[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6650949,"mediaKeyId","2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20","parentId",2501544,"title","Commission approves buying reusable bags for Flower & Garden Festival while planning booths, games and outreach","audioSeconds",271,"startMs",4839000,"endMs",5110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20&start=4839&end=5110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20/thumbnail_4839000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6650949/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Commission-approves-buying-reusable-bags-for-Flower-Garden-Festival-while-planning-booths-games-and-outreach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650949-5ec841178c17359be4c9e63aa53eacdb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660848&Signature=Zr8DshKIUJIhCXKuiqDfj3r3gUn4keIEV-NbAb-neV8dc37YgdEYh1ykzOjukyhC3Huy-WYCjWyYnvm2txOJWojeUgQy81UVLeVQJka6oV64ZDOPD-xoi6I--neg3wDZcfWGFBzg0bC0m65ayhMZwVa0~tzcyMGS11pjmKoKsMKK0UlnbJ2cWVmG6PiPKnEzVmPCn~sWGDkxVdU~Eg6E-9ythHLOsUVsxYGfx8~fGjqwGcESqTMQellCghFuu2FomQWQpc~lvnuSbLCESmPUFadQYJrtwUnASF2mnLiBat7Oopr1QaJIUAAgTdsY0OOKUjNAV4golchd-tKRYLd8cg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Leesburg","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","The commission spent substantial time preparing for the town\u0006s Flower and Garden Festival, finalizing outreach materials, volunteer shifts and a proposed purchase of reusable tote bags to hand out at the event.

Commission staff presented three bag options with differing price and availability numbers: an option with recycled content that would allow the commission to buy approximately 1,400 units at the current price on sale; an insulated tote option that staff said would purchase roughly 690 units with the available allotment; and a mid-range option with non-recycled content and different quantity. Staff recommended the recycled-content Kelly-green bag as the preferred choice and moved to purchase it.

A commissioner made a motion to purchase the recycled-content Kelly green bags; the transcript records the motion but does not include a formal roll-call tally in the excerpt. Staff noted visitor numbers from previous years and recommended quantities that would cover several thousand festival visitors; commissioners discussed and asked staff to reserve the majority of available funding for bags while keeping a small contingency for flyers, stickers for children and printed posters promoting the town compost program and the Recycle Coach app.

Festival logistics discussed included booth location (staff said a mapping allocation will be provided about two to three weeks prior), how many tables and tents the town can supply, setup and teardown staffing, recommended volunteer shift coverage, and the physical containers to use for a recycling/sorting game. Commissioners asked for labeled boxes or bins to make the interactive recycling exhibits clear to visitors.

Staff also described outreach materials to be printed: three posters (recycling top items, town compost program, and Recycle Coach onboarding) and a small run of stickers for children. Staff said they could reprint a compost poster and that Liberty Lodge holds tent/table assets the commission may borrow.

No specific budget line-item was read into the record during the discussion excerpt and final vendor selection details and order quantities were left for follow up. Staff said they would print materials and finalize volunteer shift signups before the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Leesburg - Environmental Advisory Commission - Mar 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission discussed logistics for the upcoming Flower and Garden Festival, outreach materials (compost and recycling posters), volunteer shifts and a motion to purchase reusable, recycled-content tote bags for distribution; quantities and bag options were reviewed but final purchasing details were not fully specified in the transcript.","taxTitle","Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia","taxId",5641,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6650954,"Leesburg commissioners plan banquet and select Leesburg Presbyterian Church for environmental award",4040,1658000,5698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20&start=1658&end=5698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20/thumbnail_1658000.jpg","/articles/6650954/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-commissioners-plan-banquet-and-select-Leesburg-Presbyterian-Church-for-environmental-award","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650954-59b711e787f78a93fc784fb6db89fc41/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660848&Signature=LzetYIzQ5XOOy8~i0tT-4mGcagztCdhR9zqTL~3MPwBiCbTTVVgOnWYwnk1TyvrYuPMJkNf~JCjeaFMwNNZg-sJRpn1NgQ0pbQJAoXAbVqDyDcxVlVtjMMyiNARqWbi5fuyPRe1~AdolfptVol4HTd3ehZaobPwHKdmOP-xg-Im2k76Du~iJYm11g-AVHsBf8HWUPp05UUxaj1zNJ4y~3XIdf8dXrEtjIz9HI5kAA-t~h9-h3RhiK2eoWzelo7wdkivKyPbuamY-iKoECWeFlzSUOcQabAXsgYh3hPCUFt0Op5CzX7n5~g4O-YCvT7LLuiCiUtJho7H1JtAtvFC6hQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Leesburg Environmental Advisory Commission reviewed plans for the boards-and-commissions banquet, agreed on a format for their annual memo to the mayor and council, and discussed nominations for the town\u0006s environmental stewardship award.

The banquet is scheduled for the end of the month; commissioners said the event will feature short presentations that emphasize collaboration between commissions. The commission agreed to prepare three accomplishments from the past year, three priorities for the next year and three collaboration ideas in advance of the presentation.

Commission staff also described the annual report process, saying the group typically submits a memo to the mayor and council and that the item should be scheduled on the council calendar. “We also do an annual report to the mayor and council every year,” a staff member said; commissioners discussed presenting a concise memo highlighting 2024 accomplishments.

The commission reviewed several nominations for the town\u0006s environmental award, including an individual high-school ecology leader and the Earthcare team at Leesburg Presbyterian Church. The church nomination detailed a range of programs: a food-waste composting program, transition to compostable serviceware, installation of heat pumps and added roof insulation, pollinator plantings, volunteer river and litter cleanups and educational efforts for children and congregants.

After discussion, several commission members supported choosing the Leesburg Presbyterian Church. One commissioner said the church\u0006s program has “been a leader in adopting greening practices that can be replicated throughout the community.” Commissioners indicated support for issuing a press release naming the award winner and briefly recognizing other nominees.

Separately, commissioners discussed logistics for recognizing award nominees publicly and asked staff to draft language that highlights the winner while acknowledging other applicants.

No statutory or ordinance actions were taken; the item was administrative preparation for the banquet, annual report and award announcement.","Commissioners discussed the upcoming boards-and-commissions banquet, the annual report to mayor and council, collaboration goals and multiple environmental award nominations; the commission settled on Leesburg Presbyterian Church as the award recipient for its congregation-wide conservation efforts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6650959,"Leesburg staff unveil new volunteer signup map and dashboard for spring cleanups",887,488000,1375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20&start=488&end=1375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2501544-9e28be803cb481a088b1531f24ac3f20/thumbnail_488000.jpg","/articles/6650959/Leesburg/Loudoun-County/Virginia/Leesburg-staff-unveil-new-volunteer-signup-map-and-dashboard-for-spring-cleanups","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6650959-689bac37dd613c78f119f76f11d2bdb3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770660848&Signature=QW14DyQG-6CZqbUk6S4elZhiEDYBlUj9JjFPfg3XoFOwfW8s3qPQZ41tYMMUPu6nPE5p0uDE-PCopCmIxykZKxSDKxXqGA-GfXwGd6PXZlS18plqbtBdbU9RnrbnpKIlrXqp38OwlaR1K3f7vQsGRJ543BbDt6EgivyMNmTsingpUL--RVAZ~9pa-nNtMFTNExvauSiSC697n9BpJdOQZEiGNoMG7J31Ft1smo3KaA6sRvSxNgMDyQzwRCdimt2frdYApwJgS5ML9JKBgV4lh5KcSIk-W9bOtEp44rnSz6qO7Yzivo6hT8ZHfADg~sDRLVRvakDOANcNj4ZEl9iiiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matt Smith, the town’s stormwater GIS coordinator, demonstrated a new web-based volunteer registration and management dashboard the commission says is intended to streamline signups for the Keep Leesburg Beautiful cleanup program.

The platform combines a map of cleanup locations, filters for availability and suitability, and three participant-facing forms: a sponsorship/registration form, a suggest-a-location form and an activity report form. Smith said the system links location markers to volunteer registration and to an automated back-end for staff that will show where trash bags have been placed and how many bags crews have collected.

The town attorney’s office reviewed a volunteer waiver that Smith said will be part of the online flow. “Once they hit next, they’re able to fill that up,” Smith said, describing the waiver step that must be completed before volunteers go out. He said the town requires every group to complete at least one waiver before participating.

Commission members asked whether the system supports a “put me where you need me” option for volunteers who do not pick a site before arrival. Smith said the feature is not yet enabled, but the dashboard includes a form and a submissions table staff can use to assign volunteers on the morning of an event.

Smith said the platform is mobile-friendly and that QR codes can be printed on materials so volunteers can file their activity reports from their phones at the end of a cleanup. He described an automated email feature that would confirm signups to volunteers and notify staff of new submissions.

The group discussed outreach and incentives. Commission members reported that multiple local businesses have agreed to offer discounts or freebies to volunteers and that proof-of-participation cards will be handed out at events. Staff said two volunteer groups had already signed up using the town’s older registration form; those entries will be migrated into the new system.

Smith gave a timeline for public release: he said the team hopes to post the registration page within a month and—if no additional change requests arise—issue a press release next Monday or Tuesday. He also asked commissioners for a small change to the forms: an “assign me” option for volunteers who want to be placed where staff most need them.

Implementation details remaining include finishing some form validation, embedding the dashboard on the town website and finalizing email templates. Smith said the town will keep staff able to mark locations as “full” or “contact for status” in real time during events.

Commissioners and staff urged Smith to include language on the site about high-school volunteer-hour verification; staff agreed they could provide sign-off forms if students need them.

The presentation drew sustained discussion and several technical questions from commissioners; no formal action was taken at the meeting, and staff said they would return to the commission if the board requested further edits prior to posting.

The transcript of the presentation included practical demonstrations of the registration flow, the volunteer activity report and staff-side dashboards that show bag counts and submission tables.","Town staff demonstrated a new online dashboard and mobile-friendly forms to manage volunteer signups, waivers and activity reports for the Keep Leesburg Beautiful cleanup program; the platform is planned for public launch within weeks and will require a town-approved waiver for all groups.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission approves buying reusable bags for Flower & Garden Festival while planning booths, games and outreach

Leesburg commissioners plan banquet and select Leesburg Presbyterian Church for environmental award

Leesburg staff unveil new volunteer signup map and dashboard for spring cleanups