Turning recent to the property tax, business owners, and a little more aware of their surroundings.

Open to the public, the meetings are designed to allow any and all members of the community to raise issues and discuss potential solutions to problems associated with the Town's growth and development, including traffic flow, building restrictions, environmental protection, and other planning considerations.

Workshops are currently scheduled for Monday, April 27, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at Middleburg Town Hall; for Wednesday, April 29, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Middleburg Community Center; and for Saturday, May 2, from 10:00 AM until noon, at Levis Hill House.

Other sections of town will be explored in later sessions.

A Busy Spring for Middleburg Police

Crime of any sort is rare in Middleburg, but in March, a major multi-agency police action and a rare flurry of business-district break-ins, put Chief Steve Webber and the Middleburg Police Department to the test.

Nearly two full companies of state and county law enforcement officers, complete with roadblocks, drug-sniffing dogs and air support, converged on the Middleburg Equine Training Center in an early March, 3:30 AM raid. Four men were charged with cocaine possession, with intent to distribute. Related searches and arrests were also made in Clark and Fauquier Counties, the result of an on-going, nearly year-long investigation.

In mid March a burglar or burglars broke into seven downtown businesses early on a Sunday morning, hitting Middleburg Auto Parts, the Back Street Cafe, Dank's Deli, Creme de la Creme, Teddy's Pizza and Subs, the Fun Shop and the Tack Box.

Chief Webber had high praise for the hard work and ongoing support provided to Middleburg by the men and women of Loudoun County Sheriff Steve Simpson's department. "They're doing outstanding work in an on-going investigation involving an extremely unusual number of crime scenes," he noted.

Adding that the most important "eyes and ears" for both departments are local businesspeople and citizens, Webber pointed out, that "Things like this happen much more often when times are tough. In a town like Middleburg, where such things are so rare, it thus becomes especially important for everyone to become a little more aware of their surroundings," he continued.

An early March assault in a barn near Atoka Chase, and a rash of violent crimes in the more densely populated eastern areas of the county, have driven home the point.

New Rules

At its regular March meeting Council unanimously adopted a much-debated series of new rules governing formal procedure and citizen participation in sessions of Town Council.

The new regulations require, among other things, that "Every petition, communication, or address to the Council shall be in respectful language, and is encouraged to be in writing."

Formal "Public Comments" are limited to three minutes per individual and five minutes for a group, and are restricted to the "purpose of allowing members of the public to present any Town business related matter, which, in their opinion, deserves the attention of the Council."

Such comments "shall not serve as a forum for debate with the Council" nor shall they be addressed to "staff, the audience or the media."

Comments are also required to "be in respectful language" and are "encouraged to be in writing." No "profanity, or vulgar language, or gestures" are allowed.

"Non-germane or frivolous statements" are banned, as are "disruptive" behaviors, "including, but not limited to applause, cheers, jeers, etc."

Members of the public are also forbidden to "address the council on issues that do not concern the services, policies, or affairs of the Town."

Council members, in turn, are forbidden to "discuss issues raised by the public, except by consent of the presiding officer, at the conclusion of the [formal] Public Comment section" of Council meetings.

Billy Leach

Council unanimously agreed to investigate an appropriate way to fund and install a bench or other memorial, in a prominent and public place, to honor the late William ("Billy") Leach, former Town Council Member, Town Manager, Loudoun County Supervisor, veteran, fireman, proprietor of Middleburg Hardware, and, by all accounts, a living Middleburg institution.