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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2024_04_18_Joint_Work_Session_Agenda_Packet_TC_&_Leesburg_Movement TOWN OF LEESBURG Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, Lower Level Meeting Room 60 Ida Lee Drive NW, Leesburg, Virginia AGENDA Joint Town Council/Leesburg Movement Work Session April 18, 2024 7:00 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION a. Town Council and Leesburg Movement Joint Meeting – Virginia Main Street Program 3. ADJOURNMENT Qualified individuals with a disability who require a reasonable accommodation to attend and/or participate in this meeting should contact the Clerk of Council at eboeing@leesburgva.gov or 703-771-2733 to request the accommodation. Three days advance notice is requested. 1 -2- REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETINGS Citizens are invited to attend and participate in Town Council meetings. The petitioner’s portion of the meeting and scheduled public hearings offer the public two opportunities to present its views to the Council during its meeting. Petitioners The petitioners’ portion of the Council agenda is the first item addressed by the Council following proclamations, certificates of appreciation, regional commission reports and presentations. This part of the meeting gives individuals the opportunity to address the Council on any matter not scheduled for a public hearing. Prior to the meeting, citizens wishing to speak should sign up on the Town’s Web site at https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/mayor- council/current-council-agenda by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting or on the signup sheet in the hallway outside of the Council Chamber the night of the meeting. The Mayor will give anyone the opportunity to speak that did not get a chance to sign up. Petitioners’ comments are limited to between three and five minutes at the Mayor’s discretion. Public Hearings Certain Town business items can only be conducted after the Town Council holds an advertised public hearing. Certain major issues affecting the Town’s government can also be scheduled for public hearing at Council’s discretion. Adoption of the Town budget, rezonings, special exceptions and amendments to the Town’s subdivision and zoning ordinances all require a public hearing. Prior to the meeting, citizens wishing to speak at a public hearing may sign up on the Town’s Web site at https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/mayor-council/current-council-agenda by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting or on the signup sheet in the hallway outside of the Council Chamber the night of the meeting. The Mayor will give anyone the opportunity to speak who did not get a chance to sign up. Public hearing comments should be limited to the topic of the public hearing and speakers will be given between three and five minutes at the Mayor’s discretion. If you wish to speak at more than one public hearing, you must sign up for each hearing separately. Decorum A person addressing the Council as a petitioner, or during a public hearing, should advance to the podium when recognized by the Mayor and state and spell his or her name for the purpose of closed captioning. If comfortable doing so, speakers should provide their address for the record. Persons should also indicate whether they are representing anyone other than themselves. Decorum will be maintained. Statements, which are demeaning or defamatory to members of the public, the staff or the Council, are inappropriate and out of order. OTHER COUNCIL MEETINGS Work Sessions Council meets twice per month, or more often as necessary, to discuss items that are placed on the agenda at the desire of the majority of Council present. Items are typically discussed at a meeting at least two weeks into the future but items may be added in a shorter time frame in accordance with Council’s adopted rules and procedures. Closed Sessions Under certain circumstances, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act permits the Town Council to meet in a session where the public is excluded. This may be a discussion of personnel matters, legal matters, the acquisition or sale of property and other selected topics. The Council can only go into closed session to discuss topics specifically exempted from the open meeting requirements and all closed sessions must be properly noticed and appropriate Code sections cited as to the specific statutory authority to go into closed session. The notice must also include the general topics to be discussed. Only those matters in the adopted motion to go into closed session can be discussed and members in attendance must certify that only those topics were discussed when they return to an open session. TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA MATERIALS Council agenda materials are available to citizens by end of day Wednesday immediately preceding the set of Council Meetings. Council agenda materials are posted to the Town Web site at https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/mayor-council/current-council-agenda. Meeting agenda packets are available for public inspection in the lobby of Town Hall on Wednesdays prior to the scheduled meeting. Council agendas can also be viewed on the Town’s Web site at https://www.leesburgva.gov/government/mayor- council/current-council-agenda. 2 Council Meeting Date: April 18, 2024 TOWN OF LEESBURG TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION Subject: Town Council and Leesburg Movement Joint Meeting – Virginia Main Street Program Staff Contact: Russell Seymour, Director of Economic Development Allison Wood, Small Business Development & Tourism Specialist Council Action Requested: Joint meeting between the Town Council and the Leesburg Movement to provide an update to Council on the Town’s Virginia Main Street Program. No action is required by Council at this time. Staff Recommendation: None at this time. Commission Recommendation: None at this time. Fiscal Impact: None. Work Plan Impact: The originally established Main Street Steering Committee has now become a corporation, Leesburg Movement, and has filed for 501(c)(3) non-profit status with the IRS. The daily workload has transitioned to the working board and its committees. The Department of Economic Development (DED) has successfully transitioned out of a staff role and into serving as a Town representative on the Board of Directors. With the approval of the Town’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget, the Movement will focus on hiring a part-time manager to assist with the organization’s daily workload. Town Plan Impact: The Main Street program is consistent with Goal 2.1 – Leverage the Town’s Unique Character to Attract High Quality Jobs and Investment and Goal 2.2 – Use Economic Growth to Expand Economic Opportunity of the Legacy Leesburg Town Plan. Additionally, with a focus on Downtown, the Main Street Designation is also consistent with Goal 1.2.1 - Preserve and Enhance the Historic Core of Leesburg and Goal 2.5 – Utilize Federal Programs and Local Resources to Bolster the Local Economy. Executive Summary: Following direction provided by Town Council in January 2023, a consulting firm was hired to begin development of the requirements to create a 501(c)(3) and to outline the next steps which needed to be completed in order to move the Town’s established Main Street program from Tier 1 to Tier 2. The current planned timeline illustrates the required action items and the proposed timeline for moving to both Tier 2 and Tier 3 status. See Attachment #1. With the formation of the Leesburg Movement corporation, and the establishment of Officers, four standard Main Street committees were created to focus on the following areas: Economic 3 Item a. Town Council and Leesburg Movement Joint Meeting – Virginia Main Street Program April 18, 2024 Page 2 Vitality, Promotions, Design, and Organization. Committee Chairs have been established and work has begun to complete projects and to gather volunteers to assist with those projects. See Attachment #1. Background: The Virginia Main Street Program is run through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The Program contains 3 separate Tiers of Participation that require different levels of commitment. As local programs are established, they may progress from Tier 1 to Tier 3 status. The Town of Leesburg is currently a Tier 1, Exploring Main Street community. In January 2023, Town Council approved Resolution 2023-018 authorizing the use of the awarded Community Vitality Grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development to hire a consultant to prepare the necessary items to begin pursuit of Tier 2 and Tier 3 status. This includes the development of a 501(c)(3) organization to serve as the management organization for the program. In May 2023, the Town was approved for additional funds from the state in the amount of $5,500 through the Community Vitality Grant. These funds were utilized to further engage the hired consultant as well as to support organizational development and branding for the newly established Leesburg Movement. Attachments: 1. Main Street Timeline 2. Leesburg Main Street Program 2023/08 4 Item a. Attachment 1 Main Street Timeline Tier 1: Currently Underway:  The Leesburg Movement is a formal corporation and has filed for 501(c)(3) non-profit status.  Town has been awarded the 2024 Community Vitality Grant. o $15,000 grant - $5,000 cash match, $2,500 in-kind o Grant funds are being applied towards a wayfinding project, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works.  Applied for a 2025 grant through the VDHCD for the Lassiter Way Beautification Project.  Application for Tier 2 due November 2024 – Competitive Application January 2025-December 2026  Tier 2:  Application approval in December 2024  Receive Tier 2 status in January 2025  Begin 2-year “Cohort” program o Prepare for Tier 3 o DHCD community training, assist with organizational development o 2-year cohort program completion required in order to be eligible to apply for Tier 3 designation. o Complete cohort program in December 2026 January 2027  Tier 3:  Tier 3 designations are available through a competitive application process offered every few years as state resources permit. 5 Item a. Attachment 2 Leesburg Main Street Program The Leesburg Movement Board of Directors Chair – John Papp, Resident (Organization Committee Chair) Vice Chair – Monica Pindell, MOCATINAS (Design Committee Chair) Treasurer – Jason Miller, The Wine Kitchen Secretary – Deb Matthews, Chase Your Tail Bakery/Leesburg Farmer’s Market Board Member – Vanessa Borg, CRAFT (Promotions Committee Chair) Board Member – Tyra Flynn, The Global Local (Economic Vitality Committee Chair) Board Member – Paul Zangos, Tarbenders Board Member – Dayna Newell, Resident Board Member – Lori Tran/Colleen West, wld wst (shared seat) Ex Officio Board Member – Allison Wood, Town of Leesburg Activities and Projects  Booth at TASTE Leesburg – organized a raffle with $550 in gift cards from 19 downtown businesses.  Booth at Crossroads Music Festival  Marketing – consistent social media presence, established a monthly newsletter “Looped in Leesburg.”  Holiday Retail Workshop - Organized with the Loudoun SBDC with specially tailored content.  Established two advisory groups – the Retail Advisory Group has representatives from eight businesses, the Restaurant Advisory Group has representatives from six businesses  Christmas Market at the Courthouse  Small Business Saturday Passport - promotions and offers from 15 downtown businesses.  Holiday window display competition – winner received free professional video production to market on social media. 6 Item a.  The Leesburg Listening Room Series – established to bring people downtown during slower months and to leverage the Arts & Culture district, 6 shows to date, 2 scheduled.  St. Patrick’s Day event - Attempted to organize an event at the Courthouse Lawn. Decided to re-evaluate for next year.  Neighborhood Discount Card Program – encourages residents to shop downtown during slower retail months (March-May), 20 participating downtown businesses.  Saturday Sidewalk Dining - Attempted to bring back due to feedback from community.  Lassiter Way Beautification Project – Applied for a grant (their first) through VDHCD in April  Currently working on a professional video production project to spotlight downtown businesses.  Currently working on a Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest  Currently working on developing a website  Currently filling the four committees (Promotions, Economic Vitality, Design, and Organization) with more volunteers to be able to expand bandwidth for projects.  Leesburg Movement will be applying for Tier 2 status in November, as scheduled. 7 Item a.