[JYO] Membership On Airport Commission Broadened

_http://www.leesburg2day.com/current.cfm?catid=1&newsid=12137_ 
(http://www.leesburg2day.com/current.cfm?catid=1&newsid=12137)          


Membership On Airport Commission  Broadened
_Molly Novotny_ (mailto:)  

Jun 14, 2006 -- After debating the  language ad nauseam during two meetings 
this week, the Leesburg Town  Council expanded the membership on the airport 
commission to permit people  living outside the town to serve, as well as 
allowing the Loudoun Board of  Supervisors to nominate a representative.  
The language the council finally agreed upon said council members would  
appoint seven people who could, but donât have to, live or work in the  town, 
own 
property in the town or have knowledge of the aviation industry.  In other 
words, the council could take those guidelines into consideration  in 
appointing 
commissioners, or disregard them entirely.  
Town Attorney Barbara Beach said she crafted the language in that  manner as 
to not tie the hands of the council.  
The council began looking at expanding its membership as a way to  involve 
county leaders and had made that commission seat available to a  board 
representative last year. Although Leesburg District Supervisor Jim  Clem had 
filled 
the position, he found it difficult to make meetings and  was sending Tom Toth 
in his place.  
Toth does not live in Leesburg, but he keeps a plane at the airport, is  
president of the pilotsâ condo association for the private hangars and has  a 
business in downtown. He previously served on the townâs economic  
development 
commission, even though he didnât live in town. Several  council members 
previously endorsed him as a representative with Mayor  Kristen C. Umstattd 
calling 
the ordinance before the council Tuesday the  âTom Toth Amendment.â  
To accommodate Tothâs membership, the council and airport commission  
broadened the language about the board representative to allow the  supervisors 
to 
appoint someone f their choice to represent them as a body,  not limiting 
service only to supervisors.  
Clem previously said he wanted to appoint Toth to represent Loudoun,  and 
Toth has attended the past several council meetings when membership  has been 
addressed, staying Tuesday until after 11 p.m. when the council  finally voted 
on 
the resolution.  
Airport Vice Chairman Dennis Boykin lobbied the council for the change,  
urging the council to open the membership to residents or non-town  residents 
who 
either own a business or property in the town. As for the  boardâs position, 
Boykin said it should either go to a supervisor or his  or her designee.  
The council endorsed this position, striking language at the last  minuteâto 
gain the support of Umstattdâthat would have required applicants  to â
demonstrate a commitment to improving the overall operation of the  airport.â 
 
Umstattd had previously joined the majority of council in denying the  first 
motion that went to a vote, saying the language was limiting.  
In the end, the motion passed 6-1 with Councilwoman Kelly Burk in  
opposition.  
Burk could not support the broad language that opened the membership to  
non-town residents.  
âI donât want our townâs boards or commissions dominated or controlled  
by 
those who donât live or vote in the town,â she said. âI just feel very  
strongly that a town commission should be of people who live and own  property 
in 
the town. If it were a small little town, then yes, maybe we  would need to go 
outside,â but with Leesburg having a population of  35,000, Burk said there 
were more than enough candidates.

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