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Vienna council adopts annual electronic-participation resolution, schedules Jan. 26 zoning hearing and approves appointments
Summary
On Jan. 5 the council adopted a reworked electronic-participation resolution required annually by the General Assembly, set a Jan. 26 public hearing on Chapter 18 zoning updates, reappointed Beth Ekus to the Transportation Safety Commission, approved committee representatives, and continued closed-session matters to Jan. 26.
The Vienna Town Council on Jan. 5 approved multiple procedural and personnel items including the annual readoption of the town’s electronic participation resolution, a public hearing date for proposed updates to Chapter 18 (zoning and subdivision), the reappointment of a commissions member and several committee representative assignments.
Town Attorney (unnamed) told the council that the General Assembly changed the law to require municipalities to re-adopt their electronic-participation resolution at least once each year. "The General Assembly made a tweak saying that you have to re adopt your electronic participation resolution every year," the town attorney said, adding that the substantive allowances — who may participate remotely and how many meetings — were not expanded by the office but must be annually readopted.
Council members debated the practical effect of the statutory language. Several members noted the revised text reads "two meetings or 25% whichever is greater," meaning the cap on remote participation could allow more than two meetings in some years if the council holds many meetings. Council members discussed capping the number locally if they wished to be more restrictive, but the council ultimately adopted the resolution with clerical changes.
Council member Chuck Anderson moved to approve the resolution with clerical changes; the motion passed by recorded vote with the members listed in the roll call recorded as voting in the affirmative.
The council also set a public hearing on Jan. 26, 2026 for proposed updates to Chapter 18 of the town code (zoning and subdivision). The motion to set the hearing was seconded and approved by recorded vote.
The council voted to reappoint Beth Ekus to the Transportation Safety Commission for a two-year term beginning Jan. 11, 2026 and expiring Jan. 11, 2028. The council also read and adopted a closed-session certification and approved council member assignments to a set of regional committees (Northern Virginia Regional Commission, Hunter Mill Land Use Committee, Northern Virginia Park Authority, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and related advisory groups). The council voted to continue a closed session on Jan. 26 for personnel and town-hall security matters.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to pull electronic participation resolution from consent: motion made and seconded; recorded voice vote to move item passed (ayes recorded for listed members). - Adoption of electronic participation resolution (with clerical changes): moved by Council member Anderson; recorded vote approved. - Reappointment of Beth Ekus to Transportation Safety Commission (term 01/11/2026–01/11/2028): motion moved and seconded; recorded vote approved. - Set public hearing on Chapter 18 (zoning/subdivision) for 01/26/2026: motion moved (Council member Springsteen) and seconded; recorded vote approved. - Committee assignments and closed-session certifications: motions moved and seconded; recorded votes approved; closed session continued to 01/26/2026 at 6:30 p.m.
What’s next: The electronic-participation resolution must be re-adopted annually; the Jan. 26 public hearing will be the next public step for the Chapter 18 code update.
