On the eve of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors' vote on the new County Comprehensive Plan, Middleburg's Town Council will hold a Public Open House on its own key plans for the future.

The public presentation of the Town Planning Commission's most current draft will take place on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 beginning at 6:00 pm at the Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center on the campus of The Hill School at 130 S. Madison Street.

Feedback from the public is both actively sought and greatly appreciated.

The Planning Commission's and Council's goal for the meeting is to ensure that the new draft plan "sets the proper vision for the next twenty years."

The Commission, Town staff and a consultant have been working carefully to ensure that the draft Plan reflects the desires of the community that were relayed during earlier public input sessions and surveys.

The draft Plan is now available for review on the Town's website at www.middleburgva.gov or in-person at the Town Office at 10 W. Marshall St.

In addition to the Open House, feedback on the draft Plan can be provided via email as listed on the website and at the Planning Commission's public hearing on June 17.

Once the Commission completes any revisions based on public input and forwards the recommended Plan to the Town Council, the Council will hold its own hearing on the Plan at a date to be determined.

Business and Economic Development

Middleburg Business & Economic Development Director Jamie Gaucher reported that he and Town Administrator Danny Davis have been working together to develop "a short-term existing business strategy" for the Town.

Over the past two months, he noted, there have been twenty-four meetings with seventeen individual businesses, of which no less than three were currently focused on the development of the former Southern States property. Among them were: an art gallery, a co-working space, and a restaurant.

Gaucher also announced grand openings for Le Petit Marche and Northwest Credit Union.

According to Gaucher the owners of existing business tend to focus on two major business development concerns: the impact of empty storefronts on public perceptions and new ways to market their businesses.

Town Treasurer Resigns

Town Treasurer Ashley M. Bott announced that she would be resigning from her post effective May 30th.

Council members expressed thanks and appreciation to Bott for her service to the Town, noting that though they were sad to see her leave, she was leaving behind "a great legacy."

Take-Back Successes

Middleburg Police Chief A. J. Panebianco thanked the Town's Go Green Committee for their assistance during his department's recent Drug Take-Back Event and noted that it was "a huge success."

Go Green liaison and Councilmember Leonard-Morgan then reported that more than one hundred sixty pounds of dead batteries had been collected. He expressed special appreciation for the help of Middleburg Police Officers Lieutenant Jay Hollins and Corporal Mark Putnam. The chemicals in the dead batteries pose major threats to the environment.

Safety Improvements

Chief Panebianco reported to a very pleased Mayor and Council that VDOT would be, at long last, installing "do not enter" signs at the intersection of Route 50 and Zulla Road within the next six weeks. Drivers unfamiliar with the intersection have, for years, all too often turned immediately left from Zulla Road into oncoming eastbound traffic on Route 50.

Deputy Town Administrator Will Moore announce that curb painting has been scheduled to repaint yellow curb markings and others, including stop bars in town. A new crosswalk will be painted at Liberty Street linked to the new sidewalk there.

Utility Operating Budgets and Rates

Eric Callocchia, a Senior Manager at Municipal & Financial Services Group and consultant to the town has worked with Middleburg since 2012. At the May 9 regular meeting of Town Council he reported on the results of a study his company had done to (1) project the cost to own, operate and maintain the Town's utility systems; (2) develop user rates that covered those costs; and, (3) maintain the financial stability of the systems.

The water and sewer systems are owned and operated by the Town, but they are managed fiscally as if they constituted a separate, independent business. Thus, according to the consultants, the true costs of operating the systems, and rates reflective of those costs can be accurately computed.

According to Callocchia his report assumed that "there would be no future growth in customers or their consumption of water and sewer services; that operating costs would increase by 2.1% annually; that the Town would continue to fund 100% of the debt service attributed to the systems; and, that necessary capital improvements would be done.

The utilities, he noted, already plan to "borrow" another $785,000 from the Town's General Fund, which it would then "repay" with interest.

Callocchia recommended a 3% annual rate increase for the foreseeable future, a rate "sufficient to cover the Town's projected operating expenses." That said, he also suggested the need to "re-evaluate how the Utility Fund's capital projects were funded so the Town could maintain reasonable rate increases."

The Town's long-serving financial consultants, Davenport & Company, concurred with Calloccia's analysis and recommendations, noting that Salamander accounted for nearly half the Town's water consumption.

Davenport also recommended, "Council's next steps should be to adopt the FY '20 Budget, with the 3% utility rate increase as proposed, and to revisit the funding of the capital projects."

LEED Certification for New Town Office

In response to questions from Council about the initiative to construct a new Town Office, Town Administrator Danny Davis reported that it was "too early to tell" if LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was built into the projected cost estimate. Davis said he "hoped to include some items such as solar" and "suggested the need to identify the right balance without focusing on achieving a particular standard."

Davis asked Council to identify its core requirements and desires.

Mayor Bridge Littleton observed that those involved should pay close attention to long-term return on investment.