[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6533569,"mediaKeyId","3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4","parentId",3731094,"title","Leesburg staff outline 2025 Emergency Operations Plan updates, plan to present motion for council adoption","audioSeconds",1124,"startMs",13365,"endMs",1138215,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4&start=13&end=1138","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4/thumbnail_13365.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6533569/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-staff-outline-2025-Emergency-Operations-Plan-updates-plan-to-present-motion-for-council-adoption","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533569-a552507914a6976e41f59aa6f0a5cfc1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452980&Signature=avSo3WzxCSExv~wkQIBgIdO1AUxIjGIcewHC6qKN0LE91wH~wmH9X2NS1jbZAyLICRVoXqOLzKw9CNrV46MzMK-bhn99DIqv0qOo2SoLBahYSHSLRgdOkJTDoxw9nBY5qAfIxtigOXfoSfJZK80mALVTuasUmOVFnZDWuA4rma6LqdD6zD0UpXKK3swYg1PhCKIIySB3atguQIMay8OrgxRhkubCXu~~Ra9BMRA2fWNWReWLYD1vOQJLrka1-WdmanKGwMTIr4K1h1sY25B1IuBWj4HfoThL2BmaklhY4JLwkSxuPnyRXwlcltI5Xciidc4nHhlwla0Bt6OYjL6avg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Leesburg","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","Amy Cornell Titcomb, Leesburg’s emergency management security coordinator, told the Town Council at its work session that staff have revised the town’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for 2025 and prepared a motion for council adoption at the next meeting.

The update restructures the town’s incident organization around an Emergency Coordination Hub (ECH) that replaces the prior Emergency Operations Center, adds a business‑liaison function, formalizes department operations center responsibilities, and creates a standalone planning section and a finance and administration section for timekeeping and reimbursement documentation, Titcomb said. She said the plan also expands attention to equity and to residents with access and functional needs in line with Virginia Code Title 44.

Titcomb said the EOP remains a high‑level public document and that more detailed operational material appears in annexes that are not published. She described complementary items that will be part of the town’s preparedness work: an integrated preparedness plan (one to three years of training and exercises), after‑action and improvement‑planning processes, routine testing and fuel contracts for generator operations, and alignment with FEMA lifelines.

Town Manager (unnamed) clarified council involvement in a declaration of emergency: “If I declare the emergency, I believe council has to convene to certify that,” he said, adding that the town manager historically has carried out the declaration and then brought the matter to council for certification.

Council members asked about 2024 ECH activations, liaison arrangements with Loudoun County, training and exercise budgets, and methods of communicating with residents during an incident. Titcomb and staff said the town has used partial ECH activations for routine events (for example, Flower & Garden), meets regularly with Loudoun County emergency management, maintains citizen preparedness guides in English and Spanish, supports Everbridge registration for emergency notifications, and is conducting training and exercises with existing staff and partner agencies.

Council and staff discussed funding uncertainty for federal preparedness grants. Titcomb said some federal programs are under review, and that state and local planning and memoranda of understanding with partner agencies (for example, Loudoun County Medical Reserve Corps) are part of contingency measures.

No formal adoption vote took place at the work session. Titcomb said she had “prepared a motion for you for tomorrow night, should you choose to proceed.” Council members asked whether the item could be placed on the consent agenda the following day; council discussion indicated staff will present the motion for council consideration, but a formal vote was not recorded in the work session transcript.

What’s next: Staff will present the prepared motion at the next council meeting for the council’s consideration; the public EOP text is high level, with operational annexes retained for internal use and partner coordination.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leesburg - Town Council Work Session - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Amy Cornell Titcomb, Leesburg’s emergency management security coordinator, told the Town Council at its work session that staff have revised the town’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for 2025 and prepared a motion for council adoption at the next meeting.","taxTitle","Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia","taxId",5641,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533554,"Downtown traffic study recommends limited one‑way conversions; consultants caution against Market/Loudoun couplet",2214,3030205,5245195,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4&start=3030&end=5245","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4/thumbnail_3030205.jpg","/articles/6533554/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Downtown-traffic-study-recommends-limited-oneway-conversions-consultants-caution-against-MarketLoudoun-couplet","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533554-360edef1986067153dc163389e1526cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452980&Signature=PBrsAuLLC~4sDlm8CX1H7RNxlHRkaj~ClB08OKHumUq5D7elVEmj25qYo0NLA6k5JcfWSmzcX5LFJrjENyQLZ2zN9fW9fJgvhoT0Vhh5DDhXgU6xSvyuKtaCt~he8~wjwICvSmiZHzNmpVZAHAbOuoak8rChP~i-fCVibOpi2RDB-MRNMkoeQEGIsygFZxfwrjf68uUe4KpwzrE8T8ivU1ehNsMALnvlwrnrhFptq9LGBmPdL52k5rHiGGnEcI~F26SxAXXkhuIM68S7DUDbfv1FEC91tcYK2wXnBizy8fXz-ocpzDGmMGR3O-gCqFTKjNwYVEcImGWp~b2vwQgngA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jeff Giffin of Kimley‑Horn and consultants from WSP presented the town’s new travel demand model and a downtown traffic study to the council. The travel demand model used a 2023 base year and forecast horizon years (2030, 2040, 2045) and incorporated regional projects and local approved development to forecast traffic demand.

Key model assumptions included transportation projects such as Evergreen Mill Road widening and the Cardinal Park Drive flyover at Route 7 and land‑use assumptions that included Virginia Village, Tuscarora Village, Crescent Park and nearby county developments. The model informed a downtown study that reviewed crash history (January 2018–August 2023) and evaluated potential one‑way street conversions and safety improvements.

The study identified four high‑crash intersection locations and recommended operational safety measures at signalized intersections (retroreflective back plates, flashing yellow arrow conversions, audible pedestrian push buttons) and pavement marking and signage improvements at unsignalized locations. On one‑way conversions, the consultants and staff recommended converting specific short segments (Ward Street northbound between South and Market, another block of Ward Street, Royal Street westbound between King and Wirt, and a southbound conversion of Liberty Street between Loudoun and Royal) where narrow lane geometry and curbside conditions make two‑way operation difficult. The study recommended against converting North Street to one way because of alignment issues, event detour impacts and increased delay on Cornwall Street.

The consultants also examined making Loudoun Street and Market Street a one‑way pair. They concluded both streets would require two lanes per direction under projected volumes, leaving no reclaimed lane space for pedestrian enhancements, would likely increase speeds, could harm downtown businesses that rely on two‑way visibility, would increase costs (new or modified signals and utility work) and would increase emergency response times; therefore staff does not recommend the Market/Loudoun couplet.

Staff asked council to endorse the recommendations and direct next steps (public hearing and engineering cost estimates). Council discussion raised concerns about potential impacts to neighborhoods, emergency response times and event detours. The motion to direct staff to the next phase (public hearing) did not secure four votes during the work session; several council members asked staff to return with additional analysis and impact numbers before advancing to public hearings or design work.","Jeff Giffin of Kimley‑Horn and WSP consultants presented a travel demand model and downtown traffic study that recommends several targeted one‑way conversions but advises against converting Market and Loudoun streets to a one‑way couplet.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533559,"Leesburg study finds minimal speed change downtown after 20 mph limit; residential and expanded corridors showed larger drops",1075,1937665,3013234,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4&start=1937&end=3013","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4/thumbnail_1937665.jpg","/articles/6533559/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-study-finds-minimal-speed-change-downtown-after-20-mph-limit-residential-and-expanded-corridors-showed-larger-drops","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533559-4de213d52b53c0addb3a153634d27d86/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452980&Signature=AznH1jrmDzmvFhTdgsEnjGHhjxrccWT1VJ2Ll5mFp-xYFaaGPVrIulijIXyhsxOjBaPBToc-RsbSNqUFSnaEhLADTZ5q1ztJSRwJrX7aOSSySicpuzIvj7N85AEj5yWlCG0IeQSTqBpb-cu2YQ3EiEbwXExfGQgO4DO~OBvXWgT-o-56Tqi3X7CGyH9Iy52eFoDUGTmjY9rmn0qSCIBBLWU20b9FOsBSB2Jmm4by0jbGikVcuY-w9IBDLkk8OgSaoiidNZsK~S-yT8hVRYzSWr0C8Dk0jWCqK2rJnG6J1CbX7dUU7FKf~ybvXhgTbOD8xYMSx~n9LQk2GW5ib0qTBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Neerajachandrapu, a transportation engineer with Leesburg Public Works, presented the town’s after‑speed study on the downtown 20 mph limit, which the council adopted in February 2023 and posted in June 2023.

The study compared operating speeds and crash data before and after the change. In the downtown core locations (seven core sites), the study found minimal change in speeds—about one to two miles per hour—and a small decrease in injury crashes (one fewer injury crash in the after period). In the expanded study locations that approach downtown, the data showed larger reductions in speeds: for example, North King Street south of Union Street saw an 80th‑percentile speed drop of about six mph and a seven‑mph drop in average speed; West Market Street showed reductions of up to 10 mph at some points.

Neerajachandrapu explained that historic crash comparisons include COVID‑affected years, which complicates year‑to‑year comparisons. The Residential Traffic Commission recommended retaining the existing 20 mph limit within the downtown core. Staff told council no action is required to keep the limit at 20 mph; a public hearing would be required only to revert the limit back to 25 mph.

Council members asked about enforcement and complaints. Staff said enforcement thresholds and police practices determine ticketing (an enforcement threshold around 10 mph over the limit was mentioned as an example) and that complaints remain in some corridors despite measured speed declines. Council members requested continued monitoring and more years of data to draw stronger statistical conclusions.

The recommendation: maintain the 20 mph downtown limit; staff will continue to monitor speeds and crash outcomes and will present the item for further action only if the council directs a change.","A consultant and town staff presented a post‑implementation evaluation of the downtown 20 mph limit. Speeds in the downtown core fell by about 1–2 mph; expanded approaches showed larger drops (up to 10 mph at some locations). The Residential Traffic Commission recommended keeping the 20 mph limit; no council action is required to maintain it.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6533564,"Leesburg utilities report: Richmond water outage avoidable; Leesburg says its plants have redundancy and testing",772,1138515,1911049,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4&start=1138&end=1911","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3731094-580213a93d82429f69b83d463de510b4/thumbnail_1138515.jpg","/articles/6533564/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-utilities-report-Richmond-water-outage-avoidable-Leesburg-says-its-plants-have-redundancy-and-testing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6533564-99f916dc728c9392bd2d7fb29d816ab7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770452980&Signature=Co27vOY3rkqM-3JKfjW7FsAwYN9xBZ-Lgl9ItaoDDxd72zanOeHof74h2ZHKkA7dwZixw1JYcFwIHvz3d4fwe4r2vzms7oMvdD11G~P1x09l5gF5JD6MYdy86b4ZczRRkVU44YG~VkybW5burEZE8OdQ86wbLQ3ID0Xlt8-swQRZXSoIKtPox~ThH6rvvLyD6uwIeglu8WKwocK~wM3MURpQ-H4L1BDQGFZiHluIQJXUn2B~srcdLmwqDeu7jcHZVecyN990tVwzB46VmOhyVbd~pGOtJ5FpIm~Ylo~AHy34dctWvH5z2fAOiXCWtGRo7fR4zaNpjny0WvcvZzlcNw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amy Weicks, director of utilities for the Town of Leesburg, briefed the council on lessons from the January water treatment outage in Richmond and summarized how Leesburg’s operations compare.

Weicks said Richmond lost power to its treatment plant on Jan. 6 and that a consultant hired by the Virginia Department of Health found the incident “completely avoidable,” citing deficient maintenance and overreliance on manual processes. The Richmond outage led to a boil‑water advisory that took several days to lift, despite the initial power loss lasting about an hour.

“We have a Virginia Department of Health‑approved plan for extended power outages,” Weicks said, describing Leesburg’s practices: routine maintenance and testing of automatic transfer switches, fuel procurement contracts, preventive maintenance and regular training for newly hired and existing waterworks staff. She said Leesburg operates two plants on 24‑hour staffing (10‑hour rotating shifts), maintains computerized asset management, and is modernizing SCADA to reduce manual processes.

Weicks said the state recently circulated draft guidelines tied to new reporting requirements: waterworks will be required to report critical equipment failure, malfunction or contamination “as soon as practical, but no more than two hours after discovery.” Town staff said they are working with VDH on the draft guidance and that VDH inspected Leesburg facilities on April 25 and May 9; inspection reports were not yet provided in the transcript.

On federal funding, Weicks told the council that some preparedness grants (for example, EMPG‑style programs) face federal uncertainty and that state and local planning and memoranda of understanding remain important. She noted mutual‑aid memberships (e.g., National Capital Region mutual aid, Metropolitan Council of Governments participation) and local volunteer partnerships such as the Loudoun County Medical Reserve Corps.

Council member questions addressed whether Leesburg identified process improvements after reviewing Richmond (Weicks said further cross‑training on incident command and after‑action reviews are under way), the town’s staffing model (two 10‑hour rotating shifts cover 24‑hour operations) and whether the town’s plant configuration would be vulnerable to basement flooding like Richmond’s (Weicks said Leesburg’s plant construction differs and such flooding was less likely, but the town nonetheless maintains preventive maintenance and testing).

The presentation was information and discussion only; Weicks said she was not requesting council action. She highlighted Leesburg’s 20 consecutive Excellence in Waterworks Performance awards from the Virginia Department of Health and said staff will provide VDH inspection reports when received.","Leesburg utilities director reviewed the January Richmond water treatment outage findings and compared Richmond’s failures to Leesburg operations, saying Leesburg maintains redundancy, routine maintenance, training records and a plan for extended outages; the item was information‑only and no council action was requested.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Leesburg staff outline 2025 Emergency Operations Plan updates, plan to present motion for council adoption

Downtown traffic study recommends limited one‑way conversions; consultants caution against Market/Loudoun couplet

Leesburg study finds minimal speed change downtown after 20 mph limit; residential and expanded corridors showed larger drops

Leesburg utilities report: Richmond water outage avoidable; Leesburg says its plants have redundancy and testing