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Discover Fauquier May 2018
14
If it weren't for Virginia's breathtaking pastoral
landscape, Loren Shetler and his wife Tanya
may never have founded
Capitol Sheds, a
storage solutions company that has thrived
here for 20 years. Before they ventured out on
their own as business owners, Loren worked
for a shed company in Pennsylvania. One
day, a delivery took him through the center of
Virginia to a spot south of Charlottesville. "I
thought, `Virginia must be the most beautiful
place there is,'" shares Loren. "I didn't even
check to see if there were any other shed
companies in the area--we found an empty
lot close to Charlottesville and started ours
in 1998. We love it here."
As it turned out, the Shetlers were
naturals at running a business. Their store
in Charlottesville quickly expanded to a
second location in Fredericksburg, a third in
Warrenton, and just three years ago, a fourth
store opened in Woodbridge. Loren believes
the main ingredient of his business' success
is its group of established employees.
"They're the foundation of our company," says
Loren. "We don't use subcontractors--we do
all the work ourselves, including delivery."
Loren says that committing to this level of
personalized service is what guarantees
a positive customer experience and sets
them apart from the competition.
Capitol Sheds offers a range of products
that enhance your property in the form of
sheds, play sets, gazebos, barns, and more.
Sheds and buildings can be customized in
a wide range of styles, sizes, materials, and
colors. Customers can even use a convenient
online program to design a personalized
shed from the comfort of their home, plus
custom buildings like pool houses, sunrooms,
and double-wide garages. This year, Capitol
Sheds has unveiled brand new garage
models that are sure to fit the needs of its
growing customer base. To learn more, call
(540) 317-1839.
~ Caitlin Scott
Capitol Sheds
Celebrates
20 Years in Business
FOCUS
ON BUSINESS
Loren Shetler
After learning about the Warrenton Mayor and Town
Council in the March issue, we continue our quest to
better understand the town's administrative facets by
hearing from Town Manager Brannon Godfrey about his
role in leading the town's various departments.
Town Manager
Mr. Godfrey has served in this capacity since October
2015, when he was appointed by the Town Council,
but his experience in local government administration
dates back nearly 30 years. Since 1989, he has served
as either an assistant or a full-fledged Town or City
Manager for Goldsboro, NC, Brandon, VT, and four other
municipalities in Virginia, including Emporia, Culpeper,
Winchester, and Portsmouth.
A native of Forest City, NC, Mr. Godfrey
notes that his path to local government
wasn't direct. "If you ask anyone in this
profession how they got into it, they
wouldn't have a quick answer," he says.
"More often than not, when I say I'm
a town manager, I'm asked what that
means!" After completing a pre-med
curriculum at the University of Virginia,
he changed tact, earning a Bachelor of
Arts in government and later a Master
of Public Administration degree from
the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill.
Having taken an interest in local
government during an internship
in a city manager's office and after
making a few contacts in the field, Mr.
Godfrey realized his future path. "This
is an accessible and actionable level
of government, where you can see tangible successes
following policies instituted by local officials," he says.
In his role as Town Manager, Mr. Godfrey serves as
the legislative liaison for the Town Council, develops
the Town's annual budget, prepares monthly agendas
and other communications for the Town Council's
use and consideration, and provides for effective
communication with other local, state, and federal
government agencies. In addition, he is responsible for
executing the policies set by the Town Council as well
as coordinating and delivering municipal services as
the chief administrative officer. These services include
Community Development, Economic Development,
Budget, Finance, Human Resources, Parks and
Recreation, Police, Public Works and Utilities, and the
Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company.
Mr. Godfrey notes that one of the benefits of government
work in a small municipality is managing fewer
departments and services than in a city or county. That's
not to say there isn't quite a bit to handle, however!
Let's take a closer look at the first area, Community
Development, which in addition to current and long-term
planning and code enforcement, includes providing staff
support to several appointed bodies:
Planning Commission
The Town Council appoints members to this seven-
person advisory group as well as provides a liaison
member. The group is charged with considering any
~ Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire
All Things WArrenTon, PArT 2:
meeT The ToWn mAnAger
issue that would affect short-term land use in Warrenton
(such as zoning changes and special use permits) as
well as long-term (2025 years) planning, based on the
Town's comprehensive plan, a document that looks at
growth areas and how they might be used, as well as
service levels the Town will provide in the long-term.
Prior to their regular meetings (held the third Tuesday of
each month at 7:00 p.m. at 18 Court Street), the planning
commission usually holds a work session (held the fourth
Tuesday of the month at the same time and location)
to consider one or more projects brought before them.
Eventually, a public hearing is held for people to speak
in favor of or against a project in question, followed by
an evaluation and recommendation to the Town Council,
which can confirm, amend, or deny the
recommendation.
Architectural Review Board (ARB)
In addition, the Town Council appoints
a five-person advisory group whose
members have specialized knowledge
and interest in history, historic
preservation, and/or architecture. This
group is tasked with preserving the
architectural integrity of the Town's
historic structures. Creation of this
group came on the heels of the Town's
1982 decision to designate a Historic
District as defined in the Code of
Virginia.
For people who want to make changes
to their property within the Historic
District, they need to obtain a certificate
of appropriateness. Sometimes this
can be settled with a quick call to
the planning office while other times the ARB needs
to approve it. Although this may seem burdensome,
going through such a process ensures that Warrenton
maintains its beautiful look and feel that has defined it
for so long. The ARB meets on the fourth Thursday of
each month at 7:00 p.m. at 18 Court Street.
Board of Zoning Appeals
Although the Town Council recommends individuals to
serve on this third advisory body, each person must be
ratified by the circuit court rather than directly appointed.
The board's purpose is to consider appeals made to
zoning change requests that have been denied. They
meet on an as-needed basis on the first Tuesday of the
month at 5:00 p.m. at 18 Court Street.
The Community Development department
encompasses a host of other responsibilities as well,
including the issuing of a broad variety of applications
and permits, including land development applications,
building, zoning, sign, municipal water, and land
disturbance permit applications, as well as certificates
of appropriateness (as mentioned above). Code
enforcement, building inspections, and more fall under
this busy department as well.
Intrigued? Tune in next month to learn about the efforts
of other hardworking departments that strive to provide
the best service to Warrenton residents.
Town Manager Brannon Godfrey