| Governance
Reform Tops RCA Agenda |
By Erick Soricelli
Observer Staff Writer |
| The Reston Citizens Association Board met Monday, July 26,
in a taped broadcast at Comcast Studios on Sunrise Valley
Drive, with plans to streamline and consolidate governance
of Reston's various boards and services. |
| The meeting was the first for the 11-member 2004-05 board,
which was elected at the Reston Festival earlier in July by
120 voters. Three members, South Lakes director Arthur Hill,
and Lake Anne directors John Fay and Jim Traylor, are returning
for new terms. |
| Eight members were present at Monday's meeting; Hill, Traylor,
and South Lakes director Bob Haley were absent. |
| RCA president Mike Corrigan set the board's objective as
reviewing and updating several studies from 1988 that explored
governance options between Reston's current status and possibilities
as a small tax district, an incorporated town, and an incorporated
city. |
| A number of government divisions serve the Reston community
at present; including Reston Association for residential homes,
parks and recreation maintenance, and covenants enforcement,
Fairfax County for law enforcement, land use and construction,
and the Virginia Department of Transportation for road and
traffic maintenance. Private companies hired by Reston's cluster
associations handle trash and recycling pickup. |
| Reston is also under Fairfax County's Small Tax District
#5, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Hunter Mill District,
as well as a separate commercial district for Reston Town
Center. |
| Ultimately, Corrigan wants to establish a charter to incorporate
Reston as a town based on the updates of the studies. Under
what he termed as an "aggressive schedule," RCA would complete
its update by late November or early December 2004. |
| Also discussed was a possible straw poll, or an unofficial
vote, conducted by RCA to gauge community opinion on a charter. |
| An attempt was made to establish a town charter in 1980,
but it was defeated in local elections, Corrigan said. |
| RCA hopes to send a bill in January 2005 at the earliest,
via either Del. Ken Plum or State Sen. Janet Howell, for consideration
by the Virginia General Assembly. Corrigan said after the
meeting the bill would call for a referendum to vote on a
draft of the charter. |
| Several board members expressed concerns that the updating
process may take longer than the proposed aggressive schedule. |
| "I don't want quality to be lost in trying to meet deadlines,"
said Hunters Woods director Jan Bradshaw, "so when we have
something to present, it won't be rushed." |
| At-large director Mark Terry said there needs to be a clear
explanation of why a charter is needed in their proposal.
Corrigan, a former director of the RA board, said after the
meeting that during his tenure with RA, he found that many
organizations deal with so many aspects of the comunity, and
he wants Reston to have governance across the board over the
various services in the community. |
| Corrigan said if RCA misses the January 2005 benchmark,
they won't be able to try again until January 2006. |
| At-large director Debra Steppel said RCA would know by its
Sept. 27 meeting if they could get a document ready in time. |
| A motion was then introduced to adopt the schedule, which
passed 7-1. North Point director Eric Kessel said there was
too much to review in 60 days to have a viable proposal, and
voted against the motion. |
| The board then voted on a motion to make available the documents
from the 1988 studies on its Web site, www.restoncitizensassociation.org.
The motion passed unanimously, 8-0. |
| At the end of the meeting, the board discussed the possibility
of a joint transportation committee between RCA and RA, which
Corrigan said would have an open membership. The board decided
to discuss it further and vote on the proposal at its next
meeting, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 30, at 8 p.m. |
| Also discussed was RCA's endorsement of the Rhythm Bones
Festival, scheduled for Aug. 20 through 22 at Lake Anne Plaza
and organized in part by Reston resident Sally Carroll. Steppel
said guidelines need to be established over what events RCA
would and would not endorse. |
| The broadcast will air on Reston Community Television Channel
28 next Monday. |
