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Commission hears Virginia Main Street pitch; votes to refine and postpone a resolution for next meeting
Summary
Staff and volunteers described a ‘low-touch, high-value’ approach to joining the Virginia Main Street program. Commissioners generally supported Tier 1 participation but asked for clearer roles, transparency and an analysis of budget and staff time. The commission moved to take the prepared resolution, refine it, and decide at the next meeting.
Staff introduced three documents for the commission's review and recognized Amanda Dayton as "president of Purcellville Virginia Main Street, also a business owner and a member of EDAC." Dayton and volunteers said the program can start at Tier 1 with mostly volunteer matching and that some grants rely on in-kind (volunteer) match rather than direct town dollars. "It's actually a process that was started by the previous town council," Dayton said, describing the group's grassroots start and the tiered approach to participation.
Commissioners asked whether downtown businesses beyond 21st Street would be included and how much staff time or town dollars would be required. Staff and Main Street representatives said the initial work is expected to rely primarily on volunteer hours and private donations and that any move to higher tiers requiring town budget would be a joint decision. The commission agreed it wanted clearer language on the planning commission's role and on governance and fiscal oversight. A motion was made to accept the draft resolution for consideration and to postpone signing until the next meeting so commissioners could refine roles and responsibilities; the motion passed by voice vote.
