High on the agenda for the mid-March regular meeting of the Middleburg Town Council was high praise for all those who had kept the town running during the rain, wind, sleet and snow that marked the last three months.

Council thanked Maintenance Supervisor Marvin Simms, the Middleburg Police Department, and Town Staff for their many hours of work over and above the call of duty to keep the town working and safe.

Marshall/Madison Street Intersection Plans

Council discussed at length current plans for the comprehensive redesign of the three-way intersection at Madison Street, Marshall Street, and Foxcroft Road.

Arguably one of the most difficult and dangerous of Middleburg's intersections, the new plan incorporates new brick crosswalks for pedestrians as well as widened and rationalized lanes for automobile traffic.

Just east of Town Hall, the intersection will better serve not only significant numbers of vehicles headed for Middleburg's new Charter School, the Foxcroft Road entrance to Salamander, Foxcroft School and points west, but pedestrian traffic associated with the Charter School, Town Hall, businesses all around the intersection and visitors to the Town's visitor center at the "Pink Box."

Current plans call for the intersection to be complete just about the time school opens in the fall.

Helistop

With an eye to regulating what is expected to be ever increasing private helicopter traffic to and from the Salamander Inn and Spa, Town Planner and Zoning Administrator David Beniamino submitted suggestions approved by the Town's Zoning Commission for an amendment to Middleburg's Zoning Ordinance defining the term "helistop."

In Middleburg the term "helistop" will henceforth refer to landing areas for helicopters whose sole purpose will be "...pickup and discharge of passengers and cargo from non-commercial helicopters for personal use...." Middleburg's "helistop", for now, will be limited to "one (1) tie down space" with no provisions in the law allowing "maintenance and overhaul, fueling service, storage space or hangers."

Plescow "Retires"

Town Council held a special going away party and passed a resolution of special thanks to "retiring" Middleburg Planning Commissioner Stephen Plescow prior to its March 13 regular monthly meeting.

Plescow has become an institution and role model for public service in a town singularly dependent on talented volunteers to staff its most powerful and important committees and commissions.

He served a four year term on Middleburg's Historic District Review Committee from 1997 to 2001, and thereafter served without interruption as a member of the all-important Town Zoning Commission.

Budget

After submitting a first draft to Town Council at its February, 2014, work session, Town Administrator Martha Semmes reported that work on the budget for fiscal year 2015 is nearing completion. Pending further updates and revisions, an estimated 17-cent per hundred real estate tax rate is anticipated.

Among other spending "enhancements" included in Semmes' latest revision: an increase from $2,000 to $10,000 in the Town's contribution to the annual July 4 fireworks display and $18,000 for a used "Gator" vehicle (without a snow plow); an increase in the retainer for Town Attorney Angela Plowman from $2,960 per month (for 16 hours work) to $3,300 per month (18 hours); $10,000 more for snow removal.

A public hearing and Council approval of the budget is expected soon.

Utility System Change Over

Since Saturday, March 1, 2014, Middleburg has enjoyed, for the first time in many years, having utility staff in town, on site, and working all day during the week and four hours per day on weekends and holidays.

Terry Inboden, founder and President of IES, the Town's new sub-contractor, will serve personally as the Town's on-site Chief Operator through April. He is living in Middleburg during the week, training staff to replace him, and working with Loudoun Water and Bob Krallinger, Middleburg's utility engineering consultant to ensure a smooth transition.

Well 4

At press time Middleburg's problematic Well 4 Water Treatment Plant remains off line, pending solution of a problem with the system's automatic backwash cycle.

Virginia Municipal League insurance payments to cover the costs of addressing the problems linked to an accident at the plant have been approved and, according to Town Administrator Semmes, "...should be huge for the Utility Fund and should permit us to undertake some of the system improvements that were originally budgeted..." for fiscal year 2014.

Police and Parking

Middleburg Police Lieutenant Mike Prince standing in for Chief A.J. Panebianco at this month's Council Meeting, passed along the Chief's high praise for the work of his force during the recent weather emergencies.

Chief Panebianco and Town Administrator Semmes have worked out a plan to test use of at least one centralized parking "pay station" in Middleburg. Solar powered, the stations take the place of the traditional meters. Instead of having one meter for every parking space, the "stations" issue paper "parking receipts" which motorists then post in their windshields. The stations accept not only coins, but credit and debit cards.