Yesterday a federal district judge extended the deadline for citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia to register to vote to October 15. Today is now the last day to register to vote! Yesterday was also the first day of early voting at the satellite locations and it is very exciting to see so much enthusiasm from our residents!

If you have not already done so please make sure you respond to the 2020 Census. The deadline is today, October 15, and it is vital that all Fairfax County residents are counted.

This email includes tips for safe COVID-19 protections for outdoor workers, planning is underway in preparation for a future vaccine, public comment extension for the VDOT 495NEXT project and news from Dranesville District School Board member Elaine Tholen. The county is also seeking your input on the different funding categories in the Consolidated Community Funding Pool.

Please share this email with your friends and neighbors and do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of assistance; email Dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-356-0551.

Sincerely,

John

Working outdoors should not give you a false sense of protection. While fresh, circulating air is an ideal environment for minimizing spread of COVID-19, you still need to take safety precautions.

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, but several pharmaceutical companies, governments and other agencies are working hard to create one, given the urgency of this pandemic.

Planning is underway at the federal, state and local levels to order, distribute and administer a safe and effective vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The Fairfax County Health Department is working with the Virginia Department of Health to develop these plans for our health district.

While vaccine development can take time, researchers are not starting from scratch to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Past research in other types of coronaviruses has identified potential approaches, some of which have been used before to create vaccines. Together with funding from the government and global coordination, companies have been able to expedite the process by running the vaccine clinical trial phases in parallel with the manufacturing process, without compromising on safety.

Only the vaccine candidates that are deemed to safe and effective will be approved for distribution to the general public.

Even after a vaccine is approved, it will take time to produce, distribute and administer to the entire U.S. population. Since the vaccine will be limited at first, plans are being made to ensure it is distributed equitably and to those who most need it, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The groups to get the vaccine earliest once it becomes available include people who are essential to provide healthcare to others and those at highest risk for COVID-19 infection, persons with chronic medical conditions and the elderly.

As more vaccine is produced, additional groups will be added, ultimately leading to enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated.

A vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is the best hope for ending the pandemic. But until a COVID-19 vaccine is available and even beyond, infection prevention and community mitigation measures will continue to be critical. People will still need to:

For more information click here.

Public invited to provide formal input on project’s environmental assessment and draft design plans until December 4, 2020

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) announced today it will extend the formal public comment period for the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension Project (495 NEXT) until Friday, December 4, 2020. The public is invited to provide formal input on the project’s Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft design plans, which were presented to the public at a virtual hearing on October 5 and an in-person hearing on October 8.  

VDOT’s extension of the formal comment period will allow additional time and opportunities for the public to learn about the project and provide feedback prior to finalizing the environmental document and design plans. During this extended period, VDOT’s project team will proactively reach out and engage with affected communities and stakeholders to ensure they have the 495 NEXT project information they need and the opportunity to provide input. 

“Extending the formal comment period until December 4 provides our team more time to arrange meetings with, and address questions and concerns of, surrounding communities who may be affected by the proposed 495 NEXT Project,” commented VDOT’s Megaprojects Director, Susan Shaw, P.E. “Being flexible is critical during this unprecedented time, and allows us more time to listen to and address the needs of surrounding residents and commuters, while responsibly implementing transportation improvements in Northern Virginia.”

The deadline for formal comments on the project’s Environmental Assessment and draft design plans was October 23, following the October public hearings. The original public hearing for this project was scheduled for March 12, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project’s EA and design plans were made available to the public beginning on February 26, at which time the formal comment period began. The comment period has remained open, and all comments received to date will be entered into VDOT’s public record for the project and do not need to be resubmitted.

Once all public comments have been received and considered by VDOT’s project team, the Federal Highway Administration will review VDOT’s final Environmental Assessment documentation and issue a decision in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension Project proposes to extend the 495 Express Lanes by approximately three miles from the Dulles Toll Road interchange to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in the vicinity of the American Legion Bridge. 

Visit 495NorthernExtension.org to learn about the project, review public hearing materials and information, and learn how to provide comments. 

Dranesville District School Board member Elaine Tholen announced an important meeting on Thursday, October 15 where Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will present his plan to the School Board for bringing additional students back in November, prioritizing early learners and transitioning students for in-person instruction.  To see the announcement and ways to watch the meeting click here.

Fairfax County’s Consolidated Community Funding Pool is an allocation of funds earmarked by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to be administered to local nonprofits and community-based organizations as an investment in programs and services that strengthen the county’s ability to fill the human services needs of its residents. To determine how these funds should be allocated, Fairfax County, with significant community input, establishes categories that are reflective of the needs residents feel are most important in their communities. In preparation for the next funding cycle, the county seeking your insight on our current category areas:

Your input is important. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and opinions by taking the Community Feedback Survey online here. The survey will be available until Friday, October 30, 2020. All responses will be anonymous.

The United States Census Bureau recently announced that they will stop collecting data tomorrow, October 15 at 11:59 p.m. (HST).

The census is important for Fairfax County residents because it directly benefits every resident here. It determines how tax dollars are distributed in Northern Virginia to better serve the community. It's estimated that Northern Virginia loses $1,200 in potential annual funding for every resident who does not respond to the census. That is money that could be used for education, healthcare, housing, infrastructure, roads and a host of other services that the government provides.

Visit 2020Census.gov to respond today.

On October 14th, a federal district judge extended the deadline for citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia to register to vote through Thursday, October 15, 2020.

This extension will provide all eligible Virginians with the opportunity to participate in the 2020 November General and Special Elections by registering to vote on or before October 15, 2020. Eligible Virginians may submit a voter registration application or update an existing voter registration record in any of the following methods:

This and more information is available on the Office of Elections website here.

FAIRFAX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER

Great Falls Library is only open on Saturdays (Oct. 17, 24 and 31) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This and more information is available on the Office of Elections website here.

Fairfax County is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Residents are strongly encouraged to utilize the resources listed below: