Town Council
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DUMFRIES, Va. — The Dumfries Town Council will vote on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, on whether to terminate its lease agreement with Historic Dumfries Virginia, Inc. (HDVI) — the nonprofit that has operated the Weems-Botts Museum and adjacent annex for over 50 years.
The proposed resolution appears on the Council’s public meeting agenda and, according to an email from HDVI, follows a 6-1 closed-session vote on July 1 to remove HDVI from the historic property and its annex, which also houses the group’s research library and visitor center. If approved, the resolution would effectively evict the organization from the town-owned property by mid-August.
HAYMARKET, Va. – Police Chief Al Seibert told the Town Council on July 7 that while the number of calls to police is up this year, it’s the complexity of those calls that’s stretching his department.
“It wasn’t necessarily a larger call volume — it’s a more complex call volume,” Seibert said. “We’ve had the robbery, we’ve had the stolen vehicle, we’ve had other health or issues on the mental health crisis with certain individuals.”
The council unanimously approved three key resolutions during its June 2 meeting:
Resolution 2025-006 amended the current fiscal year’s budget to reflect interest reallocation that will fund upcoming council and administrative expenses. This ensures year-end revenues are directed toward planned municipal operations and projects.
DUMFRIES, Va. – In the 1984 movie Footloose, a small town famously banned dancing, sparking pushback from teens who just wanted to have fun. This week in Dumfries, a similar debate surfaced over whether the small town is going too far with proposed new rules for music festivals.
During its May 6, 2025, meeting, the Dumfries Town Council held a public hearing on a proposal to revise the town’s Musical and Entertainment Festivals Ordinance. Among the proposed changes is a requirement that anyone under 18 be accompanied by an adult at outdoor concerts and festivals.
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HAYMARKET, Va. – The Haymarket Town Council voted unanimously on May 5, 2025, to approve a special use permit (SUP) allowing a religious group to use leased space at the QBE Building on Washington Street for public assembly, adding several conditions—including an annual review of the permit.
The decision comes after nearly eight months of review by the town’s planning staff, Planning Commission, and Town Council, marking what staff described as a “normal review procedural timeline” for a special use request of this type.
We previously reported incorrect information that the council would discuss the expansion of the Chick-fil-A drive-through at this meeting. However, the Chick-fil-A expansion was already approved earlier this month under conditions: the restaurant must obtain sign-off from all necessary regulatory bodies, including the Prince William County Fire Marshal’s Office, which currently opposes the plan.
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OCCOQUAN, Va. — A series of notable developments unfolded at the April 15, 2025, Occoquan Town Council meeting, including a leadership change and updates to the town’s ongoing budget planning.
Councilwoman Nancy Freeborn Britain, who was elected to the Town Council in 2022, formally announced her resignation, citing a new career opportunity that will take her to Staunton during the workweek. Britain was recently hired as the Program Director for a master’s degree program at Mary Baldwin University, where she will oversee 120 students and serve as a department chair.
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HAYMARKET, Va. — The Haymarket Town Council is set to revisit a controversial Chick-fil-A drive-through expansion proposal during its upcoming work session on Monday, April 28, 2025, as questions remain about the project’s approval from key regulatory agencies.
Earlier this month, the council narrowly approved Special Use Permit (SUP) #2024-001 in a 4-0 vote, allowing the Chick-fil-A at 15186 Washington Street to proceed with a revised site plan known as “Exhibit 6.” The updated plan proposes extending the restaurant’s rightmost drive-through lane onto an adjacent property owned by Virginia National Bank, creating a bypass lane and adding a mobile order pickup point aimed at improving traffic flow and reducing wait times.