Even though the process of approving a regulated day-labor site for the town seemed exhausting enough, the work has just begun.
Town staff is preparing an outreach and education component to reach business owners along the Elden Street corridor as a part of its Public Response Plan to the approval of the site.
Mayor Michael O'Reilly has already written letters and had informal conversations with business owners near the unofficial site at the 7-Eleven on Alabama Drive and Elden Street. One step to ensuring the success of the regulated site will be the enforcement of a proposed anti-solicitation ordinance and trespassing ordinance, said O'Reilly.
Neighboring businesses will need to help the town by calling the police when workers stand on their private property, or seek work from in front of their establishments. By enforcing the town code through law enforcement, the hope is workers will only gather at the regulated site or face legal ramifications, said O'Reilly.
Another educational component will be directed at the workers and employers. Project Hope and Harmony and Reston Interfaith volunteers will work with men on site to spread the word that they will be moving in the next few months. They will also talk with employers who use the site, to inform them about the anti-solicitation laws and the relocation.
Outreach and education will be conducted through press releases, bilingual flyers, personal on-site contact and meetings, postings at the Neighborhood Resource Center and information posted on the town's Web site and HCTV, according to a draft of the Public Response Plan.
The immediate next steps before the council will be to review a draft of the anti-solicitation ordinance, said O'Reilly. Richard Kaufman, town attorney, has been preparing the draft by reviewing ordinances from other states and jurisdictions. He has also reviewed anti-solicitation ordinances that have been declared unconstitutional, to ensure his draft is enforceable, said O'Reilly.
The Town Council is scheduled to review the draft during its September work sessions and public hearings.