you had to say, the passion with what you had to say, and very impressed with much of the organization, and I love our non-profit grant programs where we are able to help. One, because I think non-profits actually provide a better service, and especially in most of the situation, including those who spoke today and the organizations who have applied, provide a better service than government can. And so some may disagree with me on that, but I just think it's so much better. I mean, some of the things, some of the examples that were given today is just case in point. Always the concern I have

[02:37:54] though, and I think we heard some of that tonight through some of the speakers, is nonprofits becoming too dependent on these grant programs. And that always concerns me because I don't ever want that to happen and we have objectively tried to take ourselves out of this process which I think is the right thing to do and make it a more competitive process but then we run into situations like we're kind of running into tonight and that that grieves me because I don't know how what the solution or the answer is and I do support the motion made by the chair I the one thing that did bother me and Mr. Turner brought it up before and that was the speaker for mobile hope and how we have two

[02:38:31] significantly different in the previous application process a two significantly different scores that may be something I wouldn't want to talk to staff offline on a little bit more I haven't had an opportunity to do that before but that certainly is of concern for me so I want to first of all thank everyone for coming out and kind of express my my thoughts on the process one I love supporting our nonprofits I think they play a major role in our community which is obvious tonight I always want to hope that there are nonprofits do not become dependent but we are more partners in helping them through this process and a

[02:39:08] little bit of what I heard tonight I am concerned that maybe they we are that doesn't we should not stop this nonprofit process and in distribution through number of different grants and venues that we have and I hope that the organizations that spoke tonight who maybe were not recipients of this particular grant will not lose heart but will continue and and I hope that maybe we can provide a broader scope on this and and providing more organizations assistance one so that we don't they don't become dependent on but two that we can also spread the funds that are available thank you madam chair thank

[02:39:44] you mr. Sainz yep thank you madam chair I'll just quickly say even though we don't have four comments tonight but I'll just use the time now to say thank you to everybody that came out to the spoke you're passionate you spoke about what you're seeing at the center how it's improved your your life or your family or your friends so we appreciate sharing your stories and that definitely does a great job and I'm going to speak positive I know the doors will not close no matter how this vote goes because it does a great job and there's a lot of people out there that care about in men and I'm sure the staff will do what they

[02:40:22] need to do to circle the wagons and and get the funding that's needed to to continue to do the great work that they do in the Sterling community every single day. And I definitely have been to EMED a few times over the years and seen firsthand the work that is being done, and it's great work.

[02:40:41] And so despite the bump that we have right now on the road, I know EMED will overcome it and come out of this bigger and better and better for it. So the doors will not be closing. So we need to stop using that language because I know it's not going anywhere.

[02:40:59] But things will be reworked out and we'll be moving on. And I agree with everything Chairman Randall said in our opening. This is definitely a difficult process that we have to go through because we don't want to pick this, pick that over, or this one in the process.

[02:41:22] and don't want to go back to a process where the supervisors are sitting here advocating for, oh, this is my nonprofit in my district, so I'm going to vote this way. And somebody else is going to, oh, this is my profit in my district, so I'm going to vote that way and everything, because we'll be here all night and then some trying to figure things out.

[02:41:38] So we will obviously keep working on the process that we have. And if there's improvements to make, we'll talk to staff and see what can be done. But I think this is the right thing to do. And like I said, I know the doors will not close. Inmed will continue doing the great services that they're doing in the Sterling community.

[02:41:56] So thank you. I do want to thank everybody that came out and spoke, especially the young people. You were amazing and powerful, and I appreciate you very much. I don't think that doors or inmates are going to close either because I think there's a different pot of money that may be available, and I'm going to ask about that in a second.

[02:42:17] But I think our nonprofits are a force multiplier. We couldn't, we wouldn't be who we were without our nonprofits. We just wouldn't. And I am very, very proud.

[02:42:33] One of the proudest things I've done since I've been chair is to work so closely with the nonprofits and help the process alone. Having said that, I don't think it clearly is not a perfect process. Clearly there's things that need to be addressed when the disparities between two people who are judging is that large.

[02:42:49] And I think that's a fair statement and one that I will follow up on. I think we just keep tweaking this process until we get it as right as possible for as many nonprofits as possible. And it's much better than it was, but it's not where it could be yet, and that is the goal.

[02:43:08] I do need to go back one more time, Mr. Hall, and I am so sorry because clearly it is just me that is not getting this. I truly apologize. What I don't understand, and I'm going to try to ask as clearly as possible, if we're opening up this process again, if we're going to have public hearing again and all those things, why are we convinced that it will be in that?

[02:43:34] And I'm only asking that because I don't want people walking out of here hearing, oh, in June we're going to get this money. If that's not, I don't want to give false hope, right? I mean, again, hard truths are hard, but you need to give them and not hard.

[02:43:50] False hope is actually cruel to me. So I want to make sure that we're saying the same thing, because if I were them, what I would hear you saying is in June, in meds getting this money, if you're not saying that absolute, please tell me what you are saying so that everyone knows.

[02:44:12] Okay, Trevor, if you don't mind, if I could have Ms. Powell speak for the great work that she's been doing since she started with us, and it'll probably, with her saying it, it'll probably make sense. Okay. You can have an additional backdrop.

[02:44:29] Ms. Powell, thank you. Good evening, Ms. Randall. I have, since I've been here, I've been looking at funding and expenses. I've gone back and looked at old activities where there is money still sitting and trying to see if there's going to be any more expending.

[02:44:48] So I have found one activity that money is still there. There will be no more activities for that, and those funds will expire June 2024. If they expire, then HUD takes that money from us, and we can't use it at all. So I have identified money that we can offer to NMED for their long-term lease because a long-term lease does fall under the CDBG guidelines.

[02:45:19] Can offer to NMED is not the same thing as the money will. I just need it. The money is there. You can say the money is there to get to NMED. And there were only three capital projects that applied. Okay. And so there isn't another.

[02:45:34] NMED was the only one that didn't get it. Correct. Okay. All right. All right. Okay. All right. That is clearer. But not the full amount. It is the remainder amount. It's the money for the actual long-term lease, which is $142,500.

[02:45:52] Okay. Thank you. Supervisors, I made the motion. Mr. Sain seconded the motion. All in favor, please say aye. Opposed? Abstaining? Okay.

[02:46:10] That motion will pass, 801. Thank you very much, staff. We appreciate it. Thank you, everyone, who came out to speak today. You all should be doing some jazz hands up there. Jazz hands yourselves. Thank you, everybody. Supervisors, we are adjourned.

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