OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026

Board of Supervisors & Planning Commission — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
BodyLoudoun County, Virginia
SessionBoard of Supervisors & Planning Commission
DateTuesday, February 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:02:18

Transcript — Verbatim
0:37

I would like to call to order the February 10th, 2026, Loudon County Board of Supervisors Finance Government Operations and Economic Development Committee meeting.

0:45

This room is uh has a hearing loop.

0:48

If you need hearing assistance, switch your hearing aids to telecoil mode.

0:52

If you need a headset, we have those available as well.

0:55

Please see the clerk to request one.

0:57

Uh questions or comments in this uh committee are not timed.

1:02

However, once a motion is on the table, members will have three minutes to ask questions and make comments on the motion.

1:09

Uh colleagues, we added two things to the consent agenda.

1:13

I trust that you received the email from my office.

1:16

So the consent agenda is as follows.

1:18

We will take that up first.

1:20

Um item four, Shenandoah building renovation, relocation of services.

1:24

Item five, general government office building solar analysis.

1:28

Item six, excuse me, award authority increase, IT products and software services.

1:34

Item seven, award authority increase, task order, contract for traffic calming and other safety related improvements and cleanup.

1:41

Item eight contract award information technology, hardware, software, and maintenance support services.

1:48

Item nine uh contract award and FY 2026 CIP amendment construction of Route 7 and Route 690.

1:58

Item 11 proposed changes to sections of chapter one and nine of the human resources policy handbook.

2:05

Item 13 2025 Family Services Advisory Board Annual Report and By Laws Revision.

2:12

Item 14, revised community criminal justice board by laws.

2:17

Item 15, Loudoun County Community Services Board bylaws revisions.

2:23

Item 16, Community Development Block Grant Funding Recommendations.

2:26

Item 17, attainable housing loan program application for Clear Springs Apartments, phase one and phase two.

2:32

Item 18, attainable housing loan program application for Dogwood Farm Station Apartments, and item 19, attainable housing loan program application for Dulles Plaza Sterling.

2:45

Is there a motion um to uh approve the consent agenda?

2:51

I have a motion from uh Vice Chair Saints and a second from Chair Randall.

2:56

Uh any comments.

3:00

Uh Madam Chair.

3:01

All I all I would say is sometimes when we have some of these uh um reports from our committees on um our agendas on the consent agenda, not everyone goes to read them, and I would tell you to stop and read them.

3:13

The the the committees um um aidwab have whomever's report it might happen to be that they do a lot of good work.

3:21

And um you you you glean how much um these volunteer citizens boards really do and really care about the the assignment and the project that they've been given.

3:31

They do understand their assignments and do a lot of good work.

3:34

So I do encourage everyone, even though they're on consent to stop and um take a look at some of those um reports.

3:39

Thank you, Madam Chair.

3:41

Uh you're so welcome.

3:42

Um I would uh add that the attainable housing loan program applications have gone through a lengthy process um to get to this point of approval.

3:55

Proud to say that one of them is for Dogwood Farm Station in Algonquian district, the loan amount for seven million dollars.

4:02

Um with uh eight units at 30 percent AMI, 28 units at no more than 50 percent AMI, and 36 units at no more than 60 percent AMI, and they will be affordable for at least 75 years.

4:15

Um and on the um commissions and boards bylaws.

4:21

Uh uh a lot of times these are a lot of times.

4:24

I think we're just catching up so that um they can have their meetings remotely, and those have been a lot of the bylaws changes um that have been coming through uh committee and through the board.

4:34

And lastly, um Mr.

4:36

Hemp Street, I had a quick question on the solar analysis if you would be the appropriate person maybe to answer this question.

4:42

Um the analysis is only for the proposed new government buildings, and I thought that we had requested um an analysis of some other areas in the county.

4:55

For example, I think one of the ones I mentioned was the huge parking lot at Ashburn Rec Center.

5:00

So will we have a time where we can look at existing properties for solar, or have we done that?

5:06

So those are two different efforts.

5:08

So they report that, if I'm not mistaken, and DTCI can come up if I am.

5:13

But the the item on the agenda tonight is was a specific request from the board as part of the uh government general government office building.

5:23

Gotcha.

5:24

One project to see if we could add solar to that project.

5:28

And so that that was that analysis specific to that building.

5:31

Okay.

5:31

Separate from that, the Department of General Services has a separate analysis going on looking at solar at other buildings.

5:38

Phenomenal.

5:38

That um relieves a little bit of concern I had with that item.

5:42

Um so we have a motion on the consent agenda and a second.

5:46

All in favor?

5:48

Aye.

5:48

Any opposed.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget███████████████████████23%
Economic Development██████████████████████22%
Capital Projects████████████████16%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Public Transportation████4%
Procedural███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Nonprofit Funding███3%
Data Center Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Finance/Government Operations and Economic Development Committee met on February 10, 2026, to discuss the FY 2027-2032 Capital Improvement Program, economic development updates, federal impacts, and several action items, including the 2025 Capital Intensity Factors. The committee approved a consent agenda, an EDAC ad hoc committee, and recommended the Capital Intensity Factors for a public hearing.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved items on consent included: Item 4 (Shenandoah Building Renovation), Item 5 (General Government Office Building Solar Analysis), Item 6 (Award Authority Increase for IT Products & Software Services), Item 7 (Award Authority Increase for Traffic Calming Contracts), Item 8 (Contract Award for IT Hardware/Software and Maintenance Support), Item 9 (Contract Award and FY 2026 CIP Amendment for Route 7/Route 690 Interchange), Item 11 (Proposed Changes to HR Policy Handbook Chapters 1 and 9), Item 13 (2025 Family Services Advisory Board Annual Report and Bylaws Revision), Item 14 (Revised Community Criminal Justice Board Bylaws), Item 15 (Loudoun County Community Services Board Bylaws Revision), Item 16 (Community Development Block Grant Funding Recommendations), Item 17 (Attainable Housing Loan Program for Clear Springs Apartments Phase 1 and 2), Item 18 (Attainable Housing Loan Program for Dogwood Farm Station Apartments), and Item 19 (Attainable Housing Loan Program for Dulles Plaza). Chair Briskman noted the Dogwood Farm Station loan of $7 million for 72 affordable units (8 at 30% AMI, 28 at 50% AMI, 36 at 60% AMI) affordable for at least 75 years. Chair Randall encouraged members to review committee reports on consent. Chair Briskman clarified that the solar analysis in Item 5 is specific to the new general government office building, separate from an ongoing analysis by the Department of General Services for other county properties.

Discussion Items

  • FY 2027-2032 Proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Presentation (Item 1): Staff presented the $4.3 billion proposed CIP, with 31% for county projects, 41% for transportation, and 28% for schools. County projects total $1.3 billion, transportation $1.8 billion, and schools $1.2 billion. New school facilities are deferred due to declining enrollment projections. Funding for sidewalk and trail programs was adjusted for bundling; bus shelter production accelerated to 40 per year. Debt issuance capacity is maintained each year, with increased use of local tax funding reducing debt reliance. Staff outlined next steps: board members can sign up for meetings February 11-13; written questions due February 17; work sessions on February 24 and March 4. Discussion included library space strategy—Ashburn Library is undersized and planning dollars are allocated to explore expansion or relocation—and clarification that the Western Loudoun Recreation Complex (96,000 sq ft) is separate from a future library. Chair Briskman noted the CIP will be posted online after the presentation.
  • Monthly Department of Economic Development Report (Item 2): Director Buddy Rizer reported 80 wins, 5,444 jobs, and $158 million in commercial investment through January 2026. The November unemployment rate was 3.6% for Loudoun vs. 4.6% nationally. Job creation in Loudoun outpaces the national average by 8.2%. The business retention and expansion program (BRE) has conducted 3,373 activities since 2020, resulting in 259 wins, $223 million in capital investment, 11,017 jobs created/retained, and 3.36 million square feet of commercial space filled or retained. Discussion covered commercial vacancy rates (flex industrial ticking up due to older obsolescent product), Dulles airport passenger numbers (slight dip, potentially due to hesitancy in international travel), and challenges for small businesses displaced by redevelopment. Business Retention Manager Chris Hunter highlighted the program's proactive relocation assistance and the importance of transit-oriented development for future office demand.
  • Impact of Ongoing Federal Actions on Loudoun County Update (Item 3): County staff and lobbyists from Becker provided an update. The FY 2026 appropriations bills reversed many cuts from HR 1, restoring and even increasing funding for programs at HHS, Education, and others. Bipartisan progress was noted, though DHS remains in a continuing resolution. The Road to Housing Act and Housing for the 21st Century Act, passed with strong bipartisan support, aim to increase housing supply. Discussion included potential impacts on Loudoun: four federal grants were identified as high risk (none rescinded yet); the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant ($3.05 million) is being redirected by the federal granting agency, but the board had already planned for conversion to local tax funding. Supervisor Umstead raised questions about federal appetite for additional Metro funding and the per diem reimbursement for federal property. Chair Briskman expressed concern about layoffs of federal employees affecting program restoration and highlighted the loss of the UASI grant.
  • Economic Development Advisory Commission (EDAC) Ad Hoc Committee Request (Item 12): EDAC Chair Tim Shimbara requested creation of an ad hoc committee to examine the future economic outlook of Loudoun County, focusing on identifying opportunities, barriers, and considerations for a resilient commercial tax base. The deliverable is research-focused, not policy recommendations. Supervisor Leturner requested specific analysis on flex space types and market demand. Chair Briskman noted the need to be respectful of staff time. The committee approved the ad hoc committee 5-0.
  • 2025 Capital Intensity Factors (CIF) (Item 10): Staff presented the proposed 2025 CIF, recommending removal of school costs from the standard and urban multifamily CIF due to declining enrollment projections from LCPS (no new schools needed for at least 10 years). The fiscal impact committee (FIC) had previously reduced school costs by 10%, but staff recommended full removal based on updated data. The resulting CIF decreases significantly for most unit types (e.g., standard single-family detached in Eastern region drops from $86,691 in 2023 to $41,530 in 2025). County costs increased due to rising construction costs and household sizes. The age-restricted CIF (no school costs) increased slightly. The road CIF increased modestly. Staff recommended the CIF take effect upon board approval and apply only to applications accepted after that date. The committee discussed implications: Supervisor Umstead questioned whether the county collects proffers for growth in towns (staff indicated no agreement exists). Supervisor Leturner raised legal concerns about collecting proffers for renovations rather than new schools. Chair Briskman noted pending state legislation (SB 717) that would mandate transit-oriented development without local proffer authority, potentially increasing need for schools. She requested delaying the public hearing until state legislation is settled. The committee voted 5-0 to recommend the Board of Supervisors advertise the CIF for a public hearing, with no date set, pending further developments.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda Approved unanimously (5-0).
  • EDAC Ad Hoc Committee Approved unanimously (5-0) to examine future economic outlook, including specific analysis on flex space types.
  • 2025 Capital Intensity Factors recommended for public hearing (5-0), with staff recommendation to remove school costs. Public hearing date to be determined, pending outcome of state legislation.
  • FY 2027-2032 CIP Presentation received; next steps include February 11-13 sign-up for staff meetings, written questions due February 17, and work sessions on February 24 and March 4.
  • Federal Actions Update noted ongoing impacts: four high-risk grants under review, UASI grant redirected, and appropriations bills restoring many cuts. Staff and lobbyists will continue monitoring.

Meeting Transcript

I would like to call to order the February 10th, 2026, Loudon County Board of Supervisors Finance Government Operations and Economic Development Committee meeting. This room is uh 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. Uh questions or comments in this uh committee are not timed. However, once a motion is on the table, members will have three minutes to ask questions and make comments on the motion. Uh colleagues, we added two things to the consent agenda. I trust that you received the email from my office. So the consent agenda is as follows. We will take that up first. Um item four, Shenandoah building renovation, relocation of services. Item five, general government office building solar analysis. Item six, excuse me, award authority increase, IT products and software services. Item seven, award authority increase, task order, contract for traffic calming and other safety related improvements and cleanup. Item eight contract award information technology, hardware, software, and maintenance support services. Item nine uh contract award and FY 2026 CIP amendment construction of Route 7 and Route 690. Item 11 proposed changes to sections of chapter one and nine of the human resources policy handbook. Item 13 2025 Family Services Advisory Board Annual Report and By Laws Revision. Item 14, revised community criminal justice board by laws. Item 15, Loudoun County Community Services Board bylaws revisions. Item 16, Community Development Block Grant Funding Recommendations. Item 17, attainable housing loan program application for Clear Springs Apartments, phase one and phase two. Item 18, attainable housing loan program application for Dogwood Farm Station Apartments, and item 19, attainable housing loan program application for Dulles Plaza Sterling. Is there a motion um to uh approve the consent agenda? I have a motion from uh Vice Chair Saints and a second from Chair Randall. Uh any comments. Uh Madam Chair. All I all I would say is sometimes when we have some of these uh um reports from our committees on um our agendas on the consent agenda, not everyone goes to read them, and I would tell you to stop and read them. The the the committees um um aidwab have whomever's report it might happen to be that they do a lot of good work. And um you you you glean how much um these volunteer citizens boards really do and really care about the the assignment and the project that they've been given. They do understand their assignments and do a lot of good work. So I do encourage everyone, even though they're on consent to stop and um take a look at some of those um reports. Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh you're so welcome. Um I would uh add that the attainable housing loan program applications have gone through a lengthy process um to get to this point of approval. Proud to say that one of them is for Dogwood Farm Station in Algonquian district, the loan amount for seven million dollars. Um with uh eight units at 30 percent AMI, 28 units at no more than 50 percent AMI, and 36 units at no more than 60 percent AMI, and they will be affordable for at least 75 years. Um and on the um commissions and boards bylaws. Uh uh a lot of times these are a lot of times. I think we're just catching up so that um they can have their meetings remotely, and those have been a lot of the bylaws changes um that have been coming through uh committee and through the board. And lastly, um Mr. Hemp Street, I had a quick question on the solar analysis if you would be the appropriate person maybe to answer this question. Um the analysis is only for the proposed new government buildings, and I thought that we had requested um an analysis of some other areas in the county. For example, I think one of the ones I mentioned was the huge parking lot at Ashburn Rec Center. So will we have a time where we can look at existing properties for solar, or have we done that? So those are two different efforts. So they report that, if I'm not mistaken, and DTCI can come up if I am. But the the item on the agenda tonight is was a specific request from the board as part of the uh government general government office building. Gotcha.

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