Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Business Meeting, Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Date: Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia
Length: 4h 53m (video)
Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7428
Agenda (Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=73&clip_id=7428

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-19. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:07:04] Well, good evening, supervisors, good evening, staff, and good evening, Loudon. I'd like to call to order the October 3rd, 2023 Loudon County Board of Supervisors business meeting. This room has a hearing loop. If you need hearing assistance, please switch your hearing aid to the telecall mode.

[00:07:19] If you have a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. Before I go to Mr. Turner to do words of inspiration and the Pledge of Allegiance, I do believe that Mr. Kirchner has some special guests in the room, And I'd like the special guests to stand up, please.

[00:07:37] Are they not here? They are here. They are here. Mr. Kirsten, would you like to introduce who your special guests are very quickly, sir? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. This is a partial class, I think, on all the class members from the government class at Patrick Henry College who are learning today, and Chair Randall and myself and Supervisor Umstead spoke to them earlier who are learning today a little bit more about local government.

[00:08:02] So welcome to the boardroom. Thank you for being great college students and learning about local government, because I told them that, as Tip O'Neill said, all government, all politics is local, correct? Those most good policy. Right. Local as well. Thank you all. Thank you. Welcome to the boardroom, and thank you for being here.

[00:08:20] Mr. Turner, would you like the word of inspiration and then the Pledge of Allegiance? Let me silence my phone so that random strangers don't interrupt my words of inspiration. From the funeral oration of Pericles, this was after, I believe, the Battle of Marathon.

[00:08:42] And the term marathon for that race was the distance that that runner ran from the battle to tell Pericles that I believe the Greeks had won. And in his funeral oration following that battle, he said, But each one, man and woman, has won imperishable praise. Each has gained a glorious grave.

[00:08:59] Not that sepulcher of earth wherein they lie, but the living tomb of everlasting remembrance wherein their glory is enshrined. For the whole earth is a sepulcher of heroes. Monuments may rise and tablets be set up to them in their own lands, but no pen or chisel has traced.

[00:09:15] They are craven not in stone or brass, but on the living heart of humanity. Take these men and women as your example, and like them, remember that posterity can be only for the free, the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it. Please join me in the pledge. I wish to be to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, thank you,

[00:09:51] everyone. I'm going to read the consent agenda. Consent agenda is as follows. Item R1, resolution to recognize Virginia Cooperative Extension VCE Loudon 4H 2023 All-Stars. That is from Mr. Kirshner. It is for approval only. Item R2, proclamation to recognize October 2023 is Breast Council Awareness Month. That is for approval and presentation. Ms. Bricksman will join me down front for that proclamation. Item R3, proclamation to recognize October 2023 is Disability Employment Awareness Month in Loudoun County. That is for approval and

[00:10:27] presentation. Ms. Glass will join me down front for that presentation. Item R4, proclamation to recognize October 2023 is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. That is my proclamation. It is for approval only. I will take that to a couple of our different organizations that serve domestic violence survivors and victims, and we will present it at that time. Item R5, proclamation to recognize October 2023 as Fire Prevention Month. That is for approval and presentation. It is going to be great because Aurora, the fire prevention dog, is in the room

[00:11:04] with us can't do better than that item r6 recognize resolution to recognize sterling foundation and celebrate the 35th anniversary that will be presented at sterling fest that is mr sainz's resolution item 1a confirmations item 2 economic development advisory commission item item i'm sorry item 1c appointments to the economic development advisory commission item two administrative items report for october 3rd 2023 item three proposed traffic calming

[00:11:37] in the lands down on the potomac community item 5a safe pedestrian passage to schools item 6a has been pulled off the consent agenda so that is not being put for for consent this evening is there i will make a motion to approve the consent agenda is there a second second motion made and seconded by Ms. Bricksman. There's discussion on the motion. Ms. Bricksman. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to call out the work of the Joint Committee on this safe passage to schools.

[00:12:06] What has occurred, and I'm really proud that we've been able to work together with LCPS and DTCI, we were hearing community concerns about the ways that folks travel to school on foot, basically, and that there's some areas where the kids are crossing that are not that safe but they're doing it anyway because that's just the most expeditious way to get to school so we we identified a number of intersections for example one that I've been worried about for a long time in front of Horizon Elementary School one at Parkside Circle and

[00:12:46] another one at Lowes Island Boulevard which we need to talk about some more because there was just a pedestrian hit there the other day but what what we accomplished though was a permanent way for HOAs or the community to come forward much like our traffic calming program that we do their staff is working on a way that the community a supervisor or an HOA can come forward and say this is an issue we we don't see it anywhere else you know in your in your work plan to resolve the issue with this intersection but we really think it needs to be resolved and so it's going to be very similar to the traffic calming brochure where there's going to be certain steps that people can

[00:13:25] go through to bring a concern on safe routes to schools and crosswalks and those sorts of things. So I'm really proud of that work. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank the board for putting the traffic calming measure for lands down on the consent agenda. That area studied was in the Belmont Ridge Middle School and Riverside High School school walk zones. I'd like to thank Jeff McGowan, who began the initiative, and Bill Wright, and the volunteers who knocked on doors to engage the community for the vote. There were 897 households in the traffic calming area and the community needed 450 yes votes. They received 464 yes votes

[00:14:03] which was quite an achievement. I also particularly want to thank county staff for their work on this initiative. We've been working on this about a year now and I think it's a vast improvement. The community will be very happy to have this traffic calming measure on this road. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kirshner.

[00:14:19] Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, my colleagues, for signing the resolution recognizing the Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H All-Star inductees from Loudoun County this year. There are five, so congratulations to Emily Ault, Alicia Hart, Mary Grace Meneau, and Alexis Musulman, and Eden Rec.

[00:14:38] I think that's five. Anyway, for those of you who may not know, the Virginia 4-H All-Stars began in 1922, and they just recently celebrated their 100 years of service on the campus of Virginia Tech. They're an honor service organization, and applicants for them must score.

[00:14:57] It's a very rigorous process and must score 85 points out of 100 in order to be eligible for inducting. 4-H, of course, is very near and dear to my heart. I grew up as a 4-H-er. my parents met after winning trips through 4-H to 4-H Congress while in Chicago. One came from the west, one from the east. So I'm very proud to present this resolution honoring these five inductees into the VCE's Loudoun 4-H 2003 All-Star inductees. Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Glass.

[00:15:28] Thank you, Madam Chair. As Supervisor Briskin had stated, I also wanted to talk about the passages to schools under the joint committee. I wanted to thank the staff from both DTCI and LCPS as this item was sitting for almost a year in the joint committee. Implementing the crosswalk improvements on the prioritized list will be appreciated by the community. I also wanted to say that I think a process to evaluate and construct crosswalks moving forward will be very beneficial.

[00:16:02] One of the top constituent Requests that I receive this for crosswalks to be installed and a streamlined process would be that would be fantastic to have that would all allow Communities to receive the type of analysis that they're looking for without having to bring every crosswalk Before the full Board of Supervisors. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Turner Didn't you talk? Did you talk? Yeah, your lights still on though. You want to turn that off? Thank you, sir My only statement would be this.

[00:16:39] We have a proclamation for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I've always done that proclamation every year, and I kind of have an agreement with some of our organizations, Tiger Lily and Stepsisters and all, that I would always bring that proclamation. This year, Ms. Bricksman called me and asked could she do it, and she will talk about that.

[00:17:00] I think she has a worthy cause and a worthy reason for doing it, but I did want to let people know why I wasn't bringing it this year. And if I am lucky to be back here next year, I'll bring it, I'll resume bringing it next year when we come back. So I just want to say that in advance. All right, that's the consent agenda.

[00:17:16] All in favor, please say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 801. Mr. Sains is on his way in. Do we have any additions or deletions for tonight's agenda? I did not think so. The only organizational update I have is to give you guys an update on NVTA.

[00:17:36] We have now signed the lease to move into the new location. Well, we have signed a short-term month-to-month lease from now until the end of March to stay in the space we are right now, and that has been a lease that we've signed with NDRC.

[00:17:57] But on January 1st, we will move into the new location, and we believe that that's enough time for the new location to be completely built out, for NVTA to completely build it out, and NVRC has informed us that they will literally start renting to somebody else on April 1st, and so we really do have to be out of there, as one of the people at NVTA keeps saying, the last paperclip has to be out of there on that day, and so we will be moving to our new space on April 1st, 2024, and until then, doing a month-to-month lease from NVRC at the current location.

[00:18:36] So that's the only update I have on that. Okay, my voice for a cause this evening. My voice for a cause this evening is one that we all know and that we are all familiar with. It is Loud and Hungry Relief. Loud and Hungry Relief is our, I think I'm safe in saying our main, I don't know if they call it food pantry, but our main one in Loudoun County.

[00:18:58] They supply perishable and non-perishable food items directly to constituents in Loudoun or residents in Loudoun who need it. The goal of Loud and Hungry Relief is to buy support and assistance so that families can live in our community without a need for their services.

[00:19:15] They have had success in this goal, but new families and individuals are constantly challenged in their lives. I will say that I've done quite a bit with Loud and Hungry Relief, and before I call on Ms. Montgomery and Ms. Carol Barb and Jennifer Montgomery, I would say that what I admire most about what you all do, besides just the fact that you are feeding people and people, as you say, no one should go hungry, is every time I am over there, everyone is treated with such respect and dignity.

[00:19:45] And that's so important because at the moment when you have a need like that, not everyone feels comfortable saying what that need is or even letting people know that they're there. And there are people in our community who you wouldn't know would have that need, but they do. And you all figure out every time how to do it and keep to them that you keep their confidence, they keep their respect, they keep their dignity.

[00:20:08] And I am so, so grateful for you and what you do for Loudoun County. So Jennifer Montgomery and Carol Barb, we have a new location. We have some new information to share. Jazz hands. Why did you choose the new location?

[00:20:26] And let's talk about the new location a little bit. So thank you for having us and thank you to the board for your support of our new location. So we're actually in the same spot. We're at 750 Miller Drive right over by Leesburg Airport and we have gone from about 4,500 square feet to 13,500 square feet.

[00:20:46] And in that space, we have expanded our pantry and our warehouse space and we have created a market where people can come in and make choices about the food that they wanna eat. So going back, Chair Randall, to your comment about dignity, we know that the most dignified way to receive services is to have the choice, to have the access to choice.

[00:21:07] And so that's what we did. And then in addition to our services that are going to be there, we're going to have that of other nonprofits, including Lawton Literacy Council, Lawton Volunteer Caregivers, Crossroads Jobs, and hopefully lots of other nonprofit partners and our county partners who want to come in and provide access.

[00:21:26] So we've been talking for a long time about having a human services campus or a nonprofit campus. And this is this is the start of that. And it's so important that that a person who has need doesn't have to go to five to 10 different locations in the county to receive the help.

[00:21:45] And so I am we've been working on we've all been working on this for a very long time. So I am really, really very thrilled. So tell me, how can Loudouners receive assistance from your organizations? Can they just walk in, or how does that work? So we serve any Loudoun resident that is in need, so you can call us.

[00:22:06] You can go online and make an appointment. We have curbside service. We have in-market service. We do home delivery for people that qualify for that through our partnership with Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers. We have a mobile market that goes to Sterling and goes to Percival.

[00:22:24] And so we have just a lot of ways for people to get food. So you're welcome to call us, visit our website. And I always like to share loudandfeeds.org, which includes not only our services, but that of other food pantries in the community. You even have food for animals. We do. We have a pet pantry in partnership with Animal Services and with the Humane Society.

[00:22:44] So we have cat and dog food, too. Right, which doesn't always, people don't maybe understand that when somebody's having a hard time, the one thing you don't want to have them do is give up their pets. Right. They want to be able to keep their pet. Okay, other than hunger relief, what other kind of services can your organizations help them connect to? I think you're up now, Ms. Barb.

[00:23:00] I think that, you're so funny. You're the face of your house. You're so funny. So really anything related to human services. We, you know, we partner with so many different organizations. Our nonprofit community is really strong.

[00:23:15] We wanna make referrals for folks. We're gonna ask questions and know that usually food is the first stop because you've gotta meet that basic need first, but what else can we connect you to that might be able to help your family? And so we just expect to have lots of different community partners in with us and we have the ability to make a referral right there on site and help connect folks to other resources.

[00:23:38] - And you're right, in the end we also want, I mean we wanna put all services in one space or two spaces in the county, Maybe Leesburg, maybe Sterling, including county services when we get that far. Well, it's important we all work together to create that safety net. Yeah, that is the dream. Okay, and finally, how can people connect with you?

[00:23:55] You want to give the contact information one more time? Yes, so loudandhunger.org, and our number is 703-777-5911. And I just want to give a plug, if I can, to say that, yes, this is built, and yes, it's open, but now we really need the community to continue to support our efforts and continue to donate food to continue to help so that we can continue to serve so toward that and i do have one question that you all don't have so the holidays are coming what additional food assistance is needed on top of what you want me to do as we start to walk into the holidays so we'll start to do

[00:24:30] thanksgiving dinner bags that's something that we do and other organizations do i always want to include my my other fellow partners um so we'll start to do thanksgiving but we also know that around the holiday season things are really expensive so if we have the ability to help with food maybe people can spend money on other things for their families so um i just would encourage you to to if you have the ability to give to help and to help organizations in our community particularly around this time there's certainly organizations that are collecting toys that are collecting presents, all sorts of things like that. We saw a 16% increase in need over the last

[00:25:05] fiscal year. And so we know that things are expensive right now. So if you can help, please help. Thank you, Jennifer. And I'm sorry, Ms. Montgomery and Ms. Barb. Thank you. You all are doing really, I say this to you all the time because you're doing God's work and you're doing it so well. And so I don't allow clapping too much in the boardroom, but this is a time where do allow clapping so thank you very much thank you very very much um mr hemstreet do you have any comments uh thank you chair randall i have four comments for this evening the first is that

[00:25:42] for the first time in more than a decade loudon county is preparing to open the wait list for the housing choice voucher program preliminary applications for the rental subsidy program will be available starting this thursday october 5th at 8 30 a.m anyone interested in the program is encouraged to apply as there are a limited number of vouchers available. The application will be online at loudon.gov slash housing choice. Second, parents in Loudoun County have a new no cost resource to help guide them through the challenges of raising young children who are experiencing problem behaviors. The Department of Family Services is launching a young child edition

[00:26:18] of the Parenting Wisely program. The sessions are virtual and will take place once a week for five weeks beginning October 19th. Details and registration information may be found at loudon.gov slash parenting wisely. Third, following up on the notice that board members received last week, the Loudoun County landfill is now offering free compost as a result of the board's initiative to increase composting in the county. Through recent enhancements at the facility, the landfill can now produce a finished compost product that will enhance the soil and promote healthy plant growth for local gardeners. The compost, as well as mulch produced at the

[00:26:56] landfill, are available on a first-come, first-served basis just off the main entrance to the facility on Evergreen Mills Road. And then finally, Loudoun County Treasurer Roger Zern reminds taxpayers that the deadline for payment of the second half personal property tax is due this Thursday, October 5th. Payments can be made over the phone or online. They can also be placed in drop boxes located outside the Government Center here in Leesburg and at the offices on Center Oak Plaza in Sterling.

[00:27:23] More information about tax payment options is online at loudon.gov slash paytaxes. That's my comments this evening, Chair Randall. Thank you, Mr. Humstreet. Mr. Humstreet, if I go on and we start kind of just knocking through the action items, are staff in the room for those right now? If we do, especially number four, Mr. Hall in the room, are they down here?

[00:27:44] The staff is available and ready to proceed with the action items would be a static if we completed well I think they're about to be a static but first let's do nominations we have no information items tonight folks and so if you have a nomination please put your lights put please put your light on for me mr. mr. Buffington said give it just a second miss glass okay thank you madam chair I needed my glasses here I nominate Rena Jones to serve as an at-large representative on the housing choice voucher resident advisory board thank you ma'am all right can staff come down for

[00:28:22] Item number four, and if you all, when staff, if you like me to, I can kind of walk my colleagues through this, or you can either way since we've done a, is there a presentation on this?

[00:28:42] There is a presentation on this. You know what, I think that it would be helpful because this came up kind of sudden for really positive reasons and through community requests and all these things.

[00:28:57] But you have been working with my office very closely. I don't know that all of my colleagues knows how and why this item came to be so suddenly and why it's so important. So let's go in and do the presentation, okay?

[00:29:14] Thank you. I think it's just eight slides. Six slides. Let's go in and do the presentation.

[00:29:35] Yep, ready when you are. Thank you. Staff is definitely ecstatic to be here before you this evening. Good evening, Chair Randall, board members. My name is Brian Regan with the Department of Housing and Community Development. Here with me this evening are Cheryl Middleton, Elaine Crawford, and Megan Cox, all with Finance and Procurement.

[00:29:51] This evening, staff is requesting a reallocation of $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funds from the current public solicitation process to an informal competitive process in order to preserve housing for the increased number of households experiencing eviction filings in the county.

[00:30:06] To provide a brief background, on April 19, 2022, the Board passed funding recommendations for $27.7 million of ARPA funds. This $27.7 million included an allocation of $12 million to support residents facing displacement and eviction from their homes through the preservation of affordable housing and displacement services proposed by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

[00:30:30] Subsequently, funding was also allocated to the Department of Family Services to provide emergency shelter services and case management, as well as homeless prevention and diversion. In preparation for the expenditure of these funds, DHCD leadership met with several nonprofit groups periodically from June 2022 through July 2023 to gather information on the specific needs of residents.

[00:30:52] Procurement staff finalized the RFP to provide preservation of affordable housing, displacement support, homeless prevention and diversion services, and related services for DHCD and DFS in August of 2023. The purpose of the combined RFP with DFS was to streamline the application process and provide a holistic view of the programs to be implemented to stave off evictions and homelessness.

[00:31:16] Staff also hosted a pre-proposal meeting on September 8th to outline the application process and answer questions from potential offerors. Over the last several months, the data has shown that eviction filings in Loudoun County have unfortunately been increasing. Detailed data from the Civil Court Data Initiative show a trend with multi-month increases in eviction filings and default judgments through May 2023, and anecdotal data from local nonprofits continue to show a sharp increase.

[00:31:44] This proposed reallocation of eviction funding supports more households in averting evictions during hypothermia season. And to give you a general idea, according to Northern Virginia Legal Services, between September 4th and 15th of this year, there were 18 evictions in Loudoun County and 15 default judgments, meaning a ruling in favor of the landlord since the tenant did not attend the hearing.

[00:32:06] To minimize anticipated evictions, staff is recommending reallocating $500,000 from the $1.5 million allocated for Program 3, Housing Prevention for Households with Eviction Filings in the RFP, and reallocate those funds to a separate, informal, competitive process.

[00:32:24] This process could open as soon as October 4, 2023, and Finance and Procurement will initiate a small purchase process in accordance with the county's procurement resolution. Quotes will be obtained from organizations currently assisting households with eviction filings.

[00:32:40] Complying with county procedures funds could be dispersed as early as November 2023. Staff expects no more than 15% of the $500,000 allocation will be authorized for administrative fees to implement this program. The remaining balance of up to $425,000 will be used for legal fees, court costs, and delinquent rent.

[00:33:00] by moving to an informal process the county can support households facing eviction more quickly while the rfp process continues in accordance with virginia procurement law staff also recommends authorizing the county administrator to implement the program and award contracts as well as make the necessary modifications to the current rfp and at this time staff will gladly take any questions that you may have colleagues if you're fine i can go to the i can go to a motion and we can talk inside of a motion because it's pretty okay i'm with the board supervisors we allocate $500,000 of the $1.5 million previously appropriated for Program No. 3, Housing Prevention Household with addictions filing for the separate and formal competitive process described in the

[00:33:38] October 3, 2023 Board of Supervisors business meeting action item. I further move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the county administrator to implement this program and contract with the successful vendor upon completion of the process. Motions made and seconded by Supervisor Glass. So let me just walk through what's been happening the past couple of months, so about two months ago, two and a half months ago, so I have a standing meeting with New Virginia Majority and other organizations that are concerned about housing attainability, evictions, and this type of thing. I have a standing meeting with more than one group

[00:34:17] of people, but about two and a half months ago, I went to a meeting called by New Virginia Majority, and I thought there was going to be, I don't know, I expected 20, maybe 30 people in the room. I walked in, and there's probably 200 people in that room. It was absolutely packed. And they were very concerned about losing their homes.

[00:34:39] So there's a lot of issues going on right now, and we don't have time to go through all of them. Some of them are just that, to be honest, a lot of their leases, their leaseholders are raising their lease amounts within the lease period.

[00:34:54] So within a one-year lease, their lease amounts are going up two and three times in the lease period. So what they sign the lease for is 300 more by the end of that lease period. That's legal if it's written into the lease. It's not, I think, ethical, but it's legal if it's written into the lease.

[00:35:12] And this is happening more and more again. Anyway, there's just a lot of people who are families facing homelessness. And as we know, it's much, much less expensive to keep a family in a home than to have them lose the home and then have to support a family that actually needs to be housed.

[00:35:33] It's also the right thing to do. And so I talked to, at that time, Ms. Turner. I talked to Mr. Hall. I talked to Mr. Hemstreet. We went back and forth and back and forth. And we knew this $1.5 million was being set aside. The RIP for that would probably go out in January.

[00:35:52] But what we also knew is we're walking into cold weather months, and so we didn't feel like we could wait into January to do the RFP to start getting money out for eviction prevention and that type of things in the middle of these cold months.

[00:36:09] And so the idea was to do this. Of the $1.5 million, take about $500,000 off and get an RFP or get a contract signed as soon as possible and get it out the door. We do have organizations that already do this, people like Loudon Cares, people like Northern Virginia Family Services, who are already world-versed in how this moves and they can get it out the door fairly quickly.

[00:36:34] and that is why you're seeing this it's not because you know we thought that was you know we didn't think it was enough money but just because we were we were kind of almost in a in a panic mode as we came up on the the winter months we still recognize that well i'm written out of time so i'll do a closing and i'll talk about all the other things that have to happen to help people stay in their homes once we get past this bump because that's a different issue Ms. Bricksman.

[00:37:04] Thank you. So this was precipitated because ARPA federal funds ran out? Not that they ran out. It was that there was the excessive need for assistance with evictions. Okay. And can you just briefly remind me, so why were evictions going up?

[00:37:27] The biggest reason has to do from August of last year when the moratorium was up through the state, the rent relief program. Okay, so the rent relief program, which was because of COVID. Okay. So we actually saw this coming.

[00:37:44] And then can you reiterate how many evictions we've had? You used some numbers a minute ago. So in, sure. It was like 15, is it 15 plus 18 or 18 and then 15 were? 18 plus 15.

[00:38:00] So just from September 4th through the 15th, there were 18 evictions and 15 default judgments. Okay. Of those 33, I guess, how many had lawyers? The default judgments, we know for a fact, they did not show.

[00:38:18] So that's automatic 15. But of the 18, I'm not sure. I would have to research to see. OK, I would be interested. I would be interested in knowing that. And then what your proposal is to take money out of number three. So how are we going to backfill number three?

[00:38:33] Are you thinking that we don't need to backfill number three because it's kind of the same clientele? It's the same clientele. it's the same clientele okay okay great and then um didn't we have another number of about 12 million has that been allocated so that's all part of the larger rfp that's mentioned in this item that's currently on the street and is set to close later this month okay because we have to allocate that by the end of the year right but by the end of 24 it has to be allocated yeah by the excuse me by december 31 2024 well i guess i i'm struggling a little bit because i and i know that

[00:39:12] we have certain rules that we have to follow and it has to be in competitive RFP and all those things. But I guess my question is, why wouldn't we, now that we have a housing director and like housing, why wouldn't we just do this in-house? The simple answer is the staffing that is required, having agencies that are already well-versed and have the variety of resources in terms of legal and case management. That's what we're really looking to in order to serve these families.

[00:39:44] Okay. Okay. I just know the community has been frustrated about that one. But I mean, obviously I'm going to support this because it's a critical need and folks need to have a roof over their heads. But thank you. Thank you very much. Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. I don't want to put anybody on the spot here. And I have heard an explanation in the past, which I thought was a valid explanation. I just can't remember what it was. So I have several numbers floating around in my head. So 27 million, 12 million, and now one and a half million and 500,000.

[00:40:14] Can you walk me through, did Loudoun County get $27 million over a year ago for these kinds of programs, of which $12 million was specifically for eviction relief, and we're now talking about dispensing $500,000? Do I have those numbers right? So I can go ahead and answer that.

[00:40:33] The board actually approved the $27.7 million in April of 22 as the first part of Trunch 2 ARPA funding. So it included a variety of programs, including the $12 million for rental relief, eviction prevention, and displacement services.

[00:40:52] So the $12 million and the $1.5 million are all under that $27.7 million that was approved by the board. In April of 2022? Correct. And we still have the RFP on the street to formalize a program over a year and a half later.

[00:41:09] I know that sounds accusatory, and I'm sorry, but I'm really struggling to figure out if We've got families that are being put down the street and we're sitting on $12 million for a year and a half. I'm really baffled. Sorry about that.

[00:41:26] So if I recall correctly, the specific direction for the $12 million related to the RFP was actually, the board provided direction to that earlier this year. And so since that time, staff has been working with the community and my office in the Division of Procurement to draft the RFP.

[00:41:43] As mentioned in the item, the RFP was issued in August. We did receive a significant amount of questions from the community and that RFP is set to close early next week. And so help me with the gap the delta between the 12 million that the RFP is related to and the 500,000. Is this an emergency money that we're freeing up specifically for the increased eviction notices? So the 500,000 is included as part of the original 12 million so we're just carving out a portion of that for some early spending. Okay my next question and this is a legislative question are you aware at all if we

[00:42:19] are pushing a legislative initiative to make leasers, renters, or landlords, make it illegal for them to increase the rent in the middle of a lease contract? Is anybody aware of anything, any initiative for us to make that illegal in the Commonwealth?

[00:42:36] As of now, I'm not aware. Okay, thank you. Can I, in your time, respond to that? So what I've learned, spending a lot of time in the community, what I've learned is that And I think that that's a horrible thing to do, to extend that.

[00:42:54] But what I've also learned is oftentimes the people who are having their lease amounts increased in the middle of the lease contract do not read the language that the lease is in. So they don't even know that that's in the lease when they sign it.

[00:43:11] And that is, and whether or not we can say a landlord or a person can't do that, my question and what we've asked already is, do leases have to be in the language that the person is signing it can understand?

[00:43:29] And that's what we've actually talked about with the Junior Assembly to do that, to make sure that at least the people who are signing them understand what they're signing. Can I quickly respond to that? If not, that's okay. I'm going to say no. i'm saying no mr buffington so you stole his 16 seconds i didn't let him he didn't need him anymore just to clarify this is still the federal arbor money from covid time frame right okay thank you mr um i have one follow-up question on that i know that we have to designate this money

[00:44:09] by 20 december 2024 does it it doesn't have to be spent by then does it or does it no the expenditures are just December 31st, 2026. Okay, so we have plenty of time. Okay, thank you. Do we anticipate a problem spending at all? I mean, we are actually analyzing burn rates to make sure that we are not at risk for sending any money back. Okay, thank you. So let me try to do a bit of a closing. So what Mr. I just talked about Mr. Turner is true. So we have to take care of this

[00:44:42] issue right now because we do not want families to be unhoused during these months. However, this is the acute problem. It's not the long-term problem. There's another long-term problem that we really do need to address so that we do not find ourselves in this place over and over again.

[00:45:02] And the more I spend time, the more I realize some of the long-term problem is a lot of the families who are at risk are, for various reasons, not being paid when they are promised to be paid, supposed to be paid, there is wage theft going on, there is cash under the table going on, they get promised, you know, $40 an hour, and they're getting $10 an hour, and so there's all these other things that are going on with that that has to be addressed.

[00:45:31] And I don't actually know, you know, if that falls on us, if that falls on somebody else, but we do have to figure it out otherwise we're just going to stay in this position we do have an issue where we have some and i i don't want to make it sound like it's all landowners because it's absolutely not but there are some who are fairly predatory who are having people sign lease agreements that people cannot read and cannot understand which is why it's so important and i've talked for a long time about for our housing and community services department to have somebody in our departments who speak different languages, because that's so important. If you don't

[00:46:08] know what you're signing, then you're just sitting at risk, period. And I want to be really careful about saying this, because I don't want to be insulting, but I have had people who said to me that they are not only willing, but wanting to take some, like, financial management classes to know, like, how to do this and, you know, to make sure that they're managing their money well as well and then finally we have this past in the past about two and a half years we have some major apartment complexes that have

[00:46:41] had a large amount of apartments for rental apartments for for our accessible income people that that have sold those apartment buildings and when they sell those apartment buildings the the person that buys them doesn't have to keep those rents at the same rate. And so there's all these other things going on that underline the problem. That there are, you know, I've talked to DAR, they're being very good about being on board. I've talked to New Virginia Majority. I've talked to our faith committee.

[00:47:14] The business committee is on board talking. I see Dory O'Brien here from Nova Hospital. The health committee is on board. The community is coming together to really tackle the underlying problems and I will say we have to do that because this is a band-aid on the bigger issues that we have that we have to face and if we don't fix the bigger issues we'll be back here next year at this time. I really appreciate all the work you all have done so thank you. Thank you Mr. Hemstreet with this and thank you Mr. Hall as well so I appreciate that. I made the motion and was seconded by Supervisor Glass. All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will

[00:47:52] pass 801 um thank you all you all go home now i'll go home now it was like four for the time it's 447 is that what it is yeah yeah yay um i'm gonna go to item 6a um because uh we can get that one done and i know that mr letourneau has a friendly on that item that's a lighting that came out of TLUC, so I'll have the staff come down. Mr. Letourneau, Mr. Turner, Mr. Turner,

[00:48:29] Ms. Letourneau, do you all need to do the presentation? Do you need a presentation? Yeah, okay. So do you guys have anything you want to add that's not in the package already? I'll just mention that we have our consultant from Vionaire, whose name is, I'm sorry, Jim Allardyce. Are they on the phone already?

[00:48:55] He is to be signed on at 5 p.m. sharp. So we might have beat him here. We might have beat him here. Well, let's see how this goes. And if we need to table it for like 20 minutes, we can, but let's see how it goes so far, okay? So, Mr.

[00:49:11] Turner, would you like to make a motion? I don't have my iPad with me, so I don't have the motion available. I want to bring you the motion. Nope, nope, nope. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:49:30] I move the recommendation of the Transportation and Land Use Committee that the Board of Supervisors endorse a staff-recommended study area of influence as depicted in Attachment 1 and the community representation groupings for inclusion in the workgroup as set forth within the October 3, 2023, Board of Supervisors business meeting action item.

[00:49:49] Motion is made and second. I'm going to second to Mr. Letourneau. Mr. Turner, would you like to discuss the motion? Thank you, Madam Chair. In the item, you'll see a depiction of a map that is essentially the study area, the proposed study area, and this is the map here.

[00:50:08] And in forming a community group, we want to have fair representation. Now, we're proposing in our discussions with Vine Air that we develop departure procedures off of the departure end of runway 30 to abate the noise from those departures.

[00:50:24] Right now, those departures make an immediate left or right turn and fly over either Birchwood or South Riding. South Riding is actually off that map in the blue area south of Route 50. And the proposed departure would include, hopefully, a noise abatement procedure, more restrictive on a climb out, but also have them fly straight ahead on Runway 30.

[00:50:45] And in forming a community group, our objective is to get communities that might or might not be affected by that change in flight path. And I've talked with staff. The community group consists right now, I believe, staff of nine members, correct? That's right.

[00:51:01] Right, nine members. And Supervisor O'Turner approached me and said, I'd like to include South Riding in that group. They're not currently included because the proposed departure of 3-0 really doesn't include South Riding. But there could be consequences.

[00:51:16] It's a fairly significant group, and they are certainly affected by the current flight path. So I'm willing to entertain a friendly from Supervisor O'Turner. Do you want to do any more opening before I go to the Friendly? Mr. Letourne, would you like to make a Friendly? Yeah, I move the recommendation of, well, let's see.

[00:51:32] I guess I just. You just make the, yeah, it's not a, yeah. Yeah, so the Friendly would be just after the business meeting action item with the addition of South Riding to the work group also representing the communities of Avonlea, North Riding, Alkalic Estates, Providence Glen, Traeberg, Providence Ridge, Little River Commons, Westview Estates, Frontier Spring, and Kimit Property.

[00:51:54] And you're good with that Friendly? Well, I don't know. I was under the impression we were adding one seat. We are. It sounded like that's one seat. I can explain it. I'll go to you in just a second. So are you good with that friendly right now? I'm good with that friendly. And you're the seconder, so I'm sure you are. So if you're finished with your time, I'll go to him for his time.

[00:52:11] You're good? Okay. Mr. Letourneau. Yeah, it's one seat representing all of those individual HOAs. So if you look at that map, actually, South Avonlea starts, you see that line? No, go left, go left, go left.

[00:52:27] Right, keep going left. Whoa, whoa, whoa, go left. That line right there. Avonlea starts at that line, so it's still deep purple. Where did we get this from? That's fancy. You good?

[00:52:49] We're finished. Give him some time back. Give him some time back. We were a little too excited about the new technology we have up here. Okay, start over. Anyway, the point is, some of the groups that I just included in that are actually in the purple. You see where the 50 is, that's actually south riding right there, where the number 50 is, like the Route 50 sign.

[00:53:11] That's actually south riding, and then Avonlea is actually even further west of that. So they are in the purple area. My own HOA is in this list. I can assure you I get overflights today from Runway 3-0. If you're ever taking off there, look down, and I'll wave up at you as you fly over my house. So the point is, we currently have impacted areas from runway 3-0 departures, not from this map, but if you looked at the, you guys remember the sort of cone of all the flight paths that MWAT provided us, you would see a significant number that actually do take a little bit sharper left before they get to Stone Ridge.

[00:53:47] So the original motion only had the Stone Ridge HOA, and I think it's appropriate given all the other communities that some of which are in this cone area here that south riding be included it still keeps us under the recommended number for the working group which is 15 uh nine to 15 it gives us 10 but that way we're covering like a huge swath of lots of people who are also impacted by this and i'm sure would would want to be heard by this and they would just be a single representative for all those communities um just more broadly on this item i know that we

[00:54:21] have had, um, difficulty, um, getting engagement from, um, the FAA. My understanding from talking to Mr. Kroboth is that the idea strategically now is that if we come to the table with a working group, that they may be more likely to engage because it's a process that they're more familiar with. Is that, is that? That's exactly right. Okay. Um, so we'll see where it goes. Um, I'm certainly willing to entertain it and, um, you know, hopefully see if we can get some engagement and whether there's some, you know, any concerns about doing as we suggested or whatnot.

[00:54:58] But obviously, it's important to have the right members of the community. I think that this is a comprehensive grouping of the people that are impacted in this part of the county that deal with the airplane noise.

[00:55:14] Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Bricksman. Thank you, Madam Chair. So are we effectively setting up another board or committee that has to be staffed? I would say we are setting up another work group, and the staff support to that would be really the people here at this table.

[00:55:34] And so we would be absorbing it into the workload. Okay. But we work so hard to get rid of some of our boards and commissions because of staff time. But I guess I understand why this needs to happen. And then how long do you expect the work group to be operating?

[00:55:51] I actually don't know exactly, but I know that part of the work when setting it up would be to set that, to establish that sunset clause. So I don't know how long the group would meet. Our consultant should be signing on in just a couple of minutes. I think we're looking in the realm of 12 months.

[00:56:11] It's on that kind of, on that scale. Is there a decision time? I mean, I guess what we're trying to do is influence FAA flight paths, right, with our work group. Potentially flight paths. We're looking for some sort of remedy to address the noise concerns.

[00:56:29] It could be flight paths. It could be some sort of operational change. I see. So is the FAA planning to pick this up in the next 12 months? So that's part of what Mr. Latourna was asking about. there's kind of a sequencing issue here where it seems like we would want to know that for certain before forming the work group. But I think where we're at is that we've not received a response yet from FAA staff, but we've been advised by our consultant that actually putting together this cross-sectional representation of the area in question, which is, this is the item that's in

[00:57:03] front of you, putting this group together does kind of move the needle for the FAA and for the airports authority to see that the community actually has organized beyond just county staff and where did the funding come from for the consultant so this that was a budget amendment that actually came before the board several weeks ago it was one of the administrative items it was in the administrative report yes ma'am okay all right thank you thank you anybody else down here the only question this may be a question for mr. Turner or mr. Turner we we are seeming to have

[00:57:42] a little bit of trouble with engaging the FAA. Do you think that more engagement from our federal delegation would help engage the FAA? And Mr. LaTorna, you worked on the Hill for a long time, so that might be a question that you might know just a little better.

[00:58:03] No? So to be honest with you, I think... Yeah, I want you to be honest with me, so yeah. I think the level of federal engagement we got early in the process probably scared the FAA away from engagement, to be honest. Tell me why. um i think it was a little too hard to have too fast for them and they didn't want to be in a position where they were on on the spot um and they kind of just got a more defensive posture at that point so i think hopefully this is a process that they're more familiar with i'm not necessarily sure and defer to staff if if any congressional you know help is really needed

[00:58:41] at this point yeah yeah i think we should probably try to approach this yeah i i mean i have no idea You know, I, yeah, I have no, it seems to me that, you know, logically you think that, you know, your federal delegation would be helpful, and, but that it didn't flow that way.

[00:59:01] And so, truthfully, I will do whatever we think we need to get it done, whether it's with federal help, not federal help, because, you know, the reasonable complaints we get all the time about this is, it's a lot.

[00:59:17] Okay, well, that's good to know. Mr. Turner, would you like to close? Thank you, Madam Chair. Have I any of your rep on yet, do you know? Or can one of you explain NADP Departure Procedures 1 and 2 to me? I don't know the word. Can you explain NADP Departure Procedures to us?

[00:59:35] Mr. Allardyce, are you on the line yet? No, it seems like you. Well, I don't want to take any more of my time. You don't have to. If you want this question answered, we can table it. No, no, no, I can research it. Are you sure? It's easily available. I just can't remember. Okay. The point I'm trying to make here is, and it's very hard for me not to get emotional normally, but in this case especially so, on this kind of an issue.

[01:00:01] We were assured in the 1993 overlay that this would be the build-out flight pattern off Runway 30 at Dulles Airport, and we made housing decisions based on that. And there are thousands and thousands of homes that we specifically built around the depiction of build-out for Dulles Airport in 1993.

[01:00:20] And we were never officially notified of the change in flight path that primarily started to occur in haste after 9-11 until just a few years ago. So those houses are in existence. There's 2,000 new houses that are going to go in on the left and right of center line off of runway 30.

[01:00:38] I understand the FAA is in disarray. I understand Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority got what they wanted a year ago or two years ago when we did the new AIOD. I get all that. I knock on doors every night in Waxpool Precinct, which is on the far side of Bramilton by Beaverdam Reservoir.

[01:00:57] And if I'm standing at the front door, those planes go over every five minutes and I can't talk at the front door of that house outside because of the noise. And that is way further away than South Riding and Birchwood. We have to get this problem fixed. and i want to do it nice and i want to do it and i my credit to the team here because you have bent over backwards to be accommodating to emma and to the fa but we are going to keep at this and we are going to do this until we get a resolution and somebody in authority says yes or no we're going to bring the community in we're going to proceed forward with this process we are not going to go

[01:01:33] away and i've said this before we are writing a letter to the state authorities about the library in Shawshank Prison every single week. And we're going to keep it up, if we have to, for 10 years. We are not going to go away. So that's what this is about. I think this is an excellent first step.

[01:01:50] I think it's very reasonable. I think we've been very accommodating. And we will be around for a long time if necessary, but we will get this moved forward. Thank you, Madam Chair. The motion was made by Supervisor Turner with a friendly by Supervisor Letourneau and seconded by Supervisor Letourneau and a comment about Shawshank in there somewhere that, okay, okay.

[01:02:14] All in favor, please say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 801. All right. Thank you, everyone. And you can call the B&R guy and tell him we're good. Thanks, but we're good. And then the last action item we have is item number four, the Recordation for Douglas High School Commemorative Committee.

[01:02:41] Now, I know that this is staff here. This is a bit of a long presentation, but I got to tell you, this has been so, this has been, God, I don't know, what, 70 years in the making or something?

[01:03:01] 70 years in the making? Mr. Avery, hello, sir. How are you? Yeah, we're good. good to see you sir um i'd like the presentation please thank you absolutely well good evening madam chair and members of the board before we get to the presentation i'd like to introduce mr charles avery um he acts as the co-chair of the douglas high school commemorative committee and has some remarks oh good afternoon madam chair and members of the board of supervisors

[01:03:37] It is a pleasure to be here on this sunny October day, right, October summer coming back. On behalf of the Douglas High School Commemorative Committee, I want to thank you for the opportunity to present these recommendations to you today.

[01:03:55] I'd also like to thank the fellow members of the Reconciliation Subcommittee who have worked over a year towards this goal. Those members would be my co-chair, Erica Bush, who's not here with us today, Dwight Brooks, Tammy Carter, Gertrude Evans, Jimmy Roberts, Larry Rader, and Larry Sims.

[01:04:23] I think it's worth taking a minute to give a little bit of history if you do not remember. But it's good to say that over two years ago, you guys participated in supporting the development of a 17-member committee known as the Douglas High School Commemorative Committee.

[01:04:45] This committee was appointed in May 11, 2021. Just so you remember, this is 2023, so it's been a minute. This committee represented organizations throughout Loudoun County.

[01:05:00] And this is what excites me because it's a diverse group of this committee that came together, including the Black History Committee of the Friends of Thomas Buck Library, the Loudon Douglas Alumni Association, which I am the current president, and the Edwin Washington Society, the NAACP Loudon Branch, the MLK I Have a Dream Committee, the Loudon Preservation Society,

[01:05:30] the Loudoun County Heritage Commission, the Leesburg Town Council, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and the Loudoun County School Board. Again, this committee held its first meeting in May 24, 2021, and over the course of the next two years of the school's renovation, We met 39 times as a group in addition to numerous subcommittee meetings to determine how the history and the importance of Douglas High School should be shared.

[01:06:02] What is seen at the historic Douglas High School education and development campus today is the outcome of those meetings and includes both inside and outside the historic school building.

[01:06:19] I'd like to add one other thing that we're excited about in the last month, actually the last of August, we had a delegation of 60 students who visited from a parish in Louisiana who came to tour the school and enjoyed to witness some of the great things we're doing here in Loudoun County.

[01:06:44] So again, thank you for this opportunity to present, and we'll do that now. Thank you, Mr. Avery. Thank you for everything. All right. So in addition to the individuals that Mr. Avery named who volunteered for the subcommittee, we were fortunate to have had Walter Hogan of Symbiosis as the committee's facilitator for the past year.

[01:07:11] And it was my privilege to act as the staff liaison from county administration for this very thoughtful, engaged, and devoted group. With that, I will get to our presentation. There's a pretty extensive history of the path that this item has taken over the past several years through multiple boards.

[01:07:38] But there are two key meetings to emphasize. the first one having taken place two years ago, September 21st, when the board approved a motion that directed the joint committee to review and discuss the forced sale by the then countywide league that conveyed land purchased for $4,000 to Loudoun County for $1 and to return to a future board meeting with recommendations to address that injustice and then the next key meeting

[01:08:11] was the march 22nd 2022 meeting when the board approved the joint committee's recommendation that the douglas high school commemorative committee make recommendations for the forest sale by appointing a subcommittee that would report back regularly to the joint committee on their progress. There are my slides. There we go. So as mentioned, we had eight members who began meeting

[01:08:48] twice a month in August of 2022 with our facilitator, Walt Hogan. And the guiding question for this group was, how should Loudoun County reconcile the impacts of the for sale of the Douglas High School to the Douglas alumni, faculty, staff, their descendants, and the community. So as a group over that time, we reviewed the historical background of the for sale and discussed various impacts. The following types of impacts were considered in forming

[01:09:28] the recommendations that you will see. First of all, the educational impacts. This includes documented disparities over time in graduation rates and college attendance among black and white students. Social impacts, which would include the sacrifices that were made by parents to send them to school at Douglas, working multiple jobs, holding bake sales to pay for textbooks, furniture, resources, and transportation, which were all provided for free to white

[01:10:02] children within the county. And finally, financial impacts. It's almost impossible, we believe, to calculate the total amounts that would have been spent by these families for the resources that white children were provided for free. The other consideration in looking at financial impacts is the fair market value for the land on which Douglas High School currently sits,

[01:10:31] and in 2023 that fair market value is about 5.5 million. The recommendations that were developed by this reconciliation subcommittee have two parts.

[01:10:50] First, really is ensuring the legacy of the students, the staff, and the families through an ongoing funding support from the board that would include an annual commemorative event, reaffirming how the community recognizes their past, but also how it creates a bright future for all.

[01:11:12] the second portion of that is telling the story of douglas high school and its families and students and faculty and staff that would reach audiences both within loudon and beyond through a comprehensive documentary film project should the board approve county staff will take the following steps for implementation of the recommendations first of all with the commemoration coordination our parks recreation and community services staff

[01:11:45] would assist the douglas high school consortium organizations with collections care educational program development and administration they would help consortium partners to coordinate planning and organizing an annual commemorative event they would work with outside contractors for marketing and event planning, graphic design needs that may be related to those commemorative initiatives, and they would coordinate the budget, sustainability, and planning for annual Douglas High School commemorative elements. In terms of the second recommendation, the Douglas

[01:12:23] High School documentary, our public affairs and communications staff would assist with managing and overseeing the timeline and scope of work for the proposed documentary and contract with a production company, and they would work with the Reconciliation Subcommittee, which would morph into the Douglas High School Documentary Task Force and would help to advise the filmmakers.

[01:12:51] Fiscal impact for the first recommendation, the commemoration coordination, we estimate at about $50,000 annually, and that would be allocated through the Parks and Recreation FY25 budget process for the second one the douglas high school documentary we estimate approximately a million dollars in s in one-time cost and that would be included in the use of fy 2023 fund balance item

[01:13:21] that will be coming to you in november i believe so the joint committee took the action at their september 18th meeting to send the actions to the board approving the recommendations of the subcommittee as they are presented in attachment one of the item and they directed staff to assist with the management of the commemoration coordination and documentary project that

[01:13:57] as it's detailed in the action item and they also recommend that the board direct the county administrator to include funding for the first recommendation for commemoration coordination in the fy25 proposed budget and for the funding for recommendation to the documentary to the fy23 fund balance process so a summary of the recommended motions which of course you'll find spelled out in your packet, would ask the board to approve the recommendations as they're

[01:14:33] presented in attachment one, would ask the board to direct staff to assist with management of commemoration coordination and documentary project, and would direct funding for recommendation one to the FY25 budget process and for recommendation two to the FY23 fund balance process. And with that. I give you a view of the beautifully restored Douglas High School. If you have not been there, you literally could walk down there on your lunch break. It is an absolutely fantastic

[01:15:08] testament to the work that's being done in this community to remember our past. And we will take any questions. Okay, supervisors, if you have questions, please put your lights on. Mr. Letourneau.

[01:15:28] Thank you. Thank you for all the work on this and the recommendations. I wanted to try to drill down a little bit on the documentary. There's a range in the packet from $85,000 to $1 million, which is a very, very large range.

[01:15:46] I'm wondering if prior to the fund balance item, if we could have some additional discussion around exactly what the plan is and how we would execute it. So in my research and some experience doing some of this work professionally, one million is probably not nearly enough to actually produce a professional quality documentary that could air, you know, at a film festival.

[01:16:16] You have to get copyrights, music, all these kind of issues. But it's also way more than it would cost, I think, to produce a high-quality product that would potentially capture oral history elements and things like that. So I don't know if it's possible to drill down on the scope of this, what the time frame would be for that, and whether we can have that discussion and more engagement on exactly what that looks like prior to voting for a specific dollar amount?

[01:16:55] I can give a little bit of feedback in terms of the process that we went through to develop that number. We did speak with two nationally, two documentarians who produce the type of quality nationally syndicated documentaries that would be desired by this committee.

[01:17:17] And this seemed to be a high end of the estimate that we were being provided by them along with, you know, the research that we've done. I think there certainly is a range in quality, and, you know, you can look at something that has, you know, superstar power behind it, or you can look at something that is going to really let the story tell itself.

[01:17:48] I think that's the main emphasis that I've heard from the committee over and over again is that they want the story to be heard and they want the story to be told and they want to have some kind of creative control in telling that. In terms of the process, I'm not sure what we might be able to do.

[01:18:08] I can provide additional information if requested between now and the fund balance item. Yeah, I mean, we can talk about it. I have some concerns about that dollar amount or that number, not necessarily the concept, But we'll see where the conversation goes.

[01:18:27] Ms. Bricksman? Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm not sure that this was said during your presentation. I just want to make sure it is said for the record. The market value of the land, the eight acres today, would be?

[01:18:49] $5.5 million. $5.5 million. Yes, that's just the land. That's just the land. Okay. All right. Thank you for that. And then do you envision, or did the committee envision, or has there been any discussions about who would be managing the celebration?

[01:19:10] Like, I'm imagining, I think we maybe in committee talked about Parks and Rec managing it, or is that how you think it will go? That's correct. That in terms of county staff, the parks and recreation staff are working very closely already with the consortium organizations and with LCPS. And so it seems kind of a natural for staff that they already have these relationships built with to assist with coordinating that commemoration.

[01:19:44] Okay, and you envision something similar to maybe the MLK committee, like just doing it every year, and it will have appropriate people appointed to manage and put it together, folks with a historical understanding and folks that would want to have input, you know, like, for example, the groups that are now at Douglas High School, right, with those groups would be involved, right?

[01:20:10] Yes. Those groups who are now at Douglas comprise the consortium. And again, as Shalom was saying, we work closely with the parks and recs. And so we see ourselves being very much involved in that annual event.

[01:20:27] So the consortium is something different than the subcommittee? Yes. Got it. Okay, I'm sorry. I must have missed that. But listen, I obviously really appreciate this work, and I'll save my other comments for inside the motion. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you.

[01:20:43] Ms. Umstead. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate Supervisor Letourneau's. First, it's candor in saying that a top-level documentary could cost $2 million. And I know there's always some concern about the impact of a million dollars.

[01:21:06] I would say that we, without even second-guessing it, sometimes vote for expenditures that may not be quite as important as this one that might cost a million dollars or more. I think that, as I said during the joint meeting, I am so impressed with how gracious the committee members were in coming up with a solution that did not ask for

[01:21:42] more. And Supervisor Briskman is right. As staff put in the memo, the value of the land today is $5.5 million. So going up to a million dollars seems very reasonable to me. I think there is an opportunity with a well-produced documentary to reach out to the National Park Service to incorporate the history of Douglas High School into the history of Brown versus the Board of

[01:22:18] Education, and the national, I think it's a historic monument or historic park in Topeka, Kansas, commemorating that school battle. There are a lot of ways to make sure this becomes nationally known. I think we have a lot of really good events in Leesburg already with the annual Martin Luther King March, with the Berg celebration at Ida Lee every year. These events bring people

[01:22:54] in from different parts of the country and different parts of the region. So this, to me, given how important this issue is, seems like a worthy expenditure of these requested funds. Mr. Turner.

[01:23:13] Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, Mr. Avery, I just want to commend the entire team. Please pass on my commendation and my thanks for extraordinarily good work. I think it's very reasonable, very rational. Makes a whole lot of sense. Makes a very compelling case. And I think a top-class documentary is exactly the right answer.

[01:23:36] And candidly, I don't care what it costs. When I ran for office, I think in 2015, I did a little bit of research, and one of my talking points during one of the forums was that we spent $95 million on Riverside High School, which was the next most expensive high school in the county at that time, was $65 million.

[01:23:55] And we spent $20 million to buy the land for that high school, And we bet $6 million to build the parking garage at the National Conference Center as part of that deal. I don't care what the documentary costs. I think it's the right answer. I think documentation of what can only be classified as theft to the great and egregious harm of an entire group of our citizens over the span of decades should have no upper bound and within reason.

[01:24:25] I mean, you proposed a million. I mean, how much higher can we go? $2 million, $3 million, $4 million, we're still talking about money well spent to produce that documentary. So I think it's a great solution, and I think the county owes it to do exactly that, regardless of the cost.

[01:24:41] Thank you. Mr. Kirshner. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for the group for all putting this whole thing together. I really appreciate it. It's well thought out. I agree with Mr. Turner in terms of this is an excellent way to remember this in terms of a documentary as well as a commemoration.

[01:24:58] Because obviously this deserves to continue to be remembered simply because we forget history, we're bound to repeat it. And I love the fact that it's right down in the middle of Leesburg where people walk. So this will be a reminder to all of us to love our fellow man and not fall into these traps that we have seen nations fall into throughout history.

[01:25:16] So thank you very much for the work that you've done. I do have a couple of questions. obviously always costs concern us and and the one question i do have is is is the the 50 000 commemorative that we're we would be putting forward in the next fyi is that is that going to be is that suggestion that will be an annual thing or we will fund it annually um is there any concept as to hey eventually perhaps a non-profit will take over this or is this some has that was there any discussion of that on the committee so the the idea is that it would be annual funding

[01:25:46] It would be managed through Parks and Recreation staff, and, you know, they would come back each year as part of the budget process. As it currently exists, the consortium is made up of, I believe, three or four different organizations, and none of them are in a position right now to take on management of that.

[01:26:14] that um doesn't mean that that couldn't happen in the future but for now um we thought the best solution was having our park staff uh and initially it totally makes sense for a number of years for sure i just was wondering if those if there was any discussion about eventually taking it over and presenting it annually certainly as a county we want to continue to support that any way that we can but uh in terms of the actual cost of the documentary the the range of cost was definitely head scratcher for me, for lack of a better term, is the concept in the motion that we would put forward a motion that would say, hey, we're going to take a million dollars and appropriate it

[01:26:53] from fund balance this year. And if you spend it, great. If you don't, you don't. Or is there some sort of room for discussion? Hey, you need so much now, come back and look at it later. What if the motion passed where it's a million that's sitting in this and it's going to end up costing $2 million, as Supervisor Letourneau said.

[01:27:15] I think that's my biggest concern is there's a really big range here with no kind of, it seems to be very few anchors holding it as to which way it's going to go. I think one of the things that we discovered in the research around documentaries is that they're, in addition to private funding, There are also different funding sources through grants, through, I believe, the Ford Foundation is one of the big PBS funders, and some other types of funding sources that could be sought

[01:27:52] in addition as part of that process, if that was something that we discovered we needed. Thank you. Ms. Glass. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I just want to thank staff for your work and thank the committee for your wonderful work that you're doing, that you've done, and to tell the story of African-Americans in Loudoun County.

[01:28:20] And I think it's so important because we still have a lot of folks that had lived through that history that are still here and who are here to be able to tell their stories. I think it's a wonderful, wonderful thing that we are doing.

[01:28:38] And actually, I'm in agreement with Supervisor Turner. If we can have Morgan Freeman telling the story, I would love to have that. I don't know how much it would cost, but I would be supportive in looking at it and making sure that we get this done correctly, that we get it done right.

[01:29:02] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sainz. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to quickly thank staff and the committee for working so hard on this project and coming back with the recommendations. So I'm looking forward to the project.

[01:29:18] Out of curiosity, for example, when we did the grand reopening of the Douglas Community Center in school recently, there was a video presentation that was done before. Who did that video? That was done in-house through LCPS and their staff. Okay, because actually they have, I'll give them kudos.

[01:29:37] They definitely do a lot better than we do is their video presentation. So I don't know if we want to, if you guys have thought about reaching out to them and seeing if that's in their wheelhouse or you have aspirations to go higher. But we definitely have some resources within the county that we can tap into.

[01:29:54] I can think of Ms. Johnson over at the Salamander who does a movie festival every single year. We see if somebody there who does documentary presenting at the festival might be able to help us out. And then in regards to having some famous names narrated, there's definitely some folks we can put you in contact with.

[01:30:13] Because I know one gentleman who does the Juneteenth celebration here in Loudoun County who's now actually gone nationally. I was recently at an event in Sterling, First Baptist in Sterling. He had Louis Gossip Jr. come on the line and speak for a moment of time.

[01:30:29] So maybe that's, I know it's not Morgan Freeman's voice, but Lewis Gossip Jr. still has a very good voice as well. So, but again, thank you to everybody. I look forward to this mission of moving forward. Mr. Avery.

[01:30:50] That's a pregnant pause. Mr. Avery, the things that you and Mr. Dodson and Ms. Randolph and Ms. Gertrude, the things that you all went through in your lifetime that allows me to sit here today, I cannot thank you for them.

[01:31:25] I cannot thank you for who you all are and what you've done to allow me to be here today. That's the first thing I want to say to you. Thank you. We discuss all the time how inequities of the past impact the present.

[01:31:47] I want us to remember something that was said tonight in this presentation that I don't want to get lost. Not only did the African-American community buy the land that should have been publicly available to them. Not only did they build the school that should have been publicly available to them.

[01:32:05] African-American families had to also buy the books, buy the desk, buy the boards, all those things. So all that money that should have been publicly available to them, that was publicly available to the white kids, they weren't buying homes.

[01:32:21] They weren't investing money. They weren't putting money into generational wealth. So when we talk about how inequities of the past impact us today, that is how. Imagine if all that money had been spent to buy land, to buy homes, to buy education.

[01:32:39] That would be a different, we'd be in a different place today. We don't have to believe that things were as they were because they weren't. We've come such a long way, such a long way. But we should not ignore that the inequities of the past absolutely impact today and where we are today.

[01:33:00] And this is a perfect example. This story of what you all did should be sung from every rafter in every town, in every city, in every village, in every hamlet across this country.

[01:33:18] What you decided to do was educate your children and educate yourselves beyond anything that anybody else told you. And if anyone ever has the chance to sit down with members of the Douglas Alumni, it is an eye-opening and blessed experience. We absolutely should do this. We should do it right, and we should put the resource in it that is required. Because if they had that money in their pocket, we'd be having a different story today. Mr. Avery, thank you very much.

[01:33:54] Supervisors, I'm going to make a motion. I move the recommendation of the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee that the Board of Supervisors approve the recommendation of the Douglas High School Commemorative Committee Reconciliation Subcommittee as presented in the attachment to the October 3, 2023 Board of Supervisors business meeting action items.

[01:34:15] I further move the recommendation of the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee to the Board of Supervisors direct staff to assist with the management of the commemoration coordination of the documenting project is to tell in the October 3rd, 2023 Board of Supervisors action item, I further move the recognition of the Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee that the Board of Supervisors direct the county administrator to include the funding for recommendations, one with commemoration coordination in the FY25 proposed budget and forward the funding for the Recommendation 2 documentary to the FY 2023 fund balance process.

[01:34:54] Second. That motion was made. I'm going to give Ms. Brixman the second for that motion. You know, a couple of years ago, we lost Thelma Dotson. And about last year at this time, we thought we were going to lose Mr. Dotson. Thank God we didn't. We're not going to have the Douglas alumni with us forever, which is not. We are so, so lucky and so blessed to have

[01:35:26] people here who fully can tell the story of what happened, can fully sit you down, and Ms. Gertrude will tell the story and then give you a picture, right? She will. Ms. Randolph will tell the story.

[01:35:44] Mr. Herbert will tell the story and then dance with you after he tells the story. Mr. Roberts would take a picture, you show Mr. Roberts a picture from 50 years ago, he could identify every single person in that picture. It is absolutely astounding. It is amazing. The people that we are talking about and what they did, I remember when I first heard the story of the Douglas alumni, I remember thinking, why aren't we talking about this all the time?

[01:36:12] Why aren't we talking about this all the time? Why aren't we telling every child who comes through LCPS, this story. Why didn't everybody know this? We should do this for so many reasons. Least of all is the history that needs to be told of the remarkable thing that happened in Loudoun County, but also because we want to get these voices recorded right now. We want to get video of these people right now. We want to get their pictures. We want to get their memories. We want we want to get their words, we want to get their reflections, we want to get all this right now.

[01:36:52] Time ticks by, and we don't really have time to waste. The land is worth $5.5 million today, but every single person who put money into this school also lost something at that time financially. But what they gained was this place in their community that became a pillar to their strength and to their resilience and to their dedication and really set down a path for everybody who came after them to walk on.

[01:37:25] Because of them, I can drink the water fountain. Because of them, I can eat at a lunch counter. Swim to the pool, vote, run for office, sit in the classroom because of you. Thank you.

[01:37:42] Ms. Brixman. Thank you, Madam Chair. I, of course, echo everything that you said. I didn't have a lot of hope for our little joint committee when I was first put on the joint committee, but look what we have done.

[01:38:07] I learned first about Douglas High School after an MLK march, and I went in and I listened to some of the presentations. And that education has continued, and I really appreciate all the work that the community has done to preserve that.

[01:38:27] Because it was preserved, we are going to be able to tell that story. and we're going to be able to do it with a documentary. And I just couldn't be more proud of this work. So thank you, staff, and, you know, for my colleagues for supporting this effort.

[01:38:49] I was a little bit impatient, but what came out of this is phenomenal. And I think this really tells the story of one area in the country that participated in egregious actions.

[01:39:14] And our board was one of the ones that participated. And it continued in Loudoun County through massive resistance and everything else. They not only had to pay for the heat and the pens and the books, they had bus drivers.

[01:39:31] They had the high school guys who had to go to high school drive the buses because our county didn't provide the buses to that one school. If you ever get a chance to see the presentation, I think it's Mr. Robinson that does it about the transportation.

[01:39:51] It's at the same time baffling and amazing. I'm so proud that we are going to be an example, as Mr. Avery said during joint committee, of what one county can do to tell the truth. Just tell the truth.

[01:40:10] And I want us to tell it honestly. I want us to display the votes from this board to the school board in the documentary when we do the presentations and the commemoration. It tells a story. It's really hard to put money to it, right?

[01:40:25] But we can acknowledge the wrongdoing, and we can celebrate the resilience of this community and offer a touchpoint for learning. And it's just one step, actually, in our journey of truth and reconciliation in Loudoun County.

[01:40:43] This was excellent work, and I can't wait to see what comes out of the study of operating segregated schools. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Ms. Frickson. Mr. Letourneau. Thank you. I will support the motion. I absolutely appreciate and understand everybody's sentiment on this.

[01:41:02] I'm just going to ask that we can get a little bit more information about what the plan is for the documentary. I understand everybody wants to do it. Some members of the board don't have a price tag, but we are using public money, and we should have a plan for how it's going to be executed and kind of what the scope of the project is, the timeline, all those kinds of things that would be normal in any kind of expenditure.

[01:41:25] So when it goes to fund balance, we at least have that information, and it's available for the public. Thank you. Thank you. I don't think I, Mr. Turner, I don't think I heard anyone say, I think even Mr. Turner said within reason. So I think there is an upper end price tag that people, I don't want the media to pick up on somebody saying that there's no upper end at all because that wasn't what was said.

[01:41:49] All right. I made the motion second by Supervisor Bricksman. All the people say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 9-0. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, let's jazz hands that. Let's jazz hands that. All right.

[01:42:04] Thank you. Okay, we have ran right into time to do our resolutions, so that's very cool. Give me one second, please. So let's go on and do, if Ms. Brixman will join me down front, I think a lot of pink just walked into this room, so let's go on and do the breast cancer resolution and then followed by the Breast Cancer Awareness Resolution, followed by the Disability Employment Awareness

[01:42:42] Resolution, and then we'll do the Fire Prevention Resolution after that. Ms. Bricksman, will you join me down front, please? They're going to all come with us, though, ladies. I got

[01:43:19] it. Ms. Bricksman, you have some other people you want to join you down front? No, all of you all are coming, but I think, didn't you have, you don't see them yet? Okay, we're doing both sides hi both sides hello hello hello on this side too one more on this side all right um I said earlier that I normally do this resolution every year um and Ms. Brickspin

[01:43:54] called me earlier in the year and said to me that she'd like to do it and we had a long discussion about why she said she'd like to do it and what she wants to talk about and so I'm very pleased to hand you this microphone I'm very pleased but you know what I mean I'm going to hand you this microphone right now thank you thank you madam chair um so uh earlier this year in may i had a questionable mammogram um i went for a biopsy in june um and i was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer um i am about to embark after surgery in august when we were on recess luckily um had

[01:44:32] surgery had a lumpectomy um and there was a little bit of cancer that had gone to my lymph node as well. After some testing, we know now that I don't need chemotherapy, that I'll be embarking next week on four weeks of radiation, daily radiation. It's an excellent prognosis with the type I have, 99% survival rate, 13% chance it might come back someday. But I wanted to sponsor this resolution. By the way, it was 14 months between my mammograms. Okay, so there's a couple

[01:45:07] messages I'd like to deliver, and not the least of which is get your mammograms. If you're not getting your mammograms, I'm going to come get you and pull you out of your bed and tell you to go get your mammograms. The other message is the technology that is out there and is available right here in Loudoun County has been phenomenal. I mean, I just can't even tell you, and I'll say some about this in the resolution a little bit, but the care that I received from LMG Comprehensive

[01:45:40] Breast Center, from ANOVA hospital where I had my surgery, to the oncologists that I've been working with also at the infusion center, LMG Breast Cancer. I joke now that I have like five doctors. And I've heard people say that on TV sometimes, like, oh, my team, my care team. Like, Now I know what it means to have a care team.

[01:46:06] And I joked with my sister the other day, like, I can't just write doctor's appointment anymore on my calendar. I have to write the specific place I need to go to because, literally, I have, like, five doctors and rehab. So just know that that support system is there. And I have a team as well in this community.

[01:46:24] Many of them came out this evening. I really appreciate that, you guys, so appreciate that. You know, life is life. It's never a great time to get cancer, but you have to plow through, and you can't do it without your team, and many of them are here.

[01:46:42] The last thing I'll say before I read the resolution is don't ever go to a breast biopsy by yourself, and don't ever let a loved one go by themselves. If that's one thing I will share, it is traumatic.

[01:46:59] I'm a strong person. Women are normally just worried about taking care of other people. And a lot of times we don't rely on the support system that's there, even though people offer, you offered to take me, didn't you, to the body. And I'm like, oh, no, I'll be fine. So rely on that support system.

[01:47:18] Even if you're the one that's always taking care, used to taking care of other people. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of other people. So thank you, everyone, for coming. I really appreciate it. I'll stop babbling, and I will read the resolution. job on the pink yes okay um whereas breast cancer awareness month is an annual public health campaign waged each october to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research prevention diagnosis treatment and cure and a cure breast cancer is the second most common and

[01:47:56] second deadliest cancer in women each year hundreds of thousands of americans are diagnosed with breast cancer and tens of thousands lose their battle with the disease and whereas many nonprofits in Loudoun County provide critical support for those suffering from breast cancer by raising money for research, financial support to those going through treatment, providing emotional support to individuals and families, and spreading awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment. These organizations include but are not limited to the Loudoun Breast Health Network, Walk for Mountains, and Stepsisters. And whereas Loudoun is served by

[01:48:33] many essential healthcare organizations that provide treatment services to residents, including the LMG Comprehensive Breast Center, LMG Cancer and Infusion Center, Enova Loudon Hospital, which treated 251 patients with breast cancer in 2022, representing a 36% increase since 2020.

[01:48:54] Whereas screening and early detection are essential to increasing rates of survival, jazz hands. The National Cancer Institute recommends women have mammograms once per year starting at age 40. Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform monthly breast self-exams as nearly 40% of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump. And whereas during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Board of Supervisors stands with everyone impacted by breast cancer and recognizes the ongoing efforts of the advocates, researchers, and health care providers in Loudoun County, whose care and hard work gives hope to those living with breast cancer, and whereas

[01:49:33] the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors encourages residents, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, and all other interested groups to join in activities that will increase awareness of what Americans can do to prevent breast cancer. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim October 2023 as breast

[01:49:58] Cancer Awareness Month. So I want to say something about and to you. So when you called me, because I think I was one of the first people you called when you called me, I said like, what do you need? And you went right into what women always do. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm going to be fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. And so I gave it a couple of days and I was like, I called you back and like, Julie, what do you need? You're like, I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm fine. I'm fine.

[01:50:32] And I remember when I called you the day that you were going for the biopsy, and I called you that morning, and I was like, Julie? And I was calling you because of the biopsy, and he was like, Julie? And you go, I'm going for my biopsy today. And I was like, I know. That's why I'm calling you. And you went, I'm going to be okay.

[01:50:48] I was like, can I bring you some food? Can I bring you this? Can I bring you that? You're like, I'm fine, I'm fine. I think women don't always know when to stop taking care of everybody else because it's what we believe. It means to be a woman. And to some degree, that is.

[01:51:05] But you know how on the plane they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask first? This is what this is sometimes, to put on your own oxygen mask first. And so the statement of when you have a support system, you absolutely have to use your support system. And when I got a text from Ms. Lynn Davis that said, we're coming and we're wearing pink.

[01:51:25] Can we come up? I'm like, oh, absolutely you can come up. Because I think that the message is that the support system and like stepsisters in Loudoun County is such a good support system. The support system in Loudoun County is so important. If there's one thing I want to say to you is you are strong.

[01:51:42] You are amazing. You are amazing. But all of us need someone to be there for them. And I can make really good turkey spaghetti for you any time you want it. But it doesn't mean women are not fine and strong and wonderful.

[01:51:57] It just means sometimes when you're diagnosed with breast cancer, we all need a little bit of help. That's what I would say. I'm not making turkey spaghetti now. Dori, do you want to say anything from Inova Hospital?

[01:52:14] I'll just say, Supervisor Brissman, we're so glad that you were able to come to the Inova Hospital and get help. And we are committed to helping everyone like you get the help they need when they need it with loving care. And I learned recently that a NOVA no longer requires a referral from a physician to get a mammogram after the age of 40.

[01:52:35] So that's something that we're doing to try to help make it easier for people to get the preventative care they need. Are there non-profits here that want to introduce themselves? I'm Pam Smith. I'm with Loudoun Breast Health Network. We're an organization that was founded in 2008.

[01:52:54] We help women only in Loudoun County. That's the only requirement. You have to be a resident of Loudoun County and have had breast cancer treatment in the last year. We are all volunteer. My job is to go out into the schools and work with all these wonderful children in Loudoun County.

[01:53:12] And let me tell you, there is a lot of them raising funds and awareness for this disease. And one of the things I tell the kids, and I'll say it here, this is all wonderful, and I love pink. It's one of my favorite colors. But November 1st, a woman's going to wake up and get a call that she has breast cancer.

[01:53:32] So even though October 31st has come, breast cancer is not going away. So keep that going all through the year, this commitment to this disease that we've made such strides but still have a ways to go.

[01:53:54] I'm Destiny Nason from the Stepsisters, and I am a seven-year survivor myself. Early detection is definitely my passion. And I was given support by the stepsisters. And then a year and a half or two later, I decided to jump on as a volunteer.

[01:54:15] And now I'm part of their executive board. And I just, yeah, like Tara Randall said, rely on your support system. Even if you think you're fine, which I said a million times, I'm fine. I don't need anything. Like, we have insurance. We have a great support system at home.

[01:54:31] the stepsisters started with very simple things like grocery delivery meal services child care pet services and we had them do some of those things for us and then over the years we've grown to offer chemo care bags and we now have a crisis fund that last year funded almost fifty thousand dollars in services like helping pay for somebody's mortgage for a month or their electric bill just to make sure that they're not skipping treatments because that's the first line of defense and I love

[01:55:05] that all the money stays here in the county so good luck and rely on your support all right thank you everybody oh yes who am I we ought to take a picture uh stepsister and um uh just the non-profits yeah i'm good no no that's okay yes early detection

[01:56:24] thanks for coming appreciate you you're so sweet for coming thank you for coming phyllis caught me first she got her oh my god Tons of support.

[01:56:39] Thank you. Thank you. Pretty clean. Thank you for coming out. Thank you, sweetie. Appreciate you. Oh, you need to keep this up here. Thank you. Ms. Glass and everybody for the Disability Services Awareness Month, will you please come down?

[01:57:09] Hello. How are you? Good to sit. You know what? Both sides.

[01:57:34] Everybody come on both sides. Just two sides. Hey, Monty. I want to help. Anyone who you say wants to come down should come down. Well, I actually from Custom Software, She's one of the awardees.

[01:57:51] I'm told Elisa should be down here with us. Now that she's highlighted him. Now that we've called her out. Here you go, Ms. Glass. Thank you, Chair. Good evening. I have a proclamation for the National Association Employment Awareness Month.

[01:58:14] I would just first like to, National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I'd just like to thank Ms. Laura Daly for just all the hard work that you do and the guidance that you give to us regarding folks who have disabilities in the county and how important they are, you know, for us.

[01:58:44] And so I am going to go ahead and read this proclamation, but after that, we do have some awards to give out, so I will hand it over to you afterwards.

[01:58:56] Whereas the talents of all people, including those with disabilities, are a critical part of our efforts to build an inclusive community and strong economy, and whereas everyday individuals with disabilities add significant value and talent to our workforce and economy, and whereas the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, was signed into law in 1990 and prohibits discrimination against job seekers and employees based on disability, and has helped to reduce barriers, change perceptions, and increase opportunities for full participation and inclusion in the workforce.

[01:59:36] And whereas hiring employees with disabilities strengthens businesses, increases competition, and drives innovation, and by providing accommodations to existing employees returning to work after experiencing an illness or injury helps retain valuable talent.

[01:59:56] And whereas National Disability Employment Awareness Month is led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment, with this year's theme being Advancing Access and Equity, Then, Now, and Next, and recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in our nation.

[02:00:13] And whereas the Loudoun County Disability Services Board created the full accessibility and inclusion, Moving Toward Equity, FAME Award, to recognize businesses that demonstrate a commitment to hiring people with disabilities, providing them with opportunities to develop their skills and careers, and offering them a welcoming and supportive work environment.

[02:00:36] And whereas Loudoun County recognizes the Disability Services Board 2023 FAME Award recipients, Custom Software Systems, Inova Loudoun Hospital, and Janelia Research Campus, And therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim October 2023 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Loudoun County and urges the community and employers in Loudoun County to celebrate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities

[02:01:09] and support the value and talent people with disabilities add to our workplaces and society by providing them with employment opportunities.

[02:01:27] Thank you. Thank you very much. So, well, hi, everyone. I'm Lori Daly, and I am the chair of the Loudoun County Disability Services Board, the DSB. And I want to thank you, Madam Chair Randall, and thank you, Supervisor Glass, for all the support that you've given to us throughout the years.

[02:01:50] And thank you to our DSB members who are here, who graciously contribute their time and their input, And for those who are attending virtually online and to our family and friends who are here, it just means so much. I just want to say a few words, again, about FAME and what it stands for and why it's important.

[02:02:09] As you said, FAME, it was created by the Disability Services Board, and it means full accessibility and inclusion moving toward equity. Again, to honor businesses who demonstrate going above and beyond hiring people and offering them ways to develop their skills and inclusion in their work environment.

[02:02:29] And why this is important, especially now, is because it's about all of us, and it's about inclusion. One in four people around you and in this room have a disability. And in all professions and walks of life, you know, teachers, business leaders, business owners, board members, your coworkers, managers, you.

[02:02:54] And it is the largest diversity minority population. It is not specific to any race, gender, sexual orientation, or age group. It's everyone. Yet people with disabilities still represents the largest source of untapped valuable talent in our country and in Loudoun County.

[02:03:17] And Loudoun County continues to experience rapid growth. So we need to hire skilled employees and we need to tap into this key resource for our growing businesses because this makes a disability inclusive workforce. and it's my privilege now and honor to welcome and bring up each of our awardees that are in fact tapping into this skilled workforce and talented workforce and deserving of the fame award so thank you again and um i think we'll just start with our with our awardees i'll start with uh uh dorothy

[02:03:52] from inova and dorothy well i know i'm sorry oh dory oh dory oh you you know oh i'm sorry i'm being too formal. I'll say Dory from Innova Loudoun Hospital since you continue your last speech. So I want to thank you again and we have an award for you. I want to give you an opportunity to speak.

[02:04:19] Well the Innova Health System has always been very committed to DEIA initiatives but last year we had such an exciting opportunity to partner with Loudoun County Public Schools. They approached Loudoun Hospital to work with them to pilot their SOS program. SOS stands for Start on Success and it's a school-to-work program designed to increase readiness for college and career success among high school students with disabilities, specifically in this case on IEPs. We were thrilled to partner on this project, and this past January, six high school seniors were hired for paid positions in

[02:04:54] the following departments, radiology, sterile processing, environmental services, materials management, heart and vascular, and cardiac rehab. Students were paired with a preceptor for five months to learn the functions of the department where they worked. We hosted a graduation ceremony on campus where the students shared what was most important to them. And all of the students to a T said basically the same thing. They were thrilled and amazed to be welcomed for who they are in that space and to have their work valued. And it was so beautiful. And the best news is we actually hired

[02:05:31] one of those students who has been a full-time team member at ANOVA since last summer, and we're kicking off the program again in January. And now Lisa, Lisa Kosak from Custom Software Systems.

[02:05:59] Our CSS Squared program has been so meaningful to our company, and we could not have accomplished what we have and provided the jobs that we have without our amazing job coaches here in Loudoun County. We've worked with Diane Culp and Chrissy Helinski and Greg Conroe, who have helped us provide jobs to the disabled here in Leesburg, meaningful jobs for them.

[02:06:31] And I'm also so thankful to Kendra Dion of PurposeWorks, who is also here based in Leesburg. I had a vision, and she helped put that vision onto paper and create us a plan for providing jobs here in the community.

[02:06:49] And also, I want to thank our wonderful employees that we've had the opportunity to get to know and to work with here in the community. They're amazing. And providing these jobs has just meant so much to us as a company, and we look forward to continuing it in the future.

[02:07:11] And Mr. Monty Mercer from Janela Research. Thank you.

[02:07:29] We value equity, inclusion, and accessibility at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus. And in 2016, we partnered with Echo Works to enable employment for four individuals with disabilities. This collaboration has expanded to include three full teams working on diverse projects, ranging from our groundskeeping to organizing research spaces in our vivarium, our fly, and media facilities.

[02:07:55] At HHMI Janelia, we firmly believe that investing in our people not only benefits them, but it also helps develop others. This philosophy exemplifies our commitment for fostering accessibility, advocacy, and appreciation within our organization.

[02:08:10] Promoting accessibility at Janelia enhances employee morale and production through ergonomic workspaces and adjustable common areas to make it easier for employees with disabilities to navigate, work, and take breaks. Janelia's advocacy efforts have been included in our positive experiences with organizations' missions, like Echoworks, that promote the employment of people with disabilities, including appearances before our County Board of Supervisors to make the case for disability-related funding.

[02:08:41] Appreciation is also a crucial aspect of our partnership. We frequently host donation drives and fundraisers to support the employment of people with disabilities. Employees at all levels are invited to our internal celebrations, as well as outside of the office, attending picnics, holiday party celebrations, and other events.

[02:09:01] I am Monty Mercer, the Community Relations Manager at the Genoa Research Campus, extending our gratitude to the Disability Service Board members, to the Board of Supervisors for their support in empowering people with disabilities. Together, we are developing our organizations and Loudoun County through the successful contributions of individuals with disabilities. Thank you.

[02:09:21] Can you call the nominators to come down for taking a picture? Yes. I don't know what you just said. Come here, say it yourself. All right. I want to ask nominators if you are in the room.

[02:09:37] Todd, I can see you. Lisa, Greg, can you come down? We want to take a picture. And I just want to say the one there. Zahar Budafer, she is our liaison to the DSB, and she has just done so many tremendous things to make this all happen, wanted to make sure you have a special thank you so we after yeah so that what we have whether we have the nominate the people who nominated these three

[02:10:08] flying companies this is great I wasn't expecting that's wonderful thank you all

[02:10:28] for coming okay we have one more proclamation for fire prevention month and for the last time i'd like

[02:12:25] tony buffington to come down and help me with this one well for this for this proclamation yeah because he won't be here next time he can come back when everybody come down for fire prevention Month, especially Aurora. Where is, is Aurora not in the room anymore? Yeah, I'm gonna need Aurora down here. There she is. I always have you do this one with me. There she is. Was she asleep

[02:13:04] as I wake her? She's bored of us. There we go. Oh, oh, wow. And she'll just stay. All right, we have a proclamation for Fire Prevention Month.

[02:13:21] All right, whereas fire is a serious public safety concern both locally and nationally, and the county of Loudoun is committed to ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors, and whereas Loudoun County's first responders work to reduce the occurrence of home fires and fire injuries through the fire prevention activities and life safety and education, And whereas cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, with two of every five home fires starting in the kitchen.

[02:13:51] I did not know that. And whereas the leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unintended cooking, and most of these fires involve the kitchen stove. And whereas residents should never leave food cooking unattended, should always keep a three-foot kid-free zone around cooking appliances, and keep anything that can burn away from the stove and whereas all residents should have working smoke alarms to alert them to a fire and a home fire escape plan in the event of these alarm sounds. Prevention is key,

[02:14:24] but if you have a cooking fire, evacuate your home and call 911. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim October 23 as Fire Prevention Month And the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors urges all residents to participate in various outreach events throughout Fire Prevention Month.

[02:14:48] And remember, cooking safety starts with you. Pay attention to fire prevention. Okay, Chief, who am I handing this microphone to? Oh, goodness. I thought he was going to go first.

[02:15:05] So I had prepared statements until I sat in the back and listened to folks. And there seems to be a common theme tonight that I feel is appropriate as we talk about fire prevention is documenting history, providing education, success as a team, early detection, then access to resources as a support network.

[02:15:27] Fortunately, in Loudoun County, we're very fortunate in many aspects of all those is we learn from the history of any time we have an opportunity to push out information regarding fires locally. we do that and it's not to to make light of the situation of the the person that experienced a loss but we feel that it's important for others to hear that message of the education piece fortunately she was almost late here today because she was out educating folks and are fired up for uh fired up for safety program which is the first well you do the first grade program but

[02:16:06] in addition to that would you like to speak about any of the education stuff that we do I could go on forever. We just are lucky to have the opportunity to be able to go out into the community, whether we're reaching the preschool age or whether we're going out into the older adult communities.

[02:16:23] There is so much information that we can provide that prevention is the best way to safeguard yourself and your family members. Just today, I actually came directly from a smoke alarm assessment where we were able to install specialized alarms for a resident who was hearing impaired.

[02:16:41] So now he can go to sleep tonight knowing that if there's an emergency, if there's a fire, he will get notified and can get out of the house safely. The smoke alarm program? Yes. So if a resident is deaf or hard of hearing, they can contact us through our program.

[02:16:58] I have to special order those alarms. But the alarms basically are the regular smoke alarms. They still make the sound, but they come with a receiver that goes on the nightstand that flashes. So the light, in theory, should wake them up. There's the opportunity to purchase a bed shaker. That can also shake under the pillow.

[02:17:14] That can also alert them to the fire. Anybody else? I don't know if Chief Cogger was going to mention it, but Aurora is eight days away from retirement. And so you will see us at a board and future meeting where we will proclamation for Aurora and let you meet the replacement for Aurora, who's already been named and already started her job.

[02:17:39] So quite an accomplishment career. I was I was downstairs in this building the other day and I came out of a door and one of your firefighters was doing the fire safety check. And I was like, what are you doing here? And he goes, just checking the building to make sure I was safe.

[02:17:56] And I was like, wow, that was very good. So thank you all for all you do to keep us safe every single day. And we're going to want to hand this to you, Chief Cogger, and I'm going to take we're going to take a picture.

[02:18:05] How's that sound? OK, everyone, that will take us straight into our board.

[02:19:43] I mean, our public comments tonight, we have right now 12 people to speak on public comments. It is my practice always when we have an elected official in the room to extend the professional courtesy to allow them to speak first if they would like to.

[02:20:02] We do have an elected official who has signed up to speak. And so if Mr. Gary Clements, our clerk of the court, is in the room, would he please come down to the podium? Mr. Clemens, after you, would be Larry Roundtree, followed by Ann Thomas, followed by Mary Ann Mueller.

[02:20:21] Good evening, Ms. Clemens. Good to see you. Good evening, Chair Randall. May I approach the bench? You may not. I'll see you later. Okay. No, I'm just kidding. Of course you can give it to the, there we go. Perfect. Well, good evening, Chair Randall, ladies and gentlemen of the board.

[02:20:39] Thank you for allowing me to speak to you this evening. Many months ago, actually back in January and February, I was at a variety of meetings in the community, And I had a few Loudon residents who approached me concerned about what's called title fraud or property fraud. And my initial reaction was, well, in Virginia, our laws are set up in such a way that the recordation deprocess is safe.

[02:20:59] And there'd be a very, very slim chance of having any fraud commit as far as your ownership and legal title to property in Virginia. But then I reflected more on these concerns. And as elected officials, you know, we need to listen to our constituents.

[02:21:16] So I decided to listen to these constituents who, for the most part, were retirees, widows, and widowers who really were concerned that later in their life with limited income, that something could happen to their property. So I began an investigative process.

[02:21:31] I consulted my team in the office. I talked to technology experts and realized we could launch something that would help address the concerns of these citizens. So I'm here tonight to tell you that we've been testing a system for several months, working out the mechanics, working out logistics within my office, and we're ready to launch a new system called Alert Me.

[02:21:53] And with Alert Me, once Loudoun residents register through this system, they will be able to receive alerts through text messaging or email if something is recorded among the clerk's land records that impacts their real property. Now, in many cases, when they get an alert, it could be affirmation that a deed was supposed to be recorded.

[02:22:14] They may have gone to settlement on a new house two or three days previously and that alert they receive provides validation that the settlement agency has indeed recorded that deed. If they got a home equity line deed of trust or some other loan that subsequently will be recorded as a deed of trust in the clerk's records, an alert that the deed of trust has been recorded again provides that affirmation, that validation. In the alternative, if they get an alert that something's been recorded they weren't expecting, that empowers that individual to call their lawyer, call their settlement agency, or contact the clerk to get more details to find out

[02:22:51] what's been recorded. So we are launching this very soon to the general public at large after testing it for many months. I just came tonight as fellow elected officials to alert you, to alert me, so that you can share that with your constituents. Mr. Barber does not know this yet, but I'll be soliciting his assistance to get the word out through mass email communications, through our website and other social media tools so residents know this information is available to them. Once we launch it at that level my hope is to reach out to my partners in county government, Steve Torpy, our public libraries, our county

[02:23:29] treasurer and many others who disseminate information to use them to help get word out to loud residents as well. So thank you for your time and attention and once Mr. Barber has the information available that he sends out if you want to take what Glenn has and put that in your newsletters, I'd be very grateful. Thank you for your time.

[02:23:47] Have a good evening. Thank you. Thank you always, Mr. Clements, for all you do. We appreciate it. Larry Roundtree, you'll be followed by Ann Thomas, followed by Mary Ann Mueller. Good evening, sir.

[02:24:03] Good evening, Madam Chair and supervisors. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to your business meeting tonight. My name is Larry Roundtree, and I reside. I'm a neighbor of Mr. Turner, our supervisor for the Ashburn District at Lansdowne Woods over in Lansdowne on the Potomac.

[02:24:23] First, I'd like to commend all of the supervisors, especially those of you who have worked on the reform and redrawing completely of our zoning and planning process, which is related to somehow getting a handle on the growth that we've all seen. Everything I saw here tonight when I came about 4 30 to this meeting showed a commitment on all your parts to the history and the quality of life in Loudoun County and what I'm going to address tonight it's a very specific issue but it

[02:25:00] has to do with the fact that our growth and indeed our quality of life in Loudoun of late has taken a frenetic and even strange turn with all of these slab-sided data centers going up in the eastern and a half of the county. I am here tonight to speak about our friends at Dominion Power. Here we go again, another massive power line, more NIMBYs, flooding your emails and phone lines with complaints. Supervisor Letourneau, you fought for years to get a better final route from Dominion

[02:25:37] Power on Route 50's power line to serve data centers years ago. So this stuff is not new, It's familiar to you. In 2005 and for years afterward, Dominion Power fought but finally buried its big line for two miles to the west out by the Loudoun County Fairgrounds and along the W&OD Trail. A lot of you may remember that fight. So now, as you are aware, Dominion is now trying to put a massive power line, transmission line, right down Route 7. And they come to us and say,

[02:26:13] here it goes you've got six months to comment on it we're going to the state corporation commission in uh december of 23 this year and they i would urge you all together to say slow down to dominion i am not against power lines or data centers but this route 7 proposal is a bad idea i have passed out a brief outline that you'll receive tomorrow according to the clerk here of a better alternate route to feed the power hungry data centers down to the Dulles Greenway. Thank you, sir. Your time

[02:26:47] is up. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And Thomas, followed by Mary Ann Mueller, followed by David Thomas. Good evening, Ms. Thomas. Everybody. I'm really proud to be here. I have such respect for you all and what you do. Mike Turner is our representative, but you all are our representatives, so thank you very much. I have just recovered from breast cancer myself, so okay, I'll be quick, and I'm very clear about what I'm going to say. Okay, thank you for all you do.

[02:27:22] Dave and I, my husband back here, we live in Lansdowne Woods, and we've lived there for 22 years. We love Loudoun County and do our best as volunteers in all sorts of different ways that where we can help. However, today I'm here to talk about the proposed Dominion electric transmission line. You all have been sick to death of it already hearing about it, but boy, it is real. It's named the Aspen to Golden Line, as you know, and we are urging the Board of Supervisors to change the route. The proposed route for the transmission line goes

[02:28:00] through, goes along Goose Creek, which is central to Loudon's environment. I'm sure you all have hiked along it or been to see it. It's gorgeous. It was named the Goose Creek State Scenic River in 1976. That's a long time ago and was extended in 2007. It has 48 river miles and is the largest tributary in Loudoun County. The proposed route from Dominion has four substations south of Route

[02:28:35] seven along goose creek four let me repeat that four along goose creek near where it flows into the potomac and there are no substations substations along the rest of the route a substation steps job is to step down voltage from transmission lines to distribution lines that's why it takes a lot of you know all that stuff up there each one takes up substantial land and continues to destroy the environment of our beautiful community. I recommend that the Board

[02:29:15] of Supervisors and Dominion Power move the route of the transmission line to the Dulles Greenway, which avoids a serious impact on Goose Creek and our beautiful county. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Thomas. Mary Ann Mueller, followed by Davis Thomas, followed by Carol Grossman.

[02:29:36] Good evening. Good evening. There's no objection. Mary Ann, I'll switch spots. I'm seven on the list. Yes, that's fine, Mr. Turner. Madam Chair and members of the Board of Supervisors, as most of you know, I'm a resident of Lowndon County, and I represent the Lansdowne Conservancy as their general counsel.

[02:29:53] I'm here this evening to discuss the proposed Dominion transmission towers that are slated to come through Lowndon County. Dominion has proposed several routes where these transmission towers can be located. I'm here to tell you why the northern side of Route 7 is not a viable option. There are several compelling reasons.

[02:30:11] One, the area of Lansdowne where Dominion wants to construct its towers and power lines is already planned, built, constructed, and currently fully occupied. The residences and offices are not just draft proposals on paper that can be revised, replanned, or moved.

[02:30:28] Two, there are currently no data centers or substations in Lansdowne. There will never be data centers or substations in Lansdowne because of its proffered rezoning that does not permit them. Three, there is a restrictive covenant prohibiting above-ground power lines in Lansdowne.

[02:30:45] Lansdowne Conservancy is determined to protect the value of the property owned by its members, who now enjoy the benefit of the restrictive covenants that prohibit above-ground transmission lines and towers. This restrictive covenant is a property right owned by and is binding upon all property owners in Lansdowne, and Dominion will have to sue to condemn it from each individual property owner if it wants to construct power lines in Lansdowne.

[02:31:10] Four, there is a scenic easement across the entire north side frontage of Route 7 in Lansdowne. Though identified on Dominion's constraint map, the Landstone Conservancy does not believe the full scope of the easement has been depicted, and Dominion's map has not changed since the Conservancy notified Dominion of that fact.

[02:31:27] Five, there are stormwater management ponds, water lines, gas lines, power lines on the northern side of Route 7 that would push the power lines closer to existing residences and businesses. There are at least four additional reasons that make the northern side of Route 7 not viable for transmission towers.

[02:31:46] Additional reasons will be forthcoming from other speakers this evening. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Turner. So then it would be David Thomas, Carol Grossman, and then Mary Ann Mueller is how I see this. Good evening, sir.

[02:32:03] Good evening, everyone. My name is David Thomas. You met my wife a moment ago. I've lived in Lansdowne for 23 years. She says she's only lived here 22 years. I wonder where that other year is. I have a specific piece of information, let me call it graphic information, because it's going to be largely photographic.

[02:32:28] Does this show up? Well, a little bit. We hear the towers for the Dominion Power Line are very large and very tall. I wanted to find out what that really meant, and to share that with you.

[02:32:45] So I thought, how do they compare with the tallest buildings in Loudoun County? You know where those are? The four tallest buildings in Loudoun County are in Lansdowne Woods, and I live in one of them. Supervisor Turner lives in one of them.

[02:33:02] So I thought, let's compare these towers with that. I picked the largest tower I could find around here, just north of Route 7 near Wegmans. This photograph shows, let's see.

[02:33:21] Well, it's fine. You can see it on TV. Yeah, you're good. Yeah, you're on television. Okay. Well, let me just, I don't need to show you details. This is a photograph of one of the high-rises at Lansdowne Woods. It's 145 feet tall.

[02:33:39] That's one of the tallest buildings, one of the four in the county. That includes the entire facade and a small substructure, a small superstructure. This is the photograph of the tower I chose. Not the specific tower that Dominion proposes, but it's very similar in height, almost the same.

[02:33:59] So the photograph says that the tower is about the same height as our building. I photograph those myself, the same distance from the building and the same distance from the tower.

[02:34:15] And I use the same settings on the camera. I'm enough of a photographer to know that that means I can compare these two photographs directly. The supervisors will have a print of this tomorrow, each of you, of the photograph I just showed you. So picture towers of that height along Route 7.

[02:34:37] They are really tall. I can look out from my condominium, our condominium. Mr. Thomas. On the sixth floor. Yes? I'm sorry. Your time is up. Okay. I can see a lot out there. Okay. And I'd rather not. But we will all get that picture.

[02:34:54] Yes, you'll have it. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Carol Grossman, followed by Marianne Mueller, followed by John Legabo. You canceled? Okay. Good evening. Good evening. I, too, live in Potomac.

[02:35:12] Well, I live in Potomac Ridge in Lansdowne Woods. We've been living there for two years. We specifically bought our condominium because of the beautiful views and the greenery. It's called Lansdowne Woods for a reason. As my previous person said, it's 135-foot H-towers and high-voltage lines that are proposed to be put there.

[02:35:38] this will impact roughly 2,000 people in our community. That's a lot of people. And in doing so, it will impact the home values of our property. The Wall Street Journal says that it could be anywhere from 10% to 45% of our home value.

[02:35:56] People over 55 or anyone else should not be impacted this way. There are other solutions. The Greenway could be one solution. Reportedly, Loudoun County is one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest county in the entire nation.

[02:36:13] Why not put money in tandem with Dominion to make good use and call this the technology capital of the United States? Put Loudoun County on the map. Why not consider Ashburn Village Boulevard as a conduit?

[02:36:29] Our property is being negatively impacted, and there are other solutions. I thank you for your time, and I hope you will consider the requests of our community. Thank you. Thank you. Marianne Mueller, followed by Helen Ganster.

[02:36:50] Did Mr. LeGobble take counsel? Okay. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Marianne Mueller. On the Route 7 task force, I represent Lansdowne Woods. Board members, your influence over Dominion's Route 7 proposal is limited, as is your influence over the data centers, now reportedly flocking to Route 7, following news that 500 KV lines are going up.

[02:37:18] The current land grab makes it difficult to determine what comes first, the power line or the data center. Still, decisions you make in coming months, however limited, may forever alter the face of eastern Loudoun and the reputation of Loudoun as a welcoming place for families and businesses.

[02:37:37] Ten years ago, Dominion and PJM so underestimated the data center's projected energy needs that Dominion is now proposing an enormous regional power infrastructure of which our Route 7 is a small part.

[02:37:54] While Loudoun's tax base has greatly benefited from data centers, Loudoun residents will continue to see their utility rates go up because we foot the bill for the massive infrastructure that Dominion now plans in support of data centers, both here and regionally.

[02:38:13] Dominion asserts regulations prohibited from asking data centers to fund even a portion of burying the Route 7 lines. Yet in recent testimony, Dominion's Vice President of Strategic Partnerships made industry headlines by confirming Dominion has entered into agreements with data centers, whereby the centers will fund substations and power lines to their facilities.

[02:38:40] Board members, I request you exert your influence with the SCC to direct Dominion to build these lines elsewhere. Absent that, as representatives of the world's foremost data center, please press Loudon-based data centers and Dominion to reach an agreement whereby the data centers will pay a substantial portion of the costs needed to bury lines on seven, and to pay for the technical assistance Dominion will require to do so.

[02:39:11] Thank you. Thank you. Helen Gangster, followed by Molly Peacock. Close enough. I'm sorry? Close enough. Oh, okay. You'll be followed by Gangster, followed by Molly Peacock. And then Lucy Keller is on the line. Good evening, ma'am.

[02:39:30] Okay. Yes, I'm a former homeowner in Fox Ridge, and now I live in Lansdowne Woods. And in my opinion, Dominion is both an asset and a threat.

[02:39:47] Back in the 1960s, when Loudoun County was just being discovered, Dominion took full advantage of the opportunity to buy land inexpensively, make improvements, and then sell it back at a profit. Since we the people need their service, few fought their quest for land or water, but times have changed.

[02:40:11] The process is still the same, but the results are far more harsh. Huge swaths of land for their utility poles, set in a 150-foot-wide right-of-ways, dripped of trees, then left to weeds, are now serving monstrous, windowless, data-centered buildings.

[02:40:34] We've witnessed this west of Leesburg in recent years, from Leesburg itself along Route 7 at first, but now marching east. One Loudon by Wegmans, as mentioned, is already home to a humongous tower, but they are neatly landscaped setting.

[02:40:52] Those lines had both north and toward Maryland, and south into developed areas of our county around the airport. These days, fed up by the growing demand for electricity, it is a data center that are also gobbling up large parcels.

[02:41:12] using enormous quantities of water and turning our rural landscape into gigantic, windowless buildings. Loudoun County is now our nation's largest data center. And Dominion has succeeded in winning over our county government, so most residents say it is pointless to fight them on this.

[02:41:35] True, we need electricity for a growing population and economy, so we think it is a win-win. But the loss of open space, the proliferation of ugly power poles and enormous data centers is rapidly destroying our beautiful rural area.

[02:41:53] So my request is ban the towers and put those lines underground. Require the data center to landscape their ugly commercial buildings. Thank you.

[02:42:08] I appreciate it. Molly Peacock, followed by Lucy Keller, followed by Kathleen Hughes. Good evening. Good evening, Madam Chair and members of the board. My name is Molly Peacock. I'm here as part of a group of people standing up for the citizens of Loudoun County.

[02:42:28] As I've mentioned in a previous recent Board of Supervisors meeting, I also happen to be general counsel for the lands done on the Potomac HOA. However, my presence here this evening and last time is in collaboration with fellow task force members and Loudoun citizens who wish to share information and concerns with you about Dominion's plan.

[02:42:52] Our purpose is not to complain endlessly and pointlessly, but to identify relevant information points so that Dominion, the Board of Supervisors, and the citizens of Loudoun County can arrive at the right place with regard to energy transmission, infrastructure, and cost apportionment.

[02:43:09] Dominion has contractually agreed to not build Transmission lines in the area it is now contemplating building transmission lines. A few years ago, as many of you may remember, the county and Dominion and VDOT and the Lansdowne Conservancy entered into an agreement partially allowing Dominion to move a few pre-existing lines, but also emphasizing Lansdowne Conservancy's existing covenants saying there will be no lines above ground.

[02:43:41] Those covenants must be honored, and we're here to make sure that they are. Many citizens and communities are willing to fight to make sure that agreement and also the recorded covenants are honored. Route 7 is called the gateway to Loudoun County.

[02:43:58] There's a history of scenic easements and efforts by citizens and officials since 1950s to protect the beauty of Route 7. Let us keep it so. And finally, in the course of just the past three weeks, the Lansdowne task force has sent out a petition which has garnered over 2,000 signatures expressing opposition to the proposed transmission lines going up on Route 7.

[02:44:30] Lansdowne has begun outreach, and our outreach is right now beginning. In summary, our goal is to make sure that Lansdowne residents do not end up a casualty in what appears to be a rush to meet an unexpected increase in demand for energy required by data centers in this area.

[02:44:47] We have gained significant following, and we are just getting started. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. On the phone will be Lucy Keller, and the last speaker will be Kathleen Hughes, who's our person tonight. Andy, can you hear me?

[02:45:05] Yes, thank you. chairman randall can you hear me fine we can hear you fine ma'am okay thank you very much my name is lucy keller i'm a resident of lab since 2006 when i moved from fairfax county's tyson corner area i moved to beautiful loudon county and moved into a very special neighborhood that is and was and is within the lansdowne conservancy and being part of the lansdowne conservancy was very important to my husband and I, as we thought that the conservancy rules, regulations, and restrictive

[02:45:41] covenants protect our community and our home from future blight, such as overhead, transmission lines, industrial buildings, and inappropriate development. At that time, the slogan, Don't Fairfax Loud, was very popular, and I'm not privy to all the details related to land use, zoning eminent domain ease restrictions etc however the past is becoming prologue and loudon now has the distinction of fairfaxing loudon by permitting runaway development of data centers

[02:46:17] not only what would be considered commercial corridors such as a long route 28 but in the backyards of residential neighborhoods such as lansdowne where i live as a result of this development, the data centers in Loudoun, Dominion Power, who must provide energy to the public, is proposing the 135-foot high voltage overhead transmission towers as part of their Dominion Aspen to Golden project, which you've heard about. And I support everything that's been said so far

[02:46:51] by the previous speakers. To help you understand the impact of this project, Dave Thomas has shown some pictures, but I'd like you just to imagine living on the seventh or eighth floor of your home within the Lansdowne Conservancy and looking out onto not trees as you have for the past 15 or so years, but onto high voltage towers or being in a single family home and looking up at them from your backyard or seeing them every time you go to your local shopping center. I'm speaking to you

[02:47:26] with today to request that the Board of Supervisors take action of working with Dominion to re-establish or to establish an alternate route that would not impact our community.

[02:47:42] Thank you. Ms. Keller, your time is up, actually. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. And our last speaker, good evening, ma'am. Good to see you. Hello, Madam Chair and members of the Board.

[02:47:58] I'm Kathleen Hughes, another resident of Lansdowne Woods in the Ashburn District, back again to urge you to support burying the transmission wires for Dominion's proposed Aspen to Golden Route. I've now attended yet a third presentation by Dominion on the plan to provide massive new electricity for our ever-mounting data centers.

[02:48:21] Nothing they can say convinces me or the majority of other Lansdowne residents that these giant 135-foot aluminum poles as tall as a 12-story building will be anything but ugly and add to the destruction of beautiful Loudoun County's environment.

[02:48:37] I know the Aspen to Golden Route is 10 miles long, and never before has such a long mass of wires been buried, but I think Dominion can do it. After all, they've just completed the biggest wind farm in the country off the coast of Virginia Beach.

[02:48:55] Burying the wires would be another engineering feat for Dominion and a credit to their sustainable energy mission. I know it would cost a billion dollars and the other route only 218 million, but after all, the data centers are not being built for the benefit of Loudoun County residents only.

[02:49:13] They service 70% of the world's Internet needs. I think, therefore, that the data centers themselves, the state, and even federal infrastructure funds could help pay for the greater Internet needs of all and keep Loudoun County beautiful at the same time.

[02:49:31] Why should we pay for something we don't want and don't need? Thank you for considering this proposal. And I would like to put another hat on quickly and remind all the Board of Supervisors that there's another candidate forum that the League of Women Voters, Delta Sigma Theta, and NAACP are putting on October 19th.

[02:49:52] And we hope to see you all there. Thank you. Thank you very much. We appreciate that. Okay. Thank you, everybody, for coming in. supervisors we have been on the on the days now for quite a while and we have four closed sessions in addition to we have our board comments when so what we're going to do is take a break come back and do more comments and then go straight to closed session but let's uh let's take a 10 minute break right now

[02:50:21] thank you okay we are going to do public comments and then we're going over the

[03:06:26] The board comments, and then we're going to read in the closed session for all four closed sessions. We're just going to do them all at one time, folks. So, board comments. Ms. Umstuck. Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I have one disclosure, which I am going to bring up in a second.

[03:06:47] And in the meantime, I'm going to talk about the Leesburg Kiwanis Halloween Parade, which is coming up on Halloween, as always, from Ida Lee. Lineup will probably start around 5 p.m.

[03:07:03] And so I would hope everybody who wants to be in that parade will come. And you'll have to come back to me because I cannot find the one disclosure I have. Thank you. You have no more comments besides the one disclosure? No other comments.

[03:07:19] All right. Thank you. Mr. Kirshner? Thank you, Madam Chair. happy october everybody i have uh for those of you who have not heard um i officially have had my sixth boy as of monday of last week wow i gotta clap for that clap for whitney that's true you're here um deacon jesse kersher born around on monday morning is a great name yeah um at eight pounds five ounces 20 inches long doing well sleeping through the night already So very happy there.

[03:07:55] So what's that? Yeah, sleeping through the night. Actually, as of day one, he's a really good baby. Yes. So in terms of... Whitney's like, I'm not doing this with you, buddy. After six boys, you figure out a method, right?

[03:08:12] On September 28th, I met with Eric Zick and Kevin Murray and Inertia Labs to discuss DTCI's referral comments about pedestrian access to their site. In terms of other news in Catoctin, the only other announcement I would have is that we have the Waterford Fair coming up this weekend, starting Friday, October 6th, going through the 8th.

[03:08:33] Look them up on the webpage. This is their 79th year of the Waterford Fair. So come and enjoy. It's always a great time, and I'm sure our board members, Kate, would probably invite us all in to tea and crumpets. Thank you.

[03:08:48] Ms. Glass. Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a few disclosures. On Wednesday, September 20th, my staff met with representatives from Cooley and TAPCO to discuss the Belmont Green rezoning application. On Thursday, September 21st, my staff met with representatives from Walsh Colucci to discuss the Dog Oak Farm rezoning application.

[03:09:12] September 27th, I met with representatives from Cooley and Milestone Towers to discuss the Claiborne Parkway monopole application. On Wednesday, September 27th, I met with representatives from Compretti Land to discuss the Arcola residential rezoning application.

[03:09:30] And I did attend the Northern Virginia Regional Commission on the 28th, and we had a couple of presentations. The first one was regarding the commuter ferry final report, and that was them discussing having a ferry going up and down the Potomac River.

[03:09:56] And it seems like that right now it's not really going anywhere. There are a lot of issues regarding that. So actually, you know, the NVRC isn't looking into that, they're looking at other organizations maybe to continue with that. The next presentation was with the Clean Water Partners and what they're doing is that they had discussed

[03:10:31] how they're giving presentations or sending out information to the community about clean water and one of the one of the most, I won't say egregious, but one of the ways that we have a lot of pollutants to go into our water is from people not picking up dog poop. And it's like about 51%. And I forgot, we have a lot, got one out of, I think maybe one half of residents. I don't know if it's that,

[03:11:10] that many, but there are a lot of residents that have dogs. So they were talking about how people, you know, let their dogs go in their own backyard, which is still the same thing. You know, you still need to take the, you know, pick up the poop from the backyard.

[03:11:28] They said you wouldn't pour oil in your yard. That's the same thing that you would be doing. And then we also had a few resolutions, and the one resolution that I would like to talk about is the authorization to accept National Park Foundation funds for Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Outreach and Interpretation Project.

[03:11:54] And this is something that we've been talking about in Loudoun County to continue to connect our trails up to, we're trying to go even up to West Virginia. So we're receiving funds, so it's really exciting that that's going to occur.

[03:12:12] And that's all I have, Madam Chair. thank you um miss brixman uh thank you madam chair um by way of disclosures on september 20th we had a meeting with steve donchus an attorney who represents the energy storage industry to discuss zor on september 20th we had a meeting with colleen gillis of cooley to discuss possible a possible future development proposal that was my staff i believe on september 21st i had a had a meeting with the Loudoun Chamber to discuss the ZOR. On September 25th, I had a meeting with

[03:12:50] Mike Romeo on Dogwood Farm Station application, and on October 3rd, I had a ZOR, today, I had a ZOR discussion with the Piedmont Environmental Council. I wanted to address one thing this evening that is sort of similar to what we were talking about earlier with the rental evictions, and that is that funding from the American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Biden in 2021 for child care assistance expired on September 30th. So that means in our country, we now have 70,000 child

[03:13:26] care centers that could be at risk of closing. And we also have 3.2 million children who could lose their jobs. So this is really a crisis now in our country, because if the kids can't go to child care, then the parents can't work. I am, you know, child care workers also are not making enough money, and they were also participating in the, you know, the providers were participating as well, and so it's going to hurt people that actually work in that industry as well, right, because the funding is ending. So, and, you know, we've talked about this before. I'm really proud

[03:14:06] that we're doing the initiative for the child care needs assessment and some of our ARPA funds, But this is another time to think about the fact that when this sort of assistance runs out, people literally go into crisis, whether it's a roof over their heads or being able to go to their job because they have child care.

[03:14:26] And child care now costs up to $15,000 a year. I mean, that's like a college tuition. And, you know, you guys know that I think about this a lot. But I learned recently that during World War II, the federal government funded child care because they wanted people in the workforce for the war effort.

[03:14:50] The 1940 National Defense Housing Act was passed, and in this act, there was $52 million for child care. That's roughly $900 million in today's dollars. So if we could do it once, I think we should do it again.

[03:15:08] It's no secret that I think we should have universal pre-K, and I would be happy if Loudoun County led on that effort. It's critical to our economy that we have workers that can go to work.

[03:15:28] So, like I said, I'm proud that we're working on this, but I also think, you know, we discussed this a lot at the Metro Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors retreat as well this year. And I am convinced that in this region, the jurisdiction that figures out child care wins economically, absolutely wins economically.

[03:15:56] It's just like excellent schools. If there's excellent schools, there's going to be businesses coming here, there will be employees coming here, and our economy will be stable. Same thing with child care.

[03:16:13] If there's child care around, we will be able to attract the businesses because people can go to work. Okay, so as far as gun violence goes, so far this year we've had 530 mass shootings.

[03:16:30] There have been 32,670 total gun deaths, 14,454 were homicide, murder, or unintended. We had 18,216 suicides so far this year. The gun deaths include 231 children under the age of 11 and 1,096 teenagers ages 12 to 17.

[03:16:53] Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. Mr. Letourneau. Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, congratulations to my colleague, Supervisor Kirchner, on the birth of his child. And also, just wanted to wish publicly Supervisor Brisbane well on her treatment and thank her for speaking up the way that she did.

[03:17:17] You know, last year, Chair Randall did the video kind of walkthrough. You know, obviously, breast cancer affects men much differently, but every one of us up here knows somebody who suffers from that, and all of us are impacted.

[03:17:34] So I appreciate your being so open about it and setting an example. A couple of disclosures. On September 26th, I met with Michael Capretti to discuss old Arcola residentials, EMAP 2022-0005.

[03:17:50] On October 2nd, my staff met with representatives of Align Data Centers and Cooley to discuss ZMAP 2022-0008. I do want to give an update from the last Metro Board of Directors meeting. Understanding our fiscal cliff situation, we've been working for months on finding some internal solutions and some internal savings.

[03:18:11] So staff has identified $95 million in one-time savings and $50 million in additional ongoing savings that would reduce the deficit down from $750 million. In addition, staff proposed three scenarios in which the board essentially maxes out, in one scenario, the maximum allowable amount of preventive maintenance funding and uses it in the operating budget instead of the capital budget.

[03:18:43] This is a little bit of a budget trick. We currently use about $60 million of preventive maintenance in our budget. We went higher last year. There's a couple of things to say. First and foremost, all of the work that needs to get done to keep the system safe would still get done.

[03:19:02] But how you characterize preventive maintenance and what you're using it for is open. And so that number has been developed within FTA guidelines. there was significantly higher funding available to transit agencies for maintenance specifically as a result of the IIJA.

[03:19:22] They did not provide operating assistance, but they did provide more capital assistance in the form of additional maintenance funding. So this is not a good long-term solution. And what it will do is it will speed up Metro's capital funding crisis, which has not gotten as much attention.

[03:19:38] But essentially, with the dedicated funding that we have coming in, we have used all of that fund, all that funding, and now all of the remaining amount will be, have to be put toward debt service. So you, at a certain point, you won't be able to do any new projects with the $500 million dedicated capital funding.

[03:19:57] By doing this, we will accelerate that time period by a couple of years. And that will probably start hitting us around 2027, 2028, instead of 2030 and 2031. However, what it would do is in FY25 is it would reduce the fiscal cliff from $750 million down to a far more manageable $300, roughly $360 million.

[03:20:19] Split three ways, that means Virginia's share of that's about a third. So it's somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 to $120 million problem, which is still a problem, but perhaps a more manageable problem. Emphasis on this is just for FY25. The issue continues beyond that, and this sort of is something you can really only do once and maybe get by one or two years.

[03:20:42] So we still need a permanent solution. We still need a revenue solution. However, there is some realism about the opportunity to do that in an election year in which the General Assembly session starts just two months after Election Day. There's massive turnover in the General Assembly and uncertainty about how likely it would be to be able to put together a tri, you know, kind of tri, how we want to say, a tri-state solution between D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

[03:21:11] Very difficult. So that's kind of, the Metro Board ultimately will make a decision on how much of that capital money to use and whether to go to the max amount. If the state does not come in with assistance, then it will fall on the localities to make that up.

[03:21:28] Mr. Hemstreet is very well aware of this, and he and I talk regularly. None of what I've said tonight is a surprise to him at all. And so I think it's safe to say in Loudoun County we are planning for this. The actual number for us in FY25 would not be that big because we're just such a small part, and if we do pare this deficit down.

[03:21:49] But that is the discussion we're having. It's trying to make it as factual as possible for people to understand it, and the region can then kind of decide whether they want to fund this and whether they want to do it at that level. So I know this is off time, but Mr. Letourneau, you know, depending on, actually, it doesn't even matter what happens on November 7th.

[03:22:13] This is something we have to put in a legislative program right away, and the legislative meeting that is had with current supervisors, any supervisors who are coming in, and, of course, incoming General Assembly members have to be, I mean, this is like, let's help make incoming General Assembly members aware of this issue.

[03:22:34] right away and put in the legislative program right away because they have, I mean, you know, they have some time now. I mean, the election's over. They have a couple of years to figure this out. You know, and this is one of these things that, as I've said for such a long time, impacts all of Virginia.

[03:22:50] And, you know, we're at kind of break last time on this issue. The Metro Board's done a good job, but we're at break last time at this issue right now. Absolutely. If I may just make one kind of other piece of information that you probably may not realize the impact of not solving this is a reduction in service somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 percent but what is important to understand is it's not going to be equally distributed we have to go through a title six equity process and quite frankly the service that's going to be reduced more dramatically is here it's the wealthier parts of the region are going to see less service so it will be a greater reduction than that and that would be a real shame considering the momentum we have. I would also encourage

[03:23:30] everyone to not look at NVTA. Let's not do that again. Mr. Buffington. Thank you, Madam Chair. On September 28th, I communicated with Michael Capretti about the old Arcola residential application and I want to thank everyone who came out tonight. No other comments.

[03:23:51] Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Letourneau. I mean, Mr. Turner. Thank you, Madam Chair. On Thursday, September 21st, my staff and I met with Mike Romeo from Walsh, Kalusha, Blake Smith from Pannoni as well as Benjamin Miller from Wellington Development LLC to discuss the application for Dogwood Farm Station. Friday, September 22nd, my staff met with Aaron Swisholm from Walsh Colusi to discuss the application for Lansdowne Boulevard rezoning. Tuesday, September 26th, my staff met with Angela Rassus from Toll Brothers to discuss the now defunct North Star Square application. That will be a data center. On Thursday, September 28th, my staff and I met

[03:24:28] with Michael Capretti and Daniel Capretti from Capretti Land Inc. to discuss the application for Old Arcola Residential. Later that day, my staff and I met with David Robinson and Jessica Baker from Aligned Data Centers, Eric Siegel from Urban LTD, as well as Amanda Williams and Colleen Gillis from Cooley LLP to discuss the application for Aligned Data Centers. And on 10-23, my staff spoke with Aaron Swissone from Walsh Kalushali about the Belmont Innovation Campus application. Quick NVTC update. Meeting, we had a very good presentation on zero emission buses. There's all kinds of flavors and colors and sizes of zero

[03:25:06] emission buses. They can be compressed natural gas. They can be renewable natural gas. They can be natural gas. They can be full electric buses. And we asked in the strategic plan that they're developing that they create a glossary of what kinds of buses there are. One of the interesting side notes is they have now developed real concerns that if an entire transit fleet transition to electric buses, it will suddenly put a big strain on the electric grid for the entire surrounding community, which is a pretty interesting thing I hadn't even thought of.

[03:25:37] Also, there's a lot of differences in the types of buses that different systems are using, and we can probably gain some synergies and economies of scale if we talk with each other and kind of decide what kind of buses we want to use. Based on tonight's discussion, I'm going to craft a legislative initiative that makes it illegal in the Commonwealth for a landlord to increase rent in less than one-year increments and require them to publish the maximum rent that can be charged over the length of the lease.

[03:26:04] I understand Chair Randall's comments. Just to finish, my question I was going to ask her is, yeah, I understand there's a language barrier, and I understand that sometimes they don't understand the contract. It is incomprehensible and reprehensible to me the landlord can raise the rent within a year, in the midst of a year. That is unacceptable, and that needs to change.

[03:26:22] And people should not be surprised when the rent goes up six months after they assign a lease. That's just disgraceful. So I'm going to work on that. Before I forget, TLUC is canceled for October. So if you show up to the TLUC meeting in two weeks, you will be in an empty room. And what?

[03:26:41] With no burgers. Both said it. Same time. With no burgers. That's right. And finally, I want to put some context in my quote tonight, the funeral oration of Pericles. Again, the last line of that quote was, take these men and women as your example, and remember, like them, that posterity can be only for the free, the sure possession alone of those who have the courage to defend it.

[03:27:02] We have in this global community right now an existential fight for freedom going on every day in Ukraine. It's amazing to me that this small country and an entire nation of people stood up against what was supposed to be the military juggernaut of Putin's Russia and continue to do that and fight the good fight.

[03:27:27] And I wear the Ukraine colors at every board meeting I come to, and I will wear these colors until Ukraine is free again. This is not something we should take lightly. We learned in World War II painfully that if you give in to a dictator and you cede land to a dictator, it just makes them hungry for more land.

[03:27:47] And this is absolutely essential for world's freedom that we all collectively stand up. The fact that, and this is not a partisan statement, we saw it this week with the debt, with the shutting down the government, the one thing that was left off the table by the MAGA Republicans was funding for Ukraine.

[03:28:03] MAGA Republicans do not want to fund the war in Ukraine. We are starting to see conservative movements around Eastern Europe that are now cutting off funding for Ukraine or talking about cutting off funding for Ukraine. If the world lets Ukraine swing in the breeze after the valiant fight that they put up, shame on us, the eternal shame on us.

[03:28:23] So that's what that quote tonight was about. We really need to support Ukraine, regardless of what political party we stand with. And with that, I will cede by time. Thank you. Mr. Sane. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[03:28:38] I'll start with my disclosures today. First, on September 29th, I met with Cooley and their applicant, Belmont Green, for their pending application. On September 22nd, I met with Walsh Colucci and their applicant for the Dogwood Farm property.

[03:28:54] On September 20th, I met with Michael Capretti and Capretti Land for their upcoming COLA application. As always, thank you to our speakers that came out tonight and talked about the issues that are near and dear to your hearts. You could have been anywhere with us, anywhere out doing activities, but decided to come in and be here with us and talk about those issues.

[03:29:14] So we really do appreciate it for you taking the time to do so. And a friendly reminder that this Saturday is Sterling Fest, starting at 11 o'clock a.m. till 5 o'clock p.m. So come on out to Sterling, the Sterling Community Center off Enterprise Street to have good local foods, vendors, and arts and crafts and fairs alike.

[03:29:35] So come on out to Storing Fest. See you on Saturday. Thank you. Thank you. So are all the fests going to go on, even if it rains? If all the fests are on, rain or shine, we're festing? We will have good weather. Okay. Ms. Umstead, did you remember?

[03:29:50] Yes, ma'am. On September 27th, I met with Michael Capretti and Daniel Capretti on the old Arcola residential application. Thank you. Thank you. So I have talked to Michael Capretti at least three times over the past two weeks on the old Arcola application.

[03:30:12] And, of course, I'm meeting every three, well, two to three times a week with a large group of people from the development industry. I do not believe they have things, applications in front of us right now, but we're doing it for the ZOR.

[03:30:28] And so I just want to put that on the table that I have been meeting with them. Mr. Turner has been meeting with them. So, the attorney has been meeting with them just to have that just kind of out on the table. I want to talk just a bit about the data centers and the power lines. So, this is such a hard issue because this is, you know, for the first time, I'm really seeing communities being pit against other communities in Loudoun County.

[03:30:54] And this is caused by the data centers and some data centers in Dominion Power. When Lansdowne comes in and says, don't put it on the north side, what they're saying is put it on the side with Belmont. Put it on the side with one Loudon. And when that side is saying it, they're saying put it on the side with Lansdowne or put it down the Greenway, which actually would impact at least 30 homes if we put it down the Greenway, maybe the power lines down the Greenway, maybe even more than that.

[03:31:21] And I want to say that there are some, we have some data centers that have been excellent community partners. And we would never be having this discussion. I mean, Region Y or QTX, Visa, especially Equinex, have been incredible community partners and have kept their word and would never put these data centers in neighborhoods and residential areas or down up your call it corridors.

[03:31:45] And so we're not talking about every data center by no means. But I want to say this again because I think it bears saying. I don't think there's anyone on this board who doesn't appreciate the data center community and what they've done for our community and the tax rate and all those things.

[03:32:05] I mean, just have been good neighbors. But I sat in a meeting not long ago. In fact, I think it was after COVID, and we talked to the coalition. And one of the things that we agreed on is they would not go in residential neighborhoods. And coalition members agreed.

[03:32:21] And many of the coalition members are not the data center companies who want to build in these areas. It's other people who are not in the coalition who want to build in these areas. And so when we're talking about these power lines, we're talking about people's, you know, individual's home value.

[03:32:43] And, you know, a lot of people are living in their retirement. That's what their home is. It's their retirement. And so to do anything to decrease the amount of somebody's home value is very important to me. And I know it's important to other people on this board as well.

[03:33:01] And so we are going to be, I mean, you know, because these data centers are by right, there's some things we just can't do. But there's other things we can look at, trying to have discussions with Dominion and the data centers that are being suggested.

[03:33:17] there's a data center that could possibly back up very close to the Belmont Cemetery for the enslaved. I mean, like, very close to it. That is unacceptable. And so this is an issue that I will admit, I don't know the answer to, but I will work very hard to try to find the answer to.

[03:33:38] I do not like, you know, one community coming in and saying, don't do it on our side, do it on the other side. That's not who we are in Loudoun. It's not who we want to be, and I really am upset that we have some data center industries or some data center companies that are making this neighbor-against-neighbor place right now.

[03:34:01] And so my commitment to, as long as I'm here, is to work very hard to figure out this problem, and it is a problem, and to work to prevent data centers in residential areas and down Route 7, and so that we also prevent the power lines in budget-natured areas and down our bucolic corridors.

[03:34:23] I think that this is something we absolutely have to figure out, and I want to say that to Mr. Kirshner. Congratulations to you and your amazing wife and your beautiful family, your baby, and I do love his name.

[03:34:41] It's a fantastic name. Babies are always a blessing. So congratulations to you. All right, I think that is it. Mr. Sainz, would you please read us in the closed session? Well, hold on, hold on, miss. Will you please read us in the closed session, all four, after Mr. Hemstree talks about the item that is 1C, the Appointment for Economic Development Advisory Commission.

[03:35:09] We have, Mr. Hemstree has some information about that that was missed during the consent agenda after that moment, So would you meet us in the closed session for all four closed sessions? Mr. Hemstreet. Thank you, Chair Randall. I apologize. When we prepared your script and placed item 1C on consent, I failed to specify which set of motions was actually on consent.

[03:35:31] So we need to clarify that. Item 1C has two motions. Motion 1 would have been to follow your standard process, which would have nominated the seven recommended nominees, and then you would confirm those at your next meeting. Motion two suspends the rules and then goes ahead and makes the nominations and confirmations this evening.

[03:35:49] So I do need to ask the board which set of motions. So I don't believe that there is a, is there a meeting before our next meeting that they're going to have? Because if there's not, there's no reason to suspend the rules. Do we know the date of the next meeting, of their next meeting?

[03:36:07] My understanding is that these appointments are for Economic Development Advisory Commission members with terms expiring December. Okay, well then we'll wait until the next time to confirm them because there will not be a meeting before and we will confirm them at the next meeting. All right, Mr. Sains.

[03:36:24] I move that the Board of Supervisors recessed this public meeting and entered the closed session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia to consider acquisition of parcel, parcels of property in the 2011 Broderin-Alachiton District and 2022 Sterling District.

[03:36:43] I further move that the Board of Supervisors recessed this public meeting and entered into closed session pursuant to section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia to consider acquisition of parcel of parcels of property in the 2011 and 2022 Ashford in the Election District.

[03:36:59] I further move the Board of Supervisors recessed this public meeting and entered into closed session pursuant to section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia to consider acquisition of parcels of property in the 2011 Blue Ridge and Contocton Election District in 2022 Contocton Election District.

[03:37:17] And the last further remove, that the Board of Supervisors recessed this public meeting and entered into closed session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia to consider acquisition of parcel or parcels of property in the 2011 Contocton Election District in the 2022 Leesburg Election District.

[03:37:37] Motion's made, sir. Second. Seconded by Supervisor Buffington. Discussion on the motion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass. 9-0.

[03:37:50] We are in closed session. Okay, Mr. Sains, would you please read us out of closed session?

[04:46:20] I move that the closed session be adjourned, that the Board of Supervisors reconvene its public meeting, that the minutes of the public meeting should reflect that no formal action was taken in closed session, and the further move that the resolution certifying the closed session be adopted and reflected in the minutes of this public meeting.

[04:46:38] Motions made and seconded, and that applied to all four closed sessions we were in. Motions made and seconded. Would everyone affirm that nothing else was discussed in closed session? Mr. Letourneau? Affirm. Affirmed.

[04:46:54] Affirm. And I affirm as well. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? That motion will pass 9-0. We have motions. I'm going to go to the supervisor where the election district is currently, not where it's going to be.

[04:47:10] So I will go to the broad run district first. Ms. Glass, would you like to make a motion? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to prepare a resolution to initiate condemnation and quick take proceedings as required pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1903B for the purpose of approving the proposed public use and acquisition of properties located in the Catoctin Election District

[04:47:37] and necessary for the construction of the Sterling Boulevard Extension Pacific Boulevard to Moran Road.

[04:47:56] I further move that staff advertise the resolution for the November 15, 2023 public hearing. Motion is made and seconded by Supervisor Sayings. Discussion on the motion? This is an opportunity for us to make sure that we're able to initiate condemnation so that we can, you know what?

[04:48:27] No, I'm not going to talk about it. Thank you.

[04:48:38] Okay, all in favor say aye. Opposed? The motion will pass 9-0. Mr. Turner. I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to prepare a resolution to initiate condemnation and quick-take proceedings as required pursuant to Virginia Code Section 15.2-1903B for the purpose of approving the proposed public use and acquisition of properties located in the Ashburn Election District and necessary for the construction of the Portsmouth Boulevard and Winkle Drive Nightwatch Street Pedestrian Improvement Project.

[04:49:14] I further move that staff advertise the resolution for the November 15th, 2023 public hearing. Motion made and seconded by Supervisor Buffington. Discussion on the motion, Mr. Turner? I have none. Anybody else? All in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[04:49:29] That motion will pass 9-0. And the last one is the current election district is the Blue Ridge District. Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to prepare a resolution to initiate condemnation and quick take proceedings as required pursuant to Virginia Code section 15.2-1903B for the purpose of approving the proposed public use and acquisition of properties located in the Catoctin Electric District sorry Catoctin Election District and necessary for the construction of the Route 9 and Route 287 roundabout I further move that the staff advertise the resolution for

[04:50:07] the November 15th, 2023 public hearing. Motion is made second by Mr. Supervisor Kirshner. Discussion on the motion. Thank you, Madam Chair. Apologize for my voice first. I don't know what has happened, but it's gone. As I told my colleagues earlier, this was a project that when I came into office in 2016, I thought was about to happen soon. It's 2023, almost 2024, and nothing has happened on the ground where people can see that we're moving forward with this project, unfortunately, because it's been one thing after the other for year after year after year, and I could go on with that.

[04:50:48] Right now, we're having problems acquiring some of the properties that we need. This should drastically help that effort, so I ask staff to move forward with this as fast as possible, please, so we can get construction vehicles out there moving dirt and building the roundabout that is desperately needed. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Kirshner? Yeah, I was just going to add to that.

[04:51:11] This is very important for that corridor. It's going to really, once this is completed, it's going to get worse before it gets better. But once this gets completed, it's going to alleviate a lot of the traffic going through Waterford because people use that as a cutoff. So plus the traffic will move better on nine. So I am done. Thanks. Thank you. And I would associate myself with my colleagues, my two colleagues' comments. All right. All in favor please say aye. Opposed? That motion will pass 9-0.

[04:51:40] Okay, before I hit the gavel, supervisors, I'm going to remind you once again that you've got, I've said this on the dais, you've gotten an email, but I'm going to remind you once again, tomorrow we have a meeting on the ZOR on the issue of modifiability.

[04:51:57] The meeting will be held in the Dallas room. It is on the FOIA calendar, so everybody can attend. We will start at noon, and we will go until we are finished, whatever that might be, and however long that might take. I know that some people have to work. If we're still there, text me, and I'll let you know we're still there. Come in when you can. If we can sit with the industries and figure this item out, figure out the modifiability item, it is very possible that the rest of the, I mean, I really believe the rest of the zoning

[04:52:34] rewrite will, zoning ordinance rewrite will just be smooth sailing to the finish line, to be quite honest. This is the hardest thing I think we're going to do, and all the industries will have been involved, will be involved, and will be in the room, so everyone, every supervisor who wants to come tomorrow and join us absolutely can. Alright, with that, we are adjourned.

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