Herndon Town Council priorities include bringing DMV services to town

The Herndon Town Council is considering ways to bring Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles services to the town.

At a quarterly strategy meeting on Thursday (March 24), a majority of council members said that Town of Herndon residents need DMV services.

Councilmember Naila Alam, who proposed the initiative, said the service is needed for low-income residents and those unable to travel long distances.

“It’s like a thief that comes at night to steal your sleep,” Alam said of the challenges those residents face. “I want to catch that thief.”

Most council members agreed with the suggestion, which was made at a meeting intended to flag the council’s priorities.

The DMV provided monthly mobile services to the town in the past, but the effort dissipated once the pandemic hit in the area. The nearest DMV center is located on Sterling Boulevard.

Managing cut-through traffic in the town also ranked high on the council’s priority list, but council members noted that it may be difficult to address that issue, particularly because of legal restrictions.

At the meeting, the council simply directed town staff to research the issue, its feasibility and overall cost.

The council will review the staff’s research at its next strategy meeting in roughly three months. A formal proposal is not under consideration at this point.

Other issues — like managing community noise and developing restrictions to single-lot family development — did not rank high on the council’s overall priorities.

Some members raised the possibility of making records related to Comstock’s redevelopment of downtown Herndon public.

Vice Mayor Cesar del Aguila said that many residents often inquire about improving the accessibility of public records.

“Let’s make it easy,” del Aguila said, adding that he would like to see if closed meetings can be recorded.

The council also refined its process for sifting through identified priorities at the meeting with an eye for expediency and clear identification of issues and solutions.