In February, the Town Council agreed to four top priorities for the year. These priorities are identified to inform how to focus the Council’s time and time of Town Staff. Here is more information about each priority, including what has happened so far this year and what will be happening in the months ahead.
Parks Master Plan: Make decisions about maintenance and improvements to Vienna’s parks based on the final Parks Master Plan, including a decision about the short-term and long-term uses of the Annex site on Center Street across from Waters Field.
The Town Council adopted the Parks Master Plan at our July 7 meeting. Town staff is making revisions based on our discussion, and will post the final version when it is complete. I’ll be working with Town staff on materials to share about areas that could be of particular interest to Vienna residents. The Town Council will be using the plan to inform decisions about the Capital Improvement Plan this fall.
Communication: Update our communication strategies and materials to ensure consistency and clarity in our engagement with Vienna residents.
Improving communication between the Town government and the Vienna community motivated me to run for Town Council, and has been a focus for me in my work with fellow councilmembers and Town staff. I have provided ideas and feedback on a wide variety of efforts, from spreading the word about available spaces on Town boards and commissions, to how best to share about significant decisions that were being considered with the Town government. I was pleased that the Town launched a redesigned website on July 1 with a more user-friendly design. If you have feedback about the site, I’d be happy to hear from you.
Light Synchronization: Complete the improvements to the lights on Maple Avenue to improve traffic flow in the Town and reduce congestion.
Traffic congestion on Maple Avenue is a significant issue in our community, and work on this priority has been actively underway this year. The Town’s Department of Public Works provided an update at the Town Council’s work session on May 12. Click here to read more about it.
The Town staff shared that the majority of the work on upgrading the traffic signals would be complete by the end of August. I’ll continue to follow up about this and look forward to the improvements for Vienna residents.
Land Use: Develop a new Comprehensive Plan, including approaches to increasing the variety of housing options in Town.
Virginia state law requires that localities updated their comprehensive plans every five years. The comprehensive plan describes a vision for the future of the community. Vienna’s Planning Commission has been reviewing the comprehensive plan and is developing a draft together with Town Staff. I look forward to a joint work session with the Planning Commission that will happen this fall.
Jessica Ramakis, Vienna Town Council 