Coraggio Consulting Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Business Meeting, Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia Length: 6h 3m (video) Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7968 Meeting page: https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7968 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 2026-10-11. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:03:50] I'd like to call to order the June 17th, 2025 Loudoun County Board of Supervisors business meeting. [00:04:54] This room has a hearing loop. If you need hearing assistance, switch your hearing aids to telecoil mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. Supervisor Briskman will now lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and words of inspiration. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner. [00:05:09] So it's graduation season, and as supervisors, we're always invited to be on the stage shake the hands of graduates. I attended four graduations so far. I think I'm done. Yesterday was the last one. And, you know, intuitively we know how diverse our county is, but it really is amazing to shake the hands of 300 to 350 students, each individual person as they walk across the stage. I saw the American flag with the Mexican flag on their regalia. I saw the El Salvador flag with the American flag on their regalia. [00:05:47] I saw, you know, demonstrations of Asian, African-American, Pakistani, Indian culture. And it's just a good reminder that we are a tapestry in Loudoun County. We have folks from all backgrounds and religions in our county. [00:06:08] And with that, I wanted to share a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, And that is, our ability to reach unity and diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization. Thank you, and please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic, to the stands, to the nation, to the God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [00:06:40] Thank you. supervisor briskman uh pursuant to virginia code section 2.2 37 8.3 and the board rules of order chair randall has requested to participate in this meeting by electronic communication a physical quorum of the board of supervisors is present in the boardroom and the board has made arrangements for the voice of chair randall to be heard by all persons in the boardroom chair randall made this request within the required time frame and the county attorney determined that her request meets the qualification is to participate remotely the board will record in its minutes that chair randall participated remotely from a private location in new orleans louisiana tough duty due to a business commitment chair randall are you there [00:07:20] i am great thank you very much for joining us uh are there any requests for additions or deletions to the agenda thank you vice chair turner i have a deletion i would like to remove my nomination for christopher powell to the environmental commission as a subject matter expert clean transportation representative this is removal from item 3a confirmations which is proposed on the consent agenda thank you supervisor glass any other additions or deletions to the agenda [00:07:57] seeing none i'll now read the proposed consent agenda it's a long one so fasten your seat belts here proposed consent agenda is as follows item r1 resolution to recognize the 50th anniversary of the national association of women business owners the item r2 proclamation to recognize june 2025 as national immigrant heritage month item 3 r3 rec proclamation to recognize july as parks and recreation month in association with play all day virginia in loudon county item r4 proclamation to [00:08:30] recognize june 15th through 21st 25 as pollinator week item r5 proclamation to recognize the 250th anniversary of the united states army in loudon county item r6 proclamation to recognize juneteenth in loudon county item r7 resolution honoring brigadier general donald wayne hansen u.s army retired on his 92nd birthday item 1a contract award inspection improvement design services item 1b contract renewal job order contract for maintenance of mechanical infrastructure [00:09:04] item 1c contract renewal slash personal computer workstations servers and services item 1d contract renewal information technology professional services county-wide item 1e contract award job order contract for maintenance and repair of stormwater infrastructure paving and other site work item 1g november 2025 bond referendum item 1h proposed adoption of the attainable housing loan program and programs guidelines item 1i fiscal 2026 restricted transient occupancy tax tourism grant funding recommendations item 1j revision and renewal of the memorandum of [00:09:43] understanding with visit loudon item 1k western loudon recreation complex water and wastewater options item 1n non-profit organizations request for property tax exemption by designation with one exception we are not submitting for consent the item on african-american on the african-american community alliance after the consent agenda is voted on the motion for the african-american community alliance will be addressed separately item two so everything except that one organization will be on consent item 2a 2024 zoning ordinance commitment annual report item 2b trails assessment [00:10:22] for equestrian use at Banshee Weeks Nature Preserve. Item 2C, consideration of the inclusion of a public comment period session at the Transportation and Land Use Committee. Item 3A, with the exception of Supervisor Glass's removal of their subject matter expert for the Environmental Commission that you just heard. [00:10:42] Item 4, administrative items report on June 17, 2025. Item 5, resolution authorizing acquisition of real estate for capital improvement program projects. Item 6, Resolution of Intent to Amend DOAM 2025-0002, Loudoun County Facility Standards Manual Amendments, Zoning Ordinance Implementation, Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook Updates, and Preliminary Soils Reviews. [00:11:07] And Item 7, Response to Board Member Initiative Amendment to Chapter 872 of the Codified Ordnance of Loudoun County, Qualifying Income Limits for Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled. Is there a motion to move adoption of the proposed consent agenda? That's so moved by Vice Chair Briskman. Is there a second? Second by Supervisor Glass. All those in favor, please say aye. [00:11:33] Mr. Turner, before you, Mr. Turner, before you, we won't have a discussion. Comments on the consent agenda. Thank you, Madam Chair. Any comments on the consent agenda? Go ahead, Madam Chair. So I don't have an objection. I just am not quite sure when it says consideration for comments at the TLUC meeting, what that means. [00:11:54] Does that mean, and this may be a question for Mr. Cronin, Mr. Cronin, does that mean you will have comments? And if so, how long, how many, how much, how often? Because consideration for comments versus approval of the comments, I don't quite know what that means. [00:12:10] Yeah, okay. Yeah, thank you, Chair Randall. So it's 15 minutes. We're going to have that up at the beginning of the meeting. And depending on how many people we have that want to speak, It'll be either two minutes or two and a half minutes of time that each person gets. [00:12:29] But yeah, it would be at the beginning of regular TLAC meetings, not our special TLAC meetings. So is that the vote right now to say yes to that? When you say consideration, you were saying yes to that right now? Yeah, we're changing the rules of order to be similar to the joint school. [00:12:45] I don't mind. I'm not arguing. It just says, I think I heard Mr. Turner say consideration versus approval of. Yeah, and let me clarify, because I don't have the motion right in front of me, but your intent, Supervisor Tancroni, is to approve public comments at the TLEC meeting, correct? [00:13:03] Correct. Okay. Yeah, correct. Does that clarify it for you, Chair Reynolds? Yes. Okay. Yes. Any other comments at all on the consent agenda? Moved and seconded? I want to talk to this. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. Supervisor Tancroni. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner. [00:13:20] So I just want to thank my colleagues for voting for the trails assessment for equestrian use at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve that is in the Little River District. Trails for equestrians in Banshee Reeks have been delayed for over 25 years. [00:13:38] And I would like to see the park open to equestrians in some capacity, hopefully later this year or early in 2026. I would also, I believe the motion said to look for expansion of the trail mileage available for equestrians, and the estimate that was provided by the consultant, I think would be more for the necessary maintenance for all of the park versus just equestrians, so So I think taking a look at that is important, but it is really something that I know the [00:14:18] community has been waiting for, and it's exciting to have equestrians back into Banshee Reeks. So this is a great day. So I thank my board for approving it, and I also thank the board for supporting a small public input at TLUC. [00:14:35] We're going to be bringing more items to TLUC, and this gives the public an opportunity to to address the committee, and I look forward to hearing from the public during TLUC. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Brissman. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner. [00:14:50] If I might point just a quick question through the chair to Supervisor Tacroni. I understand the Banshee Reeks, we are endorsing option four, which is basically all trails it looked like to me, almost all trails. Not the full nature preserve. [00:15:08] It was the trails that the consultant identified as being appropriate. But I do know that. Option four was the most. It was the most, but the pros board wanted more mileage. Okay. Pros board. Okay. Well, I fully support it. You know, I use trails a lot, and I've never had a problem with the multi-use trails with equestrians. [00:15:26] I think it's the right thing to do. It's in our policy. Speaking of Banshee Reeks, I will be proudly presenting the Pollinator Week proclamation there on Saturday. It's always a nice festival of Banshee Reeks for Pollinator Week, so come on out and join. [00:15:44] I'll also be joining the NAACP for the March for Juneteenth on Thursday, which starts at the county courthouse at 10 a.m. I just wanted to point out one item that is passing on consent from Finance Committee, and that is our bond referendums for 2025. [00:16:02] It's really important that folks understand how we are leveraging our excellent bond rating in order to basically save taxpayers and save the county outlays of cash. And in this bond referendum, we have the Braddock Road widening, the Cascades Library Senior Center renovations, the Carson Lane widening, FarmWheel Road Intersection Improvements, Fire and Rescue Percival Station Edition, Linear Parks and Trails System, Sterling Neighborhood Park, that's a subtotal of $62.7 million that will be on the bond referendum. [00:16:36] And then the LCPS CIP projects will be $70 million for capital renewal and alteration as our schools are getting older, and also the special program academy expansion for $5 million. So I just wanted to highlight that because it shows the really great fiscal management that we have going on in the county. [00:16:59] Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you, Supervisor Brisbane. Any other comments on the consent agenda? Hearing none, the motion is made and seconded. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass. I'm going to have to do high math all night long. [00:17:20] zero one seven zero two seven zero two seven no six zero three six five zero four no six zero three no we were missing supervisor quran supervisor letourno chair randall oh you're here i'm not missing all right we're going to figure this out as we get further on that was approved that i can go that far that was approved um all right we'll now address the outstanding motion for item one and non-profit organizations request for property tax exemption by designation i move the [00:17:57] recommendation of the finance government operations and economic development committee that the board of supervisors refer the application submitted by the african-american community alliance identified in attachment one of the june 17 2025 board of supervisors business meeting action item to a future board of supervisors public hearing for consideration of an ordinance granting the the requested property tax exemption. That was my motion, seconded by Supervisor Brissman. [00:18:23] Chair Randall, do you have any comments on that motion? I do. So I have no issue with this item at all. I'm not required to recuse myself on this, but I thought, just out of an abundance of caution, I belong to at least two of the organizations in the African American Coalition, and so since I belong to two of them, I thought it was wise to accuse myself from this bill, but I fully support it. [00:18:49] Thank you very much. Any other comments on that motion? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass. 6-0. No, that's not right. 5-0. Nope. [00:19:09] 5-0-1-1. 5-0-3-1. No. 5-0-3-1. No. We have three absent and one abstained. Right, so 5-3-1. Three absent, one abstained. [00:19:26] So that equals 9. Five approve, zero oppose, one abstain, three absent. You got it. 5-0-1-3. You got it. No, 5-0-1-3. [00:19:42] I don't need any help if you're wrong. Yes, you do. 5-0-1-3. Since I've been wrong five times already, then we can deal with that later. So that motion passed. And we will now hear, finally, if I can get a break, from our voice for a cause. [00:20:05] Tonight, the voice for a cause is one of my very favorite organizations in Loudoun County. It's a place to be. It will be represented by Kim Tapper, one of the founders. Ms. Tapper, you are. You have the floor. In your own words, would you please describe the mission of a place to be? [00:20:21] Sure. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner and the Board of Supervisors, for having us. And I like your math. I do math like you do. So I feel seen. First, I just want to say we're proud to turn 15 years old this September. So we've been around in Loudoun for 15 years. [00:20:37] And what we really do is twofold. We provide clinical therapeutic tools to help people improve their quality of life through our evidence-based music therapy programs. And we provide hope by creating belonging and community through our productions and through our enrichment programs that improve, again, quality of life, but also raise the level for all of the family members that we see and so who do we see we serve people primarily with disabilities medical challenges and mental health struggles and people come to us from all ages whether they're recovering from a traumatic brain injury dealing with severe anxiety they have down [00:21:13] syndrome they have autism they're going through grief and it's that inclusion of everybody put together that's creating that sort of special sauce that's making a place to be thrive thank you and i will tell you if you've never been to a place to be for one of their celebrations Christmas or some holiday. It is a truly uplifting experience. You really should make time in your schedule and go to a place to be and see how wonderful the organization is. How did A Place to Be come about? So my co-founder, Tom Schweitzer, and I each were performers in our first lives. We became arts-based therapists. And we would both say that the arts and having that meaningful [00:21:49] mentorship saved both of our lives in different ways. And we knew that the arts have the power to heal. There's been decades now of research behind that. So the clinical, again, use of music therapy and art therapy and theater itself and drama therapy, they are providing the somatic experience that's creating healing. So when we'd had the experiences ourselves, our lives were changed by it, and we knew that we had to do something here. Very good. Thank you. What kind of offerings are available to support client systems such as parents and families? So we have individual sessions. We have groups that are focused mostly on socialization, especially for [00:22:28] children and young adults. We have wraparound care, so the families are also being provided other resources. We partner with a ton of other Loudon nonprofits so we can provide services back and forth. And we have a financial aid program. So for people, especially with disabilities and medical challenges, so much is coming out of pocket regardless of insurance status. And so we are able to provide financial aid for nearly every family that comes through if they need it. So that money should never be a barrier to receiving therapy. Thank you very much. And how can somebody get started with a place to be? They can either just call or go to our website, which is a place [00:23:04] to be VA, like Virginia.org, and all the information's right there. Is the donation button on that? It sure is. And thank you for asking. Yeah, donations, which of course is part of what helps us thrive and keeps us afloat so we can keep serving, can be one-time donations. You can join our monthly sustainer program, which is called the Fermata Circle, because anybody I can test you all know what the Fermata sign means in music? It's a trick question. I'm a member, and I know what it means. So it means to sustain. You sustain a note. So if you join the Fermata Circle, you're helping sustain a place to be. So that's a monthly donation. Very good. Well, this is one [00:23:43] of the few times we're allowed to applaud. So thank you very much for your service to the community. We appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you all so much. Appreciate it. All right. Mr. Hemstreet, Do you have any comments for this evening? I do this evening, Mr. Bresher. [00:23:59] I have four comments for this evening. As you know, board members, the online presentation of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance has been significantly upgraded. Last week, the county launched an interactive tool that displays the ordinance through a user-friendly platform designed to be accessible to everyone. [00:24:17] The site features integrated zoning research capabilities that allow users to explore all facets of the ordinance. The new site can be viewed at loudon.gov slash zoning ordinance. Second, summer jobs are the focus of the next Loudon Workforce Resource Center job fair scheduled for Wednesday, June 25th at the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Administration Building on Miller Drive in Leesburg. [00:24:40] The fair will feature summer employment opportunities with public employers, including Loudon County, as well as private sector employers. Opportunities are available in a variety of fields, including the arts, education, entertainment, health care, public administration, recreation, and transportation. All job seekers are encouraged to attend, including high school and college students. More information is online at loudon.gov slash job fair. Third, the Loudoun County Health Department will offer free confidential testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections June 23rd through June 27th. The fee waiver for [00:25:14] office visits is in recognition of the National HIV Testing Day, which is June 27th. More information about the testing and other patient care services provided by the health department is available at loudon.gov slash know your health and then finally commuter connections has recognized loudon county government as the virginia large employer winner in the first ever go dmv commuter competition a team of loud county employees logged the highest number of sustainable trips among the large employer competitors county employees reported transit trips carpool trips biking trips walking trips and telework days between march 1st and may 31st 2025 this award reflects one of many efforts [00:25:53] of the county to lead by example as outlined in the board's energy strategy those are my comments for this evening uh mr vice chair thank you mr hamstreet uh we have three information items tonight and we'll go to the first i'm i'm sorry there are chair comments uh yes there are madam chair would you like to have a comment and in fact yeah and in fact mr chairman i think you have some comments as well because you you attended mbta this time yes you can uh if you provide your comments and i will supplement them on the back end sounds great um so first i want to say that [00:26:30] on monday june 9th i um did a podcast with senator uh united states senator chris murphy from connecticut it was sponsored by the national association of counties and of course i am the chair of their health steering committee and we've been focused quite a bit on um the the consequences of social media as they retain means as they refer to emotional and mental and behavioral health the podcast was was mostly focused on um loneliness and isolation for all communities um young um [00:27:04] elderly all communities but also we did do we did talk um a bit about anxiety and depression as it relates to social media as well some of the things we discussed was that um you know for some people social media social media is important if an older person wants to maybe have their doctor's appointment to see their grandchildren it helps to have social media but for a lot of people including older people it's also very isolating because you can actually have 6 000 friends on facebook yet not be communicating or talking to anybody in person um and so isolation social media [00:27:40] is becoming a isolation and loneliness is becoming a very very real issue and a very dangerous run especially for our elderly population it was also said and i made note of it that being alone and being lonely are two different things you can be in a room full of people and feel lonely or you can be by yourself and not feel alone at all so it's really about connections and we are finding that some of the time on social media does break the actual physical connections people have. [00:28:15] And so that was important. The podcast would be out in about a week. And so when it comes out, I will be happy to share it with everyone. At COG this time, Mr. Crony joined me at COG, where we did quite a few things. One, we honored Congressman Jerry Conley, who passed away, and Kathy Hutchins, who was a supervisor from the Hunter-Mail District in Fairfax, who also passed away. So we honored them and talked about their accomplishments. Also joining us in COG was Senator Mark Warner and Matt Chase, who's also from the National Association of Counties. [00:28:54] They both gave so much information on what's in the big, beautiful bill and how it will impact counties that I just can't share all that right now. I will put all that in a document and send it to everybody and anyone who wants to see it, just request it and we'll make sure you get the document. [00:29:12] I did have a meeting with the Coalition of Loudoun Towns, and I shared that information that Mr. Chase and Mr. Warner gave with them because I thought it was really important that our towns are fully aware of this information as well. [00:29:31] And finally, I am in New Orleans right now. I was asked to come to New Orleans by the D. Beaumont Corporation, and it is a grant-making organization that obviously gives money to nonprofits. They asked me to come because we in Loudoun, all of Loudoun, We're doing such a phenomenal job with our government and non-profit and faith-based organizations relationships. [00:30:01] And so I am speaking tomorrow on that topic, how county governments can interact with faith-based organizations and non-profits. Now, although I'm speaking on that subject, I also hope to get information to bring it back about how we can in Loudoun can also get more private grant money. [00:30:22] What we know is that quite a bit of money, of monies for nonprofits are being clawed back by the federal government, including quite a bit of the money that was put forward for COVID. Even in Loudoun County, it's being clawed back. [00:30:37] what we know is 25% of the responding nonprofits in Loudoun County have already lost some federal money. And so we are trying to partner with grant-making organizations to figure out ways that our nonprofits can benefit. I've been talking a lot to Nicola Costa about this and others. [00:30:59] And in addition, I'm talking to this organization and this group about our relationship in Loudoun County with our nonprofit. So I am in New Orleans right now. It is raining cats and dogs. So I don't think it's going to rain cats and dogs for the next three days. [00:31:17] I'm not even sure I'm going to go outside while I'm here at all, but I'm happy to be here to represent the county. And finally, I want to thank the staff, because both for this event that I met now and the event with Senator Murphy, the staff did such a phenomenal job in preparing me, helping me numbers, all the things I needed to talk about these things. [00:31:39] And so to all the staff that has been assisting as we are talking about all these really important issues, I really do appreciate it and want to say thank you. Mr. Turner, you did go to NVTA, so I'll pass it to you now. Thank you, Madam Chair. [00:31:55] Northern Virginia Transportation Authority meets regularly. Chair Randall is not available, so I'm her alternate, so I attended. Two big points that came out of NVTA. Their finances are doing great. The second largest source of revenue for NVTA is return on their investments, and those investments are doing extremely well. [00:32:12] But they are very, very cautious because it's such a turbulent financial outlook. They are really holding their cards close to the vest going forward. But right now, they're doing extremely well. The second thing was on bus rapid transit. Bus rapid transit is a concept whereby there are dedicated lanes for buses. [00:32:30] So they move like a metro rail, but they have a dedicated lane. There's different ways you can do it. I've seen it done when I was on Northern Virginia Transportation Commission at Falls Church. And they rolled out the phase one notional map for what a bus rapid transit network throughout the Northern Virginia area would look like. [00:32:49] It's pretty comprehensive. The questions I had was are localities expected to dedicate existing lanes to bus rapid transit, thereby reducing our capacity on our roadways? Are we expected to expand those roadways to accommodate a bus rapid transit? [00:33:06] And the answer was they haven't decided that yet. All they're trying to do right now is identify the routes and they will identify the individual permutations of how they're gonna do each section of the BRT going forward. They did ask us that as counties and municipalities develop a comprehensive countywide transportation plan or the comprehensive plans, that they begin to think about where would we put a bus rapid transit BRT line on these roadways. [00:33:32] The two that I saw primarily in Loudoun County, there's one that winds through Sterling off of 28, but the two that I saw were Route 7 and Route 28 down to the airport and then 267 into the Fairfax County. That's years away, but it was interesting to actually see the network laid out. [00:33:52] That's all I have. Thank you, Madam Chair. And with that, we will go to our first information item. It's item I-1, International Economic Development Council-accredited Economic Development Organization presentation, if I could ask you to come to the table. [00:34:08] Thank you. Good evening, board members. I'm Buddy Reiser. This is Colleen Cardez. We're from Loudon Economic Development. [00:34:24] Part of our culture is to continue to push ourselves to be better, to do better. Last year, we undertook a fairly daunting task, and that's to become an accredited economic development organization. I think it says a lot about the county's efforts towards economic development when the department can have this kind of honor bestowed by the Industry Association, the International Economic Development Council. [00:34:50] And we're happy to have with us tonight the president and CEO of IEDC, Nathan Ole. Mr. Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors, thank you for the opportunity to come and be before you. I'm Nathan Ole. I'm the president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council, the world's largest association for economic developers. [00:35:09] We work very closely with economic development organizations across the world on a number of programs, but we are particularly proud of our accredited economic development organization program. The AEDO program is really designed and meant to recognize the professional excellence of economic development organizations across the world and provide economic development organizations with independent feedback on their operations, structure, and procedures from practicing economic development with years of experience leading organizations. [00:35:39] On December 5, 2024, the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development became one of only 89 organizations to earn accreditation through the AEDO program, the fourth in Virginia. The AEDO review team was incredibly impressed as they came to Loudoun County and conducted a site visit and focused on a couple key parts of the work that the organization is doing. [00:36:03] First, the fast-track permitting and development process manager position that they created to continue to fast-track those opportunities. The rural development focus of the entity and organization, the data center cluster that they're focused on, and particularly when we look at AEDOs, the leadership of the organization. [00:36:22] And this organization has four certified economic developers, the gold standard for certification for individuals in economic development, as well as two entrepreneurial development professional certifications. The AADO review team found that the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development was a world-class economic development department with strong programs, outstanding staff, engaged leaders, and broad community support. [00:36:45] On behalf of IEDC and our 5,000-plus members across the world, I'm excited to be here tonight to honor the organization and the county for their efforts and to present the plaque for the accredited economic development organization. Thank you very much. We will appreciate it, Mr. Oley, and the organization. [00:37:03] This is a big deal. How many organizations in the world meet this accreditation? There's only 89 organizations across the world. 89 worldwide, and one of them is in Loudoun County. That's a really great statistic, and we're very, very proud. Any questions for any of the board members that you'd like to ask? [00:37:20] Chair Randall, anything? No questions. Just I remember reading up on this as I prepared for the state of the county, and it is a very big deal. And, you know, I am pleased but not surprised because Buddy's office is so impressive, and they do so much good work in so many different sectors, including international sectors. [00:37:44] And so I congratulate the department, and great, as always, great job, Mr. Reiser and Colleen. You guys are fantastic. You're here. I agree. Let's take a picture. I'm going to turn my camera off because I don't want my enormous big head in the picture. [00:38:00] collection are we are we all going down or should we stay up here okay all right our next information [00:39:43] item is uh item i2 the electrical infrastructure comprehensive plan amendment if we can have that team come forward good evening mr glindo the floor is yours pat pull up the slides here then he will kick us off well good evening i'm pat julio with the department of planning and zoning also with me this evening is dan galindo director of planning and paul vernon project manager with [00:40:22] kimley horn the board of supervisors approved the project plan for the electrical infrastructure cpm on december 3rd 2024. the cpam proposes map and policy amendments to the loudon county 2019 general plan related to the location sighting design and aesthetics of high voltage transmission corridors and electrical infrastructure the purpose of tonight's information meeting is to provide a progress update on the electrical infrastructure cpam county staff and the project team have completed the research and study period as well as the draft policy development phase of the project in tonight's meeting findings of the electrical infrastructure cpam policy research memo prepared [00:41:00] by kimberly horn will be presented along with an overview of the draft electrical infrastructure map and policy amendments that are included in your packets so at this point i'll turn it over to Paul for his presentation. Good evening. Good evening. It's a pleasure to be here. Again, thanks to Pat and Teresa and others who collaborated with us on this work. [00:41:23] Much of this presentation is a draft of where we're headed for the public process, so if there's any input on content, that would be greatly appreciated, and any questions. So we want, like Pat said, we want to talk about the policy memo and the amendments. When we're in the public process, though, we want to talk about what we're not here to discuss, which is individual projects. We want to talk about how this work can shape future decisions around transmission infrastructure. Next slide, please. The outline of the presentation that you see here much [00:42:00] follows the outline in the policy memo itself so that as people are in the public process, if they have the policy memo with them, they can they can track along. We'll review the the findings and observations in the meeting, and then also we'll talk about the map and the text and the policy amendments. Next slide. Demand, demand, demand. When we're talking to the community, we want to lay that out for them. Obviously, that's changing in articles that we read in the paper as early as a couple of days ago. So we'll have some slides about demand and trying also to put it in a very tangible format for them so they can sort [00:42:37] to see it, not in terms of the numbers that are difficult to understand, but so it's tangible and understandable. One of the things, balance, that's on the word here I think is the word that comes to mind most when we think about this work and how we've worked collaboratively. You know, this is not anti-development work. This is pro-economic development. We've attempted to be very considerate of the different points of view, resident concerns, be they east, be they west, be they urban, be they suburban, be they rural, and try to be thoughtful of the audiences who would collaborate with us in this work's completion. [00:43:14] The literature review for this work was comprehensive. We tried to take a lot of things into consideration. We started with a packet of information that was prepared for us by the county collaboratively. We filled in those gaps. We built several drafts of the policy memo and the policy, the strategies, and the actions, And we'll talk a little bit more about this work further in the presentation. [00:43:37] When we're in the public presentation, we want to talk to them about the complexity of the regulatory bodies and their roles, PJM as the regional transmission organization, FERC as the independent agency that regulates transmission and the wholesale of electricity, and SEC and its regulatory authority over public utilities. [00:43:57] We also want to put it a little bit in perspective in terms of the SEC process. We have a separate slide in the presentation that can go, you know, really step by step so folks can understand it. But talk about those things that are going to be of particular concern to the folks here in Loudoun County, impacts on scenic areas, historic areas, environmental resources, other concerns, and the ways in which this work has to conform with the comprehensive plan, which is the purpose of doing this work in the first place so that we've got the policies in place to put some guidance and guidelines on the process moving forward. [00:44:34] Next. We'll want to talk a little bit about the NIETC designation, a little bit about its process and the limitations that that poses, which we know are reduced. We'll want to put it in context as well, you know, knowing that the Mid-Atlantic resiliency link was initially designated but was withdrawn, that alternative solutions can be considered, And I think it speaks to the part of the policy that talks a lot about public engagement, education, and collaboration. [00:45:05] The more we talk, the more we learn, the better this is all going to turn out. We'll talk a little bit -- next slide, please -- we'll talk a little bit about the basics of transmission and transmission corridors and want to talk about where they are located. So we'll outline the 37 miles of 200 KB and the 125 miles of 230 KB, two of those miles being undergrounded and that we'll talk about as well. [00:45:31] We'll go again a little bit more about the basics of electricity in terms of how power gets to us and review some of the materiality and construction between the overheads and the undergrounds in terms of their stability, their structural strength, how those things are constructed. [00:45:51] The policy memo focused a lot on supporting efficiency and increasing capacity of existing transmission lines and the draft policy supports those actions prior to considering new transmission lines and new transmission corridors. I mean with today's advanced conductors capacity can be greatly increased within the right-of-way that we currently have today. The memo continues to overview the basics and talks about different types of transmission towers and highlights you know the basic the basic types of designs so we'll talk about those things in the public [00:46:27] presentation and beyond the types of lines the the voltage that they carry next slide please sorry beyond the types of lines they carry in their kv and their widths uh the memo and the draft updates additionally focus on the potential to improve these corridors uh introduce native plantings within the transmission corridors talk about adding adding trails linear parks and considerations for preservation enhancement of natural habitat and wildlife within transmission [00:46:57] corridors slide the memo continues to look into a number of community concerns visual being one of the ones if you go through the literature that comes up over and over and over again and if you look at the picture here you know it can be an issue the transmission towers they are big they can seem out of scale they can seem out of context with their surroundings and you know in certain cases they can impact a pretty good view. Additionally, we talk about the community [00:47:32] concerns and how transmission infrastructure impacts the natural environment, how high voltage lines can affect wetlands, streams, and biodiversity, how construction and clearing of vegetation can disrupt natural systems, and how these disruptions can lead to habitat loss and fragmentation, and the policies then talk about, you know, environmental considerations to think about as we're as we're planning today and forward in into the future the memo discusses the challenges and opportunities with undergrounding you know these lines are often used for short strategic distances where visual impacts are a concern where historic resources are a concern [00:48:09] residential density is a concern and others the major advantages they're low profile they're almost impossible to see after they're constructed they tend to have lower failure rates but most Most often 230 lines are undergrounded to the distance of about one to three miles. [00:48:28] We were able to find a case of a 500 KB buried line in California, but generally the 230 is the route to go and in strategic places. Also -- next slide -- oh, there we go. [00:48:45] Undergrounding is far more expensive, 14 to 14 times the cost of overhead. installation is more complex I mean the excavation is more complex materials are more complex labor is more complex and maintenance is more complex but you know in strategic places and for the right reason you know the policies you know support that it's the right thing to do the draft policies support co-location installing transmission lines within existing corridors roads trails metro rail etc others you know to avoid buying new land minimizing visual and [00:49:20] financial impacts, reducing disruption to communities during construction, simplifying access and permitting. And it's happening right here today, co-location of trails and high transmission. [00:49:36] We talk about, discuss and support, you know, upgrading of older infrastructure as is shown on the slide here, which is happening now, the replacing of lattice towers with more modern steel steel steel monopoles to boost reliability and capacity while using the same amount of land these upgrades can limit the need for widening rights of way which can also lead to the reduction of land use complex the work supports supports ways transmission corridors can serve [00:50:10] dual purpose beyond carrying transmission lines integrating trails and preserving natural habitats utilities can create community-friendly spaces, providing recreational value while supporting wildlife. If we look at the picture, you know, this is really kind of a lovely landscape versus something that is overcut and is more barren and has herbicides and pesticides on it. And, you know, this can help reduce public opposition due to of the utility infrastructure by offering [00:50:42] viable shared community benefits finally you know this work really supports ongoing collaboration and education efforts with the community with providers with other stakeholders regarding future planning of transmission corridors there are things in the legislation that require public engagement now but as we talked earlier the more communication we have the more we learn the more we communicate with each other, you know, the farther along we can get. [00:51:15] There are six essential recommendations, strategy recommendations that come out of the work. Three of them are here, three of them are on the next slide. They've been further refined and Pat will review them in terms of the actual policy and strategy development. [00:51:32] Yeah, so the information gathered from the CPAM memo prepared by Kim Lee Horn was integrated into the policies and we work directly with Kimberly Horne in the development of those but essentially the draft map and policy amendments that are in your packets proposed with electrical infrastructure CPAM carry forward and build on the existing energy policies found in the 2019 general plan those energy policies support the construction of necessary infrastructure and to ensure the reliability of the county's electrical network to serve existing businesses and residents while supporting economic growth the draft [00:52:08] Draft policies support upgrades to existing lines and co-location of new lines within existing transmission corridors as the county's first choice to minimize environmental and community impacts. The draft policies include general guidance on the appropriate location, siting, and design of transmission corridors and electrical infrastructure. [00:52:28] These include co-locating and expanding existing transmission corridors in areas planned for commercial and industrial uses and avoiding, when possible, urban centers, mixed use, and residential neighborhoods, towns, rural historic villages, rural landscapes, and county historic districts. The policies continue to support the undergrounding of transmission lines where appropriate to minimize impacts on residential communities and sensitive rural and historic areas. Policies support the use of design techniques to minimize visual impact of overhead transmission lines on [00:53:03] the built and natural environment. These policies call for the use of existing forests and the creation of landscape buffers to shield and soften views of transmission corridors and electrical infrastructure to minimize visual impacts on the community. The draft policies support the incorporation of new technologies to increase the efficiency and optimize the capacity of existing transmission lines and electric infrastructure to further reduce the need for new transmission lines. [00:53:31] Policies call for the county and private sector to monitor energy usage and encourage the integration of renewable energy into the electric grid where possible. The draft policies also include language supporting the utilization and development of transmission quarters for passive trails in natural areas. [00:53:50] Transmission quarters have the potential to be developed as public open space amenities with linear trails that can connect destinations throughout the county. The draft policies also call for electric providers to adopt environmentally friendly transmission corridor management plans to allow native plant species, pollinators, and low shrub species to grow within the right of way to provide wildlife habitat. [00:54:12] also call for early public engagement and collaboration between the community and electrical providers when considering new transmission line projects to minimize community environmental impacts. The CPAM also includes the adoption of an electric infrastructure map which identifies all existing, approved, and potential new high-voltage transmission quarters designated by the county as a component of the 2019 general plan. The adoption of the electrical infrastructure map provides a visual reference to existing and approved transmission corridors that have been identified as the county's preferred route [00:54:50] when considering new transmission, new transmission line projects. The electric infrastructure map in combination with the draft policies provide clear direction to electrical providers and the State Corporation Commission to locations where the county would anticipate and support the co-location, expansion, and development of new high voltage transmission lines. The SCC when reviewing applications for transmission line projects considers conformance with a county's comprehensive plan and if an affected county designates corridors or routes for its electric transmission lines. So the electric transmission CPAM [00:55:26] with its associated draft map and policy amendments provides a detailed framework and a guide for electric providers, county staff, electric officials, the SEC and other decision makers when considering where and how high voltage transmission quarters should be developed and managed in the county so that so the combination of both the policies and the map provide that framework that will provide the guidance necessary when we go before the SEC and prescribe certain routes or when we take a position on routes so with that that concludes the presentation or actually let me give you a quick brief [00:56:05] on the timeline and where we stand to get you up to date um staff and Nicole we've completed this study period in the draft policy development phase. Public engagement and outreach are planned throughout the summer which includes an online public comment form on the county webpage and an in-person town hall meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd at Douglas Community Center. Additional meetings with targeted organizations, electrical providers, and county referral agencies will occur throughout the summer to gather additional feedback. Staff and the consultant will continue to refine the draft map and policy amendments throughout the summer in preparation for public hearings in the fall so that concludes our [00:56:43] presentation thank you very much mr julio and mr lindo thank you any questions advisor i'm sorry thank you very much mr chair so my concern is this which is very good very comprehensive may give the public the impression that we have the authority even though you mentioned that ferk [00:57:15] can upend our plans and override local control i i think one of the challenges we have in working with the public on these proposals is that they believe we have more authority than we do so i think it's worth emphasizing that our whatever authority we have can easily be subverted [00:57:43] at higher levels. In the work you have done so far, do you, can you tell me whether one of the large electric utility providers that is interested in being in Loudoun was giving me all the facts when they said that undergrounding these high voltage lines takes up about nine times the width [00:58:16] of running overhead lines do you all have that expertise at this point what we do have some experience in that and particularly when we're talking about some of the routes here in loudon the issue being that in some circumstances they have to be much wider corridors particularly when they have to go under roadways otherwise where there are not impediments in terms of roadways or other utilities that they have to directional bore under, they can be within 100, 150-foot right-of-way. [00:58:51] So there is some truth to that, and it varies per situation. Okay. So in those situations where an underground route, if it were even approved by the SEC, and I doubt it would be, but in a situation where it was, are we going to lose the ability to preserve wildlife corridors, natural plantings, environmental protection? [00:59:19] If the width is nine times what it would be for an overhead, do we have the same flexibility with an underground line to preserve those environmental features that we want to preserve? So your question is, again, going to be situational because oftentimes an overhead route is preferred to avoid environmental features, particularly in our floodplains in those areas. [00:59:46] And also those areas are not conducive to undergrounding. So the situations where we've seen undergrounding are specifically to address areas where there are concerns with residential impacts, visual impacts to scenic properties, where they would occur. [01:00:02] And as we noted in the memo, they're done very selectively and in very small segments. So, you know, it is kind of those, a situational approach. So I hope that answered your question, but, you know, we can talk more about it offline. Great. Thank you. [01:00:19] Thank you. Supervisor Glass. Thank you, Vice Chair, and thank you for the presentation. We do have a number of residents that come in and have been asking for us to bring the transmission lines. [01:00:38] And as Supervisor Umstad had stated, had discussed, that's fairly difficult in our area. Do we know of other areas in Virginia and other jurisdictions because we're, I'm pretty sure that they are, other areas are having or will start to have issues with having their transmission lines. [01:01:10] Do we know of other areas that are burying their transmission lines in, I don't know, Falkier, Prince William? There are a lot of areas that are now starting to build data centers. [01:01:27] Again, it's on a case-by-case basis. The only one I can think of recently was, again, in Prince William County along 66 in an area where it passed through an existing community where there was a portion that was underground and then they buried under 66. [01:01:42] But, again, it's very limited for what we're seeing, and then even, I'm not sure, even Paul, on the national level, we're not seeing a lot of undergrounding projects moving forward. Like I said, again, they would be, they're strategic when they are being done to address certain community concerns. [01:02:02] I know we've had, you know, we've talked about 500K and how difficult it is. What about, like, 230K? The 230 is more frequently undergrounded, and we were able to find many more case studies that are in the policy research memorandum for burying 230 versus burying 500. [01:02:28] But even in those cases, as Pat said, it's strategic. It's often between one to three miles. And, you know, the geology of the land and the landscape and all kinds of other factors are going to be in play in terms of feasibility, cost, and how to solve the undergrounding in a specific case-by-case basis. [01:02:48] Yeah, the important thing to note, you know, with our policies, again, they are the large guiding principles for the county. And in that, we specifically state those areas where we would consider that undergrounding would be appropriate. And like, as you can see, that list addresses a lot of residential areas or urban centers and even sensitive rural and historic areas. [01:03:11] So that, you know, as a policy, we try to create those kind of guiding principles when we're able to -- when we're talking to electrical providers, when they're proposing routes, And we are brought before the SEC to say, what is our county's position and why have we chosen that? [01:03:29] And the one thing we're able to point back to is say, our county policies say this, and this is where we would anticipate undergrounding, the same way with adopting the map. It specifically says the first place we want you to go if you're going to propose a transmission corridor is co-locate with our existing transmission corridors, where we already have a visual impact and environmental impact. [01:03:52] So that's what really what these policies are trying to create is that framework. The other portion that's there, too, when we talk about some of the usage of our corridors, while we can't mandate it from Dominion that they can be used for trails or natural habitat, having those policies clearly states our priorities as a county and our community priorities when we're talking to Dominion and we're reviewing these type of applications. [01:04:17] So. Thank you. Groney. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner, and thank you for the presentation. So I was really kind of astounded with the demand, so I'm just going to read something real quick. [01:04:33] Additional new high-voltage transmission lines will be required to meet the projected demand from data centers, not just co-located transmission lines. Loudoun County's electric demand from data centers could grow another 150 percent to 8.2 gigawatts by 2028. [01:04:50] establishment of artificial intelligence has exacerbated data centers need for electricity as ai server racks require between 400 percent and 600 percent more electricity than traditional server racks so my question is have we identified where new potential transmission lines might go so that is actually in our project timeline is part of phase two when we would take a when those would be considered okay again that work has not been done yet okay because that's [01:05:28] going to require a lot of public input um my second question would be that's an understatement yeah i think so yes what about the 30 to 50 substations that dominion says are needed should we be identifying locations for this infrastructure so that actually is going to be part of the data center cpam one of the the things that is part of phase two of that will be the discussion of the substations as part of that yeah but that's design actually right we we won't be [01:06:05] identifying uh those locations as part of that cpam nor do i think we should as part of this one because we don't know we don't have the intimate knowledge of dominion system to know where those should be necessarily we we often learn um from working with them where a few were coming in at a time but we i don't even think they would know right now where 40 or 50 substations might go in a way it's a quandary because they're not on data center sites um you know these are outside of data center sites so i do think they have a big impact on the community and so we may want to consider that kind of looking at where that infrastructure would go um just an idea and then [01:06:44] And then I had a meeting with a large battery storage provider, and they were saying that those large facilities could reduce the need for transmission lines. I don't know if that's true, but that's something -- I don't know if you've thought about that. [01:07:00] They were actually telling me that they could reduce the need for transmission lines. So you'll note some of our policies talk about increasing the capacity of lines, increasing the efficiency of lines, and there's a whole series of different things that can be done to better utilize the existing transmission lines that are out there, but the policies also recognize just what you're talking about, is the availability of supplemental power from other sources, whether it be renewable energy, whether it be onsite battery storage [01:07:36] that can then feed to the electrical grid, which reduces the need for the transmission lines to be bringing that from other places and that we could then produce some of that electricity to supplement our own grid and or on-site electricity but once again for this particular cpam we're really talking about the transmission line themselves and those means of those other policies that reference those are there as an answer to help solve some of our problems with our transmission lines thank you chair randall thank you um first of all three minutes is not enough right now a couple of things one i do believe that if we're not going to when we say [01:08:16] public input people believe that they have input i think a better statement for these discussions would be public um education or public information but if people if what people say cannot change the outcome please don't call it public input because this is it's just going to confuse people um and like and i understand why they would be confused that's the first thing the second thing is we you talked about that our policies are in place, that those policies go in place before or after Dominion came out and said they don't have, we don't have enough power right now. Because it was [01:08:53] before, yes? Yeah, we've been using our existing policies that are carryover from our previous 2019 general plan that had not been updated for a number of years. And this is that opportunity that we're using now to update those. But what I'm saying is when we keep talking about, And I understand why you're saying it, but you say, you know, these policies that we have are working well and caring as well. [01:09:16] And but, you know, once the man came out and said we don't have power, those policies are null and void. They don't actually matter. We set down policies for what we knew at the time. And things have so radically changed that what we know now, we would have had very different policies that we know that was going to happen. [01:09:36] Of course, no one could have known that but the million, but I don't really think it's even, I won't say not appropriate, but it's a non-secretary to say these policies are going to serve us well when we know that the whole landscape has changed. So I don't know if we have anything else to use right now but that, but I don't think they're valid. [01:09:57] It's not a valid way to judge this anymore because everything has changed. The third thing is, I did hear you say that we have, as far as we know, one 530 line buried in California. Is it possible to look beyond this country to see where 530 lines are buried? It doesn't. Chair Randall, if you can hear me, you just froze up. I think we just lost your connection, but can we answer that question? Have we looked at 500 buried lines elsewhere outside the United [01:10:31] States? We looked for other sources, didn't find anything other than the one 500 KB line that's in california but we're happy to take a deeper dive yeah because if there's other if there's other examples then you're a hundred percent okay we can include that if you could do that that'd be great chair rannell's got 35 seconds left so if she comes back let's get 35 seconds on the clock and let's go to supervisor briskman okay um i thank you for the report i believe it required legislative action to get the power lines buried on 66 whoa whoa whoa whoa chair rannell chair [01:11:10] Randall, we got you. You got 35 seconds on the clock. I moved to Supervisor Brisbane. We'll come back to you as soon as she can. What happened? She can finish. You cut out. We lost you completely. Oh, I didn't even know that. I've been talking the whole time. And I'm sure it was very interesting, but we didn't hear it. I don't know what you heard or what you didn't hear. [01:11:27] I mean, I don't know. If I could ask Supervisor Brisbane to hold on and we'll let Cher Randall go ahead and finish. I don't know what I'm finishing because I don't know where I stopped. Well, you got 35 seconds, ma'am. You can just fill it in as you need to. Chair Randall, last question we heard was looking internationally at burying 500 lines. [01:11:43] That's right. Is our 500 line buried internationally somewhere? That's the last we heard. Chair Randall, are you there? Chair Randall's off on the land of forgotten fruit again, I'm afraid. [01:12:00] All right. Supervisor Brisson, go ahead. Okay. Thank you. As I said, I believe it required legislative action in the General Assembly to get the Route 66 lines buried. My question is, is it true that Dominion has an exemption in state law that they cannot be required to bury 230 KV and 500 KV power lines? [01:12:24] Is that true? I don't know the answer to that. They have an exemption where those levels of transmission lines cannot be regulated at the local level, so we cannot require them to be buried. I don't believe that there's a specific exemption for burying lines of those types. [01:12:43] Okay, I guess what I'm getting at is, go ahead. The answer is no, the SEC can require it. The SEC can require it, okay. Is it true if the county is opposed to a particular route and there is an alternative route that the county can, that Dominion would be prohibited from using eminent domain against the county? [01:13:10] In other words, if there's an alternative route and they're suggesting a route the county doesn't like, would they be required to use the alternate route? That's a tough question. First, it has to be why the county owns that property and whether they're putting it to a public use. [01:13:29] And if the county does own the property, puts it to a public use, does not agree to its sale, then Dominion would have to use an alternative route. Okay, okay. Can we have both of those things kind of documented in this project moving forward? What role localities have or don't have and what role SCC and? [01:13:48] And that's what we hope to clarify. A lot of the questions you just actually have were litigation in terms of the SCC and that review process. And, you know, clearly we outline what the parameters are that the SCC uses in their evaluation. And some of those are, you know, impacts to communities. [01:14:05] Also, the other thing is cost that they look at. But we'll outline that. I know we talked about it a little bit. What I'm getting at, sorry, I only have a minute left. What I'm getting at is whether we need to have something in our legislative agenda or ask one of our General Assembly members to carry a bill for us along the lines of both of those. [01:14:20] Are we distinguishing between distribution lines and transmission lines when we're talking about this? We are specifically talking about transmission lines. Only transmission. Okay. Is it true that some communities have created public art out of the towers, 500 KV towers? [01:14:37] Have you seen that anywhere? I have not seen that. Okay. All righty. I think, and you guys read the JLARC study, right? Okay. All right. Thanks. I think that is all I have. [01:14:53] Thank you. I look forward to the work. Thank you. Thank you. Don't start my clock yet. Do we have Chair Randall back yet? Do we know? Does anyone know? Because I don't see her. Chair Randall should be back. She's notified me that she is keeping her camera off. Okay. Okay. [01:15:09] Chair Randall, can you hear us? I can hear you, but I'm going to keep my camera off because it may boost my voice. It's fine. We just forget. Yeah, it's fine. I'll talk to the staff about this item later. Just in case, since we are having equipment problems here, I know your business schedule is pretty packed down in New Orleans. [01:15:33] How long do we have you for tonight? For the evening, or are you going to have to drop off soon? I was going to try to stay through closed session, and I did want to hear public comments. And so even if I'm not on camera, I'm going to try to listen to all the public comments Okay. As long as I have connection. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Rapid fire here. Correct me if I'm wrong. We have some sort of advantage if we have preferred electric transmission corridors in our comprehensive plan. Is that true? That gives us some benefit. Can you describe what that benefit is? [01:16:06] That's true, because essentially the combination of our policy supporting co-location and that map is clearly identifies our first preference of where they would be located. So, yes, we do have an advantage. And the advantage, though, more specifically, is does it force the SEC or in the case of a NHTSI, National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, imposed by FERC, do they have to invite us to the table for comment to talk about our proposed routing? [01:16:35] does it give us any sort of advantage in that process or does nitsey trump everything and it just forces us sec has to kind of deal with this anyway don't they correct i think when it comes to the nitsey it they supersede the sec okay for our purposes though and we highlighted the sec does specifically have provisions or state code has a provision that says you have to consider if a if a county has designated routes okay as part of that process and that's the importance of including that electrical infrastructure map as part of our policies. Okay, here's my concern. [01:17:06] My staff and I have been talking about this for a couple of days now. We believe all of our existing rights-of-way are full. Any expansion of the existing rights-of-way are going to take houses. The only expansion we see available is the north side of Route 7, which I will fight tooth and nail, and I suspect the board will too, and some of the routes from Golden to Mars. [01:17:26] As far as the north-south trunk lines coming into the county, we think they're packed, And I don't think we have any room. So to put in a plan that we would prefer to build an existing rights-of-way is sort of disguising the fact that if you do that, we're going to have to take houses because we don't have any more room. The second thing is I'm concerned with the tone. [01:17:43] The tone says we want to support balanced economic development with proper electric infrastructure. I don't want any more transmission lines in Loudoun County. I don't think I'm alone in that. And the tone of the report is we'll work together and we'll figure out how to provide more transmission lines in Loudoun County. [01:18:00] I don't want that. I want to say we do not want any more transmission lines in Loudoun County, but if we're forced to have a new transmission line, we would like it going existing right-of-way, recognizing the limitations of existing right-of-way. Third, there's no mention in here, and I know this is theoretical, of high-voltage DC. I think the talk of undergrounding 500 kV lines is a red herring. It's a stalking horse, not to mix metaphors, but it is. It's just not practical, and the SEC has a demonstrated track record of not approving undergrounding 500 kV lines. High voltage DC lines, and I've talked to Senator Cain about this, it's theoretical. There's [01:18:36] no regional HVDC network anywhere in the United States, but if ever there was a place that would allow it, this is it. They're much easier to bury. They maintain, they don't bleed off any power, and the data centers can go to a DC circuit. The last thing is I think it should require that we reconductor all lines before they build any new lines. [01:18:55] Reconducting should be an absolute first step. I know that was rapid fire, but I'm happy to talk with you offline if we need to do that. Anybody else need any more questions? Any final comments from the team? Thank you all very much, we really appreciate it. [01:19:13] I think we are gonna go to close the first closed session item. I think this is a good time to do that. It should be fairly short, and then we will have an action item following the closed session item. So Ms. Brissman, if you could read us into closed session item number two. - Sure thing. I move that the Board of Supervisors recess this public meeting and enter into closed session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A19 of the Code of Virginia to discuss plans to protect the public at the courthouse and to discuss reports or plans related to courthouse security and the protection of persons using the courthouse. [01:19:46] Second. I second that. Any comments? We are in closed session. All in favor, aye. All in favor. Thank you, Madam Chair. All in favor. everybody here said aye everybody not here said no or said absent thank you very much we're in [01:20:02] closed session thank you all just for the record okay oh and chair Randall can you hear us okay [01:55:07] I can hear you yes I'm keeping my camera off it's a fairly bad storm here I think it's bothering the connection but I can't hear you yeah that's fine thank you uh for the record um uh supervisor Kirshner joined closed session at 5 22 and supervisor Sains joined closed session at 5 33 so they will read out with the rest of us. Supervisor Briskman, will you read us out of closed session, please? Yes. I move that the closed session be adjourned, that the Board of Supervisors reconvenes its public meeting, that the minutes of the public meeting should reflect that no formal action was taken in closed session, and further move that the resolution certifying the closed session be adopted and reflected in the minutes of this public meeting. [01:55:46] I'll second that. Any discussion on the closure? Hearing none. Everyone, please affirm. Chair Randall. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. Affirm. [01:56:09] Thank you all. We are out of closed session and I would now like to take up. Mr. Turner. Yes, ma'am. All in favor. Thank you. All in favor. Please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Aye. That motion will pass. 8-0-1. Thank you. I now take up the motion on the Loudoun County motion or item number 1F. Loudoun County Courts Complex for Church Street closure. [01:56:29] and supervisor briskman is going to read that motion for us we're going to go straight to a motion yep go straight okay all right great um i move uh the recommendation of the finance government economic development committee that the board of supervisors endorse proceeding with the formal request to the town of leesburg to permit the permanent closure of church street between market street and cornwall street i'll second chair randall i'm sorry chair randall you want to second it yes please okay the chair the chair Randall is a second and I'd like to defer and invite judge Fleming to make some introductory [01:57:08] comments before we ask questions or make our comments chair Randall vice chair Turner and honorable members of the Board of Supervisors the judges of the 20th circuit in the 20th district in conjunction with the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office are asking the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as well as the Leesburg Town Council to cooperate in closing the one-block section of Church Street between Market Street and Cornwall Street to unrestricted vehicular traffic. This section of Church Street [01:57:44] in its present state renders the courthouse insecure, not only for the many thousands of citizens and residents who visit and use the courthouse, but also for those who work in the court, some of whom are Loudoun County employees. Courthouses are unique structures. They are unique for what they represent, and they are unique for what occurs within their walls, namely the oft-adversarial process that constitutes our system of justice. As a result, people often [01:58:22] understandably enter or leave the courthouse angry, profoundly disappointed, or otherwise emotionally charged. Therefore, we have a duty to be situationally aware and take all reasonable steps to secure our courthouses. To quote from Virginia's courthouse facilities guidelines, ensuring free and open access to justice requires a safe and secure environment where all who work [01:58:54] in and visit the courthouse are free from fear and intimidation. In the divisive climate that often pervades these days, security is a bigger concern than ever before. On behalf of my sistren and brethren in Virginia's 20th Circuit and District Courts. Thank you for your time and support in promoting the safety of our courthouse complex and those who use and work in it. Thank you. Thank you, Judge Fleming. Supervisor Bressman, your [01:59:29] opening comments for your motion. Thank you. I just want to thank the judges for coming in to Finance Committee last week and for coming this evening to share information with us. I fully support the permanent closure of Church Street for the security of the courts complex. We have had studies on the security and on the traffic implications of closing Church Street, which support the idea of closing Church Street for [02:00:02] the security of the complex. It is not unusual for a community to grow, need more courthouses, need more parking, need more facilities, and that's exactly what has happened here in Loudoun County. We have a new courthouse, and we have a street that bisects the campus, and for the security of our court system, and everyone who goes in and out of our court system deserves this for their safety and security. So thank you, Judge Fleming, and all the judges for coming, and I hope our colleagues follow the recommendation of Finance Committee. Thank you. [02:00:41] Thank you. Supervisor Brisbane. Other comments? Supervisor Armstead. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I voted against this in Finance Committee, and I'll be voting against it tonight. I understand the judge's perceived security issue. I do not believe this solves that problem. [02:01:09] What I have heard from the community is a lament that there has been so little respect given to them during this process, and some of the comments made during the Finance Committee meeting indicated that there really was no consideration for the concerns of the neighboring community. [02:01:31] The neighboring community that would be impacted by this consists of about 80 homes. I've been door-to-door there three times in the last year to assess the opinions of that community. With the exception of three or four homeowners who support the closure of Church Street in this block, the rest of that community is opposed for multiple reasons. [02:02:01] Primarily, the traffic disruption, which will continue the construction disruption that occurred to them as the new courthouse was being built. They, I would hope my colleagues would realize this isn't just a matter of convenience. [02:02:19] It is a disruption to their ability to fully enjoy their homes and their everyday life. So there remain concerns for me about emergency vehicle access to the neighboring community if Church Street is closed. [02:02:43] There remain concerns, in my opinion, about how Leesburg is best going to manage its downtown traffic, especially during festivals and parades. There remain concerns, according to a couple of constituents, about the ability of disabled people to easily access the courthouse. [02:03:10] And there remains the fact that the circuit court courthouse has been there for many, many years, and only now are we addressing this at this level. [02:03:27] We will see what the town council does. That will be their decision, not ours. And for those many reasons and others that I won't address right now, I will be opposing this. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Armstrong. Supervisor Kirshner. Thank you, Chair. So, first of all, I want to thank Chief Judge Fleming for being here today and for your service to us in the county and for the other circuit court and district court judges who are both here today, as well as we're here during the finance committee meeting, which I had the opportunity to attend as well. [02:04:04] As a practicing attorney who visits probably two to three, sometimes three to four courthouses a day in northern Virginia and throughout the Commonwealth, and I have seen many, many different security measures that are important and necessary, it is very clear to me and has become more and more evident to myself as a practicing attorney here in Leesburg and throughout northern Virginia that these concerns are certainly warranted. [02:04:30] And I am grateful and appreciative for the judges who have brought this forward and not only in their commitment to the safety of the courthouse, but the safety of this community and those who attend this court on a regular basis. [02:04:47] I think it is, quite frankly, a no-brainer that we are seeking to ensure the safety of not only those who sit in to exercise justice in our community, but I think also for those who attend and expect us as a governing body to ensure that this safety continues and that if we see security issues that may need to be addressed, even though this is outside our jurisdiction, Technically, we certainly have influence on it, and I would ask the Leesburg Council to take this up and seriously consider all those who work there and all the experts who have looked at this and say, yes, this needs to be addressed. [02:05:27] And there may be some inconveniences that arise, but security is obviously one of the more important things that we should be addressing and one of the most important things that we as a governing body can take up. And so I hope the governing body of Leesburg takes this seriously and also comes to the same conclusion that we, as well as the experts and those who practice, work, and call the courthouse basically their home for half of their life in a particular day, and those who visit it, and the community. [02:05:54] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Kirshner. Chair Randall. Thank you. There would be very few times, and there may be an exception, but I can't think of any, that I would choose convenience over safety. I realize that this might be and probably will be inconvenience for some people. [02:06:13] But it's also, if you think about it, what this is, is prevention. And we do preventative things every day that don't ensure our safety, but we do them. We get our car serviced. That doesn't mean we're never going to have car troubles. We go to the dentist, and that doesn't mean we're never going to have a cavity. [02:06:29] We get medical screenings. That doesn't mean we're never going to have a medical issue. Prevention doesn't guarantee anything, but you certainly hope that it tries to lessen the possibility of something happening. That's what we're doing here. I trust that we have really smart people who work in our county, and we can hire contractors who can do things. [02:06:52] Obviously, we definitely would not do anything to impede someone's progress getting in and out of the building if that person has a disability. We couldn't by law, and we wouldn't by just our own moral standards. We wouldn't do that anyway. If every other courthouse can figure out how to keep the people in the courthouse safe and still meet all those criteria, I trust that Loudoun County can as well. [02:07:19] The hard, cold, terrible fact is this. If something actually happened in that courthouse and someone lost a life, we would do three things. We would hold a vigil and light candles and say their names. We would attend the memorial service, and then we'd close the street off anyway. [02:07:35] We would do those three things. That is a guarantee. So will this solve all issues? No, but we do all that we can possibly do to keep not just our judges and our county staff, but everyone who walks in and out of that building as safe as possible, yes. [02:07:52] And I do feel bad that there are people who will be inconvenienced. I don't take that lightly. I don't. But I cannot say an inconvenienced person can have more weight than someone's safety in life. [02:08:09] So I will be voting yes for this. And, oh, by the way, it may not be our decision, our Leedsburg decision. If this goes down to the General Assembly, and there will be a bill put in it but it's not decided, it will be the decision of the General Assembly, which is, one, kind of embarrassing. [02:08:25] But, two, I believe that they are closing anyway. So let's not give our power in the hands of the General Assembly, let's not do that. Thanks everyone, thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. - Thanks, Chair Randall. Supervisor Ressman, would you like a closing? [02:08:40] I'm not, I have no comment. - Okay, yes, yes, I would actually, thank you. I just, you know, with all due respect to my colleague from Leesburg, we are not writing this letter to the Leesburg Town Council because the bench in Loudoun County has a perception of a security issue. [02:08:59] it's not just a perception. It is the opinion of LCSO. It is the opinion of hired consultants who are experts in security. And so I just want to take that off the table. I don't think that the judges would be doing this just for themselves. They are doing it for the entire courthouse complex. And the idea that we haven't had conversations with Leesburg before about the security of this complex is false we have formally and informally asked the town of leesburg to consider closing this street either partially or permanently so this is not new [02:09:37] and i i you know if the leesburg town council has not talked to their constituents about it then that's on the leesburg town council i hope they do now um and that they make it clear the reasons why we're asking them to do this that's all i have thank you vice chair thank you super brisman the motions made by supervisor brisman seconded by chair randall all in favor please say aye aye all opposed nay uh and supervisor letourneau is absent that motion will carry 7-1-1 with the nay being supervisor umstadt and absent supervisor letourneau thank you all very much we [02:10:14] will now move into um our two uh resolutions and proclamations uh if i could have the um representatives for the National Association of Women Business Owners down front, and Supervisor Bristman, if you'd join me. [02:10:30] Mr. Turner? Yes, Madam Chair. I just want to say to everyone that I am here. I am listening. It's a pretty bad storm where I am, and so it's disturbing my connectivity. But I am on, even though my camera's not on. I am here and I am listening. I just need to keep my camera off so that my connectivity can be a little stronger since the storm here is so bad. [02:10:53] Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Do we have the proclamation? [02:10:59] Okay, we have some representatives that are not here yet, so we are going to do the motion recognizing National Immigrant Heritage Month first. [02:11:52] If we could ask those representatives to come down. Thank you. [02:12:41] Don't be bashful. This is your moment in the Senate. Just a brief comment to kind of introduce this. [02:13:01] I don't think I need to explain to anybody or prove to anybody the contributions that our immigrant population has made to the United States. The United States is a nation of immigrants. With the exception of the indigenous people, we're all immigrants, and we need to respect that fact and spend less time pointing to they and more time pointing to we because it's all the same population. [02:13:29] So I'm very, very happy to recognize this contribution from our immigrant community here in Loudoun County. And with that, I will hand it off to Supervisor Briscoe. Thank you. Before I read the proclamation, I just want to make a couple points about our tapestry in our community. [02:13:45] I use these stats at the recent race Amity Day at the Baha'i Temple. Loudoun County has about 440,000 people. 23% are Asian, 14% are Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% are African American or Black, 4.2% are two or more races. [02:14:03] Foreign-born persons in the county, we have 26.7% of the people in the county are foreign-born. The participants who speak a language other than English at home is 34.1%, and the five top non-English languages spoken at home are Arabic, Hindi, Persian, Spanish, and Telugu. [02:14:23] So that's why we are this year, I think for the first time, carrying a proclamation for National Immigrant Heritage Month, and I'll go ahead and read it, and I thank our guests for being here. Whereas Loudoun County is home to a vibrant and diverse population with more than one quarter of the community community members over 100,000 people born outside of the United States representing a wide array of national origins languages and cultural traditions that enrich every aspect of our community from education to entrepreneurship to public service and the arts and whereas immigrants have long been a vital part of the Loudoun County story bringing with them [02:15:01] diverse cultures languages and lived experiences that are woven into the everyday life of our community not only through their contributions but through their presence resilience and the relationships they build as neighbors friends and family and whereas loudon county strives to be a community where all people feel welcome supported and a true sense of belonging honoring the backgrounds and experiences that enrich a shared life and whereas loudon county acknowledges that the journey of immigration is not an easy one often marked by courage sacrifice and determination as individuals and family leave behind their familiar homes, loved ones, and communities [02:15:41] in search of safety, opportunity, and a better future, and recognizes the strength it takes to start over in a new place, and whereas the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors recognizes National Immigrant Heritage Month and affirms its commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable community through efforts such as the adoption of the resolution identifying social and racial equity as fundamental values, the establishment of the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and maintaining accessible resources that connect immigrant community members with legal aid, English [02:16:16] language and citizenship classes, health care, housing assistance, and other essential services. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim June 2025 as National Immigrant Heritage Month. [02:16:34] And I will say that we actually have the proclamation in the five languages that are most spoken in Loudoun County other than English. Father Dan, would you like to make some comments? Ah, okay. [02:16:52] Good evening, everyone. My name is Seema Gupta, and I'm one of the founding members of Immigrant Giving Circle, and I have other members here with me today. And my son. And Supervisor Briskman, Chair Randall, and esteemed members of the Board of Supervisors. [02:17:09] On behalf of Immigrant Giving Circle, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the invitation to participate in the proclamation to recognize June 2025 as National Immigrant Heritage Month. This recognition is not only a meaningful acknowledgement of the invaluable contributions immigrants make to our community, but also a celebration of the rich and diverse culture tapestry we continue to weave together. [02:17:37] Our members of Immigrant Giving Circle have lived in Loudoun County for 35 years or 20 years. We've been integral part of the community here, and we are deeply grateful for your leadership and commitment to honoring immigrant communities and for providing a platform that highlights the importance of inclusivity, unity, and the shared strength of our diverse backgrounds. [02:18:04] This proclamation is a powerful step towards further fostering a sense of belonging and mutual respect for all. We look forward to continuing our work alongside yours and other community partners to uplift, support, and empower immigrants throughout our region. [02:18:24] Together, we can ensure that the stories and contributions of immigrants are celebrated now and in the years to come. Thank you once again for your dedication to our shared cause and for giving us the opportunity to be part of this significant occasion. [02:18:40] Thank you so much. [02:18:49] And our representative for the 50th anniversary of the National Association of Women Business Owners has not arrived, [02:20:52] so we're going to move directly to public comment. And I would like to kind of set the stage for our public comment tonight. Before we get started, I'd like to take a moment to remind the public about how the Board of Supervisors conducts public input at business meetings. [02:21:10] I request that all members in attendance adhere to these guidelines to ensure each of you has an opportunity to be heard and to ensure an efficient process. Please silence all cell phones at this time if you haven't done so already. This public input session will last no more than 90 minutes. [02:21:27] members of the public may sign up to speak during tonight's public input session until the last speaker takes the podium at which time no more signups will be taken tonight. We actually have all of our scheduled slots full and we have I believe 11 standbys and so we will probably use up that full 90 minutes. This evening enough speakers have signed up to fill all 90 minutes allotted for public input if everyone takes her allotted time. We will take speakers from the waiting list should there be remaining time left. We plan on calling on speakers until we reach the 90-minute limit or until everyone has spoken, whichever comes first. Speakers will be called [02:22:02] in the order in which they've requested to speak. If you are in the government center lobby listening to the meeting and you are assigned to speak, please come into the boardroom now. When your name is called, please come to the podium closest to you and state your name for the record. I'll call a few names in advance so that you can be prepared to take the podium as soon as it's your turn to speak, which will speed up the process and increase the chances more speakers speakers will have time to speak this evening. Pursuant to section 17 of the board's rules of order, each speaker will have two and a half minutes to address the board this evening. The timer on the podium will indicate your remaining time. [02:22:41] When your time is expired, please yield the floor to the next speaker. Please keep in mind that the purpose of this public input session is for you to address the board. The board wants to give each speaker an opportunity to provide input in a manner that gives speakers equal treatment and courtesy. When you are speaking, please address your comments to the board. You may not direct your comments to members of the audience. Please keep in mind that the board is here to listen. Therefore, members of the board will not respond to your comments or answer questions during public input. Everyone in this room, whether addressing the board or listening in the audience, is asked to maintain decorum while speaking and while listening to others' public comments. Again, [02:23:21] time is up you must end your comments speaking out and shouting from the audience is not permitted during public input cheering and clapping are not permitted during public input anyone who is disruptive to this meeting will be asked to comply with the board's rules of order i respectfully request that everyone follow these guidelines so that we do not have to recess this meeting or have anyone leave the room if you are speaking remotely i will call on the moderator andy torres pause first to make sure you are ready to speak. Please time your comments so that you do not exceed two and a half minutes. Please note there is a slight delay between the TV broadcast and [02:23:58] online live stream and the live meeting in the boardroom. We will now begin the 90-minute public comment period. The start of the public input time is 619. And our first speaker will be Joe Posnanski, followed by Natasha Serdok, followed by Joel Anand. [02:24:18] Good evening. Exactly four weeks ago tonight, I was at a wonderful event in Washington, D.C., celebrating three 100-year-old World War II veterans. The following night, at a sister event of young professionals, attended and organized by some of the very same people, two innocent young people were murdered, murdered in cold blood as they left the event. [02:24:46] The murderer, murderer who had participated in anti-Israel protests since October 7th, shouted, free, free Palestine. I am not here to litigate that issue. Neither am I here trembling with fear. But I am here to explain why Loudoun County's Jewish community are so unnerved by the anti-Semitic rhetoric festering in this room for over a year. [02:25:14] We respectfully but firmly demand you condemn this hate and protect Jewish constituents whose safety or silence endangers. As you can tell, I grew up in England, not that far from Hyde Park Corner. If any of you have visited, you will know it as perhaps the most famous place in the world where free speech, even racist and hateful speech, is absolutely permitted so long as it does not actively encourage violence. [02:25:41] But this is not such a place. The argument that the right to free speech allows any irrelevant speech to disrupt the workings of this body from fulfilling its civic responsibilities is clearly nonsense. I'm a businessman, and I'm involved with businesses in North Virginia, but I'm also a proud veteran. [02:26:00] In the military, I learned the importance of understanding and sticking to your mission. And what is the mission of the Board and of this meeting this evening? As I understand it, it is to address local issues like transportation and zoning and improve the lives of Loudoun County citizens. [02:26:17] It is clearly not to focus on Israel beyond your authority, amplifying anti-Semitism with slurs like Zionist, Zionist or Jew or free Palestine linked to violence like the murders outside D.C.'s Jewish Museum. [02:26:32] And I make no apology for trying to ensure you're aware that your inaction increasingly damages the reputation of the Loudoun County Board beyond your borders. Are you prepared for the inaction of this board, cloaked as tolerance, to be what we call in publishing the second story, the follow-up following some horrific event at a local gathering of Jewish citizens? [02:26:55] Are you ready for a Google search of Loudoun County Board, perhaps naming some of you... Sir, I'm sorry, your time is up. lump you with your peers on Boulder County Board. Thank you very much. If you have comments you'd like to submit them, you can do that. Thank you. Our next speaker is Natasha Serdach followed by Joel Anand, followed by Charles Miller. I'm Natasha Serdach. I'm here today to condemn anti-Semitism in our community. [02:27:21] Spewing hate against our fellow Americans is not acceptable. With a call to free Palestine, an anti-Semite killed an innocent young Jewish couple just 35 miles from here. We have to condemn the hateful anti-Semitic speech and protect Jewish constituents. I'm a daughter of a World War II concentration camp survivor in Italy. [02:27:39] A great majority of us came to America to live the American dream. We came here to enjoy our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that come from God and are protected by the government. We are all created equal, and each of us is endowed by our God-given rights. [02:27:57] In many of the countries that we came from, our private properties were confiscated. We did not have the freedom of speech, freedom to peacefully protest, freedom to vote. Many of us are taking the freedoms that we have in America for granted, and we do not have the right to destroy them. We came here to peacefully enjoy our freedoms, respect the freedoms of others, and raise a new generation of American patriots to do the same. [02:28:20] In 2020, President Trump brought together Arab countries of United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, which signed the Abraham Accords, and normalized their relations with Israel for peace and prosperity in the Middle East. And as you know, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are Abrahamic religions. [02:28:40] The peace in the Middle East was interrupted when Iran-backed Hamas, attacked Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, brutally murdering 1,200 innocent people and taking over 250 hostages. Iran-backed Hamas, attacking Israel when Saudi Arabia was getting closer to joining the Abraham Accords, for the peace and prosperity in the Middle East. [02:29:03] Iran is designated state sponsor of terrorism, and Hamas is a terrorist-designated organization by the U.S., 27 countries of the European Union, U.K., and the rest of the free world. Iran has been funding terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis, who have been attacking Israel and our American soldiers in the Middle East. [02:29:22] People living in Gaza need to be freed from Hamas in order to be able to establish such self-governance that we are enjoying here in America with unalienable rights that come from God. Anti-Semitism makes no sense and has no place in Loudoun County. [02:29:39] I call on the Board of Supervisors to protect the Jewish community and address anti-Semitism. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Joel Anand, followed by Charles Miller, followed by Barbara Wasserman. Thank you, Chair Randall and Board of Directors or Board of Supervisors. [02:29:59] We are pleased and blessed in the Commonwealth of Virginia to live here, home to America's founding fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who fought for the ideals of freedom and to secure our liberties. As proud Virginians and Americans, we join in affirming the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which states, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights. [02:30:27] However, in this very room, anti-Semitic rhetoric has vilified our Jewish brothers and sisters. Is this what the good people of Loudoun County would like to be known for throughout America and the world? Anti-Semitic speech must be condemned by the Board of Supervisors. [02:30:44] Insulting references such as Zionist thugs and false accusations that Jews are aligned with genocide like Hitler must be held to account. This forum should not be used to foment hatred towards Jews and our trusted ally Israel, home to 700,000 of our fellow American citizens. [02:31:03] This forum ought to focus on the real needs and issues impacting local citizens in this county. On May 22, 2025, the words Free Palestine were used to murder two young Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, D.C. And on June 1, 2025, free Palestine was used once again when a man attacked Jewish residents in Colorado. [02:31:25] I call upon the Board of Supervisors to enforce clear guidelines to address anti-Semitism in this forum. A failure in choosing silence in the face of anti-Semitism is not just complicity, it is complicity with evil. [02:31:41] Our representative democracy, which you represent, is based on the foundational rule of law protecting our liberties. Our nation's motto is a pluribus unum, out of many, one. And the preamble of our Constitution reads, We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility. [02:32:05] This should be our worthy goal in Loudoun County to form a more perfect union with justice and peace prevailing. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next up is Charles Miller, followed by Barbara Wasserman, followed by Hannah Stolle. [02:32:25] I am here tonight as a veteran and a Jew. As a veteran of the United States Navy, in 1968 I took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States and protect our national security. security. I recognize that threats to our security come from multiple sources. One such threat comes from those who seek to weaken the rule of law by disrupting and denigrating civil discourse. [02:32:52] As a Jew, I am aware of our history, which provides ample evidence of what happens when a segment of civil society cloaked in freedom of speech begins with acrimonious verbal assaults and descends to violence and physical attacks. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democratic society, a right that empowers individuals to express their thoughts, challenge ideas, and engage in robust dialogue. However, it is essential to understand that this liberty comes with responsibilities [02:33:27] and boundaries. The difference between defending free speech and censoring hate speech becomes especially pronounced in forums meant for constructive deliberation. The Board serves as a cornerstone of democracy, a platform where diverse voices can be heard in differing perspectives debated constructively. [02:33:47] Yet when discussions that often lie beyond the purview of local governance become an outlet for inflammatory rhetoric, we must pause and reflect. Such comments, particularly when laced with hostility and prejudice, erode the very fabric of the community trust that binds us together. [02:34:05] The use of acrimonious language damages not only the discourse itself, but also the individuals and groups that target such remarks. The strength of the community lies its inability to embrace diversity and foster understanding. The County Board of Supervisors should be a beacon of civility and respect, a place where all residents feel safe and valued. [02:34:26] I ask that you recommit to this goal. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Barbara Wasserman, followed by Hannah Stolle, followed by Mary Sue Miranda. Good evening. [02:34:41] Good evening. I must ask, why is the board still allowing divisive and hateful rhetoric targeting the Jewish community, rhetoric that is not relevant to the board's agenda or responsibilities and only serves to spread disinformation? Accusations of apartheid or genocide of Israel are not true, and when repeated, unchecked, fuel anti-Semitism. [02:35:04] The board must disallow hate speech against another minority group. There is no denying that the country's hateful misinformation about Israel and the Jewish people have encouraged violence. The Jewish people make up about 2% of the U.S. population, yet the FBI has stated that the Jewish people are a target of 68% of hate crimes. [02:35:25] Let that sink in. 2%, yet we are a target of 68% of hate crimes. And for the first time, the Anti-Defamation League has noted that a majority of incidents against the Jewish community contain elements related to Israel or Zionism. [02:35:42] No surprise to see this correlation. The Pennsylvania governor, Josh Shapiro's house, was set on fire. Sarah Milgram and Yaren Lizinsky murdered on the streets of D.C. A peaceful vigil in Colorado was firebombed. The only commonality was that these people were Jewish or thought to be Jewish, and the offenders shattered their support to the Palestinians. [02:36:05] Last week, the Israel Summit, one of the largest pro-Israel events that was scheduled to take place this past Monday in Texas was canceled, not because of low attendance, not because of permits, not because of weather, but because of threats that the pro-Hamas groups made it too dangerous to hold. [02:36:24] And I quote, the police felt it would be not safe. Members of the board, I've sat here at these meetings to allow residents to speak hateful information about Israel and the Jewish people in the name of freedom and speech. However, the First Amendment does not protect speech that is intended to incite or produce imminent lawless action. [02:36:46] Why are the Jewish people clearly a minority, not given this same protection? Last week on June 3rd, the Loudoun County Public Schools published a letter about their concern about the increase in anti-Semitism, noting that hate speech has no place in Loudoun County. [02:37:03] Please do the same and challenge hatred and those who spread it. please send a message that hate has no place at the Board of Supervisors meetings not in any place in Loudoun County thank you thank you next up is Hannah Stolle followed by Mary Sue Miranda followed by James Russell Hannah Stolle are you here good evening hi yeah I'm Hannah Stolle it's under my name for the play for all team hello Loudoun Board of Supervisors we are play for all [02:37:40] a group of Willard Middle School students trying to make a difference for kids with disabilities Our names are Gabby, Hannah, Manasvi, Parain, and Siri, who couldn't be here with us tonight. We have been fundraising since starting the Step Up Loudoun competition in December of 2023 to buy an inclusive wheelchair swing. [02:37:57] Our swing accommodates a wide variety of people, including kids in wheelchairs, kids with disabilities, their friends, and their family. We've also been working with the Director of Loudoun County Parks and Recreation. Since starting, we have raised over $19,000 through bake sales, collaborating with our school, and conferences with the NDRN, National Disabilities Rights Network. [02:38:16] Unfortunately, the swing we're hoping to buy costs $25,000, and we're looking for your help to get there. Even though we have raised a lot of money, we are still $6,000 short. Another issue we wanted to address was that the location of the park we're trying to install the swing in continues to change. [02:38:31] We are here looking for someone to back us up so we can get support for a concrete location instead of several options. Additionally, the Play for Old team would like any opportunity to speak about our HeartCloud projects if you have any solutions. This is a community need because play allows children with disabilities or not to make friends grow and learn. [02:38:49] We interviewed a lot of people in our communities. You have their quotes in a packet you will be receiving tomorrow with business cards, flyers from past events, and quotes from these people. Please let us know when you are done leaping through these and feel free to ask any questions over email. [02:39:07] We want you to help us spread the word about our project and get additional support. You may be wondering, how can I assist these girls? You can help us by visiting our website, playforallparks.org, or GoFundMe to donate if you'd like. We would also really appreciate if you could use the business cards we provided in the packets you will be given tomorrow to spread the word. [02:39:26] It only takes a few people to form an idea, but a community to make it happen. To repeat what Manasvi said, we're always looking for business partners and grant opportunities. We understand that what we're doing might seem insignificant with everything that's happening in the world. But, honestly, we really care about this issue, and we've been really passionate about it for the past two years. [02:39:46] Thank you so much for your time. We are Play for All. If I could ask all of you to just stay up here for just a second. Come on back. That was excellent. Thank you. For anybody, that's all right. [02:40:01] I'm going to let it go. That was excellent. That was very well done. Very innovative. make sure that you leave a card there so anybody that wants to figure out how to donate or get involved can do that it's a very worthwhile cause and thank you for having the courage to get up here and say something thank you so much thank you that was lovely okay um mary sue miranda followed by james russell followed by teresa crane good evening i speak for louden county's jewish community deeply unnerved by the anti-semitic rhetoric that has been allowed to fester in this [02:40:41] room for over a year we respectfully but firmly demand you condemn this hate and protect jewish constituents whose safety your silence endangers in the u.s on a per capita basis jews face far greater risk of being victims of hate crimes and members of any other demographic group anti-semitic hate crimes have risen dramatically in 2024 alone just read the new york times editorial from sunday and you'll see the alarming statistics they quote limited public comments slots are consistently hijacked by anti-israel speakers preventing residents from addressing [02:41:16] local issues like zoning traffic and transmission line placements these speakers express anti-semitic attacks disguised as anti-israel or anti-zionist policy a topic beyond your authority and employ slurs like zio nazi or you zionist as a pejorative term for jew they invoke slogans like free Palestine in ways that had been linked to violence, as noted in D.C., but the murders of two and in Boulder, Colorado. Here in Loudoun, a close friend of mine experienced direct [02:41:50] intimidation and required an armed escort after being followed and verbally assaulted as a Zionist pig and Nazi. This, after speaking at this very body, is inexcusable. Such intimidating and hateful rhetoric going unchecked incites violence yet persists raising tensions countywide attempts at divestment tied to the anti-semitic bds movement are equally alarming this is bio anti-semitism ironically tonight we now consume precious common time to demand your condemnation of this rhetoric and its inherent dangers this shouldn't be necessary and we apologize [02:42:29] to our fellow citizens for having to address this and thus displace their time to voice local issues but after your prolonged silence we have no choice your actions your inaction often justified by citing free speech emboldens this hate free speech does not preclude condemnation we urge you to unequivocally condemn anti-semitism rhetoric every time it arises as you would certainly do for any other religious or ethnic group toward whom it might be directed county citizens expect you to enforce comment rules to ensure discussion remains focused on [02:43:04] county business no anti-semitism allowed in loudon county thank you thank you next up james russell followed by theresa crane followed by alicia brand i am proud to see the members of this board celebrate the heritage of our immigrant communities unfortunately since we were since we last had the chance to address this board the public more people than we can count have been [02:43:40] detained by federal law enforcement when they attend immigration court for pretty routine functions on one day our friends counted more than 10 people detained now it's a relatively simple matter to convert this newfound capacity to doctor, to manicure the social fabric. People's [02:44:16] opinions, right? We can arrest people who have the wrong opinions. History tells us this is a very simple transition to make. Now, the genocide in Gaza continues unabated. Whole days of media blackout in Gaza, as we've been coming in here asking for help in condemning the crime of the century on behalf of the people of Loudoun County. Now, I don't like to bring up anecdotal stories because they're unverifiable, but my word of honor, just yesterday, I ride my bike. I have the flag [02:44:52] on the bike, the Palestine flag, everywhere I go. A car honks, follows me, and pulls over. The man, I'm as happy to see me as anybody I've ever seen in my life, as my own mother. He said, brother, total stranger, brother, thank you. I lost 22 family members in Gaza. This is an Algonquian district constituent. I've lost 22 members of my family in Gaza. Or was it 23? I honestly can't remember. I try and remember the names of all the arms manufacturers that operate [02:45:28] in this county, their offices, and they pay taxes to the county. I try and remember the name Equity Committee and MSAC that the Loudoun County School employee who vandalized the Palestinian and students parking space still sits on those still sits on those committees. I try to remember all these facts to keep it relevant to Loudoun County but today I'm just trying to remember did he say 22 or 23? Thank you. Next up is Teresa Crane followed by Alicia Brand followed by Gary Katz. [02:46:05] Good evening Chair Randall and members of the board. My name is Teresa Yancey Crane and I'm president of the Loudoun Arts Council, a non-government 501c3 founded in 1986 to serve Loudoun County artists and art organizations. For nearly 40 years, I've been a Loudoun resident, business owner, and private supporter and volunteer board member for arts organizations in our community. I love Loudoun, and I love the arts. This evening, we have many speakers in little [02:46:42] time so since many of my thoughts have been well represented in the comprehensive arts plan i'll be brief my career has been in the field of stakeholder engagement and non-profit governance and my experience confirms that the comprehensive arts plan that you will vote on tonight is a well-formulated feasible and fiscally responsible path forward bravo to parks recreation and community services team under Steve Torpy's leadership and the consulting firms Designing [02:47:16] Local and John Stover and Associates. This plan does not need debate and line item veto, but instead deserves your full support and approval. It offers a vision and actionable strategies. As for the details of implementation, the Loudoun Arts Council and the arts community can help and we will help but we also need your help let's work together to achieve the cap vision of loudon as a community that prioritizes its artists and offers unique experiences to its residents through increased public art and community programming please say yes to the arts thank you [02:47:56] thank you ma'am next up is gary katz followed by creole french followed by steve bernbaum i'm sorry oh alicia brand my apologies that's okay good evening board i'm here tonight to make one thing crystal clear what's been going on in this boardroom is not about the middle east it's not about foreign policy it's not about two groups who can't see the humanity in each other as chair randall wants us to believe this is about how this boardroom has been hijacked by anti-jew [02:48:34] hate speech, dressed up as activism, and weaponized during public comment. Week after week, we hear speakers call Jews zio-Nazis, accuse Jews of global control, genocide, and apartheid, and demand BDS policies as if this board has the power to institutionalize anti-Semitism. That's not public discourse. That's incitement. And while this hate speech is allowed to flow freely here, many Jewish residents stay home. They're afraid. They're intimidated. They're silenced. That alone [02:49:14] should haunt this board. Phyllis Randall has lost control of this boardroom. She knows it, and we know it. But she's not alone. Some of you have remained silenced in the face of hate, and others, even worse, have encouraged and amplified it. [02:49:31] The few who stood up, we thank you. But let's be clear, this board has no jurisdiction over Israel. So why are we allowing this sacred civic space to be overrun by extremist propaganda that has nothing to do with local governance and everything to do with dehumanizing a religious minority? [02:49:55] History shows us rhetoric precedes violence. We've seen it across college campuses in L.A., Boulder, D.C., even at Governor Shapiro's home on Passover. You don't need to take a side in a war to take a stand against hate. [02:50:10] So tonight, I'm asking you, each of you, to do the bare minimum. Condemn the anti-Semitic rhetoric in this boardroom publicly and unequivocally. and adopt rules to keep these meetings focused on Loudoun County, not foreign conflicts, not intimidation, and not hate. [02:50:31] I'll be watching tonight to see which one of you will and which one of you won't. Stand up tonight and say enough. Thank you. Gary Katz, followed by Creole French, followed by Steve Birnbaum. [02:50:52] Good evening. Good evening. You know, if someone came up to this podium and said racial or anti-LGBTQ slurs, I have no doubt that every member of this board would condemn it unequivocally in the strongest possible terms. [02:51:13] If further, members of the black or the LGBTQ plus community were lynched in the streets, I have no doubt that this board would take action to protect their constituents who are at risk of violence from the rhetoric that preceded it. [02:51:30] And yet for the Jewish community, this board stays deafeningly silent. Why? We don't want to be here today. I echo one of the other presenters' comments. This is not a legitimate county issue. [02:51:45] We're now clogging up space in the county from legitimate issues that you could be dealing with. But you've left us no choice. We've been coming here for over a year imploring you to condemn the rhetoric, and you don't. So let's get a few things straight. [02:52:03] When they say Zionist, they mean Jews. We know that. Martin Luther King knew that. And just in case you don't believe that, the New York Times editorial board said it this past weekend. So even if that wasn't enough, the language in this boardroom, Zionist pig, Zionist thug, bad evening to the Zionists, you should have had a clue that this was pejorative language targeted at a community. [02:52:31] There is no excuse. I will say it again. You've allowed a rhetorical lynching of Israel and Jews in your room that incites violence, and now Jews are being lynched as close as the Capitol Jewish Museum. That's only 40 miles away. Why that's not sounding alarm bells in your heads is astonishing to me. Let's make something very, very clear. We have no interest in your opinion on the Middle East conflict. We have no interest in your declarations of what isn't isn't a war crime we have no interest in your [02:53:08] redefinition of what anti-semitism is we can spot that pretty well for ourselves thank you very much this is not about two groups of people that don't see the humanity in each other it's about one group of people that is espousing anti-semitic rhetoric that risks the jewish community and another who does nothing about it to you thank you next up is cruel french followed by steve Brembaum, followed by Donna Wadowski. [02:53:36] - Good evening. The United States is experiencing what the New York Times refers to as, quote, its worst surge of anti-Jewish hate in many decades. The Times goes on to state the following. According to the FBI, anti-Semitic hate crimes more than doubled between 2021 and 23 and continue to rise. [02:53:56] On a per capita basis, Jews face far greater risk of being victims of hate crimes than members of any other demographic group. In spite of this, The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors have allowed our boardroom to be used as a tool to spread hate and target our Jewish community. [02:54:14] Anti-Israel speakers fill limited time slots for comments at board meetings and focus on issues outside of your purview. Most concerning is that some of these speakers are amplifying anti-Semitism and creating hateful rhetoric by using slurs that target Jews. [02:54:32] Some of our pro-Israel speakers are being verbally attacked as they leave the boardroom. While all residents have the right to speak at board meetings, the verbal attacks and intimidation toward the pro-Israel speakers is not okay. We need our entire board to officially denounce the anti-Semitic rhetoric. [02:54:53] Otherwise, we run the risk of physical violence against members of our Loudon Jewish community. I would like to thank Supervisors Umstead, Kirshner, and Letourneau as the only ones condemning the anti-Semitic rhetoric. It is shocking to me that the rest of our board would allow our county boardroom to be weaponized and used as a tool to spread hate. [02:55:18] Community safety is at stake. I urge our entire board to issue an official and clear message. Anti-Semitism has no place in Loudoun County. Thank you. Next up is Steve Birnbaum, followed by Donna Wadowski, followed by Steve Grutman. [02:55:39] Good evening. I'm here as a proud Jew and veteran of an IDF Special Forces counterterrorist unit. The past month has been a horrific time for American Jews. Terrorists echoing the same language heard in this room and on this dais murdered Sarah and Yaron in our community and attempted to burn Jews alive in Boulder. [02:55:56] Each one of these incidents was an attack on the entire Jewish community. I'm not here to talk about what's happening in Israel. It's about what's happening right here in our community. We know where this rhetoric goes. Superintendent Spence could recognize it as well. For 3,000 years, we've heard variations of the same lie that Jews are guilty of unspeakable evil. [02:56:15] We've been accused of killing Jesus, baking matzah with Christian blood, and causing the Black Plague. Most people repeating these blood libels did not pick up a weapon, but they did something else. They amplified the rhetoric, repeated the lies, and spread the hate in the public square in places like this until someone acted. [02:56:32] And when that violence came, as it always does, many simply looked away. 2,000 Jews were burned alive in 1349 because of the Black Death blood libel that we were accused of. the responsibility for their deaths lay not only with those who lit the torch, but with those who normalized or ignored the rhetoric that created the conditions for the torch to be lit. [02:56:52] As civil rights icon, friend of the Jewish people, and staunch Zionist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, when people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking anti-Semitism. When we hear bad evening to the Zionists in this room, Loudoun's Jews hear a veiled threat, an aspiration that we should suffer the same fate as Sarah and Yaron, or Barbara Steinmetz, who survived the Holocaust only to be nearly burned alive by a modern Nazi yelling Free Palestine instead of Heil Hitler. [02:57:22] Sarah Neron's murderer didn't run from the police. He ran to them, proudly affirming his action. He didn't believe he had done something wrong. He believed he had done something right. That's the climate we are creating with this rhetoric. We should not have to come to this room. As Ron Halber from the JCRC said, It is not the responsibility of Jews to ask not to be hated. [02:57:41] It's the responsibility of non-Jews to reject anti-Semitic hatred. Too many Jewish families are asking, is it safe to be Jews in public in the United States? When we need to be escorted with armed escorts to our cars here, that's a big question. Do Jews not have civil rights that need to be protected? I call on you once again to clearly and loudly condemn the hatred in your chambers, because while some are protesting, others are planning. [02:58:04] I'm Yisrael Chai. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Donna Wadowski, followed by Steve Grootman, followed by Brenda Grootman. Good evening. My father was in World War II as a U.S. Army medic. [02:58:21] After it had been liberated, he entered the Nazi concentration camp Ebensee. He was so horrified at what he saw of the victims and survivors, both himself and another G.I. purchased a camera to document what they saw while at the same time saving lives. [02:58:42] He documented that the Nazis intentionally burned the Jewish victims alive, much like Hamas did to the Jews on October 7. His pictures are now safely encased in the archives of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. [02:58:59] I have copies of my father's pictures here with me today, if anyone cares to see them. My father later became the senior chemical biological warfare expert for the United States. At his retirement event at the Defense Intelligence Agency, some 50 years later, he commented that he still can't get out of his mouth the smell and the taste of death of the innocent Jewish people in that camp. [02:59:32] We have come to this board meeting week after week to fight the anti-Semitic comments made by the pro-Palestinian groups and by some of the board members. I was at the June 3rd meeting when the pro-Palestinian protesters erupted into chaos. [02:59:50] This is inexcusable, intimidating, hateful rhetoric, often the precursor to violence. For example, in the Boulder, Colorado, Molotov cocktail incident, their board had received numerous anti-Semitic comments prior to his attacks. [03:00:09] This board has failed to denounce anti-Semitism in the unequivocal ways that they properly denounce other forms of bigotry. Chair Ramdell, a copycat becoming incentivized by the anti-Semitic rhetoric that our hearing by pro-Palestinian groups and the board could seek to harm or even kill a member of the Jewish community in Loudoun. [03:00:36] How would you live with yourselves knowing you could have done something to prevent it? Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Steve Groupman, followed by Brenda Groupman, followed by Jonathan Evandano. Good evening, board members, and everyone present. [03:00:58] It's unfortunate Chairwoman Randall couldn't be here with us. I was called a Nazi at the Evermore Dog Park recently, simply for wearing my Jewish star in public. So I want to read a quote for you from my dog, Luna, who was there. Ruff, ruff, grrrrp. [03:01:14] Truly inspiring. Thank you, Luna. Now, you might be asking yourself, what does this dog's noises have to do with Loudoun County affairs? The answer, nothing. That's the point. The quote from my dog has just as more relevance to this board and county affairs than any of the Israel-Palestine speakers ever do. [03:01:32] As has been stated many times, this board has no foreign policy authority, and this is not the place to have that debate. We Jews don't want to be here, but unfortunately, Hamas sympathizers continue to spew hateful and insightful rhetoric unchecked by the board. If a majority of the board continues to refuse to condemn or take action against this hate, then proud Jews like me and allies will continue to come and waste all of our time to do so. [03:01:55] Everyone has the right to freedom of speech, including Hamas sympathizers. But hateful speech and blood libels directed at Jews and Israel are anti-Semitic and dangerously insightful to violence, as we've seen in recent weeks. It does not belong in this room, let alone in polite society. [03:02:11] Lastly, the extraordinary number of speakers regarding Israel-Palestine has alienated other constituents from wanting to come and speak about actual county issues. I know I wouldn't want to come and listen to this hate if I had a zoning issue or a play-for-all speech. Good job, by the way, if you guys are still here. [03:02:28] So, therefore, I wanted to give a couple of solutions. Number one, start limiting public speaking in general, as Chairwoman Randall suggested last hearing. Two, start actually enforcing rules about speakers staying strictly on county-related topics and not making dog noises. Three, you board members can strongly condemn hateful and insightful speech when it is said, so I, among others, don't have to come and do your job for you. [03:02:53] If a Klan member came in here wearing the hood and speaking hatefully, you, the board, would rightfully shut down their mic, kick them out, or at the very least strongly condemn what they are saying. So to sum up, these Hamas sympathizers waste everyone's time. They require speakers like me to come and refute it. [03:03:09] They threaten and endanger Jewish constituents and make us feel unwelcome and alienate speakers on an actual county business to come here. And again, it wastes everyone's time. I'm Yisrael Chai, and I hope you guys start condemning it. [03:03:25] Thank you. Next up is Brenda Grutman, followed by Jonathan Avendon, followed by Barbara Crittenden. Good evening, Chair and members of the board. Nine years ago, I had the opportunity to stand in Auschwitz to walk the grounds where millions of innocent lives were taken in the Holocaust. [03:03:43] It was a sobering reminder of the depths of hatred when left unchecked. Sadly, since then, the world has seen an alarming rise in anti-Semitism with hate against Jews increasing across the globe. And while history may seem distant, today we are still witnessing the same forces of hate and intolerance that have caused suffering for generations. [03:04:02] We all know what happened in Washington, D.C. and Boulder. But what about here, in Loudoun? What about in this very room? Yes, even in this room, we are seeing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist rhetoric. It is important for you as county leaders to understand that this is not a political issue. [03:04:22] The demonization of Israel is deeply tied to the demonization of the Jewish people. Attacks on the legitimacy of Israel are often rooted in the same hatred that has fueled centuries of persecution. When the people refer to Jews as the Zionist Nazis, a grotesque and historically illiterate slur, it doesn't just distort history, it dehumanizes. [03:04:44] Let me be clear, this is not about litigating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is about the Jews in Loudoun County feeling unsafe, being targeted, marginalized, and silenced. Just like every other group in this community, we deserve to feel safe, to be heard, to be treated with dignity. [03:05:03] Anti-Semitism, no matter how it is disguised, is hate, and hate has no place here. I urge the board to take a firm stance against anti-Semitism in all its forms. We must make it clear that Loudoun County stands against hate in all of its forms and will not tolerate any actions that threaten the safety or identity of its Jewish residents. [03:05:25] Thank you, and Am Yisrael Hai. Thank you. Next up is Jonathan Evandano, followed by Barbara Crittenden, followed by Shelley Slebrich. Jonathan Evandano, going once, going twice. [03:05:45] Okay, next up is Barbara Crittenden, followed by Shelley Slebrich, followed by Stacey Marcus. Good evening. Listening to the palpable tensions of anti-Semitic support during Board of Supervisors meetings has been both deeply troubling and a cause for serious concern for our community. [03:06:14] History offers a grim lesson. Increased anti-Semitism often leads to increased hateful violence that violates our human rights. We cannot tolerate an atmosphere of Russian roulette. [03:06:35] Let's all take a moment to step back and focus while deeply distressing to all of us. The events in the Middle East clearly fall outside the board's scope of responsibility. [03:06:55] Tonight's gathering is not a demonstration. It is not a protest. We are not here to listen to hateful and divisive rhetoric that is fueled by inaccurate information and does nothing but sow even more hate and division. [03:07:19] I vehemently object to BOS meetings inappropriately being used as a sounding board, and therefore I respectfully request that the board utilize our valuable collective time solely to entertain questions and comments specific to issues under the board's purview. [03:07:47] as the board is charged only with addressing issues pertinent to the governance of Loudoun County. Thank you for your attention. Thank you. Next up is Shelly Slebrich, followed by Stacey Marcus, followed by Igor Volo. [03:08:08] Shelly Slebrich, going once, going twice. Next up is Stacey Marcus, followed by Igor Volo, followed by Sarah Hossein-Bazar. Stacey Marcus, not here, okay. [03:08:27] Next up is Igor Volo. I'm going to start with a short passage. The general cry, kill the Jews, was taken up all over the city. The Jews were taken wholly unaware and were slaughtered like sheep. They're dead number 120, and they're injured about 500. [03:08:45] The scenes of horror attending this massacre are beyond description. Babes were literally turned to pieces by the frenzied and bloodthirsty mob. The local police made no attempt to check the reign of terror. At sunset, the streets were piled with corpses and wounded. Those who could make their escape fled in terror, and the city is now practically deserted of Jews. [03:09:04] This passage was printed in the New York Times on April 28, 1903, one week following the deadly massacre of innocent Jews in the city of Kishinev, the capital of Moldova, in what came to be known as the Kishinev Pogrom of 1903, the event that brought the word pogrom into the world's vocabulary. [03:09:21] Why was it called the Kishinev Pogrom of 1903? Because it was followed two years later by the Kishinev Pogrom of 1905. What preceded the massacre was months of vile but widely tolerated anti-Semitic rhetoric in the public forums, starting with the country's leading newspaper. [03:09:37] It lit the match and fanned the flames until the mob was whipped up into a murderous frenzy. Why do I mention some city all the way in Eastern Europe in an event that happened 120 years ago? Because I was born in that city. I grew up in that city, and when the social fabric of our country started to come apart in the late 80s, the same violent anti-Semitic rhetoric that had given rise to murderous violence began to enter the public square once again, unchecked and unopposed. [03:09:59] And just like my ancestors, I found myself joining a self-defense league, learning to fight and carrying a weapon at the age of 14, as my family and loved ones watched our community increasingly targeted by both violent speech and actual violence. Now, 35 years later, I find our Jewish community targeted once again, this time right here in the heart of Loudoun County, Virginia, by hateful bigots who seek the death of our people and the destruction of our community here and abroad. [03:10:23] I call on the Board of Supervisors to strongly condemn anti-Semitic rhetoric that has unfortunately become a regular feature of these sessions, and to limit all future public comment sessions strictly to the business of the Board to the exclusion of all other non-CODI matters and topics. Its history shows anti-Semitic rhetoric begets anti-Semitic violence. [03:10:40] Members of the Board, your continued refusal to condemn violent anti-Semitic speech while members of your community are made to fear for their very lives is unfathomable. Your community is listening. Your silence on this issue is deafening. Thank you. Thank you. Next up is Sarah Hossein Bazar, followed by Letitia M., followed by Maya Smith. [03:11:03] Good evening, board members, bad evening to the Zionists. Some of you have said that what's happening in Gaza is not a Loudoun County issue, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Our tax dollars and our economy are deeply entangled with the apartheid Israeli regime. [03:11:22] Loudoun County is home to weapons manufacturers and tech giants, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Equinex, companies that provide critical infrastructure and cloud services directly contracted by the Israeli military. Our county processes more than 70% of global internet traffic. [03:11:40] The service that data centers embedded across Loudoun are not just supporting your email, they're supporting a war machine. So no, this is not distant. It is here. It is local. It is personal. Instead of grappling with this truth, this board chooses to deflect. We are accused of anti-Semitism for saying free Palestine. [03:11:59] I'm Palestinian. I'm Semitic, by the way. for demanding an end to genocide, for existing proudly as Palestinians. Meanwhile, citizen speakers calling for the genocide in Gaza to continue are protected and encouraged. Israel's preemptive airstrikes on Iran provoked a response, leading to Iranian retaliation and tragic loss of life on both sides. [03:12:20] Once again, the Israeli army is dragging the U.S. towards the brink of another catastrophic war. It's worth noting Iran is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the Middle East. One has to wonder how Israel justifies endangering Jewish lives abroad. [03:12:38] Then again, the existence of the Hannibal Directive makes that question all the more chilling. Chair Randall stated that if she had been in office during apartheid South Africa, she would have spoken out. Today in Israel, non-Jews are denied access to bomb shelters as rockets fall on Tel Aviv. [03:12:56] Four Christian Palestinian women are dead. Thai and other foreign nationals have been turned away from bunkers by Israeli settlers. In the West Bank, entire communities are under lockdown, sealed off by massive yellow gates and constant surveillance by the IOF. [03:13:15] I've seen and witnessed and lived those yellow gates. It is this not the very kind of discrimination and violence you claim to oppose. you can't claim moral leadership while ignoring genocide. Loudoun has a role in this. Shams, a four-year-old girl from northern Gaza, has a message for you. [03:13:34] Stop the war. Free Palestine. Anti-Semitic is not just saying free Palestine. I will always say free Palestine. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Letitia M., followed by Maya Smith, followed by Janine Sarneki. I don't have anything new to say, just that it's getting clearer. [03:13:59] as we keep coming to speak that the issue you have with our speaking has nothing to do with antisemitism. The real issue is that no matter what we say or how we say it, we are not supposed to be heard or understood, just tolerated. But just in case, I'll say this again. Our support for Palestinian rights is not rooted in antisemitism, but in a deep care for humanity and truth. [03:14:24] Regarding past comments from the board about focusing our speaking to local issues, let me also repeat that Palestine is a local issue. And you may argue a lack of jurisdiction to deny accountability, but weaponizing the law to either deny that or capitulate to Zionism is not in the best interest of Loudoun. [03:14:44] You have argued that this board has nothing to do with foreign policy, but our taxes funding escalation after escalation instead of our community's needs is pretty local. Let's look at another related issue, the data centers. [03:15:00] People in favor champion job creation, the economy, lower the taxes. People, again, demand the quality of life and preserving green areas. Thus, the overarching connection between data centers and the genocide in Palestine puts in evidence that the real struggle, one that has lasted generations and that transcends the local to state, federal, and international levels, is not the weaponization of a religion to justify an illegal occupation, but that unchecked economic growth and land hoarding persist at the expense and suffering of the people and the planet. [03:15:38] That's it. We don't need dissertations on jurisdiction or foreign policy to understand that. Palestine is local, but acknowledging it will leave you with no alternative other than start the path towards divestment from genocide profiteers in the county. [03:15:54] divest now. Lastly, please refrain from calling Palestinians and their supporters agitators or violent when your own silence or willful ignorance is the actual cause of harm in the face of incommensurable injustice. As always, free Palestine in this lifetime. [03:16:14] Thank you. Next up is Maya Smith, followed by Janine Charnecki, followed by Mark Irchai. [03:16:44] Exactly one year and eight months ago, Wadia al-Fayyumi, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy, was killed when he was stabbed 26 times and murdered in cold blood. Good evening, board members. Bad evening to the Zionists. Release the hostages. Release the Israeli hostages from Gaza. Release the tens of thousands Palestinian hostages held by Israel subject to torture under this apartheid regime. [03:17:04] Release the hundreds of thousands of black men hostages withheld in privately owned prisons on our very soil here in the United States of Israel. Release all the hostages who have been kidnapped without a sliver of hope for a release based solely on their skin color, their nationality, their religion, and their socioeconomic statuses. [03:17:26] Unfortunately, we can't release the approximately 200,000 Palestinians buried under the rubble and destruction Israel caused. So I do agree with my fellow Jewish neighbors here in America and back home in Palestine. Jewish lives matter, Muslim lives matter, our American soldiers' lives matter. [03:17:47] My family friends serving overseas in the U.S. Army, their lives matter. We all bleed the same. In lieu of the last supervisor's board meetings, we were told that the board addresses Loudoun County's land use and local issues. I stand in front of you as a constituent of Loudoun County, concerned for the safety of my future family and my future security. [03:18:09] Loudoun County is home to many military contract buildings and data centers that take up our land and emit high numbers of politans. I reiterate, don't let my eloquence take away the fact that I am nervous and scared right now. I am a Semite. I am Palestinian. [03:18:25] People in America and people in Loudoun County need to be freed from Israel. we weren't handed photocopies of the same speech here today thank you thank you next up is mark your shy followed by d gamley gamliel followed by vana milka janine czarnecki i think i was up next i'm sorry i'm sorry now you know who i am yeah i do i'm a volunteer on the arts advisory committee and i'm here today i'm also the chair i am here today to speak in support of the arts [03:19:03] in my personal capacity. I want to first thank the board as well as commend you on your leadership in supporting the arts and requesting the comprehensive arts plan. As you heard earlier today, studies show that spending time in nature and actively being involved in the arts has a direct correlation, a very positive impact on one's mental and physical health. You are investing in our future. You're not only investing in our future, but you're creating opportunities in the [03:19:42] arts, not just for artists, but for Loudoun County residents all over. I'm glad to see that the plan represents all different types of arts expression. And just a little bit about me, in addition to the work that I do in the arts, I spend my days as a program manager. I'm a civil servant for the United States Department of State. So many of my colleagues I work with, I'm an events program manager. So primarily in logistics and operations for events and conferences all around the world. [03:20:14] So most of my colleagues happen to just come to D.C., live in D.C. when they're on a tour of duty. And interestingly enough, even though I have lived here for 28 years, it was working in the State Department 50 miles. It's a long commute. But I'm not inviting my colleagues to come all the way out to Loudoun County to to see me but they're recommending it to me as their number one place to go on the weekends now they primarily go to the breweries and wineries but I just don't want you to miss your opportunity to cement Loudoun County as the premier destination the DMV [03:20:53] I do ask two things with the plan there's much that you're asking the county to do and thank the county staff who have been very supportive and worked on this i would ask that you look take a look at the bylaws for the art advisory committee and expand them so that we can do much of this work and that we also expand the number of members on the committee we have a great group of individuals but we could use more so that's pretty much it um i just want to thank you for investing [03:21:26] in our future and our quality of life and thank you to david abby i don't know uh steen is here as well and steve they've been fantastic and valuable thank you next up mark irshai followed by d gamliel followed by vanna milka mark mark irshai i think i'm i'm sorry you're shy yes sir you're shy yeah yes um good evening uh i am mark irshai the artistic and general director of Loudoun Lyric Opera, your county resident opera company. We source and nurture local talent and [03:22:04] resources while creating cultural community through opera. I also work with local schools throughout the county. Recently, I was the music director for Stonebridge High School's Fiddler on the Roof, which received great acclaim in the press and in student awards ceremonies. [03:22:20] And you know, every year, talented Loudoun high school graduates, inspired, choose to study theater and music in college and then pursue it as a profession. And every year, they don't return to Loudoun County. As one theater teacher put it to me, quote, there aren't many opportunities here for them, so our best and brightest go elsewhere. The Comprehensive Arts Plan, CAP, will ensure a lifelong stable investment in our artistic quality and our community's access to it. CAP offers a bold vision of Loudoun as a thriving arts destination. It's backed by practical steps, [03:23:00] including partnering with private development to create live work studios and affordable creative hubs, leveraging county tourism to support messaging around the communities of our county, and offering subsidized arts classes through PRCS and an artist-in-residence program that puts working creators in our schools and senior centers. The arts are not a luxury. They are an economic engine. The non-profit arts and culture sector in Loudoun already generates more than $1.3 billion in economic activity each year. Statewide, the creative economy contributes $19 billion. [03:23:39] CAP's emphasis on access and inclusion through subsidized youth classes, a county-wide event calendar, and programs that reflect our diverse communities ensures every Loudoun family can benefit from CAP. I urge you to adopt this plan and proceed with its recommendations. Thank you for listening. Please say yes to the arts. Thank you. Next up is, I believe online, D. Gamliel, followed by Vanna Milka, followed by Leve Lynn. Ms. Gamliel, are you online? Yes. Go ahead. [03:24:15] You're public right now. Okay, thank you, and good evening. And I am speaking as a member of the Loudoun County's Jewish community. I have been very unnerved by the anti-Semitic rhetoric that I heard in the room just now and that I have heard in this room for the last year. [03:24:36] We respectfully but firmly demand you condemn this hate and protect your Jewish constituents, whose safety, your silence, and dangers. As we have seen by what has happened over the past few months in front of the Jewish Museum in D.C., and the Molotov cocktail attacks in Boulder. [03:24:56] Our elected leaders have chosen to stay silent rather than stopping hateful slurs like Zionists, Jews, Free Palestine, or From the River to the Sea. These are examples of where unchecked anti-Semitic rhetoric led to violence. This hate has seeped into our public school system, where Jewish kids have to hear their peers talk hatefully about Israel and wear sweatshirts with hateful slogans against Jews. No elementary student should have to see this or hear this. [03:25:27] No more Jews should be attacked, or anyone for that matter. In order for this to happen, we need your help and your voice to stand up against this inexcusable, intimidating, hateful rhetoric that incites violence but persists, raising tensions across the country. [03:25:45] Free speech does not incite violence, and this does. Jews from many backgrounds, ethnicities, races live in loudon county if the black or hispanic community were attacked it would be condemned why do you not do the same for jewish americans i urge you to protect our jewish community as lcps has done recently in addressing anti-semitism our safety is at stake send a clear message anti-semitism and hate against any group have no place in loudon please stop this now thank you [03:26:19] thank you next up is vana milka followed by leave lynn followed by matthew newton good evening here are my local concerns amid skyrocketing inflation of basic goods unaffordable housing threats to education illegal unethical and draconian attacks on our immigrant communities i'm confronted by the alarming rise and threatening and inciting rhetoric right here in loudon that labels me and my community as hateful bigots mob terrorists and anti-semitic because i dare to declare [03:26:54] that children of the world do not deserve to be killed it is hypocritical of me to worry about my child's safety while remaining silent towards the systemic starvation and slaughter of hundreds of thousands of children in ghaza and throughout palestine why not speak up for children around the world in ukraine or sudan and uyghurs or even israeli children my heart aches for them and i pray for them too but when it comes to action i speak up against my tax dollars as an american going directly to funding and supplying the very arms, missiles, bombs that are tearing Palestinian bodies into pieces, [03:27:30] weapons and technology made by corporations with local offices right here in Loudoun. So to this board, particularly Chair Randall's comment last month, no, ma'am. You do not need to teach me to care about another person's child, another person's humanity, or another person's life. [03:27:46] You just need to acknowledge that our country, our state, and our county's complicity in dehumanizing and then unhumanizing another person's child is the problem. Let me speak about the unsafety and fear, intimidation, censorship, dehumanizing language, flat-out discrimination facing our children in LCPS schools, in our places of work, in our neighborhoods, in the media, by our own leaders, including members of this board, all incredibly anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and exploitative of Islamophobic tropes that paint this as a conflict between religious communities when it is clearly the settler [03:28:25] colonial capitalist apartheid enterprise called Israel committing a live stream genocide of a defenseless population. My biggest visceral, physical, and undeniable local fear is that I have neighbors who support the slaughter of other children using our own tax dollars, American-made weapons, Loudoun-based technology, enabled and greenlit by our own politicians and then sustained by our own silence. [03:28:52] This is a local issue. Palestine will be free. Free, free Palestine. Thank you. Thank you. Liv Lynn, followed by Matthew Noonan, followed online by Mike Smith. Good evening. I come before you today not to debate foreign policy, but to raise the alarm about what is happening right here in this boardroom and what it is doing to your Jewish continuance. [03:29:19] Week after week, anti-Israel speakers have used this public forum to spread hateful, inflammatory rhetoric, rhetoric that goes way beyond political opinion. Their whole accusation that demonized Zionists knowing that in today's climate, that word is often code for Jews. [03:29:41] We've heard terms like, Zayunazi shouted in this very chamber. Just this evening, I heard somebody saying good evening to everyone, but not good evening to the Zionists. So this is one example. What's more alarming is in this boardroom has become a hostile environment for Jewish residents. [03:30:04] Many are now afraid to attend or speak, fearing harassment or intimidation. That fear is real, that fear is valid, and that fear is a direct result for the unchecked rhetoric allowed to faster here. [03:30:23] Let me be clear, this board has no purview over foreign conflict, and yet value time, time meant for local constituent voices, is being overtaken by individuals pushing for anti-Semitic policy like BDS. [03:30:41] Your silence, your inaction, it is permission, and permission embolds hates. We've seen what happens when anti-Semitic rhetoric is unchecked. We respectfully demand that this board publicly condemned anti-Semitism rhetoric in the strongest possible terms. [03:31:04] We affirm that rebuking hate is not a violation of the First Amendment, and consider rule changes to public comments that prevent escalation of hate speech and protect all constituents you have a responsibility to keep this board safe a safe space for civic engagement not a stage for hate thank you i'm israel hi thank you next up is matthew noonan followed online with mike by mike smith followed by olga ganchara good evening i'm going to be reading an [03:31:42] excerpt from a speech given to the UN by Muhammad al-Qurid, a Palestinian poet. At a certain point in every Palestinian's life, we realize that the Nakba is far from over. It continues every time Israel revokes Jerusalem residencies. It blares in street signs stripped of Arabic. It punctures us in constant campaigns of dehumanization. [03:32:00] If you're not evicted from your home, it's demolished. If you're not imprisoned, you're shot in the street. If you're not shot in the street, there's a drone in your sky in the Gaza Strip. If it's not a bomb, it's exile. I'm tired of reporting the same brutality every day of thinking of new ways to describe the obvious. The situation in Sheikh Jarrah is not hard to understand. [03:32:17] It is a perfect illustration of settler colonialism, a microcosm of the reality for Palestinians across 73 years of Zionist rule. This vocabulary is not theoretical. It is evident in the attempts to throw us out of our homes so that the settlers can occupy them with the backing of the regime, whose forces and policies provide violent support for the transfer of one population to install another. [03:32:38] I do not care whom this terminology offends. Colonial is the correct way of referring to a state whose forces collude in the violence of settlers, whose government works with settler organizations, whose judicial system uses expansionist laws to claim our homes, whose nation-state law enshrines Jewish settlement as a national value to encourage and promote. [03:32:59] The appetite for Palestinian lands without Palestinians has not abated for over seven decades. I know because I live it. The problem is not ignorance, it is inaction. Impunity and war crimes will not be stopped by statements of condemnation and raised eyebrows. History invites moral clarity. [03:33:15] When we reflect on history's most horrible, inhumane atrocities, we think of them with so much moral clarity. We tend to forget that when such atrocities were happening, they were perfectly legal. At the time, they were all once controversial, contested. [03:33:30] They were too complex. We all think that had it been us there at that point in time, we would have been at the right side of history. But we have that opportunity now. The question of Palestine cannot be resolved but with a free Palestine. I know that the occupation will one day end. [03:33:48] Like all injustices, it will end. It must. I just hope that such recognition, such recourse, such reparations happen while Palestinians are still here. We deserve just a liberation in our lifetimes. And I'll just add that this was from two years ago, so this was even before the genocide happened. [03:34:04] I just want to say this is local. Don't let anybody tell you that it's not local. I know these people. I've known them for a long time now. They are reeling. Sir, thank you. They are reeling from what they're witnessing. [03:34:19] Your time is up, sir. And so should you. Sir, your time is up. Thank you. Next up, Mike Smith online. Mr. Smith, are you there? I call in the... I join in the call to demand the Board of Supervisors to condemn fully the hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric by each of you publicly and absolutely i grew up in rockville uh silver spring area of maryland and that area has always had a large jewish population much larger than here in laden county i learned of anti-semitism at an early age from actually experiencing it it seemed like at least [03:34:58] a few times a year anti-semitic anti-semitic diatribes or swastikas vandalized onto jewish synagogue walls and buildings. And when that wasn't happening, maybe hearing a few passerbys scream out from their cars, anti-Semitic jabs as we walked to Shoal. So I know anti-Semitism, what it sounds like, what it looks like, but these things didn't instill fear because they lacked intent to destroy or kill. It was often goofy ignorance, trying to catch a few nervous laughs from their buddies, or at worst, it was meant to demean or bully. Although it was hurtful [03:35:33] and embarrassing. It never really scared me. Until today, what we are hearing in this country, in our streets, and right now in our government buildings, is a different kind of anti-Semitism. This is truly hateful, evil, vile rhetoric that champions the absolute death and destruction of an entire group of people. And what's worse, it's cloaked in euphemistic language. If you are a student of history, you'd be familiar with the term, the final solution to the Jewish question. [03:35:59] Just hearing that, one would assume that the answer was largely carried out with the death of over 6 million Jewish men, women, and children. But that's exactly what happened. Today, we see the same attempt to deceive with words like Zionism. [03:36:19] Zionism simply is the advocation of the establishment of a Jewish state. That's it. I would venture to guess that a majority of Jews living around the world would largely support the existence of the world's only Jewish state. So by proxy, when one celebrates from the river to the sea rhetoric, they're in fact calling for the death and destruction of Jews. [03:36:39] I agree with previous speakers that this issue has no place here for your time. Our money should be used to discuss and deal with the issues in which you were elected here to do. And this focus is solely on our county issues such as roads, schools, data centers, public housing, the celebration of the arts. [03:37:02] I'm personally taking time out of my vacation to address this issue with you today. So I conclude, keep the anti-Semitic rhetoric out of this building, which has no place in our government. Thank you, sir. Next up is Olga Gontrov, followed by Ms. Shea, followed by Diana Say. [03:37:21] All right. Good evening, everyone. Good evening. I am, to everyone, I am deeply alarmed by the anti-Semitic rhetoric that has been allowed to fester in this room for over a year. With respect of its urgency, I call on the board to condemn this hate and protect your Jewish constituents. [03:37:38] Your continued silence is not neutrality, it is endangerment. Week after week, anti-Israel speakers dominate limited public comment slots, often sidelining local issues like transportation or zoning or the arts. Instead, they use this platform for, you know, far beyond this board's jurisdiction to amplify anti-Semitism. [03:37:56] And we've heard slurs like Zion-Nazi and Zionist standing for Jew or chance to free Palestine, slogans that sadly do have become associated with real-world violence. I'm not going to repeat those examples of the horrendous murders and mulch of cocktails and other incidents. [03:38:13] We're really unchecked anti-Israel rhetoric as preceded violence. And right here in Loudoun County, a Jewish woman required armed security after being followed and called a Zionist pig and a Nazi. And others were harassed while speaking, coughed at deliberately, in a clear act of intimidation. [03:38:31] This is not just inappropriate, it is dangerous. And ironically, tonight, we must use our limited time to plead with you to condemn hate speech. When we should be here discussing local concerns, but after months of inaction while Jews are targeted, we have no choice. To be clear, free speech is not a shield for hate. [03:38:48] Your failure to speak up only emboldens it. The board must take a stand, condemn anti-Semitic rhetoric every time, and update public comment rules to please keep discussions focused on county business and prevent this platform from being hijacked for hate. Loudoun County Public Schools have acknowledged the threat of anti-Semitism, and why hasn't this board? [03:39:07] On a personal note, my family and I fled the Soviet Union, where anti-Semitism and rhetoric like this led to pogroms and systemic discrimination. I never imagined I'd see echoes of that fear here in Loudoun County, but I do, and I'm not alone. We urge you to start by openly denouncing this rhetoric. [03:39:24] Make it clear that anti-Semitism has no place in this room, in this county, or in our community. Protect your Jewish residents. Speak up. Act now. Thank you. Thank you. Next up, Ms. Shea, followed by online Diana Say, followed by Brian Kirk. [03:39:43] Is there a Ms. Shea in the room? All right. Diana Say, are you online? Yes. Can you hear me? Yeah, we can hear you. You are on mic. Good evening, everyone. My name is Diana Fay. [03:40:00] I come before you to bring to light and to confront the rise of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist rhetoric spreading throughout our community, especially troubling now in our Loudoun County public schools. In recent months, we've seen hateful language escalating from whispers to public graffiti and hurtful flyers at local schools, gyms, and parks. [03:40:21] At Heritage and Loudoun County High, racist and anti-Semitic scribbles were found in students' bathrooms. Flyers promoting white supremacist ideology were dropped in driveways across the neighborhoods. Anti-Semitic symbols were carved into desks and scrawled on bathroom walls. [03:40:38] An explicit attack on Jewish students at Ashburn's Dominion High this past December. In middle schools, a viral video showed a student verbally assaulting a five-year-old, including ethnic slurs. Four Starbucks locations across Ashburn were vandalized, promoting a Loudoun County sheriff investigation, one of them being my local Starbucks. Our local reality echoes a much larger disturbing trend nationwide. The ADL recorded a record 9,354 anti-Semitic incidents [03:41:11] in U.S. in 2024 alone, a 140% increase from 2022. This isn't just statistics. They're a violent reality. As many of you have heard, in May, two embassy staff members were murdered near the Capitol Jewish Museum, D.C., and in early June, a Molotov-style attack injured eight people at a Jewish event in Boulder, Colorado. These are tragic reminders that this rhetoric can and does lead to real-world violence. Let me be clear. Criticism of any government is valid and protected, but when [03:41:45] anti-zionism becomes a euphemism for hatred towards jewish identity that crosses the line into anti-semitic violence my family and i escaped in the middle of the night as refugees from uzbekistan to the united states in search for safety from anti-semitic violence and attacks only to see it rear its ugly head once again once again i come i come before you today to ask you to uphold zero tolerance. Our schools and public places must enforce consequences for anti-Semitic graffiti, flyers, and verbal attacks. Free speech isn't a shield for spreading hatred. Loudoun County [03:42:24] has the opportunity and the moral responsibility to lead. We can build a community where all families feel safe and welcome, and where our schools and public places... Ma'am, your time is up. Thank you very much. Next up, Brian Kirk, followed by Liberty Harrison, followed by Michael Kennedy. Brian Kirk, oh gotcha good evening i'm here in support of the comprehensive arts plan which i think is a remarkable step forward for the arts in loudon county thank you for this opportunity to support [03:43:03] the funding of the loudon county comprehensive art plan my name is brian kirk i'm a semi-retired art teacher and artist who's lived in loudon county since 1987. i was drawn to loudon county because of its natural beauty proximity to the mountains and local scenic rivers I currently teach sculpture printmaking integrating the arts into the curriculum at Shepherd University I'm also a member of the Latin Arts Council board as fine art department chair and art teacher at [03:43:40] Stonebridge High School for 20 years I saw firsthand the benefits of the arts in the school in our community. Creativity, innovation, concentration, self-expression, risk-taking, developing a skill, and cooperation are a result of engaging in all of the arts. Lifelong learners also benefit from life-enhancing opportunities as it is never too late to begin exploring the arts. [03:44:07] Art, music, theater, and dance therapy have also been proven to be a useful therapeutic tool in improving mental health in children and adults. Public art also attracts visitors and builds community. I was instrumental in founding, with the help of the Franklin Park Art Center, their Sculpture Walk at Franklin Park Art Center, and a charter member of the Frank Rafflow Sculpture Walk as well here in Leesburg. [03:44:35] Public art is a rallying place for contemplation, reducing stress, encourages economic growth, provides cultural identity, and a sense of belonging. The Comprehensive Art Plan funding allows us to develop a vibrant art community that benefits art organizations, artists, and our cultural community. [03:44:55] Art, music, dance, literary, theater, film, teachers are all eager to share their instruction of our cultural world that we live in with our community. Please fund the Comprehensive Arts Plan. We will all benefit. Thank you. [03:45:15] Thank you. Next up is Liberty Harrison, followed by Michael Kennedy, followed by Andrew Bloom. Good evening. Firstly, I would like to thank you for providing a forum in which constituents can exercise their rights of expression. I would like to underscore my support for your commitment to continue protecting their freedom of speech. [03:45:35] Freedom of speech, however, is not freedom from disagreement. With anti-Jewish attacks rising in frequency and severity since October 7th, the inflammatory language that's been used in these meetings has only increased in its potential danger, being the same dehumanizing language fueling anti-Semitic violence we have witnessed as a community in Boulder, D.C., and New York just these past two months. [03:45:58] Attacks that have taken innocent Jewish American lives, cemented the fears of Jewish communities across the U.S., and harmed peaceful advocacy for Palestinians. Chairwoman Randall has addressed a conflict spoken about in this room as a fundamental inability for the two sides to see humanity in each other. [03:46:17] Do not assist to further this fact by staying silent when dehumanizing language is voiced, normalizing its use and provoking further intolerance. What I ask the board today is to speak as a voice of reason and empathy to their constituency and condemn the anti-Semitic rhetoric that has been heard unchallenged by this board. [03:46:36] Just as I also ask for public condemnation when anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, or any other bigoted rhetoric is spewn. It is only in castigating hate that the safety for all your constituents can be secured. Thank you. [03:46:52] Thank you. Next up is Michael Kennedy, followed by Andrew Bloom, followed by Jennifer Cleary. We have seven minutes remaining, so I'm just heads up. We might get three more speakers in. Mr. Kennedy. All right, next up is Andrew Bloom, followed by Jennifer Cleary, followed by Avis Renshaw. [03:47:13] Good evening, and thank you for allowing me to speak. My name is Andrew Bloom, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Loudoun Symphony as its president of the Board of Directors. I'm here to speak in support of the Comprehensive Arts Plan Agenda Item 1L. [03:47:32] This plan is vitally important to making the arts a priority in Loudoun County. The arts have long taken second billing to other infrastructures, infrastructure, athletics, and other priority projects. And it is great to see the Board of Supervisors taking up the arts in your discussions this year. [03:47:52] I want to thank the Board for giving the approval for the design and the development of the Eastern Loudoun Community Arts Center earlier this year. From the Loudoun Symphony's perspective, this is one of the biggest and most important components of the Comprehensive Arts Plan. [03:48:10] And we are grateful that it is being pursued. In conclusion, on behalf of the Loudoun Symphony, I thank you for your consideration of this plan, and I urge you to support its implementation. Please say yes to the arts. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. [03:48:26] Next up is Jennifer Cleary, followed by Avis Renshaw, followed by John Getty. Jennifer Cleary, all right, Avis Renshaw, followed by John Getty, followed by Martha Polky Online, I believe. [03:48:44] Good evening, board. I'm Avis Renshaw. I live in Luckett's and I'm here to register my dissatisfaction with the four alternate Luckett's bypass options presented to Luckett's residents on June 4th. Two of the options are not environmentally friendly, and I think it's very important to honor environmental priorities, especially in Loudoun's western rural policy area. [03:49:04] Everyone in Loudoun deserves environmental protections and benefits from them where they are secured, whether it's park protections, water quality, or soil. The other two routes are not inhabitant friendly. They are egregiously placed through the trailer homes that are ironically already not walker friendly to any of the Luckett's amenities like the gas station community center or the elementary school. [03:49:31] And the presented options exacerbate that situation. The routes presented to citizens don't include analysis of projected traffic movement improvement or reduction in wait times or projections of numbers of traffic vehicles that will be handled in the future. [03:49:49] We want to help make informed decisions, but we need appropriate data to do so. The cost of this road is escalating on the current and future Loudoun taxpayer because Loudoun is funding it themselves. Those people are my children and my grandchildren. [03:50:06] I would like to see a simpler, less costly, and more elegant solution for their future. I think more roundabouts, reduced traffic speeds, and right-hand turns would go a long way to meeting the objectives of this road, especially in the Luckett's area, in the rural policy area, and the farming community. [03:50:32] Thank you very much. Thank you. Next up is Mr. John Getty, followed online, if we have time, by Martha Polke. Good evening. My name is John Getty. I am speaking in favor of the Comprehensive Arts Plan. [03:50:49] I have not actually been to a Board of Supervisors meeting in over 10 years since I was with the Loudoun Times beer. And to begin with, allow me to say thank you for your service. This is not an easy job. But I am here speaking as the chair of the Sterling Playmakers. [03:51:08] We are in our 28th year, and we provide community theater to the citizens of Loudoun. We present four to five productions a year, and we love it. [03:51:24] It has been such an enrichment for my life. That said, the Northern Virginia theater community is pretty connected, So I've had a chance to work with other groups and go see shows in different jurisdictions. [03:51:40] And over the last couple of years, it really has struck me how little support Loudoun provides for the arts compared to what I see in other jurisdictions. And that's partially just because we've been a growing county for so long. [03:51:57] But ladies and gentlemen, it's time. It's time to provide more support for the arts. There is a lot to say about how art, whether it's for the performing arts or the graphic arts, how it elevates the community. [03:52:16] But I'll also like to put out that it also provides connections in the community. I turned 54 last month. And one of the things that me and the friends that I have my age are always talking about is how hard it is to connect with the people in your community once you get past a certain age. [03:52:37] And I tell them I don't know what they're talking about because I'm in community theater. I meet new people every couple months, and we're working together in a collaborative way to create art for the people of our community. [03:52:54] And I think the more that we can do to support that type of collaboration and elevation, I grew up in Loudoun County, I just love it. The more I can do to give back to this community, the happier we'll be, and I urge you to support this. [03:53:12] Thank you very much. Thank you very much. We have exactly one more minute, and I'm going to go to Martha Polke, if you're online. Martha. Hello. I'll talk fast. Good evening, supervisors, and may God keep you safe in these perilous times. [03:53:29] I'd like to call to your attention the serious shortcomings of DCCI's expedited presentation of alignments for what they call the Route 15 Luckett bypass on June 4. The quality of the presentation was poor, with obvious errors, and more information was missing than provided. [03:53:45] The consultant himself said his work was incomplete. So we're asked to select by this Friday a preferred alternator without having the information to do so. And I'd further assert that staff has also poorly informed you when it presented the choice between an eastern-western bypass alternative. [03:54:03] I'll try to make seven points very quickly. One, the first two alignments defeat the purpose of a bypass that was at more instead of fewer intersections than the current highway does. Two, the last two alignments don't meet the definition of a bypass because they were right through the village violating the comp plan and further separate the residents from the part of the village that they need to get to. [03:54:26] Three, some of the materials, including exhibit alignment summary, contains obvious errors and amidst evaluation of vital criteria, including environmental impacts to humans in a karst overlay district with already compromised water quality, environmental impacts for wildlife surrounding a wildlife sanctuary with high-speed highways, and added cut-through traffic. [03:54:48] Four, fairness. Grossly insufficient outreach to the mobile home park was made. No Spanish language materials were provided and the materials and the meeting was not in the village itself despite those residents' limited transportation options. And five, deceptive questions, particularly county staff can interpret question number two responses in any way they wish, one way or the other. [03:55:12] Six, continuation of a poorly conceived and executed process. County staff never placed an accurate or in-depth assessment of an eastern versus western bypass before supervisors, which I assert resulted in you making an uninformed decision. Seven, failure to consider cheaper alternatives. [03:55:31] County staff never presented to the public a mere $14 million VDOT alternative that would be vastly cheaper and much less destructive solution to Luckett's congestion and that would prioritize local residents and not require bypass. You're about to commence a megaproject of at least $420 million, whose true purpose is to open up this corridor and then Western Loudoun to more sprawl housing development. [03:55:59] Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Polke. I appreciate it. That completes our speakers. If you would like to submit your comments, you can always do that at vos.loudoun.gov, and I encourage you to do that. What does everybody think? We can break for dinner, but I'd like to get staff released on the strategic plan items. [03:56:17] I think there's a couple of questions on that, and I think we can probably do it pretty fast. But what's everybody's sense? You okay to move on really quickly? Yeah, let's keep moving. Okay, let's do that item. We're going to do the information item on strategic initiatives by annual update, and if we can have staff come down. [03:57:24] We're doing item one, three, and four in closed session. At the end of the meeting or during dinner? No, during dinner. Gotcha. Okay. Good evening. [03:57:46] Good evening, Mr. Vice Chair, members of the board. Can we please keep it quiet in the boardroom here? We're trying to continue on with our business. Thank you. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. [03:58:02] Good evening, Mr. Vice Chair and members of the board. The purpose of this item is to present the progress of the board's 2024 through 2027 strategic initiatives. As you know, every four years, the board develops a strategic plan that puts into action the vision and goals of the boards during their term. [03:58:20] Historically, the strategic plan has served as a work program, providing direction to staff on initiatives of importance to the board accomplishments and status updates on the work plan are provided by the board on a regular basis through staff reports and our biannual updates this work plan is grounded in the vision and goals of the board but changes as initiatives are completed and new initiatives are added based on the guidance staff received from the board last December we have put together the item before you now there are seven strategic focus areas that you directed us to work on uplifting Loudoun businesses and promoting new economic development meeting Loudoun County's diverse housing needs, preserving open space [03:58:59] in the environment, improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, connecting Loudoun, community programs and services, and lastly, implementing the findings of the administrative and legislative land use review assessment. Each of the 49 initiatives are in various stages of action. [03:59:17] In your item, staff notes that there are three distinct status designations. First is completed, the next is ongoing, which are initiatives that will remain as a continuous effort, and then lastly, that are in progress that have a defined endpoint each of the respective department directors responsible for the initiatives are here this evening to answer any questions and i'll now yield for us to answer any questions that you may have on the initiatives and our progress to date thank you any other comments okay comments from the board supervisor uh before i forget chair randall [03:59:51] do you have any questions chair randall all right we'll go to supervisor tercrony thank you chair Turner. So my question is under, and thank you for the presentation. I appreciate it, Chris Quintine. Promoting new economic development, supporting data centers. So I see that there's in the item the action of convening a groundbreaking collaborative multi-stakeholder data center [04:00:28] forum. And I'm kind of wondering if that couldn't be done through the Department of General Services, they're doing an environmental, well, not environmental, an innovation forum, I should say, as part of phase two, the data center CPAM and ZOAM. They're doing that with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Environmental Commission. So I'm just kind of [04:00:55] wondering if, why do we have two of these forums? Why can't we have one? I don't know why we couldn't work together and get something done that makes sense to me okay thank you very much buddy riser so my second question is um the safe routes to school program has now become a county program and i think my staff may have talked to you mr quintine um is there any way we could incorporate that in dtci and one of the initiatives that dtci is doing so that we could have it [04:01:33] um as part of our board strategic plan sure thank you supervisor chakroni um we did take a look at your question and if the board chooses to make amendments um to the initiatives we have identified the connecting loudon strategic focus area as one where that could certainly be accomplished or it could be added to an existing initiative 5.7 talks about crosswalks and expanding those at [04:02:05] intersections or it could be added as an additional initiative if the board chooses. Okay you come back every six months is that true? Yes ma'am. Okay maybe maybe we could do it at that time but but it is you know it's not just crosswalks it's also connecting sidewalks so the kids can get safely be a school and we are applying for the grant um program the virginia safe routes to school program there's a grant in 2025 so um dtci is doing that which i really appreciate [04:02:38] um but i just wanted the board to know i think it might make sense adding it um the next time you guys come i'll have a motion um and then lastly um i know we were talking about a census and a survey for agricultural industries, and I serve on the MWCOG Farm Committee, so I just wanted to let you know there might be some synergy there with that committee. [04:03:04] Thank you. Great. We're scoping that now and plan to initiate in the fall, so we'll work with them. Okay. Thank you very much, Mr. Reiser. Any other questions for Supervisor Kirshner? Mr. Turner. I'm sorry, Madam Chair. Yes, I meant to come to you. [04:03:19] I don't have questions, but I did want to say that my phone, I could not unmute my own phone, the staff at my phone unit. I have been on this call the whole time, listening to every word, so you called me, I heard you, I just could not unmute myself. Okay, thank you very much. [04:03:36] Supervisor Kirshner. Yes, thank you. I don't have very many questions, but I do have a comment and any thoughts that DED may want to talk about or staff. One of the initiatives, 1.6, is support development of meat processing facilities within the county. I have had several folks reach out to me who are interested in doing it. [04:03:53] I think there are some zoning issues that arise as a result of that. And so who would be the best, who should I put them in touch with in terms of working on this? Because I think there's actually a couple of folks that are very serious about doing this. Yeah, definitely put them in touch with us. [04:04:11] And we're going to have a rural ombudsman on board after July 1st. Has that position been hired at this point? It has not been hired yet. Okay. But we are doing interviews? We'll be recruiting for that. Okay. Excellent. Okay. [04:04:26] The reason I say, I mean, as I've mentioned before, literally, for example, I mean, in order to have any animal on my farm processed or any processing around, most everybody has to go to another county. And I do believe there is probably, at least for a small processing plant, there is the demand that can handle that here in Loudoun County. [04:04:48] And I think we should, if people are interested, we should try to make that happen. we can know if possible, and if it's some zoning changes that need to occur in order to allow that to happen, then obviously I would appreciate it if the staff or the ED bring that to our attention so that we can perhaps move on that as well. [04:05:03] - Yeah, we've had, we actually, through the Western Loudoun CPIM, both that and some things around the malting facility are some issues too. - Are there any updates on the malting facility that you can share with us at this point? [04:05:18] No, we continue to work on that. And, you know, we had, we announced a malting facility in 2015. We had an aphid grant, and it didn't work out for us at that point. But, you know, one of the challenges is that 51% of the grain has to be grown on the farm. [04:05:41] And that probably is not going to be a realistic thing. So that's one of the regulations we're looking at. Well, we certainly, as you reported to us, I think at finance, we have had, for fellow board members who weren't there, we have had an increase in grain production in Loudoun County over the last, I guess, year or so. [04:05:59] We are in the spring, so I guess it will be the spring. That's tremendous. That's tremendous. So thank you. Any other questions for staff? Chair Randall said she did not have any. Thank you all very much. I appreciate it for the update. And we will now read into closed session for items, closed session items one, three, and four. [04:06:19] I move that the Board of Supervisors recess this public meeting and enter into closed session pursuant to Section 2. 2-3711A5 of the Code of Virginia to discuss an expansion of an existing business or industry where no previous announcement has been made in the Sterling Election District. [04:06:40] I further move that the Board of Supervisors recess this public meeting and enter into closed session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia to consider acquisition of parcels for a public use in the Sterling Election District. [04:06:56] I further move that the Board of Supervisors recess this public meeting and enter into closed session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A3, the Code of Virginia, to consider acquisition of parcels of property for public use in the Algonquian Election District. Second. Any discussion? [04:07:15] Mr. Vice Chair? Yeah. Mr. Vice Chair, I'm going to go grab some food myself right now, so I'm not going to join you all in closed session. I'll join you when you come back out of closed session. Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. We appreciate it. And with that, all in favor, please say aye. [04:07:32] Aye. Any opposed? That motion will carry. We are in closed session. [04:58:09] Oh, my God. You got jokes tonight. Okay. All right. We are coming out of closed session. Supervisor Brisbane, will you please read us out? Yes. I move that the closed session be adjourned, that the Board of Supervisors reconvenes its public meeting, that the minutes of the public meeting should reflect that no formal action was taken in the closed session, and further move that the resolution certifying the closed session be adopted and reflected in the minutes of this public meeting i second that uh opening comments any discussion closing comments [04:58:41] no all in favor please say aye aye any opposed uh chair randall are you with us now i am but i don't need to affirm but i am here i know that i just i just want to make sure you're wrong But please affirm, Supervisor Glass. Affirm. [04:59:02] All right. Supervisor Briskman, why don't you make the first motion? Okay. I would love to do that. I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the county administrator to execute a purchase and sale agreement and other necessary documents approved as to form by the county attorney with Persimmon Lane LLC in the amount of $22,000 per acre for the acquisition. [04:59:25] of property consisting of approximately 90 acres located on persimmon lane sterling virginia pin 027-47-0634-000 and pin 027-36-0959-000 and authorize the expenditure of 250 000 for due diligence and closing costs as well as a hundred thousand dollars for the down payment upon execution of the purchase and sale agreement i further move that the board of supervisors amend the fiscal year 2025 capital improvement program and direct staff to execute a budget adjustment [05:00:03] to move 350 000 from the land acquisition contingency account to the linear parks and trail system project in the capital projects fund for the down payment and due diligence activities moved by supervisor brisman seconded by uh supervisor sains comments yes thank you so much I appreciate my colleagues support on this um it has been a goal of mine since coming into office in 2020 that we have the Potomac Heritage Trail extend from Algonquian Regional Park all the way to the Broad Run and hopefully eventually across the Broad Run into Bless Park so this will enable [05:00:41] us to um connect one more missing link in that um effort and I will hopefully hopefully get this done before the end of this term but i'm really excited um that this is going to be part of our linear parks and trails and it's going to be mostly uh well not mostly we'll be all passive um with a little bit of space for parking and a trailhead um for the potomac heritage trail so i really look forward to the progress we're going to make with this uh thank you thank you very much uh any other comments chair randall any comments i do i do there are so many people i want to thank for the Linear Parks and Trails Program. [05:01:20] This started, I think it was at the end of my first term, when people from, like Loudon, actually, and they're not even really doing this anymore, came in, as did so many other people. And the first meeting we had was to take it over to the Parks Department. [05:01:38] And I remember them saying, we've been waiting for this for years to just start a Parks and Trails. At that time, we were calling it the Emerald Ribbon to start that program. And they were just so excited and took it from there. So we've been doing this for a long time. [05:01:54] When we, Mr. Sains, you're going to remember this, when we had a survey of what loudness citizens wanted more than anything else or what was their number one concern, it was more parks, more trails. We were sure it was going to be about traffic, but it wasn't. It was we want more parks and we want more trails. [05:02:10] And so sometimes things take a longer time to happen than we wish they would. but um so much thanks to steve torpy and the parks department and the the ad hoc group on parks and trails um and everyone who's worked really hard on this for years um so thank you to that those original i think like eight people who came to me years ago um it it happened slowly but it did get down so thanks so much thank you madam chair any other comments and closing comment for yes i i'll echo chair randall's comments about um thanking the parks and recs and the pros board and those [05:02:46] folks but i also really want to thank thank our new land acquisition team um who took this on i think it was one of jackie's first projects um since she took that position and um i think i think that team did excellent work on getting this through thank you all right motion made and seconded all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed that motion will pass 801 with Supervisor Letourneau off the dais uh next motion um Supervisor Sains uh thank you Mr. Chair I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the county administrator to execute a purchase [05:03:25] and sale agreement and other necessary documents approved as to form by the county attorney with Gordon Road Capital QOZB-6 LLC in the amount of $33,650,000 for the acquisition of property consisting of 17.42 acres located at 21345 and 21355 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia, [05:03:51] PIN 029-29-9074-000 and PIN 029-20-3118-000 and authorize the expenditure of $200,000 for due diligence and closing costs, as well as $2 million for the down payment upon completion of due diligence activities. [05:04:16] I further move that the Board of Supervisors amend the fiscal year 2025 Capital Improvement program and direct staff to execute a budget adjustment to move two million two hundred thousand from the land acquisition contingency account to the eastern service center project in the capitals projects fund for the down payment and due diligence activities. Second. Moved and seconded. Opening comments. Thank you. Yes this is a good purchase uh not only from the sterling district but the county as a whole um for for for this property. We can do a lot of great things [05:04:51] with this land and these buildings. So stay tuned for more updates in the months to come, but this is a great win for, as I said, Sterling and Loudoun. Thank you. Any other comments? Chair Randall? Nope. No, thank you. Closing? All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 801. And can someone clarify for me, did we affirm coming out of closed session? [05:05:20] thank you thank you next item we have two action items remaining and then board comments and nominations let's go to the comprehensive arts plan if we could ask the staff to come forward and I think I'm gonna go straight to a motion on this one and we can talk inside the motion if I can find it I move the recommendation of the finance government finance government and economic [05:05:58] finance government operations and economic development committee that the Board of Supervisors approve the Comprehensive Arts Plan as shown in Attachment 1 of the June 17, 2025 Board of Supervisors Business Meeting Action Item. Mr. Chairman, can I make a request? [05:06:18] Sure. Ms. Bixman, can I take this motion? I've been working on this. Supervisor Glass and I have been working on this really hard for a really long time. Can one of us make this motion, please? Yeah, sure. Thank you. I'd like to make the motion. madam chair you are clear to make the motion well i'll just i'll just it's just i'll reassign it to you okay seconded by supervisor glass uh chair ran with the comments opening comments no i mean listen i don't listen there are times when you know when you see something from beginning to [05:06:52] end all the way through you just want to see it all the way through and the the the the people who who started talking to me about the arts, and that's not just the ladies who wanted community arts. It was first really the Loudon Symphony that started talking to me about the arts and needing a place for the symphony, again, in my first term. [05:07:16] And we have, I have talked to Beth Erickson, we have gone back and forth for years about what is right and what is not right. But this, Mr. Torpy and I have talked multiple times. Of course, the ladies from the community arts brought it to us, the arts committee. [05:07:33] It has been going on, you know, and I've said so many times, and Ms. Glass has said this, too, as a member of the NACO arts committee, that, you know, Loudoun is an amazing county in so many ways, but the one thing we are missing is more art. [05:07:48] And I will give some credit to Leesburg, who's led the way to a large degree in having more art in Leesburg. But art of all kinds, performing arts, visual arts, sculpture arts, when you look at all the numbers and all the things that arts does for a community, it is just phenomenal. [05:08:06] Everything from raises property values to lowers incidence of depression and all those things. And so I really, really want to give credit to, especially the symphony who first came to me, but all these people over so many years, really, who have been working on this. [05:08:23] And I want to give a lot of credit to Ms. Glass, who has leaned forward really hard into the arts discussion, including being the person who's led the way on the board in the National Association of Counties. So, Ms. Brickson, I appreciate that, and thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. [05:08:39] And Supervisor Glass, any comments? Thank you, Chair Turner. And thank you, Chair Randall, for those kind words. I just want to thank the ladies, Betty Wright and Renee. I'm sorry, I forgot your last name. [05:08:55] Thank you Hogan for having conversations with me at the very beginning, talking about the arts in Loudoun County and all the wonderful things that we have here, which I didn't really know about until having those conversations and then meeting these different groups and going to different events with them and just seeing just the wonderful art that we have here. [05:09:23] And so I'm really thankful that we are doing this and that it will be something that we will be proud of and something that folks from Fairfax County and Alexandria will come to us for those events. [05:09:42] And staff, thank you so much for your work as well. Thank you. Supervisor Tukroni. Thank you, Vice Chair Turner. So I just have a real quick question. I listened to everybody who spoke tonight. Thank you for coming and speaking. So one resident asked if we could change the bylaws for the Art Advisory Committee to be more reflective of the plan. [05:10:06] In other words, to include all types of art expression, not just visual, but performing and literary arts like our poets. So I'm just wondering if that's going to be part of the plan is to revise the bylaws and make that committee more inclusive of all form of arts. [05:10:29] Yes, we have a strategy dedicated just to that, expanding their role by changing the bylaws. So there's a strategy specifically for that. Yeah, because it is very siloed, the bylaws. We would like them to have a larger role in some of the other efforts contained in the other strategies as well. [05:10:46] Yeah. So I'm very pleased to support this. I think, as I said, the plan represents all different types of art expression, literary performing and visual arts. [05:11:02] And I think it will keep our talented high school students here. I liked what one person said, that we lose our best and brightest. They go elsewhere. And hopefully our investment in the artistic community will keep them here. I think it is time to provide more support for the arts. [05:11:18] You know, Loudoun is making really an investment and bringing it as a priority with this arts plan. And I thank staff for taking this on and for making this a priority in Loudoun County. Thank you. [05:11:35] Thank you. I'm sorry, I need a correction. It's Betty O'Lear. I'm sorry. Thank you. Supervisor Armstrong. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm really torn because there's a lot in here that I could happily support, but I feel it is really expanding into areas that I don't think are necessarily a good idea. [05:12:08] I'm looking at strategy 2.2, support new creative hubs of community by considering artists live workspaces as an expansion of affordable housing we don't even have enough affordable housing for teachers firefighters and law enforcement and i i'm really i'm hung up on this so can anybody assure me that if i vote for this i am not endorsing strategy 2.2 so it's included in there because there have been successful programs done through a development [05:12:47] nonprofit called Art Space and Other Areas, where they have built this through a nonprofit developer. And so all it's asking is that we have discussions at this point. It's not tying us into that, but because there have been successful programs in other spaces, those are in St. Paul, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and even in Mount Rainier, Maryland, where they've used this nonprofit developer. So it's something we just want to consider. We know it takes discussion to further that initiative so this isn't tying us into committing to that but to having the discussions [05:13:21] if the board wanted to commit to that would it have to come back to the board yeah so all of the strategies that are in here are likely going to require some type of resources and that's one of the things we're trying to get the plan adopted so that when we go to work on these strategies anything that we need from staffing to additional funding would be a discussion that comes back to the board. Steve, would you have viewed today's unveiling of the two statues of Martin Luther [05:13:58] King Jr. and President Obama as part of a county art strategy? Yes, I do. Then I'll support it. Thank you. Any other comments? Just briefly, and I won't go into it, I'm happy to support this at this point. I have some of the similar concerns that Supervisor I just had mentioned in terms of how the funding gets gets spent but I'm glad that I think one of our biggest responsibilities as a board is responsibility with the taxpayer dollars so obviously when we decide to fund these obviously we have a second look at this and where we don't [05:14:35] but I'm happy to support at this point thanks any other comments uh closing comments chair Randall Yeah, again, thank you, Ms. Brixman. So I do hear Mr. Kersner and Ms. Umstead, but I think that this is a fantastic use of taxpayer dollars. [05:14:57] If you just look at all the data on art in the community and what it was, what it does and how, it's a very good use of taxpayer dollars. And I think that sometimes, you know, we do put a lot of effort, and we should, into what I started calling a long time ago life-saving. [05:15:20] But it's okay to put money sometime into what is also life-enhancing. And art, especially art that can be enjoyed by all, is life-enhancing and very much needed in the community. so i understand what you're saying and i appreciate it but i i think this is a very good use of of of money um and i think that art is something that we really have been missing um in our county in in many ways for well forever so um so thank you thank you mr by chair thank you ma'am um motion made by chair randall and seconded by supervisor glass all those [05:15:56] in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 8-0-1 with Supervisor Letourneau off the dais. Thank you all very much. Our next item up is the Invasive Plant Species Management Program. [05:16:10] So is it there? There. Oh, there it is. It's hiding. Okay. I'm sorry. It's way off in the corner [05:17:08] over there, so the little -- there it is. Okay. Good evening, Vice Chair Turner and members of the board um thank you for giving us the opportunity to share this this evening uh before mark takes over with the presentation if the board would indulge me i would like to take a moment to recognize and thank a few key contributors uh in this effort if that's absolutely so thank you sir so we would especially like to thank uh the boards for their for the board for their forethought and investing in such a significant issue that spans both the environmental and the economic realms of our our community without question this would not have been we would not have been here [05:17:44] tonight except for the vision and passion of the loud and invasives removal alliance that we've referred to as uh lira several of the board members are with us this evening so thank you very much i appreciate that um i would also be remiss if if we didn't thank the the many county departments and partner agencies who collaborated on this effort including building and development parks and recreation cooperative extension and the soil and water conservation district finally i would really like to extend my sincere appreciation to blue ridge prison prism if you If you had not heard of them before, they are the premier invasive species management [05:18:20] nonprofit in Virginia without a question. So Blue Ridge Prism, who has provided astounding subject matter expertise throughout the entire process, has even graciously allowed Loudoun County to use their site assessment templates and their process documents for our program. [05:18:40] So their protocols and processes have made this program that we're presenting to this evening really well grounded in proven processes and scientific rigor. All of these partners and contributors have forged a strong foundation for the program and the team is already built to ensure continuous improvement as it progresses should the board take action this evening to implement. [05:19:03] So thank you for allowing me to share that this evening and with that I will turn the Presentation over to Mr. Avani and I'll be quiet for a moment if that is okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Brown. Good evening, Chair Randall, Vice Chair Turner, Mark Avani with General Services. Happy to present this item to you this evening. We would like to talk a little bit about the background of invasive species, the timeline, and the proposed program details as well as our staff recommendation. Just to focus on two pictures here, even though Mr. Brown went a little [05:19:37] fast. You see on the right-hand side the kudzu vine, which is also known as a mile a minute and will take over. It isn't invasive. It was planted many years ago and has wrecked a lot of havoc on the east coast. And then over there on the bottom, you see what many people think might be nice in the springtime, the calorie pair, which is a large invasive problem right here in Loudoun. In fact, that picture was taken in Loudoun County. On the next slide is one of the critters that has started all this, you see in the upper corner there the red lanternfly adults, spotted red lanternfly adults, and then on the bottom is the tree of heaven, which is a host for that, and that [05:20:16] has caused a lot of havoc with our agriculture, with our wineries, as well as a lot of ornamentals. I don't like to read slides, but I think it is important to say that the definition of invasive species are those that are intentionally or accidentally introduced by human activity into a region in which they did not evolve and cause harm to natural resources, economic activity, or humans. They are costly and difficult to control. That is why we're here, quite honestly, this evening. As Chair Randall said when we met with her on Monday, a lot of these plants have beautiful names, Tree of Heaven, Autumn Olive, English Ivy, but they're very problematic when [05:20:55] they spread into the landscape and cause a lot of problems. Mr. Brown talked about the timeline, And I just want to mention that the board first took this issue up way back in 23 as a board member initiative. And Mr. Brown credited Lira with bringing that idea to the board. [05:21:13] And then a little while later, there was funding for consultant services for Timmins to help develop an invasive plant species management program. There was funding for six pilots, which have all been completed or almost will be completed. And then the big news was back in January, funding of $2 million from the FY24 fund balance. [05:21:33] General Services became involved in March. We are responsible for the program, and we are getting ready to contract with the Loudon Soil and Water Conservation District as the program administrator. I do want to recognize the chair of the Soil and Water Board, Jim Christian, as well as Susie Brown, the district administrator, who are here with us this evening. [05:21:53] Mr. Brown mentioned the collaborative efforts, and that can't be stated enough. This effort has involved a lot of different departments and a lot of different individuals. They're all listed up there. Mr. Brown mentioned them, and it also shows the roles that those different departments and homeowners associations and nonprofits will be playing. [05:22:17] It truly is a collaborative effort to deal with a difficult and emerging issue. So let's talk a little bit about the program details. is outlined in the agenda item, but the program here is looking at public awareness on invasive species and behavior change to prevent the planning of invasives, as well as to restore those areas, whether they're natural, whether they're landscaped, that have invasive species on them. We're going to utilize the resources that the board has provided, the technical resources that we have from our partners and our non-profits, as well as our conservation [05:22:53] resources to deal with this issue. We have a program manual that is attached that defines the different roles of the technical review committee as well as the stakeholder engagement committee. It is our hope that the stakeholder engagement committee includes not just lira that represents an important end user but perhaps groups such as developers or nurseries or people who might be selling those invasive species so that we can we can stop the spread. Any landowner owning a parcel with some exceptions are eligible. We're handling county land separately through our government by example initiative. We're going to be dealing with parks and maybe the landfill and some other areas [05:23:32] to remove invasives there. And you don't have to be in an HOA to be eligible. So small parcels in non-HOA areas are also eligible. It does require obviously a cost estimate, but since we want to be sure that we're done with those invasives, the recipient will have to monitor and maintain that area for three years. The expert tell us that if you do it for three years, we're pretty sure to be rid of the invasives. Obviously, we need to use some kind of a system to rank and come up with criteria on how we evaluate those that receive the funding. We're trying to make this as easy as possible for people. So we're going to be covering permitting fees for successful grant [05:24:11] applications. We do focus on high visibility areas, signage and outreach, so that people can see a sign that says invasive species being removed call us to find out how you can participate as well we believe this is a great area for especially some of our larger HOAs to help us spread the word to to others in the county and we want to continue the collaboration that's been very successful with our departments and our landowners and our HOAs and non-profits and then as always we're going to evaluate the program and report back to you on a regular basis on what we might do different there There is obviously a fiscal impact with this program. [05:24:48] The board allocated $2 million in fiscal year '24, $160,000 of that will go to the Soil and Water District for a subject matter expert to run the program. We will be involved, general services, in that as well. And then $131,000 to the Department of Building Development for a temporary position to review invasive species plans, help with permit compliance, and really serve as an ombudsman. [05:25:11] The reason we're doing temporary subject matter experts and temporary positions is, quite honestly, we can do that right now and bring people on board so that we can start this program as soon as possible. We may also look at some signage and outreach efforts, which might need to be funded from that fund balance. [05:25:28] And then, obviously, our plan is to spend down that money as projects are approved. We have a rather aggressive timeline there, but I think we can do it with the help of all our collaborators. We almost are done. With the finalizing the program manual, we'd very much like to do a kickoff meeting to get all our collaborators together in the June-July timeframe, hire a subject matter expert. [05:25:52] And then if some of our collaborators, especially Lira, are willing to do so, we'd love to have them host a kickoff event in August so that we can get some of our big HOAs out there and have a really good start to the program. begin to receive grants in the fall, and then begin projects this fall, and then come back to you all in spring or summer with how we did. [05:26:14] So our recommendations, as we said, at the finance government operations would be that the board would approve the Invasive Plant Species Management Program and authorize the county administrator to draft and execute a memorandum of agreement with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District to serve as the Invasive Plant Species Management Program Administrator. [05:26:33] Mr. Chair, that is my presentation. We're happy to answer any questions at this time. Thank you very much. Chair Randall, questions? I asked most of the questions I wanted to ask when we were in finance, and so many of the questions that I had have already been answered in the presentation, so I am good. [05:26:54] Thank you so much. Thank you to the Lyra, especially to Mike Littman, who has been just a champion, just a champion. And so all of Lira, and thank you to Ernie and Mark. We appreciate you. Thank you, ma'am. Supervisor Tacroni. [05:27:11] Thank you, Vice Chair Turner. And I want to thank Lira as well. I see Mike Littman in the audience, and also Loudon Soil and Water Conservation District. I know they worked hard on the pilot, and you guys came in in March, but they were working away before DGS came in, and it's been a process. [05:27:32] and we've learned a lot. So I want to thank you both. Do you know, will there be cost sharing in the initial year? Are we just going to try and fund most of the projects in the initial year? So this was a conversation that we had with a lot of the partners and a lot of conversations with the Soil and Water Conservation District, Lira and others. And the decision was made to recommend no cost share through this process. The objective there is to ensure that we can maximize its impact early on in the game. So after, we envision after, you know, the first one or two years of this, we may look at that becoming more of a traditional conservation program, but right [05:28:12] now I think we all agreed unanimously, the contributors and collaborators, that right now let's do everything we can to get people into the game and maximize the impact as early as possible. Do we pick out what invasives we'd be prioritizing? Because I know there are like 100 plus invasives. [05:28:30] There are 103 invasive species on the DCR list, and, you know, they are a guide, but it's really more complex than just running down the numbers. We really have to look at what are the major impacts to our economy and our environment first, and we also need to take into consideration where are the biggest impacts, the biggest bang for our buck to win the hearts and minds of our community, right? [05:28:56] So, it really, the technical review committee is really looking at that comprehensive look. So, obviously, tree of heaven is a significant impact to not only our economy, but our ecosystems. But at the same time, you could look at Barbary, which is a highly ornamental plant, but has a lot of impact in a lot of our landscaped areas. [05:29:18] So, you may have an opportunity to get high visibility impact and real meaningful mitigation by removing those invasions. So they're going to be looking at those things and ensuring that we get the biggest bang for the board's investment as possible. Do you see us spending down the $2 million in three years, five years? [05:29:38] What's kind of, I saw FY28. So my hope is this is so wildly successful. We're back next year asking for more. So I'm just going to be blunt about that. I think that we have an opportunity with the partnership we have in place to be very aggressive about these projects and get after it, not only in a meaningful impact on the footprint that many of these invasives have in Loudoun County, but also the influencing how we do business with invasives, right? [05:30:12] So, I mean, call me maybe optimistic or utopic, but I believe that we have an opportunity here to really change the way we think about ornamental invasives in our community. It's a real thing. Supply and demand is real, right? If we keep demanding them, they're going to keep selling them. And if we're able to break that chain where there's no longer a drive for it, then I think we're really progressing towards getting ahead of that curve. [05:30:49] Thank you very much. Mr. Brown. Supervisor Glass. Thanks, Chair Turner. I just wanted to say thanks to Mike Littman for having that first discussion. I remember it was back at our swearing-in ceremony, and I think we talked, it might have been about an hour, about invasive species, and I was like, wow, this guy is really into this. [05:31:12] But I just want to thank him for, you know, teaching me all, you know, all of the things that the regular person doesn't know. Like you're talking about the pear tree and how I know in Ashburn Village there are, they were a whole bunch of them, you know, planted in our front yard in my neighborhood. [05:31:38] and how ours fell after one of the hurricanes had gone through. I think it might have been in 2016, but we didn't know that was an invasive, so kind of glad that that happened. [05:31:56] And with organizations such as Lyra, how you said that they are going to still be involved, and how is that are we how do you see that relationship so in the program manual there is a stakeholder engagement committee sec this is made up of end users and so i've actually been meeting with lira board every friday so we will officially inaugurate that stakeholder engagement committee and meet with them on a regular basis so we can hear their input on the program what's [05:32:34] working, what's not working. As I said, they're a major end user, so we definitely want their input. Okay. Also, I know that a lot of the HOAs are, you know, can actually see what's going on, but what about the western part of Loudoun County? So the program is open to all, and certainly we have a good relationship with Lyra, and I think by latest count they have 70 HOAs that are participating but we anticipate working uh through the soil and water district with the farming community with wineries and so the program is available to everyone um and we we want to promote [05:33:13] it that way to everyone even in areas that don't have hoas and and so forth so it's it's open countywide okay thank you supervisor karsner thank you um those those last couple um answers were answers somewhat to some of my questions thank you for coming um this is great the one First question is a budgetary question. [05:33:35] If you're going to come back to us in spring and summer, and it's going to be so wild, that'll be after budget. So I bring that up as, I mean, you don't have to answer it if you can if you have some thoughts on it, but we do our budget in March. So if it's becoming wildly successful and you think you need more money, make sure we talk about that come budget season or get it in the budget. [05:33:52] Yes, sir. And I probably was a little too zealous. Not the 27 budget, but the 28 budget. I know you find that hard to believe, sir. Yes. But the following budget would be what I was referring to, sir. - Okay, fair enough. So, and I think the location of the county, you said it's open to Alden County. [05:34:10] I do think that, I mean, I think about this all the time 'cause I'm driving up Route 7 and you mentioned more visible places, but also our wineries are obviously very impacted by some of these invasives. It would seem to me that some of those farms and piece of parcels would be perfect. [05:34:29] And I'm assuming they're gonna be signs up saying, hey, we've got an invasive species program going here So that gives more public awareness to what's going on. Is that kind of part of the public? Yes, sir. Notification process. Yes. Okay. One other thing I just wanted to bring up that I found out this past week in a meeting that I had with a developer and some of our county staff. [05:34:49] They were required, and I didn't know if you were aware of this. I've learned it for the first time. They were tearing out a bunch of the olive trees that we know is horribly invasive. And they weren't even tearing them out. They were just cutting them off. But because there's only soil underneath, because no grass can grow, that's considered disturbing the soil. [05:35:14] And therefore, when they do more than 5,000 acres, it's subject to a grading permit. Now, that may be a state rule, but I don't know if you knew that, and I was shocked at that. I was really surprised at it. It was something I learned. That may be something that we either put in our legislative program as state or if it's local county, how we can work with our zoning department to, because that really discourages large, I'll tell you one thing, I had nine acres I tore out the olive many years ago, so I'm sure I was in violation of the grading permit. [05:35:46] I'm sure that was an agricultural activity that you were not in violation, sir. Absolutely. Right. So that was one of the issues that was identified in the pilot projects. And, you know, the pilot project, the objective of a pilot project is to learn and take those lessons and apply them. So one of the things that we did is we flipped the script a little bit where the approval for the project happens before you get the permits, right? [05:36:10] So it's conditional approval. And then if it requires a permit, this is why it's so important that building development has this new position, because not only they're going to be focused on processing those permits, but they're also going to serve as an ombudsman to those applicants because many of these applicants are not heavy users of our development permitting process. [05:36:34] So there's a need, we identified a need to help process them through. So you're looking long-term. It was something that we certainly identified as a challenge here, and it is balancing the net environmental benefit, right? So steep slopes, needing erosion sediment control, grading permits, in some cases, no-rise flood certifications, looking at right tree, right place. [05:36:56] All these factors come into play, and what we learned is getting those permits up front significantly delayed the process. So this program gets the conditional approval for funding up front, and then we assist them in getting those permits done, and the grant itself will fund those application fees. [05:37:13] Okay, thank you. Thank you, sir. Supervisor Brisbane. Thank you. I had a pretty specific question on page 15 of the item, Section 2.1, under Applicant and Project Eligibility. It says, under non-eligible projects, it lists payment of fines or completion of regulatory actions stemming from enforcement of the county zoning ordinance, codified ordinance, proffers, or the bamboo ordinance. [05:37:43] So I'm just, tell me if I'm reading this correctly. um it means that for example if someone has been cited and the county has been trying to work with them and they aren't cooperating or whatever and then they finally the hammer comes down they can't then come back and apply for a grant to pay for fines and stuff like that related to that is that correct okay so i'm reading that correctly yes you are okay okay thanks thanks for all your work on us I'm happy to support thank you let me just say Mike Littman took a seed and he planted it and he [05:38:19] watered it and it germinated it turned into a mile a minute vine it has spread all through Loudoun County and is now beginning to approach on neighboring states good for you it's not but there's no buds on it yeah but that's right there's no buds on it yeah it's not often you get to you get to kind of evolve with the father of a program but you literally have I mean you've taken this program from the just the basic notion and turn it into a [05:38:52] widely almost unanimously accepted and endorsed program it is not the 100% pure product that you probably wanted but it's a good 85 90% product that's going need some fine-tuning um the lira you as leader of lira and the lira board have been phenomenal to work through all the issues that we've had we've had a lot and i got to tell you from it takes four years to get a stop sign sometimes in loudon county so you have a two million dollar program stood up in less than 18 months is just staggeringly good soil and water you had this dropped on your [05:39:31] heads with no guidance of any kind and you're hanging in there you're still with us and you're We're working as an important partner in this project, and we really, truly appreciate it. Same thing for general services. You also had to drop down your head with no guidance. You picked it up, and you're running with it, and I think we're doing a phenomenal job. [05:39:49] So I'm very proud of everybody involved in this project. I think it's really going to become a national model pretty quickly. Just to finish my comments, let me state categorically up front, this is not a conservation program. [05:40:05] It is a conservation program and a public awareness and a public education program. We have to take that bilateral approach at every step. We have to remember the way we reach critical mass in this program is to get the public aware of how important being involved in this at the local level is. [05:40:29] Mr. Brown and I talked the other day about the recycling program and what we think about the recycling program nationally. The beauty of that program is everybody in America now thinks about recycling. If we can get that same kind of awareness about invasives and invasive plants and invasive species, that's a huge breakthrough. [05:40:46] And I think the public is itching to be involved with something like this. So we really have to continually be focused as this program grows and expands. We're going to fine-tune every step of the way, but we always got to stay focused. Yes, it's a conservation program, but it is fundamentally, if we are going to reach critical mass, It is a public awareness and public education program. [05:41:06] We really have to emphasize that. I'm very confident with our recent conversations that we're all on the same page with that. So thank you all very much. I really do appreciate all the work you've done on this. And without further ado, I'm going to make a motion. I move the recommendation of the Finance, Government Operations, and Economic Development Committee that the Board of Supervisors approve the Invasive Plant Species Management Program included as attachment one to the June 17, 2025 Board of Supervisors business meeting action item and authorize a county administrator or designee to draft in coordination with the Department of General Services and execute a memorandum of agreement with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District to serve as the Invasive Plant Species Management Program Administrator. [05:41:47] Seconded by Supervisor Glass. I think I've said everything I need to say for an opening comment. Any comments on the motion, Chair Randall? Mr. Turner, what you just said was so correct. This is not just a conservation program. [05:42:02] It is an education program, and what I said at the meeting we had with Mr. Vinny and Mr. Brown yesterday is that sometimes the education piece falls with the legislators, with the supervisors, with the lawmakers, because we have a, between the nine of us, we have a, cover a lot of people in the county. [05:42:26] And, you know, I completely understand Mr. Kirshner's questions and making sure that this covered all areas, make sure it covers sterile, make sure, you know, end to end. But that is, to a large degree, incumbent upon us, putting in our newsletters, putting in our social media, talking about it at town hall. [05:42:51] The contractor that will be hired that will work with soil and water can't be the main source of education. And literally until Mike Littman and Lyra came along, I didn't know any of this. [05:43:10] I didn't know any of this. And in many ways, the spotted lanternfly is the symbol of why we don't want to have invasive species. But just yesterday I learned about the other things, that the Japanese strawberry bought certain ticks and that some invasive plants, because of just how they are, burn faster. [05:43:31] And so if there's a fire, it's more dangerous. And so there's so much education to be done. And really, I'm going to just implore us, all of us, to do a lot of education ourselves with our constituents. Ms. Glass, I think it's hilarious that Mr. Lippman caught you at our swearing-in and talked to you about this for an hour on the day we were getting sworn in the office. [05:43:55] That right there is dedication. So thanks a lot. Thank you, Madam Chair. And let me just in my closing suggest to everybody, I'm going to have an article on this program in every one of my newsletters. It doesn't have to be the lead article, but there's going to be an article on the basis in every newsletter that I put out for Mount. [05:44:15] If we all did that, people would get used to seeing invasives on a in the home living room kind of basis. So please think through all the different ways that we can highlight this program because I think that will be really important. Motion made by myself and seconded by Supervisor Glass. [05:44:33] All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion will pass 801. Thank you all very much. I really appreciate it. Thank you in the back. We really appreciate it. With that, let's go to nominations, disclosures, and board comments. [05:44:54] I will give you five seconds to get your thoughts together before I call on you. Supervisor Saints. Thank you, Chair. By way of disclosures, I spoke with Molly Novotny of Cureta on June 5th. [05:45:14] Yes, that was it on June 5th. And I have a nomination. Let's see. There's my nomination. have it somewhere in my notes here bear with me one second sorry oh right here is i nominate mark b johnson as the sterling district representative on the loudon health commission okay is that it [05:45:44] supervisor i'm stop i do not have any nominations are we doing board comments okay all right all right disclosures i have one on the 9th i met with denise harover and roy barnett on the greenfield farm re's rezoning overview um would like to let everybody know that the town of leesburg will be [05:46:18] hosting two juneteenth events on on juneteenth uh thursday the 19th of june the first is the march from the old courthouse at 10 a.m and the second is the juneteenth flag raising at 6 p.m on the town green on uh the discussion tonight a number of anti-semitic remarks were made uh the usual [05:46:54] bad evening to the zionists the reference to israel as an apartheid genocidal regime the use of the term free Palestine, which two weeks ago, a month ago, I probably would not have brought up. But now that it's associated with murderous terror attacks, I think everybody now knows when they use it, how it's going to be perceived. And by many in our Jewish community, it will be [05:47:31] perceived as a threat. The term that the board and perhaps the United States has capitulated to Zionism, referring to a genocide in Palestine, they call for divestment now. The reference to the United States of Israel, reference to Israel being a colonial state, an apartheid state, [05:48:06] and then the use of the term war crimes to describe Israel's self-defense in the war against Hamas. So those were the ones I was able to take notes on. [05:48:22] Again, I'm going to say it, and I'll say it every single meeting. There should be no room in this boardroom for that kind of anti-Semitic hatred. Thank you. Supervisor Briskman. [05:48:40] By way of disclosures, I had a meeting on June 11th with Mike Romeo on his Hidden Lane and Belmont Cove applications. Earlier, last week, in a disturbing show of force and intimidation, plainclothes immigration and customs enforcement officers manhandled a Loudon resident outside of a federal building in Sterling and swatted away another resident's phone. [05:49:04] These residents were exercising their constitutional right to observe public federal immigration court proceedings, activities in a public parking lot of a public building and federal officers as they detained about 10 residents on Wednesday after they had shown up in good faith to their court hearings. [05:49:22] They were in no way limiting law enforcement's ability to do their job. Advocates say that 25 community members have been disappeared out the back door of that facility since May 22nd. These residents showed up to their appointments in good faith and followed the law. These actions by ICE violate the U.S. Constitution, the values of Loudoun County and the norms of our democracy and must be condemned at every level. ICE and this administration have basically gone rogue. We have had residents harassed at their homes, at work, and are afraid to show up to doctor's appointments, schools, and have even lost their jobs because they're afraid to leave their homes. They are also afraid to call law enforcement. Yesterday, [05:49:59] I joined the call to separate local law enforcement activities from ICE activities in our community because this agency is vital violating our laws across the country i have called on sheriff chapman to terminate the agreement he has signed with ice to partner with an agency that is terrorizing our residents is unacceptable the 287g agreement calls for our taxpayer dollars to be used to search for ice detainers electronically and hold detainees an extra 48 hours for ice to pick them up i have no faith that these people receive due process are actually charged or convicted of [05:50:33] violent offenses because law enforcement has not been transparent when I've asked who is being arrested and who is being taken by ICE from our detention center. I have not accused the sheriff of helping ICE on the streets. However, any partnership with this vigilante lawless agency that is illegally deporting non-criminals, green card holders, and law-abiding working community members is abhorrent. This is counter to Loudoun's community values of inclusiveness, fairness compassion and safety ice is violating human rights and the basic tenets of due process [05:51:07] as this administration tries to reach an arbitrary number of mass deportation deportations at least one sheriff agrees sheriff michael moore in portsmouth has terminated his agreement with ice because he is concerned about lack of due process civil rights and human rights ice actually detained a mayoral candidate in new york city today i call on sheriff chapman to terminate the ice agreement By way of gun violence, we've had 6,698 homicides, 162 mass shootings, children age 10 and under, 110 have died, and teens, 448 have died by gunfire. [05:51:47] Thank you. Supervisor Glass. Thank you, Vice Chair. First, I have a nomination. I nominate Mr. Simpson Timuikiriza to an at-large seat on the Community Services Board. [05:52:07] I have a few disclosures. On Wednesday, June 4th, my staff met with a representative from Van Meter to discuss the Greenfield Farm rezoning application. Monday, June 9th, I met with the applicant and representatives from Curata Partners to discuss the Magnolia Rose application. [05:52:26] Wednesday, June 11th, my staff spoke with representatives from Cooley and Milestone to discuss the Milestone cell tower application. Wednesday, June 11th, I met with a representative from BF Saul to discuss the Ashburn Village Data Center application. [05:52:46] And earlier today, I went to Douglas Community Center where I went with three of my colleagues to the unveiling of the, of the, is it a carving, the statues of President Barack Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mr. Torpy had asked if I would like to say something, I was [05:53:19] a little bit late. I wanted to, but I got very teary because, when I saw the unveiling of martin luther king jr i thought on the bottom of the the statue it said dream and i thought of my dad who was part of that era where he had a dream for his children to to do better and to be [05:53:53] better and um just seeing that unveiled and um thinking all the things that um we have gone through as Americans, as black Americans in this country. And then I saw the unveiling of President Barack Obama. On the bottom, it said hope, I believe. And that was the hope that my dad was [05:54:25] looking for to see us having, you know, someone that looked like him to be our president. And it was just a momentous occasion and you know tonight i'm just hoping that people will not see hate but they'll have hope that we will do better in this country thank you thank you supervisor to crony thank you vice chair turner so as far as disclosures on june 10th i met with roy barnett [05:55:04] and Denise Herover regarding the Greenfield Farm application. On June 5th, I met with Mike Romeo and Jake Ballard regarding the Belmont Cove application. So I would like to address some of the comments tonight. I just want to say anti-Semitism has no place in Loudoun County. [05:55:26] I condemn all hateful speech and stand against hate in all of its forms. I want everyone to feel welcome and all residents should feel safe and valued community safety is a top priority and i i support protecting all residents on another topic i want to thank you for the play for all students for coming out to speak about the step up loudon project to provide inclusive playground equipment the students who spoke are from willard middle school in my district and they're trying to [05:56:03] make a difference for students with disabilities. During their research, they found a swing that a child could use without being removed from the wheelchair that cost $25,000. They have raised 19,000 so far through bake sales, which is unbelievable, so they must be real good bakers. [05:56:23] And they need 6,000 more and a location for the swing. So if anyone would like to contribute to their fundraising campaign, please contact my office and we can put you in touch with them or go on their website, play for all. [05:56:41] Unfortunately, the TLUC June 18th meeting was canceled and that would have been tomorrow due to lack of in-person quorum. Supervisor Glass and I were able to attend with the chair and vice chair attending remotely. I just want to say when the board needs to cancel meetings for attendance reasons, it gives the appearance of a lack of respect for staff's preparation and time, and it required staff to scramble and let stakeholders and guest speakers know that the meeting was canceled with less than a week's notice. [05:57:16] The special rural CPAM and ZOAM meeting will now be held on July 16th at 3:30 p.m. The clerk's office is currently working to reschedule the regular July TELEC meeting, and it'll be after July 16th, so we have to have two July meetings. [05:57:35] I hope all committee members can attend the two meetings in July because the June meeting was canceled. Lastly, Brambleton, in partnership with PRCS, will be hosting What a Blast fireworks at Hal and Bernie Hanson Park on saturday june 18th or june 28th june 28th from 5 to 10 p.m the celebration includes food trucks beer gardens live music and of course spectacular fireworks thank you thank you supervisor draconis supervisor kershner thank you um for disclosures on june 6th my staff and i met with applicants [05:58:13] for the greenfield farm rezoning a couple of uh upcoming sorry you want to gavel me out already it just fell it was an inadvertent wow you sure completely inadvertent on june 25th um just a few things coming up on june 21st parks and wrecks holding their annual pollinator festival the banshee reeks nature preserve and its free event with education plants by the lots and activities i think that was already mentioned earlier the luckett's open air market is open every saturday and sunday morning until december offering local food drinks jewelry home decor and more um i do want to address uh what many of the speakers came to speak about first of all i [05:58:52] want to provide my greatest support for what supervisor umstead had to say tonight i agree with every word that she put forward and she took a little better notes than than i did but quite frankly for a nation who has had a history of slavery and racial injustice it cost us in blood and it cost us a civil war um there's really no place in this boardroom or our own wealth in this country to tolerate degrading of another race or an ethnicity with the kind of language that has been used throughout the last couple of months in this boardroom. I strongly condemn any of that language that was used, and so should every single member [05:59:29] of this board. And if they don't, then we're going to continue to have much of what we had tonight, and that is a divided boardroom speaking about matters that really we have no power over. Really, quite frankly, I think we should point out that many of the objectives, I believe, of many of the speakers who have come to speak on these matters over the last couple of months is really to create division amongst us. It's to create division amongst our community. And we know that, let's be honest, we know that these are not issues that the Board of Supervisors deal with. So they are using our own rules of open free speech and a free forum to come [06:00:09] and take away, I think a lot of the other speakers, to take away from other folks who would like to come and speak about issues that we actually want need to hear and we didn't get to all the speakers tonight because the Jewish community had to come out and stand up for themselves because some of because quite frankly I think we are not doing standing up for them the way we should and calling out what is actually going on here and I'm not here to call anybody individually I'm here to say that this has to stop and if we have to change our rules because [06:00:41] Because a community is using them against us to monopolize time in a boardroom where we have other business to do, and we couldn't get to all the speakers tonight who had other things to say about business that we need to deal with, then maybe we do need to limit the open forum that we have in one way or the other. [06:01:01] hate to do that it's not what we want to do but this obviously international national controversy occurring in the middle east is uh taking us away from the business that we have at hand what we were hired and what we were um elected to do thank you thank you um by way of disclosure i have no nominations no board comments by way of disclosures on wednesday june 4th 2025 my chair randall oh Oh, Chair Randall. No, she specifically asked me not to call on her for board comments. [06:01:32] I didn't say don't call on me. That's not what I said. Okay, I still have the text, but go ahead. And did Mr. Sainz, please? Chair Randall, do you have disclosures, nominations, or board comments? I do. I have disclosures. [06:01:49] Thank you. closures um uh my staff has talked to the applicants from hiddenwood i have talked uh to hobie mitchell um quite a few times about an application that will be coming up in closed session um oh i i did call charles judd it wasn't so much about the application but it was about just some other other things that that i need to talk to him about but since he has the application in front of us I thought I would just remark that he that I talked to him once again I want to say [06:02:26] congratulations to all of the graduates I think graduations are now are now complete LTPS your graduation numbers are phenomenal just absolutely phenomenal so congratulations to all the graduates and I hope everyone can come out this weekend for Juneteenth activities as I say all the time Juneteenth is an American holiday not a black American holiday so I hope people can come out juneteenth and enjoy juneteenth activities all right thanks very much thank you madam chair i apologize the text said do not come to me first for board comments i heard do not come to me for board comments so my apologies uh on wednesday june 4th 2025 my staff and i met with mike romia [06:03:05] from walsh kalusha to discuss the application for belmont cove rezoning on tuesday june 10th 2025 my staff and i met with roy barnett representing warm farm and denise harover from van meter to discuss the application for greenfield farm rezoning on friday june 13 2025 my staff and i met with mike romeo from wash kalushi and andrea cassette and drew smith from land design to discuss the application for belmont cove rezoning is there any other business before the board hearing none thank you chair reynolds so we have we are adjourned before 10. you went under you won ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Coraggio Consulting ยท aguyonx.com