Oct. 6, 2021
Neighbors,
Last evening, more than 60 county residents and employees spoke at a public hearing on a draft collective bargaining ordinance for county employee groups. This includes unions for our general county employees, firefighters and police. (It does not include FCPS employees, that is an action that would be taken by the Fairfax County School Board). A large majority of the testimony was in favor of the collective bargaining ordinance and for a collaborative process going forward. You can watch the discussion here (see linked agenda).
For some background, local governments in Virginia were given the authority to adopt a policy allowing employees to collectively bargain during the 2020 session of the Virginia General Assembly. Local governments throughout Virginia have implemented or are now considering allowing collective bargaining. Following the state action, the Board created a collective bargaining workgroup that included employee group representatives, which met several times and provided input for discussion at the Board of Supervisors Personnel Committee meetings.
The vote on the ordinance was deferred until the next Board meeting on Oct. 19, so that we can consider last night's significant testimony. If you have any questions about the draft ordinance, please email my office at huntermill@fairfaxcounty.gov. You can learn more here, including comprehensive FAQs.
A summary of additional Board of Supervisors meeting updates can be found below.
Respectfully,
Walter
Reminder for Early In-Person Voting: Early voting on Saturdays will be available on Oct. 23 and 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Before you head out to vote, please check locations, dates and hours here.
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COVID-19 Updates (Oct. 6) |
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Review recommendations from the Health Department for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents.
COVID-19 Third Doses
The Fairfax County Health Department is providing booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to individuals who meet new CDC guidelines for a booster dose.
Community Vaccination Center to Reopen in Tysons on Oct. 8
The location is in the former Lord & Taylor store at Tysons, 7950 Tysons Corner Center, in Tysons Corner. This location will offer:
- First and second doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
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Booster doses of Pfizer vaccine to individuals seeking the Pfizer booster if 6 months have passed since their last Pfizer dose and they are eligible to receive vaccine.
- An additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for individuals who are immunocompromised.
Weekly COVID-19 Case/Vaccine Information Chart:
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Data resources:
Current Number of Cases in the Fairfax Health District
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Daily reported case information for the Fairfax Health District: here
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Daily reported case information throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia: here
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Congratulations to Meritorious Award Winners
On Sept. 30, I had the honor of attending the Fairfax County Police Department's Meritorious Awards Ceremony. Pictured are several officers (with Commander Rex Pagerie, third from right and Asst. Commander Marc Mitchell, right) with the Reston District Station who were recognized for excellence in public safety and community caretaking. Congratulations to all the awardees for your work in keeping our neighborhoods safe and engaged.
Use of Force Study: Public Meeting Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
Our Board's Public Safety Committee Chair and Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk is hosting a discussion and public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 7, 7 to 9 p.m. on the Use of Force Study that the county commissioned from the University of Texas at San Antonio. You can hear directly from the researchers and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. To participate:
- In-person: Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Room 11, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.
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Watch on Facebook: @SupervisorLusk
- Dial in by phone: 703-324-1020
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Submit testimony prior to meeting to: LeeDist@Fairfaxcounty.gov
Reston District Police Community Information Forum Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
People With Disabilities Practice Police Interactions Event is Oct. 23
The Arc of Northern Virginia is partnering with the Fairfax County Police Department and our Office of Emergency Management to offer an opportunity for people with disabilities and family or friends to practice emergency situations with officers. The multi-location event is Saturday, Oct. 23. The Hunter Mill District event will be 3 to 5 p.m. at Dogwood Elementary Scho ol, 12300 Glade Dr. in Reston. This event is open to anyone with any disability or general anxiety about police interactions, regardless of where they live. The event is free, but preregistration is required. |
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3 Stuff the Bus Locations Oct. 9 |
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Stuff the Bus is this Saturday, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and there are three locations in Hunter Mill District to drop off your non-perishable food donations:
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church,1133 Reston Ave., Herndon: benefits South Lakes High School PTSA Food Pantry.
North County Governmental Center,1801 Cameron Glen Dr., Reston: benefits Herndon-Reston Fish.
Patrick Henry Library, 101 Maple Ave. East, Vienna: benefits SHARE.
Learn more, including other Stuff the Bus locations countywide. Please donate if you can to fight hunger in our community!
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Board of Supervisors Update |
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One of the annual highlights during the Board of Supervisors meetings is the A. Heath Onthank Awards, the highest award bestowed to county employees. Yesterday, Five employees (front row in photo) were honored. They are among the many county employees who have been outstanding public servants during these difficult months of the pandemic. Learn more.
After a multi-year process gathering input from residents and other stakeholders, the Board adopted the Countywide Strategic Plan, outlining the Ten Community Outcomes, Indicators of Success, and Proposed Strategies – each of which will guide county staff as they develop administrative plans and develop budget proposals. Thank you to all our community members who provided input during this process. I encourage everyone to review the plan.
- $19 million to support our environmental and energy strategies (this includes our goal of being carbon neutral by 2040, the continuation of LED streetlight conversion, and adding electric vehicle charging stations).
- $5 million to support our affordable housing projects.
- $4.5 million to support a new Childcare Center at the Kingstowne Complex, which will co-locate the Franconia Police Station, the Lee District Supervisor’s Office and Franconia Museum, the Kingstowne Library, and an Active Adult Center.
- $2.5 million to support staffing and renovation requirements for the new Community Center in Lee District.
- $250,000 to contract an additional mowing cycle from VDOT in order to maintain our road medians.
- Restructuring of county positions (eliminated 31 unfilled positions and adding a Deputy County Executive role).
- A $1,000 bonus for our merit employees and a $500 bonus for non-merit employees.
- As mandated by the state, we approved 82 new school health nurse positions, which allows for at least one nurse in each FCPS school.
I also had three Board Matters and co-sponsored several other Board Matters:
You can watch the full meeting here and review the Board agenda and meeting materials here. |
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Land Use and Transportation |
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Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force Meetings
The Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force has meetings scheduled through October. Information on watching the upcoming meetings is below. To learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study and the task force, visit the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study webpage. Meeting details and agendas will be found here. You can watch live streams of the meetings on YouTube Live, as well as the video archive of all past task force meetings.
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Monday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m. Use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to listen to the meeting on your phone, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use access code: 2340 698 2654. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711.
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Monday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m. Use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to listen to the meeting on your phone, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use access code: 2340 507 1775. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711.
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Locally Made Pop Up Market Oct. 16-17
The Town of Vienna in partnership with Vienna Shopping Center, brings to the Town a Fall Pop-Up Market featuring up to 25 local artisans ranging from jewelry, home gifts, art, and more. Shoppers can shop safely and explore a variety of handmade gifts from local makers. Learn more.
Recognition for Liberty Amendments Month
This week, the Virginia Municipal League (VML) Innovation Awards recognized Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton and the Town of Vienna community for excellence in local government related to this inaugural Liberty Amendments Month this summer. The calendar of activities were designed to foster mutual respect and understanding, and to celebrate the Constitutional Amendments that give all citizens a say in how they are governed, regardless of their culture or station in life. Congratulations to everyone who planned and participated in this great event! You can find the calendar for 2021 Liberty Amendments Month here.
Town Council Approves Zoning Change on Courthouse Road Modification for Multifamily, Cottage-Like Development
In September, the Vienna Town Council approved the rezoning and requested modifications for a new cottage-like housing development planned for 117-121 Courthouse Road, SW. The developer will construct six, two-family, cottage-style duplexes facing a common green area and a shared clubhouse. Learn more. |
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NASCOW Returns! Frying Pan Farm Cows ‘Race’ for Good Cause
Nine of the cows who live at Frying Pan Farm Park are slated to participate in the NASCOW FundRacer on Friday, Oct. 22. Fans are invited to look over the cows’ photos and bios and sponsor the cow they hope will win the race. Proceeds will support the farm and help provide food and medical care to the almost 100 farm animals that live at this unique park. Learn more.
Reston Association Community Yard Sale Saturday, Oct. 9, 8:30 a.m. to Noon
Eighty families will be selling a variety of items, so this is a great opportunity to find things for a new home or a college dorm. Sign up to have a booth or stop by to browse for great bargains. Learn more.
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Stay Informed and In Touch |
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Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn
703-478-0283, TTY 711
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