Zeidler Reflects on Council Service, City's Progress

By Desiree Parker Monday, June 21, 2010

Jeanne Zeidler came to the city in 1971 because she wanted to study history. She’s leaving her post as mayor of Williamsburg after 16 years on council, and over the course of those years she has become a small part of that history herself.

Zeidler was the first female mayor in Williamsburg. She served as vice mayor from 1996 until 1998, when she began her current role. She also served on the Williamsburg James City County School Board for four years prior to her election to council.

Zeidler worked at a small history museum in Hampton after getting her Master’s degree from William and Mary, then worked for 21 years as director of the Hampton University Museum. She’s written extensively about history and art, and in 2001 she was asked to oversee the renovation of the Kimball Museum.

In fall 2004, Zeidler was chosen to be the executive director of Jamestown 2007 and chair of the Historic Triangle Jamestown 2007 Host Committee.

After nearly two decades serving the city, the mayor is ready to leave her post at the end of this month, but she took some time out to reflect on those years with WYDaily.

The beginning
When Zeidler was first elected to council in 1994, she was sworn in early to participate in some contentious discussions.

“The first thing that happened [upon becoming a council member] was my name was attached to papers filed with the court, and then a lawsuit attached to the Wal-Mart/Torsion property,” Zeidler recalls.

In 1992, council had rejected plans for a Wal-Mart on Richmond Road near today’s High Street. Though Zeidler wasn’t part of that decision, she says she would have voted against the idea because of traffic issues and a departure from the city's small-town character.

That was one of her main platform points at the time, and throughout her tenure on council, says Zeidler. “Preserving our small-town character was at the top of my list, as was maintaining good schools, the library, and public services.”

Courthouse expansion was another issue that faced the council during the mayor’s early years.

The old courthouse was in the colonial area of the city, and judges were complaining that it was too small.

“We had a big discussion about [a new location],” Zeidler remembers. One location that was discussed was Bicentennial Park, but some people were none too happy about that idea. In all, she says about 16 different sites were looked at, including the Quarterpath area and the current municipal center area.

Council didn’t want the joint courthouse to leave city property, Zeidler says, so the city reached an agreement with the county and annexed the land where the current courthouse stands along Monticello Avenue.

Some hot-button issues (aside from the three-person rule)
Zeidler recalls that the rental inspection program the city instituted in the early 2000s had some landlords very upset. They claimed it was an anti-student measure, designed to harass student renters, which wasn’t the case at all, she says.

“It was a safety issue. We found some really dangerous situations, including a carbon monoxide leak, wiring issues, and other problems," says Zeidler. "We wanted to keep the places people live healthy and safe.” Council also wanted to preserve the character of the neighborhoods in the city and the quality of the housing stock, she says.

Zeidler remembers this issue as one that encouraged William and Mary students to get more active with city government. This participation has continued as the city has tackled other issues students care about such as the three-person-rule, student housing and the noise ordinance update.

“I’m happy to see students more engaged. This is a college town, and students live here. It was important to get people who own to maintain their property. We increased property standards,” she says, which helped protect student renters.

Other issues have been perennial ones throughout her tenure, like speed and traffic. Council agreed to enhance speeding fines which seemed to help calm traffic, she says.

Beautification of corridors has also been a hot topic over the years, as have sign sizes, she notes, both of which highlight how important it is to residents (and council) to maintain the character and feel of the city.

Jamestown’s 400th celebration
Zeidler was brought on as executive director of Jamestown 2007 in fall of 2004. As she worked with a myriad of people to promote and develop the idea, “we discovered that not everyone was understanding what the celebration means and why it’s important. That’s why we renamed it ‘America’s 400th anniversary’,” she recalls.

The name change along with millions of dollars spent in planning and advertising made the celebration a success in Zeidler’s opinion. “We had 13 billion media impressions over 18 months, 2.5 million people attending one or more of the significant events, 150 partners and 180 official committees. I feel like it was a great success.”

One of those committees, the host committee, has been kept together relatively intact as the current Historic Triangle Collaborative. The group “brought together many common interests and fostered a great collaboration, and we realized we’d be losing something special if it were gone,” Zeidler says.

What makes her proud
“I’m proud of so many things the city has done over the years…one of which is the purchase and renovation of the train station. We’ve made it welcoming for everyone, and beautiful.

“Also, the redevelopment of city square and the fountain at the library, the construction of the community building, the parking garage, and the Chamber office building.

"The streetscape on Prince George Street was a success, as was High Street. Although it’s been slower to lease, it is an investment for the future, and it is quality built. It will be here for generations to come."

The recession
The recession has made it hard, but Zeidler credits smart city management for very few layoffs and less pain during the past two years than other localities have seen.

Consolidation, like with the 911 call center, and other cost-saving measures have helped keep the budget in line. “Our city manager and department heads are really watching what they spend and trying to save money. It’s not been a comfortable time…room and meals taxes are low, hotels and businesses are suffering.

“It’s not what we need, but we’re doing better than most.

“Williamsburg has a reputation for quality and beauty and for being a fun and interesting place to visit. We are the beneficiaries of the hard work people have done before us.”

Zeidler cites a recent report that Williamsburg is a top family destination as an indication that the brand has maintained its strength.
“Smart marketing by Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, WADMC, the Chamber have done a good job in positioning us…that pays off,” she says.

What she’ll miss most
“I’m not going anywhere,” Zeidler jokes. She has recently taken over as president for the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, which she believes has a really important role to play in the community.

“It’ll be strange not going to council meetings,” she says with a smile. “And I’ll miss interacting with staff. I have worked with a great group of people all these years. But, now it’s someone else’s turn.”