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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2000_10_31_r216 Adopting a Vision StatementThe Town of Leesburg, rg ma RESOLUTION NO. 2000-216 PRESENTED: October 31, 2000 ADOPTED: October 31, 2000 A RESOLUTION: ADOPTING A VISION STATEMENT, VISION PRINCIPLES, AND OPERATING GUDELINES FOR THE LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL WHEREAS, the Town Council met in a retreat setting in July and September to discuss the preferred future of the Town of Leesburg; and WHEREAS, the Town Council desires to adopt a ViSion Statement to set a positive and inspiring picture of Leesburg's future; and WHEREAS, the Town Council desires to adopt Vision Principles for how the Council will make decisions and act to achieve the Vision, and WHEREAS, the Town Council desires to set Operating Guidelines for how it wishes for relationships to work among Council members, staff and others. THEREFORE, RESOLVED, by the Council of the Town of Leesburg in Virginia as follows: SECTION I. The attached Vision Statement, Vision Principles, and Operating Guidelines are adopted as those of the Leesburg Town Council. PASSED this3tst day o~0ct°ber, 2000. B.J. V~bb, May& Town of Leesburg ATTEST: l~erk of Council V]:S:[ON STATEMENT FOR THE TOWN OF LEESBURG Our Vision for the Town of Leesburg is to have a community that is beautiful, historic, culturally diverse, affordable, safe, and well planned with great opportunities for all of our citizens. Beautiful Leesburg will be a place where the beauty of its natural and historic vistas reflects the Town's high standards and attention to detail for architecture, landscaping, and preservation. Its gateways, parks, buildings, and streets will be aesthetically pleasing, welcoming all to enjoy the Town's amenities. Historic Integrity Leesburg will preserve the Town's historical heritage and environmental quality. Old buildings will continue to be historically documented and preserved. New buildings will be designed to compliment the historic fabric of the Town. Diversity Leesburg will be a Town of social and economic opportunity that has a diverse economy and a wide range of social, recreational, cultural, and artistic amenities, and services that welcome all. Affordability Leesburg will be a place where its residents can live, work, and play. The Town will promote a robust, diverse, prosperous, and self-sustaining economy, sufficient to meet the current needs and future aspirations of the Town's business and citizens. Recognizing these needs, the Town Council will maintain affordable, efficient services. Leesburg will be a place combining sustainable communities while maintaining and improving the quality of life for everyone. Safe Community & Environment Leesburg will be based on the foundation of community participation, dedicated to the safety, health, and well being of its citizens. The Town will provide an abundant supply of clean water and encourage clean air standards, working as an advocate for our citizens to create and implement policy based on sound science, and a knowledgeable and involved public. It will create a climate that encourages safe, free flowing, pedestrian friendly, accessible, and well thought out transportation services. Well Planned Leesburg will plan for economically sustainable growth, which holds neighborhoods of character as the essential building blocks of a well-balanced community. Future growth will be carefully planned to preserve our sense of small town and neighborhood. Great Opportunities Leesburg will have a thriving economy with diverse retail, tourism, cottage businesses, clean industry, and employment centers, located in such a manner as to protect the environment, our heritage, and residents of the area. [t will be a Town with a wide range of social, recreational, cultural, artistic amenities and services. [n the 21st Century Leesburg will be known as a community that symbolizes the goodness of the American spirit, the ingenuity of the American dream, and a sense of purpose shared by all. ox. 3~, 2000 Vision Principles of the Town Council of Leesburg Beautiful We will seek connectivity through a master plan of sidewalks and bike trails, even in outlying neighborhoods so that people can enjoy the benefits of the town and surrounding area, The character of our Town entrances will be enhanced, including the rural character and greenbelts of our entrances. We are willing to acquire or annex land for non-residential use that accentuates the character of our town and improves our economic opportunities. We will not compromise our standards of quality. We will educate our constituents to achieve their understanding that our policies promote quality, not quantity. Historic Integrity We will promote the look and feel of Leesburg as a historic community and protect our economic tax base through commercial and retail development that is consistent with this concept. We will expand and enhance our historic overlay district, continuing our grid system with neo-traditional development and a "pedestrian feel". Diversity We will provide a wide range of opportunities, amenities, and services befitting a modern Virginia town. Affordability We will strive for a government that has less bureaucracy, more customer focus, more efficiency, and more technology. We will balance fiscal impact with quality of life impact. Safe Community and Environment We will insure that our recreation fields and parks have a transportation system, vehicular and pedestrian, that makes them accessible. Recognizing that transportation planning is long range (20 years), we will plan now to insure that our transportation system will adequately serve our development, put good roads in the right places, and serve our economic development and zoning plans. We will use proactive, clear, well-communicated policies to ensure that we are able to meet our goals for water and environmental quality. Well-Planned We will use growth management tools such as comprehensive planning, zoning ordinances, acquisition, and annexation to preserve our historic character, quality of life, the sense of community, and to enhance economic vitality. We will promote the feel of old, established neighborhoods through planning that emphasizes walking and access to retail and work opportunities, smaller scale development, and interaction. We will pursue legislative changes that enable us to modify state and local standards in and around neighborhoods. We will expand retail development in the historic district, keeping residences and offices on the top and retail on the bottom. We will provide direction to the boards and commissions that serve the community, particularly the Economic Development Commission, to enable them to serve our vision. We will promote tourism in Leesburg by maximizing our assets, partnering with other resources, and insuring that our ordinances retain and enhance tourism. Great Opportunities We will be responsive in providing diverse cultural, recreational, and athletic activities appropriate for our population and will facilitate neighborhood access to these activities. We will seek educational opportunities with private institutions to improve the quality of life and opportunities for our residents. We will strengthen our role as the cultural center of Loudoun County by enhancing facilities, activities, and partnerships that create new opportunities. We recognize that the Council must promote and commit to its vision and involve others in the vision. Operating Guidelines for the Town Council of Leesburg Our Operating Guidelines seek to provide Council IVlembers, staff, citizens, and our partners with guidelines that will enable productive communication and working relationships. Through these guidelines, the Council can build a sense of trust among its members and among Council, the Town Manager, and the Town staff. The staff will thus be enabled to serve the Council and the citizens with a high degree of confidence. Council and Staff Guidelines pursuit ora 21st Century Organization) We endorse the Town Manager in making organizational changes that will insure that Leesburg is a 21st Century Organization, including those that may affect personnel and organizational structure. 2. We accept the financial obligation for making those changes. We recognize that worthwhile change sometimes puts people outside their "comfort zone" and agree to offer support where there are clear managerial expectations and responsible risk-taking. The Council praises the initiative of Department Directors. 4. We seek a balance in our involvement in government that insures that we make well- informed policy decisions, while avoiding over-involvement in the daily operation of government. 5. We maintain the dignity of town government and respect our members, citizens, and the staff. 6. The Council and the staff agree to share information about important issues, avoiding surprises. 7. We respect the confidentiality of those issues that are supposed to be confidential. 8. We desire staff reports that are professional, understandable, and timely. They should be written in layman's terms and contain options, analysis of cost/benefit and/or pros and cons, a recommendation, and appropriate maps and contextual information. Reports should be provided in enough time for adequate understanding and decision-making. 9. Town Manager is responsible for the performance of staff, thus the Council has no formal role in evaluating the performance of staff. Town and County Relations 1. We will ensure a more open exchange of information with Loudoun County by meeting regularly as a collective group and pursuing one-on-one communication opportunities with their elected officials. 2. We will be proactive in learning about issues of significance to Loudoun County and the Town of Leesburg. Legislative Action and Relationships 1. We will prepare an early legislative package to enable each Council Member to communicate with General Assembly members. 2. Council Members will familiarize themselves with the legislative issues and will seek support for Leesburg's issues beyond our area representatives. Citizen Relationships 1. We are committed to effectively communicating to citizens that the Council is committed to change and what it is doing to prepare for the/their future. 2. We will use targeted communication to let citizens know when major issues affect them.