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Home My Public Portal About1996_09_27SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27, 1996 A special meeting of the Leesburg Town Council was held on Friday, September 27, 1996 at 8:30 a.m., at the Rust Library. Notice having been delivered to all Councilmembers priorthereto. The purpose of the meeting was to conduct a worksession of the Council. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Clem. ROLL CALL Councilmembers present J. Frank Buttery, Jr. Jewell M. Emswiller Joseph R. Trocino Kristen C. Umstattd (arrived at 10:00 a.m.) B. J. Webb William F. Webb Mayor James E. Clem Staff members present Town Manager Steven C. Brown Deputy Town Manager Gary Huff Director of Utilities Randolph W. Shoemaker Public Information Officer Susan Farmer Deputy Town Attorney Deborah Welsh Items of Discussion Main Zone Tank #1 - Mr. Shoemaker provided a staff report recapping the town's 1987 Water System Master Plan. Ms. Sharon Isso and Mr. Bob Dudley, with O'Brien & Gere, representing the town provided additional information regarding the proposed tank sites. Mayor Clem stated, "a straw vote was taken of the Councilmembers a couple of weeks ago that was 6-1 against the Exeter site. The Council is looking to satisfy the needs of Leesburg, address the attractiveness of Leesburg and make sure that all the issues discussed are addressed. If the town has to spend a few dollars more, it will be worthwhile." A tburth proposed tank site was mentioned. Mayor Clem thanked Mr. Buttery for his diligent efforts and search for a fourth tank site to be considered. Mr. Buttery stated, it is important that the Council have the opportunity to explore all possible sites that will satisfy the needs of the Town. Ms. Webb stated she has always been opposed to the Ida Lee site as well as the hospital site. The Council agreed to have the cost figures refined for the proposed Catoctin ridge site and report back within 30 days. Water and sewer fees outside town limits after discussion, the Council asked staffto work with the town's Deputy Attorney to determine the pros and cons as well establishing the rates and cost of implementing this issue. The Council agreed to make a decision within the next 30 to 60 days. This matter will be placed on a future Finance Committee agenda for further consideration. Establishing a policy for filling board and commission vacancies - The Council agreed to continue to advertise for vacancies, review applicants and remove those remaining applicants from the list, if not appointed, after appointments are made. The Council agreed that the process should be as open as possible with interviews remaining in executive session. Ms. Welsh suggested that all applicants be made aware that their name will be made public. This matter was referred to the October 15, 1996 Administration and Public Works Committee meeting for further consideration. Vacancy on the BAR and Cable Commission The Council asked staff to schedule interviews for Wednesday, tentatively. Ethics Policy Ms. Webb provided a summary of the Personnel Committee's draft ethics policy. Discussion was held on this matter by the Councilmembers before referring it to the October 1, 1996 Administration and Public Works Committee meeting for further consideration. Voting Delegates for NLC Conference and VML alternate Mayor Clem stated this issue has been resolved and was referred to the October 1, 1996 Administration and Public Works Committee meeting for further consideration of the policy. MOTION: On motion of, and duly seconded, the following motion was made. Pursuant to Section 2.1-344 of the 1950 Code of Virginia, as amended, I move that the Leesburg Town Council convene in Executive Session. The authority for this Executive Session is found in Section 2.1-344 (a), Subsection (3) of the 1950 Code of Virginia, as amended. The purpose of this Executive Session is to discuss the acquisition of land for a high school site. VOTE: Nay: Councilmembers Buttery, Emswiller, Trocino, Umstattd, B. J. Webb, Wm. F. Webb and Mayor Clem. None MOTION: On motion of, and duly seconded, the following resolution was proposed and adopted. 96-204-A - RESOLUTION CERTIFYING EXECUTIVE SESSION OF SEPTEMBER 27, 1996 WHEREAS, the Town Council of the Town of Leesburg, Virginia, has this day convened in Executive Session in accordance with an affirmative recorded vote of the Leesburg Town Council and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Leesburg Town Council does hereby certify that to the best of each member's knowledge, 1) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements under the Freedom of Information Act were discussed in the Executive Session to which this certification applies; and 2) only such public business matters as were identified in the Motion by which the said Executive Session was convened were heard, discussed or considered by the Leesburg Town Council. VOTE: Nay: Councilmembers Buttery, Emswiller, Trocino, Umstattd, B. J. Webb, Wm. F. Webb, and Mayor Clem. None MOTION: On motion of, and duly seconded the tbllowing resolution was proposed and adopted unanimously. 96-204 - RESOLUTION - STATING LEESBURG'S POSITION ON A HIGH SCHOOL SITE WHEREAS, on July 17, 1996, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution authorizing the acquisition of a twenty-acre Leesburg elementary school site conditioned upon the town's adoption of a resolution committing to provide a sixty-acre high school site by July 1, 1998, and WHEREAS, Mayor Clem's letter of July 31, 1996, defining the Town Council's time frame for response was received favorably by Chairman Myers on behalf of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors by letter on August 6, 1996; and WHEREAS, the responsibility for provision of education for Leesburg children is the responsibility of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board; and WHEREAS, Leesburg citizens pay full Loudoun County taxes to finance education; and WHEREAS, the Town Council has always fulfilled and will continue to fulfill its obligations as required in the Annexation Agreement and the Annexation Area Development Policies (AADP's); and WHEREAS, the Town Council is and has always been committed to work with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board to ensure safe, quality education tbr Leesburg's school children; and CO 9/27/96 -2- WHEREAS, the Town Council's commitment is exemplified by the following examples: - recent installation at a cost of over $300,000 of two traffic signals--Edwards Ferry/Plaza and Route 621/South King that provide safe and more effective pedestrian and vehicular movements for the specific benefit of walking school children at Edwards Ferry/Plaza and school bus traffic at Route 621/South King Street. the installation, at a cost of over $40,000, for a traffic signal at Catoctin Circle and Dry Mill Road for the benefit of Loudoun County High School. the investment of over 1,000 hours per year of professional law enforcement personnel toward the popular DARE, Adopt-A-Cop, Safety Day, and a myriad of other law enforcement related programs being conducted fully at the Town's expense to improve the quality of education for children at the elementary, middle, and high schools in Leesburg. Balch Library is open and available for school research projects today only through the diligent efforts of Town Council and the taxpayers of Leesburg. Sycolin Road, the main route for school buses serving Cool Spring Elementary and Simpson Middle School, will be resurfaced this fall by 100% town tax revenue. the Town Council has worked with the state highway department to improve the Sycolin/Bypass intersection for the benefit of school traffic. the Town staff and Town Council worked diligently to ensure finished sites for the Cool Spring, Balls Bluff Elementary School and the Potomac Station Middle School. the Town established a pro rata fee to provide water to serve the Potomac Station Middle School site earlier than planned and; WHEREAS, the Town Council was discreetly but actively investigating and analyzing potential sites for the new elementary and high schools when the advertisement for design/build appeared in the local newspapers causing adverse impact on prices under consideration; and WHEREAS, the Town Council was meeting regularly and discussing the Board's request in light of our obligation under the AADP's; and WHEREAS, the Town has consistently met its AADP obligations and will continue working with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board to ensure a safe and quality education for our children. THEREFORE, RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: SECTION I. The Town will meet its obligations as identified in the Annexation Agreement and AADP's with Loudoun County. SECTION II. In the spirit of cooperation with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board, although the Town Council is not obligated to provide a high school site of this size at this time, the Town Council will provide or finance a high school site of 50 acres by July 1, 2000, providing the following criteria are satisfied: (1) Citizens of Leesburg attend schools currently located in Leesburg or at future sites in locations acceptable to the Town Council. (2) The Town is hereby relieved of any further obligations under the AADP's to acquire school sites. SECTION III. The Town Council reaffirms its continuing offer to meet and work with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board to reinforce the necessary dialogue to ensure safe, quality education for all of Leesburg's school children. SECTION IV. This resolution shall be in effect upon its passage. VOTE: CO 9/27/96 -3- Aye.' Nay: Councilmembers Buttery, Emswiller, Trocino, Umstattch B. J. Webb, Wm. F. Webb, and Mayor Clem. None MOTION: On motion of, and duly seconded, the meeting was adjourned. /'James E. Clem, Mayor rg Clerk of Council CO 9/27/96 -4-