The projected fall opening of Salamander Resort and Spa continues to shape Town Council discussion, projections for maintaining and shaping the future "look and feel" of the Town of Middleburg, taxes and fees, police work, water use, and plans for promoting the Town and managing its economic development.

Council and Town Administrator Martha Semmes continue to work on the Town Budget for FY'14 using careful but very conservative projections of increased tax, fee, water and sewer revenues from the new Resort and Spa operations.

The impact of the opening on traffic, both on the streets and through the town's existing businesses remains a matter of hope, concern and educated guessing, some of it highly sophisticated.

The police department is staffing up. Town staff is moving people and furniture around to optimize the use of both space and staff time.

Working committees are being restructured, revitalized, and better coordinated.

The town will change fundamentally and forever in less than half a year and everyone in town government seems actively engaged in making sure that the experience will be not only positive, but as trouble free as possible.

**Landlords, Storefronts & New Business Recruitment**

At Town Council's March 28 Work Session Councilmember Kevin Hazard reiterated that Middleburg was about to experience "an enormous change that would bring in more money and an influx of people" while noting that, in his opinion they, "have not planned for it."

The Middleburg Business & Professional Association, Hazard said, had met with Middleburg landlords to discuss ideas for filling some of the empty rental space in town.

Town Council, he suggested, should become actively involved in the recruiting process. With the opening of Salamander, he noted, "Middleburg would have money coming in that it could use to help fill the empty spaces."

Hazard further suggested the Council empower Economic Development Coordinator Cindy Pearson to develop a list of businesses the town would like to see open in Middleburg and "go after them."

Mayor Betsy Davis observed that the Town has long planned to conduct "a survey of the residents to determine what they would like to see." Once that survey was done, she noted, the Town could then use the results to approach the owners of empty buildings, say "this is what would work well here" and ask them to bring in a business of that type.

Councilmember Bundles Murdock, noting that "she really cared about the landlords," recommended "they be told that they needed to bring their rental rates down." According to Murdock, "the landlords needed to be sent a message about the empty buildings."

Councilmember Kathy Jo Shea agreed in principle, but observed "that everything could not be put on them." If a landowner had a mortgage, Shea noted, he has no choice but to repay it. Creative ways to bring in businesses "with the cooperation of the landlords," she said, was the way to go.

Town Planner David Beniamino reminded Council that both the Federal Street and the Planning Commission's survey results mentioned rents. In his view, he said, the easiest way to make rents go down was to increase the supply of rentable buildings.

Town Administrator Semmes suggested that Genie Ford, of the MBPA and Chair of Visit Loudoun, brief the Council on what the MBPA was doing. She also noted that an ad-hoc committee was currently putting together information on economic development to support Town Council.

**Council Retreat**

Council is also hard at work recruiting a facilitator to help manage a June or July weekend "retreat" to shape priorities for Middleburg for the post-Salamander future.

One candidate, Tyler St. Clair of the Weldon Cooper Center, Shea reported, had indicated that her approach would be to conduct individual interviews with the members of Council and discuss the issues they raised during the course of a one-day retreat.

Shea also spoke, she said, with Mike Chandler of PlanVirginia; Chandler's rate for helping with the session would be $100/hour, she reported, for twenty-five to thirty hours of work.

St. Clair's rate was, according to Shea, "a little lower" and she would be willing to use a survey instrument, rather than face to face interviews, which would reduce her time.

Shea promised to provide Council with a more accurate projection of approaches and costs as soon as possible.

**Teaming Up**

Town Administrator Semmes has agreed in principle to provide support for Town Planner and Zoning Administrator David Beniamino as work in the Planning and Zoning office expands. Council approved the idea, noting that Semmes deep experience in those areas was both a rare and sometimes invaluable asset, especially in view of an expected increase in demand following the Salamander opening.

Town Planner Beniamino's Planning Department has already been moved to the second floor of the town offices to provide more space, as well as relief from interruptions, caused by the increasing amount of foot traffic passing through the Town's first floor of offices.

**Draft Utility Budget**

Town Administrator Semmes continues to project no increase in water rates for Fiscal Year 2014, though sewer rates would increase by roughly 10% overall.

Water and sewer revenues, however, are conservatively projected to rise to by roughly 27% in FY '14, "in part due to the new user fees and in part due to Salamander's use of the system."

Semmes observed that current projections called for Salamander to use roughly 31,500 gallons of water per day, an estimate based on information provided by Salamander's engineers.

She also noted that the Town would not really know the true level of water and sewer use by the resort and spa until Salamander was actually up and running, and that the Town would not realize the increased water revenues until November, assuming the Town completes a switch to bi-monthly billing in July.

Thus, Semmes noted, it would be "a while before the Town knew how much money it would get from Salamander in the coming year."

Councilmember Littleton noted that the overall water/sewer rate increase was only around 4.5%, not the worst given the quality of the services provided, and that the Town is still having to gradually replace infrastructure that, in some cases, had been in place since the 1940's.

Vice Mayor Darlene Kirk agreed, but noted that, sadly, periodic "brown water" caused by the regular flushing of the town's systems still led some residents in her part of town to bring in bottled water.

Mark Snyder reminded Council the town's brown water problem was not anywhere near as bad as it was ten years ago, and that the water, though discolored, is perfectly safe for drinking.

Mayor Davis reminded Council that utility customers could now pay their bills online and asked the Town Treasurer to be sure that notice of this option appeared on all the town's water and sewer bills.

Town Administrator Semmes reported that the Official Payments system would reduce the online bill paying fee from $7.95 to $3.95 once the Town shifted to bi-monthly billing.

**Real Estate Taxes**

Councilmember Bundles Murdock reminded Council "that the County's real estate assessors just came through town, and opined that the property owners could expect an increase in their assessments."

Town Administrator Semmes suggested that, if the Salamander opening went well, Council might actually consider reducing the Town's real estate tax rate next year.

**Middleburg School**

Councilmember Murdock reported that she had been approached by a neighbor who said the Middleburg Elementary School was "at risk again."

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, she noted, "did not approve the School Board's funding request, and was proposing that the School Board close all of the small schools."

Town Administrator Semmes confirmed the School Board had been instructed to cut some $16 million from its budget for the next fiscal year.

Mayor Davis reminded Council "that money was being raised for an endowment fund so the school could not be closed." The proposed endowment would be structured to cover the difference between available county funding and the cost of continuing to operate the school. The financial and administrative structures that would be required in that case, she noted, were still the subjects of ongoing discussion.

**The Pink Box**

Town Administrator Semmes reported that the Economic Development Coordinator was working with Visit Loudoun to get professional help to cover Thursdays through Sundays at the Pink Box.

Economic Development Coordinator Pearson reported that the Pink Box Advisory Committee had not met for years. She advised that she would get them together.

**Pay Raises**

Discussions continue about whether or not to raise the pay of Middleburg's Mayor and Town Council members.

The amounts currently under consideration are: $200/month/person for Council and $6,000 per annum for the Mayor. Though no final decision has been made, Council appears to be inclined to appropriate funds to cover the raises, but to wait until mid fiscal year before deciding whether or not to implement them.

**Library Expansion**

At the March 28 Work Session, Councilmember Snyder moved, seconded by Councilmember Murdock, that the Council approve a request from the Middleburg Library Advisory Board to waive the $500 site plan amendment fee associated with the expansion project.