January 2014 Newsletter

Dear Neighbors,

Welcome to the January edition of the Broad Run District newsletter. At the Board’s first meeting in January, I was honored the Board unanimously re-elected me to serve as the Vice Chairman for this upcoming year. I look forward to working with all of my Board colleagues to have a very productive 2014. In this month’s newsletter, I have updates on:  

• Broad Run High School Expansion/Renovation 
• FY 2015 Budget Schedule and Public Hearings 
• Opposition to the Proposed Greenway Toll Increase 
• $60 Million Savings in County Benefits Reform 
• Virginia General Assembly Session Updates 
• Loudoun’s Population Growth 
• Opening of the Kincora Public Safety Center 
• Broad Run District Resident Appointed to the Loudoun Water Board of Directors
• Proposed Traffic Signal Improvements on Marblehead Drive 

As always, I appreciate your feedback on this newsletter. Feel free to call me at 703-771-5088 or email me at shawn.williams@loudoun.gov with any questions or comments. For more regular updates on what I am doing as your Supervisor and to see what is going on around the Broad Run District, 'like' my Facebook page. 

Sincerely, 

Shawn 

Broad Run High School Renovation 

On January 10th, I toured Broad Run High School (BRHS) along with Chairman Scott York and Ashburn District Supervisor Ralph Buona as well as School Board Members Eric Hornberger and Kevin Kuesters. I want to particularly thank Principal Doug Anderson for showing us around and for his hard work for the community. What I saw at BRHS was an urgent need for expansion in the capacity and renovation of the core facilities. I was pleased that the School 

Board included $26.7 million for this project in their FY 2015 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. For this project to be funded, the Board of Supervisors will need to allocate funding to the CIP. Deliberations on the CIP will begin at the Finance/Government Services and Operations Committee on February 25th and conclude with the adoption of the FY 2015 budget on April 2nd. I plan to strongly advocate for this project during the CIP deliberations and will work to find the necessary funding for FY 2015. 

FY 2015 Budget Schedule – Upcoming Public Hearings: 

The Board of Supervisors will formally consider the Fiscal Year 2015 (FY 15) budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) after County Administrator Tim Hemstreet presents his proposal to the Board on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, at 4:00 pm. The Board has scheduled budget work sessions for March and plans for adoption at our April 2nd Board meeting. There will be three opportunities for public input on the budget during February: 

• Wednesday February 26th, 3pm (Government Center, 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg) 
• Wednesday February 26th, 6pm (Government Center, 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg) 
• Thursday, February 27th, 6 pm, if needed (Government Center, 1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg 
• Saturday March 1st, 9am (LCPS Administration Building, 21000 Education Ct., Ashburn) 

Advanced signups will be taken starting Thursday February 6th by calling the County Administrator’s office at 703-777-0200. If you are unable to attend a public comment session, you can email the entire Board with your feedback at loudounbudget@loudoun.gov. As always, you can email me directly at shawn.williams@loudoun.gov or call my office at 703-771-5088. I look forward to hearing from you concerning the important fiscal decisions in the upcoming budget. 

Oppose the Proposed Greenway Toll Increase – Action Needed 

The Greenway has filed an application with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to increase regular tolls by 15 cents and peak tolls by 20 cents. As I have mentioned in previous newsletters, the Greenway is currently the subject of litigation before the SCC on whether their unreasonably high tolls are ‘materially discouraging’ traffic, in violation of state code. I find it highly inappropriate the Greenway would ask for a toll increase while there is a pending case regarding the legality of their current toll rates. I sent a letter earlier to the SCC earlier in January opposing this proposed increase and the Board formally took a position in opposition at our January 15th meeting. 

The SCC is accepting public comment on this proposed increase until February 7th. I would encourage you to file your comments online and let the SCC know that the Greenway should not be seeking to raise tolls while they are currently subject to litigation over their current toll rates. Follow this link, scroll down and find ‘PUE-2013-00129 – Application of Toll Road Investors Partnership II, L.P. for an increase in tolls.’ From there you can follow a link to submit comments. 

$60 Million Savings in Other Post-Employment Benefits Reform 

Loudoun County has achieved a $60 million-savings in its unfunded actuarial accrued liability for Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) and is one of the few jurisdictions in the country to fully fund its OPEB liability, while maintaining an important benefit for employees. The Board of Supervisors’ Finance, Government Services and Operations Committee received an update on the county’s OPEB plan during the committee’s monthly meeting on December 18, 2013. 

Over the past two years, Loudoun County has implemented several OPEB plan design and eligibility changes which have resulted in a reduction of approximately 40 percent in the county’s future actuarial accrued liability. Combined with an improved economy and market recovery, the county has achieved savings of $60 million in its unfunded actuarial accrued liability. The County’s outside actuarial consultant, David Boomershine, said many jurisdictions have failed to tackle the problem and that Loudoun is “one of the few I get to give good news about OPEB.” Boomershine added that Loudoun’s strategy of meeting funding responsibilities combined with making plan changes helped Loudoun achieve significant savings. For more details, click here. 

Virginia General Assembly Session 

Last week, I traveled to Richmond with Dulles District Supervisor Matt Letourneau to discuss Loudoun County’s legislative agenda with Loudoun’s General Assembly delegation. Among the priorities we discussed was the restoration of Loudoun's portion of the ‘cost of competing’ education funding, which could provide an additional $7 million in state revenue for Loudoun schools in FY 2015. Supervisor Letourneau and I were also able to meet with Aubrey Layne, who is Governor McAuliffe’s new Secretary of Transportation. We were able to educate Secretary Layne on Loudoun’s aggressive plan to address our transportation infrastructure needs. I came away from the meeting with the impression that Loudoun will have a very close working relationship with the new administration on transportation issues. 

However, not all the news from Richmond has been positive. I was very disappointed that H.B. 420, a bill introduced by Delegate Randy Minchew on behalf of the Board, was tabled earlier this month by the House of Delegates’ Courts of Justice Committee. This ethics bill would have eliminated the ‘part-time loophole’ in Virginia’s misuse of public office statute. This bill was one of the Board’s largest priorities for this General Assembly session. The Leesburg Today has more coverage of this issue here. 

Loudoun’s Population Reaches 348,000

A new study by the University of Virginia places Loudoun’s population at 348,000, an 11.4% increase from the 2010 census. As I have noted in previous newsletters, this growth will continue because there are approximately 27,000 housing units slated for construction by 2020 that are either approvals by prior Boards or by-right. My largest concern with this growth is the need for our infrastructure like schools and roads to ‘catch up.’ 

For new residential development applications, I am cognizant of the fiscal ramifications and will carefully weigh the impacts. I am also very concerned about development applications that seek to convert commercial land to residential which will erode our potential future business tax base. Overall, having a growing community is positive and shows that Loudoun is a very attractive place to live and work, but we need to make sure we don’t grow so quickly that we outpace our infrastructure, which has been the case in the past. The view the full study, click here. 

Kincora Fire & Rescue Station Opening

Earlier this month, I participated in the ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the new Kincora Public Safety Center, located near the intersection of Route 28 and Nokes Boulevard. This 17,000 square foot facility is located on a five-acre, developer proffered site, and will provide more timely fire and rescue services along the Route 28 corridor. Staffing for the Kincora Public Safety Center is a partnership between the Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management alongside Sterling Volunteer Fire Company and Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad. The center features several apparatus bays, bunkroom facilities, kitchen and dining areas, decontamination and laundry facilities, office and conference workspaces and repair shop space. 

Loudoun Water Board of Directors 

Broad Run District resident Martin Sultan, who resides in Potomac Green, was appointed to the Loudoun Water Board of Directors for a four year term beginning this month. Loudoun Water is the public utility which provides the county with water and wastewater service outside the incorporated towns. Mr. Sultan has extensive experience with municipal water systems, previously having served as the Director of Engineering and Construction for the Fairfax County Water Authority and a Project Manager for the Washington Suburban Sanitation Commission. I was very pleased to nominate Mr. Sultan for this seat and have confidence he will represent Loudoun Water customers well during his tenure. 

Transportation Project Spotlight: 

Marblehead Drive Traffic Signals - Two Projects 

I am bringing initiatives before the Board of Supervisors at our February 5th business meeting to fund the construction of two traffic signals at the intersections of Marblehead Drive/Gloucester Parkway and Marblehead Drive/Western Gailes Boulevard. All-Way Stop signs currently serve these intersections, but will likely be insufficient to manage the projected increase of traffic in the area. 

The intersection of Marblehead Drive and Western Gailes Boulevard serves as the only entrance to the Potomac Green community. Traffic is anticipated to increase at this intersection with the construction of new condominium units at Potomac Green and the construction of the One Loudoun/Potomac Green Sportplex (scheduled to open in early 2015). In 2016, Gloucester Parkway is scheduled to connect with Route 28, which will cause traffic levels on Gloucester to increase exponentially. 

My goal with these initiatives is to identify funding sources for traffic signals at these intersections before traffic levels increase due to the construction of new condominiums and the Sportplex and the scheduled connection of Gloucester Parkway to Route 28 in 2016. This will allow the signals to be constructed and operational as soon as these intersections meet the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) traffic volume criteria for signalization. 

Community Events and Information 

Loudoun County Symphony Orchestra: The Loudoun Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce their annual Valentine’s concert Saturday, February 15th at 7:30 pm in the auditorium of the Community Church/VA Academy on Route 7, just east of Claiborne Parkway. The concert will feature renowned pianist Daniel Lau. The program will include loved classics such as Rodgers’ “My Funny Valentine,” Hanson’s “Symphony No. 2 Romantic,” Strauss’ “Wine, Women, and Song,” and Perry’s “The Silent Years: Three Rhapsodies for Piano and Orchestra.” The music will be accompanied by silent films featuring Barry, Valentino, and Chaplin; ensuring a cozy atmosphere perfect for the Valentine holiday. For more details and to order tickets in advance visit their website. 

Inova Loudoun Hospital Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group: Inova Loudoun Hospital hosts a free Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group. The purpose of the support group is to provide a supportive and encouraging environment as a part of the stroke recovery process for those who are affected by stroke and their caregivers. The group will meet the second Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m.—noon at Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Parkway, Leesburg in the second floor Patient Education Room. The next Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Support Group will be on Wednesday, February 12. Participation is free and registration isn’t required. For further information, please contact Robyn Thomson at 703-858-6667 or robyn.thomson@inova.org. 

New Broad Run District Business: Burger 21, which serves ‘Crafted Burgers and Shakes,’ opened this month in Loudoun Station, Ashburn VA. Burger 21 is a fast, casual restaurant created by the owners of the Melting Pot Restaurant. Stop in and welcome Burger 21 to the Broad Run District at 43800 Central Station Dr., Ashburn. To find out more about Burger 21, visit their website. 

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