Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Business Meeting - October 7, 2025

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors held its regular business meeting on October 7, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. in Leesburg, Virginia. The meeting included approval of the consent agenda, ceremonial resolutions, a closed session, board comments, and public testimony. The meeting was chaired by Chair Randall, with Vice Chair Turner and Supervisor Kirschner absent. The board approved multiple proclamations and resolutions, deferred a controversial substation item, and heard extensive public comments on anti-Semitism and the October 7th anniversary.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda was approved unanimously (5-0, with all absent male members noted). Items included:
  • Proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep 15 – Oct 15, 2025)
  • Resolution recognizing September 18, 2025 as Find the Good Day
  • Proclamation declaring October 2025 as Fire Prevention Month
  • Resolution commemorating the opening of the NVAR Loudoun Member Experience Center
  • Proclamation recognizing October 2025 as Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Proclamation recognizing Diwali Holiday 2025
  • Proclamation recognizing the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy
  • Resolution of Commendation for INOVA Loudoun Hospital’s Level II Trauma Center designation
  • Proclamation recognizing November 4–11 as Operation Green Light for Veterans
  • Resolution of Commendation for the 150th Anniversary of Sterling United Methodist Church
  • Proposed rewrite of Chapter 838 (Swimming Pool and Water Recreation Facilities) – countywide
  • Revised 2025-2026 Joint Board of Supervisors and School Board Committee Work Plan
  • Appointments confirmations and administrative items report
• Supervisor Glass provided context on the joint committee work plan, including updates on the LCPS Transition Center, MOU with Sheriff’s Office, and substance abuse prevention efforts.
• Chair Randall highlighted Operation Green Light for Veterans, noting Loudoun County has 10% veterans population and higher rates of suicide, homelessness, and mental health issues.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Clerk of the Court Gary Clemens urged residents to complete juror questionnaires online within two weeks for the 2026 jury term. He noted Loudoun County uses a one-trial-or-one-day system.
• Wendy Golden (Jewish resident) criticized Chair Randall for not condemning anti-Semitic rhetoric in the boardroom, contrasting with her swift condemnation of Charlie Kirk. She demanded equal protection for Jewish community.
• Ms. Wodowski condemned Democrat Jay Jones’s violent comments toward Republican Todd Gilbert and his family, and again called for Chair Randall to condemn anti-Semitic speech.
• Barbara Wasserman thanked Supervisor Umstattd for support, and asked for a rule change limiting public comments to agenda items to stop hate speech.
• Gary Katz accused Chair Randall of hypocrisy for condemning Charlie Kirk but not anti-Jewish rhetoric, suggesting indifference or disdain towards the Jewish community.
• Shane Crow (Upvote Virginia) spoke in favor of ranked-choice voting, citing its successful use in a Fairfax County firehouse primary.
• Said Cobesi (adjacent property owner) expressed opposition to the deferred Magnolia Rose project, alleging that the Baker family removed a shared border fence without consultation.
• Brenda Grootman (Jewish resident) reported personal anti-Semitic incidents: a neighbor yelling at her for displaying an Israeli flag, an Uber denial, and anti-Semitic posters left near her home on October 7th anniversary.
• Stephen Grootman described anti-Semitic harassment including a child shouting “Free Palestine,” a lawn sign ripped, and a keffiyeh left on his lawn. He displayed a poster found near his sukkah (temporary hut for Sukkot) and criticized the board for silence.
• Robert Griffin criticized the board for not demanding Jay Jones withdraw from the attorney general race, and attacked Democrats on parental rights and gender identity issues.

Discussion Items

• Deferral of Tuscarora Landbay 3 Substation (LEGI-2024-0043, SPEX-2024-0059 & SPEX-2024-0060): The applicant requested an indefinite deferral, which Chair Randall granted without a board vote, citing a solid reason. The item was removed from the agenda.
• Chair Randall’s Organizational Updates: She reported attending Leadership Greater Washington opening ceremony (Sep 18), MOVE Business Conference (Oct 1, 800+ attendees), NACOS Full Steering Committee meeting (discussed Medicaid/SNAP concerns, rural hospital closures, evidence-based health information), and appeared on Kojo Nnamdi’s Politics Hour (Oct 3) discussing federal shutdown impacts on 63,000+ federal employees/contractors in Loudoun.
• Voice for a Cause: Chair Randall highlighted Lasagna Love, a nonprofit delivering homemade lasagnas to neighbors in need. Since its founding in March 2020, it has delivered over 530,000 lasagnas, impacting 2.3 million people, with 80,000+ volunteers across 50 states and three other countries. Local Loudoun partners include Salvation Army, Mobile Hope, Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter, and One Hope Ministries.
• County Administrator’s Comments: Tim Hemstreet reported:
  • Loudoun County received a VDOT project management excellence award for the North Star Boulevard project (Evergreen Mills Road to Route 50).
  • The 2025 Loudoun Farm Tour is October 18-19 with 40+ farm stops.
  • The county is seeking nominations for the Big Tree Registry (loudoun.gov/bigtree).
• Board Comments:
  • Supervisor Letourneau (via proxy) congratulated local preservation award winners. He noted that LCPS proposed removing two public charter schools (Middleburg Community Charter School and Hillsborough Charter Academy) from CIP/CAPP funding, which would jeopardize their sustainability. He also promoted the Loudoun Farm Tour.
  • Supervisor Umstattd disclosed conversations about the Tuscarora substation. She noted the Leesburg Halloween parade is October 30 (not Halloween). She condemned anti-Semitism, referencing the October 7th anniversary and citing a New York Times editorial on anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, and criticized the phrase “bad night to the Zionists” used at board meetings.
  • Supervisor Glass disclosed meetings on the Concord site plan. She reported on regional meetings (NVRC, NVTA, NACO) and noted that since January 2025, the DMV region has shed federal jobs faster than the nation, with unemployment rising. She urged residents in need to contact nonprofits.
  • Supervisor Saines disclosed discussions on the Concord Industrial Park application. He promoted Sterling Volunteer Fire Company open house (Oct 11) and a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration (Oct 11, 1-6 p.m.) at Sterling Community Center. He reminded residents to check fire detectors and unplug chargers due to a spike in electrical fires.
  • Supervisor Briskman expressed concern about Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) agreement with ICE, stating 140 detainees since end of August, and criticized lack of transparency. She noted the LCSO significant incident report has been replaced by a dashboard that no longer includes traffic stop demographics. She reported on gun violence statistics: 11,412 total gun deaths, 329 mass shootings in 2025, including 178 children under 12 and 787 ages 12-17.
  • Chair Randall condemned the recent private text messages from Jay Jones (candidate for Attorney General) as “harmful, reckless, and wrong,” and associated herself with Speaker Don Scott’s statement. She also condemned death threats against Supervisor Gary Higgins. She expressed pride in U.S. military officers who remained silent during a political speech at Quantico. She noted the 250th Navy anniversary and the October 7th anniversary.
• Closed Session: The board entered closed session at approximately 5:20 p.m. pursuant to Virginia Code §2.2-3711.A.7 to consult with legal counsel about actual or probable litigation pertaining to a construction project. The motion passed 5-0 (with the chair noting the vote count). The board reconvened and affirmed the closed session was conducted properly.
• Nominations: Supervisor Glass nominated Bashir Amadi for the Board of Building Code Appeals and Tal Hassin Shaik for the Community Services Board. Supervisor Briskman nominated Wayne H. Smith for the Board of Building Code Appeals, Nitisha Stith for the Housing Choice Voucher Resident Advisory Board, and Kimberly Mayo for the Fiscal Impact Committee (replacing Matt Durham who rolled off after six years).

Key Outcomes

• The consent agenda was approved unanimously (5-0).
• The Tuscarora Landbay 3 Substation was deferred indefinitely at the applicant’s request without a board vote.
• The board entered closed session and later affirmed its proceedings.
• All ceremonial resolutions (R-1 through R-10) were approved and presented.
• The board will consider nominations for various boards and commissions at a future meeting.
• Chair Randall committed to continuing to highlight community needs, including federal worker impacts and support for veterans and Jewish community members.