Blog: Holmes appointed after finalists interviewed

Below are the live blog notes from the Feb. 2 city council meeting in which five finalists for the vacated city council seat were interviewed in open session. Council then went into closed session and returned a little over an hour later and voted on who to appoint to the open seat.

8:53 p.m.

Council reconvened at 8:51 p.m.

Terry Holmes was appointed to the vacant seat on city council by a 6-0 vote.

The meeting was then adjourned.

7:35 p.m.

Public comment is adjourned at 7:35 p.m. The council moves to a closed session.

7:34 p.m.

Douglas Payton said he was torn. He thinks Terry Holmes would do a good job. "In the long term, I think Mr. Venable would be a good choice for the future."

7:32 p.m.

Barbara Lee said, "My vote certainly goes to Ken Venable, who shows us what leadership means." She said, "He took a lot of heat, and when you can take heat from Staunton, you've done a good job."

7:31 p.m.

Sheila Ahmadi said that Ken Venable has been good for the city. She said he "has shown his leadership, his dedication to the community." She also highly recommends Adam Campbell for his work in the community and his critical thinking.

7:27 p.m.

The next speaker, Tracy from Middlebrook Avenue, was "also impressed with Adam Campbell."

"Someone who's principled, honest, respectful of others," is what the next speaker, Roseanne, wanted. She thanked the council for "the new tone" and sense of humor. "You all make Staunton better, one decision at a time," she told the council.

7:25 p.m.

Lisa Hatter says "Each candidate does bring valuable skills and experiences." She supports Wilson Fauber. "He has vision for more than just the immediate future. I've also found him to be a very kind, patient man who has a heart for service."

7:22 p.m.

Jordan Zipser supported both Campbell and Venable.

Brenda Mead also supports Adam Campbell. "He brings a broader perspective to Staunton. He understands truly what a gem Staunton is."

7:20 p.m.

"That individual impressed me." That individual was Adam Campbell. He'd be "the luckiest draw you ever got," said the second speaker.

7:18 p.m.

Pamela Mason Wagner suggests a "future-looking" person for the position, and suggests Adam Campbell for the seat.

7:15 p.m.

Public comment has started. Zoom participants can "raise hands" and have a chance to speak.

7:04 p.m.

Campbell sitting among the crowd, as the rest of the finalists have done.

In general, the atmosphere is cordial, a tad gossipy, at times hushed. Everyone is talking very softly, lots of jokes and smiles around the room, but one can definitely see some glances around the room and at candidates.

Who's got the edge with the six council members?

6:46 p.m.

"I'm here for the long haul," says Campbell. And the last interview ends. On break until 7:15 p.m., when the comment period starts.

6:45 p.m.

"I have quite the support team," Campbell says, about how his family on both sides has moved to the city, which would enable him to commit the time to the role.

"Communities that invest in themselves are attractive and desirable to businesses," he says. He thinks the city's done a great job, and mentions the West End and Uniontown, saying they need to be improved, and that there are new opportunities the city has not taken advantage of yet in terms of community block grants and other grants to help the city.

He also says we need to have more investment on our existing businesses, not just Staunton Crossing.

6:40 p.m.

"I feel like I'd be able to step right in, with a minimal learning curve," Campbell says, based on his work experience. He's been on the planning commission, and he believes he can work well with the people in local government.

He elicited a laugh when talking about when he finally moved into a house across the street from his church. He was roped into the facilities team and shovels the snow out front of the church now.

6:37 p.m.

Campbell says "problem solving and critical thinking" are his strengths. He talks about the opportunity to "lead and collaborate" as he does with VDOT. "I think this is where I really stand out."

"It's the small town where you can make the biggest difference," says Campbell. He wants to serve and lead to help the city.

6:35 p.m.

"I really just want to do my part," Campbell says. He and his wife moved to Staunton, fell in love with the city, decided to raise their children here. "We can't see ourselves living anywhere else."

6:30 p.m.

And here is Adam Campbell.

6:27 p.m.

Adam Campbell will be the last of the finalists to be interviewed, at 6:30.

6:20 p.m.

"I want to serve this year. I want to serve next year." Fauber is "fully prepared" to run again for a full term.

"I can be here at 9:00 in the morning, and I can be here late at night," Fauber says in response to the work commitment. He says city council will have to focus on housing as the city grows. "I want housing to be comfortable, I want it to be safe," he says.

He is concerned about potential growth in Staunton from the Staunton Crossing project, and how that can impact housing stock. Staunton already faces a housing shortage according to Fauber, and he sees opportunities.

6:13 p.m.

Fauber talked about "stepping up" when the Statler Brothers stepped away from the Fourth of July celebration.

Fauber has served in local churches with his wife for four decades.

He has experience in real estate and retail, and believes his intimate knowledge of Staunton's businesses can help him connect city council to the residents. A former vice chair of the EDA, he's very excited about Staunton Crossing and wants to be involved.

6:10 p.m.

Fauber believes his knowledge of Staunton is his number one skill he would bring to the job. He says he started to work at age 10 and learned valuable skills and also about the city. "I think the history of that helps me a lot."

"I'm very tenacious," he says. He likes to see projects through.

6:03 p.m.

Fauber says he enjoys "working with people and understanding that people have different views."

He says his love of Staunton is why he wanted to apply, and he has a strong desire to help make a difference.

5:53 p.m.

Like Venable and Holmes, Butler joins the crowd and talks to people during the break.

Next up at 6:00 p.m. is Wilson Fauber.

5:50 p.m.

Butler suggests lowering taxes for businesses in answer to what idea he'd bring to council. The interview ends on time.

5:45 p.m.

Butler talks about how VRBOs (vacation rentals by owner) are bad for the city's neighborhoods. He is against short-term rentals in the community as more and more people move into the area and buy property.

5:43 p.m.

He says mediation is his number one skill and what he'll bring to city council.

"I've kept my head and have done honorable things." He was referring to his time in the military. He does not think council will be so stressful. "Hell, man. I've been shot up, I've been shot at, I've been shot down." He calls Staunton "a place of peace."

5:37 p.m.

"I'm at the point of my life where I can actually give back," Butler says. He as had experience in law and military, but at 55, believes it's time to move on and start a new chapter.

He calls the AC courthouse moving out of Staunton a shame.

Butler, invited to take his time, has probably spent more time going over issues like the courthouse and Staunton Crossing, than the first two interviewees. He says that Staunton will grow.

"We may not like the way it will grow, but it will grow." He says it's important to help monitor the growth.

5:30 p.m.

Graham Butler makes the rounds shaking hands with the council members.

5:28 p.m.

Reporter Akhil Ganesh, who is at the meeting, says the mood is very casual. He's seen council members Edwards, Woods, and Arrowood talking to people in the crowd, lots of discussion amongst the audience themselves.

Holmes and Venable have joined the audience after their respective interviews.

5:25 p.m.

The first two interviews were: quick, friendly, and informal. Both Venable and Holmes are well-known to the council.

Graham Butler is scheduled for 5:30.

5:19 p.m.

Holmes mentioned he would not seek election in November, and would fill the vacant seat to help things operate smoothly until then.

5:15 p.m.

Some more notes about what Holmes said during his interview:

On top of having just come off of council, Holmes thinks his experience as a business owner in the community has kept him connected to the community and its concerns.

He's been through multiple periods of economic downturn in the city, and he feels he understands how to help the city through those times.

One goal he wants to see done soon is handling the juvenile courts facility in Staunton. He pointed out the fact that the city doesn't have a lot of buying or borrowing power right now, so how they handle the courts will be an important issue they have to address quickly.

5:10 p.m.

Holmes is done with his interview. On top of having just come off of council, Holmes thinks his experience as a business owner in the community has kept him connected to the community and its concerns.

5:00 p.m.

Terry Holmes is now seated for his interview. The former councilman jokes, "I thought you all couldn't get along without me."

4:59 p.m.

The meeting's almost started up again. People are checking their watches . . .

4:56 p.m.

The first interview started early, and took about 15 minutes. If the rest go like this, we may see more of these breaks of more than 10 minutes. (But maybe we just jinxed that.)

4:42 p.m.

People continue to trickle into council chambers for the interviews, but we're still pretty much at a crowd of less than 20.

4:35 p.m.

With the first interview done, the meeting is in a break until the next scheduled applicant, Terry Holmes, arrives. His interview is set for 5 p.m.

4:31 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

"Education is the key to the future of the city and the United States." Venable believes his background is there, and his connections through various boards with other leaders, including the city's representatives in Richmond, will be of great help.

4:27 p.m.

Venable believes his past in the corporate world will help him with thinking about things from different angles and he believes in his ability for budget analysis.

4:21 p.m.

The council gets started ahead of schedule with Kenneth Venable, who has served as chair of the School Board.

4:15 p.m.

Despite the gravity of the night, it’s a sparsely attended meeting. Maybe ten people in the audience to take in the interviews.

*

The city lists the following schedule for the interviews:

4:30 p.m. - Kenneth Venable

5:00 p.m. - Terry Holmes

5:30 p.m. - Graham Butler

6:00 p.m. - Wilson Fauber

6:30 p.m. - Adam Campbell

Each applicant will be asked six questions, with about 2-3 minutes to answer each question. Then there will be a short break of 10 minutes between each interview.

After the interviews there will be time for public comment. Speakers will be limited to 2 minutes.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: LIVE blog: Staunton city council interviews final applicants for vacant seat