A Water Emergency declared during the October 11 regular monthly meeting of the Middleburg Town Council remains in effect until further notice.

Council unanimously declared a "Level B Water Emergency" for the Town, effectively prohibiting nearly all "outside" uses of municipal water. Restrictions became effective on Tuesday, October 16. Town officials say outside plants, rooted in the ground, may be watered, but only by using a container, such as a watering can.

The Town's wells remain in good shape, according to Town Administrator Jerry Schiro, but the unprecedented length of the current drought required precautionary action. Once completed, the water system for the Salamander Inn project will put additional water at the town's disposal, when three deep wells on the Salamander property are transferred to Town control. The Inn and Spa are expected to use only a quarter to a third of the flow from those wells.

For further advice on the water emergency, and specific rules for Middleburg, citizens are advised to call the Town Office at 540-687-5152.

Loudoun County Sanitation Authority

Over a single dissenting vote, cast by Council Member Karen Robinson, the Town also approved a one-year trial contract with the Loudoun County Sanitation Authority (LCSA) to run the town's water and sewer system. According to the contract, approved by the LCSA board on September 13, the County will take over the day-to-day operation and management of Middleburg's Water and Sewer system effective November 1, 2007. Both Middleburg and the County retain the right to cancel the contract on 30-day's notice.

Town Administrator Jerry Schiro has long advised shifting responsibility for Middleburg's utilities to the larger, better-staffed, better-equipped, and more flexible County organization. The County is much better equipped to handle the sophisticated new top-of-the-line waste water treatment system that will soon come on line as part of the Salamander Inn project, Schiro noted. The economies of scale provided by the larger system, Schiro noted, will help stabilize water and sewer rates for Middleburg's residents and business community, he continued, as well as put otherwise unaffordable, round-the-clock resources at the Town's service.

Salaries for Middleburg's two utility system employees will continue to be paid by the Town during the trial run, and current employees will, in most if not all cases, continue to serve as the Town's first responders in water-system emergencies. The town currently budgets more than $600,000 per year to run its utilities. During the first year's trial, the town expects to reap the advantages of LCSA oversight, with little or no increase in cost to residential or business users.

Once the new Salamander water and sewer systems are built, Schiro noted, the Town's total annual operating costs will roughly double. The new $5,000,000 wastewater treatment facility, alone, will cost roughly $300,000 per year to run.

If the one-year trial works, the contract with LCSA will be renewed, and Middleburg's two utility system employees will become full time employees of LCSA. Council member Robinson opposed the measure, she said, because she was still uncertain what the arrangement with LCSA would mean, precisely, for long-term future of those employees. Town Administrator Jerry Schiro noted that Middleburg's current employees would be "assigned" to Middleburg during the one-year trial, and would probably be Middleburg's "first responders" if and when they became LCSA employees.

Salamander Open Space Easement

Council debated at length a motion to alter some of the open-space provisions of the Town's current agreement with Salamander Hospitality. In an effort to guarantee that open space on the Salamander property would remain "open," no matter who sat on Middleburg's Town Council in the future, open space easements were to be co-held by the Town and the non-profit Potomac Conservancy.

The Conservancy recently indicated that it would prefer NOT to co-own some of the easements, particularly those that would "cultivated" by Salamander, or parcels in the midst of housing or similarly developed areas, including Salamander's flower cutting gardens, or vegetable plots, or median strips. The town and future property-owner associations would thus control "ownership" of those easements jointly.

Council Member Mark Snyder was particularly concerned that the open space easements would thus be left "at risk." A "development-minded" Council, he noted, might well be able to eliminate open space in favor of enhancing real-estate tax revenues at some point in the future.

In order for Salamander to break ground for the new Inn and Spa, it is particularly important that easement ownership be set for roughly 190 acres on the far northern boundary of its property.

Town Attorney Liz Whiting is working with both Salamander and Potomac Conservancy legal teams to draft a new resolution for Council consideration at its last work session in October.

Pearson Position Official

In recognition of her excellent work as an "interim" appointee, the Town hired Cindy Pearson to fill the Economic Development Coordinator's position formerly held by Claudia Dornin.

Campaign Signs

Town Planner and Zoning Administrator David Beniamino reported several complaints from citizens and the Loudoun County Democratic Committee about political signs placed in the public right of way, in violation of Virginia Department of Transportation regulations. Though detailed regulations vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, in general such signs may be placed only on private property, only with the owner's consent, and never on VDOT right of way.

Town Treasury

With year-end audits already scheduled, the Town reported $1,548,191 on hand in its cash accounts as of the end of September.

Starlings

The Town's pesky murmuration of Starlings has apparently moved south, much to the relief of residents forbidden to wash their cars, siding and walkways during the current water emergency.