Dec. 15, 2021
Neighbors,
This is the last newsletter for 2021 (next issue is Jan. 5, 2022) so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a safe, healthy and very happy new year. As we head into the holidays and the final weeks of 2021, I wanted to share some "gifts" of good news with you.
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Economy: Our economy in Fairfax County continues to be resilient; our county unemployment rate has been in the 3% range (below the state and country rates) and home values are strong. We'll know more when the county executive releases his proposed FY 2023 budget in late February and you will have several opportunities to provide input on county and Hunter Mill District priorities. FY2023 Budget Timeline
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Vaccinations: More than 800,000 of our Fairfax Health District residents are fully vaccinated, including almost 80% of residents 18+ and almost 70% of all residents. Notably, to date we have not had to close any schools due to outbreaks. This is due to the tremendous efforts of several county agencies and private health care providers, but most notably our Fairfax County Health Department. Our Health Department and Department of Neighborhood and Community Services have a comprehensive outreach program in place to ensure that there is equitable access to vaccines in our communities and schools. Read the Health Department's Dec. 14 COVID-19 update here.
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors: This newsletter has mentioned many times how grateful I am for your generosity in supporting our neighbors in need, but wow, you really came through during this holiday season! Hundreds of families in Hunter Mill District will have a brighter holiday thanks to your donations of food, coats, toys and gifts, including the pictured donation to the Coat Closet from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Region 1 families, teachers and administrators. Another great example is the multitude of heart signs throughout our communities, thanks to Vienna’s Rustic Love community fundraiser to help food-insecure neighbors.
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End to Overdue Fines: Earlier this month, the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees approved a new policy that ends the practice of charging overdue fines on most library materials. Learn more.
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County Staff: We are very fortunate to have a dedicated county and FCPS workforce that has served and protected all of us during this unprecedented pandemic. Many of these public servants have worked long hours and weekends under difficult circumstances. If you are seeking a new job, I highly recommend that you apply to join this great team. To that end, I would also like to give a big shout out to my staff, who have served our residents so well in these last two years. Thank you Jose, Amanda, Shyamali, Paul, Gwenn and Lisa!
Please note that if there is important news to share with you prior to Jan. 5, it will be posted on my social media outlets, especially Twitter and Facebook, and if appropriate via updates to your email.
Happy Holidays!
Respectfully,
Walter
Fairfax County Government offices will officially close at noon on Thursday, Dec. 23 and will be closed all day on Friday, Dec. 24 for the Christmas holiday, as well as Friday, Dec. 31 for the New Year’s holiday. However, some facilities are open and schedules vary, learn more.
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COVID-19 Update (Dec. 15) |
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Distribution of Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits at Libraries
Fairfax County Public Library branches have received an additional 10,000 COVID-19 home test kits from the Virginia Department of Health. If you were not able to pick up one last week, contact your library branch to ensure they have availability.
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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Reporting Streetlight Outages |
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Streetlights do burn out or get damaged, but you can help by reporting streetlight outages in your neighborhood and in other areas you frequent. Reporting helps keep neighborhoods, as well as pedestrians and bicyclists safe.
Streetlights along public roadways in Fairfax County are typically maintained by Dominion Virginia Power or the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC). The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) operates the streetlights along interstates and at major interchanges. The county's Streetlight Reporting Map makes it easier to identify pole numbers and report streetlight outages from your desktop or mobile device. The Streetlight Reporting Map shows streetlight service areas and individual streetlight locations and pole numbers in Fairfax County. You can now use your phone’s GPS location to find pole numbers to report outages. If a particular streetlight is not on the map, it may be privately maintained by a homeowners association or other group. Learn more.
If you need additional assistance, call 703-324-5111, TTY 711.
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Land Use and Transportation |
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Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force Meetings
Information on the next Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force meeting 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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Tuesday, Dec. 21, 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, call 1-844-621-3956 and use access code: 2335 913 9681.
Reston Planning & Zoning Virtual Meeting, Monday, Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.
The meeting is hosted on the Webex platform. 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 only listen to the meeting, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use Access Code: 2342 247 6886. More information.
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Speak Up Campaign Launch
On Monday, the county launched a new public safety campaign to promote awareness of Virginia's Emergency Substantial Risk Order (ESRO) law, commonly referred to as a “red flag law."
Effective last year, this law enables the Fairfax County Police Department to investigate and seek a court order to temporarily remove a gun or guns from individuals who have been determined to be an imminent danger to themselves or others. The "Prevent a Gun Tragedy, Speak Up" campaign encourages residents who know of someone with a gun acting in a way that concerns them to speak up to prevent a gun tragedy. Learn more and watch this video.
The campaign was created as a result of a Board Matter that was approved by the Board of Supervisors in October. Pictured at the kickoff event at Public Safety Headquarters is Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, along with Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay (seated on right).
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Board of Supervisors Update |
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Yesterday, Dec. 14, the Board of Supervisors held our last committee meetings for 2021. The day included a work session with our Fairfax County General Assembly delegation. You will have the opportunity to provide input to the delegation next month; I'll provide details when available.
Review the Dec. 14 committee presentations below and watch the committee meetings here.
As you can see we were able to take a break to meet with Santa who visited the Government Center as part of our public safety agencies' Santa's Ride toy drive. Santa, a member of the county's Police Department's motorcycle squad and other officers, including the Vienna Police Department, take toys that were collected countywide and deliver them to children in local hospitals. Thank you to everyone involved!
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A Chance to Get Into the Weeds
Help Vienna Parks thrive by volunteering to help remove invasive plants and make room for native plants. There are several opportunities to lend a hand:
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Thursdays through February, 9 a.m. to noon: Glyndon Park Invasive Plant Removal. Contact Jeremy Edwards.
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Mondays through February,10 a.m. to noon: Southside Park Invasive Plant Removal: meeting at the parking lot at the Ware-Walker Street Entrance. Contact: Jeremy Edwards.
For all these events gloves and loppers will be provided, or feel free to bring your own. Activities are sponsored by Vienna Parks.
Light Up Vienna Holiday Decorating Contest Voting Ends Tomorrow, Dec. 16
The deadline to vote in the Light Up Vienna Holiday Decorating Contest is tomorrow, Dec. 16. It is sponsored by the Town Business Liaison Committee (TBLC) and Vienna Parks and Recreation. Learn more.
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New Toys are Great but Remember to Follow the Rules in County Parks
Many residents, young and old, are looking forward to using their new holiday gifts in a favorite local park. Before you do, review Fairfax County Park Authority rules designed to benefit both park visitors and to protect our wildlife in the parks. Learn more.
Get Information on Upcoming General Assembly Session Monday, Jan. 3
Join a virtual meeting on Jan. 3, 7:30 to 9 p.m. co-hosted by the Patrick Henry Library and Vienna AAUW to learn about critical issues to be addressed in the upcoming Virginia state legislative session. Learn more.
Reminder that Plastic Bag Tax Begins Jan. 1, 2022
The new 5-cent plastic bag tax applies to disposable plastic bags provided for in-store, to-go, delivery and curbside pick-up purchases from grocery stores, convenience stores and drug stores located within Fairfax County. 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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