It's the last day of Women's History Month and I would like to acknowledge the tremendous accomplishments and efforts by the women in Fairfax County who have been at the forefront of helping our community amid the pandemic. Thank you!

The county expects to move into Phase 1c by mid-April and move into Phase 2 by May 1 in accordance with VDH guidance. Learn more. 

I am also announcing the inaugural Tour de Hunter Mill cycling event on Saturday, May 15. The event begins at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods and takes cyclists through the Hunter Mill District on scenic routes. The long route goes from Reston to Vienna and loops back via the roads and trails or via a Metro option from the Spring Hill Station. The family route stays within Reston and mostly on paved Reston Association paths. This is an exciting and fun opportunity for our community to come together and enjoy a fun event while also being able to have social distancing and other public health precautions in place. Registration opens tomorrow, Thursday, April 1 at 10 a.m. and the maximum number of riders is 150. Tell your friends and neighbors, grab a bike and join us! Learn more.

I also want to give a big thank you to our community partners who are helping us launch Tour de Hunter Mill, including:

Reminder: Please get your vaccine when you can!

As the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines from the Virginia Department of Health continues to increase, the Fairfax County Health Department has been working diligently to ensure that we are administering these vaccines as quickly as possible. One way we are doing that is by partnering with local health care providers to help vaccinate eligible residents.  

Beginning in early April, residents may apply to FEMA for financial assistance to help cover funeral costs incurred by COVID-19-related deaths. This assistance will be available to all residents (U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and qualified aliens) who incurred expenses after Jan. 20, 2020, for a death attributed to the virus. Learn more.

Vaccine Providers

For your awareness, the Board of Supervisors recently adopted the Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy (Trust Policy) to reaffirm current county practice, improve community health, welfare, safety and security and trust by ensuring that immigrant residents can interact with county officials and access county benefits and services without fear that the information they share will be disclosed to federal immigration officials. More information is online. If you have questions regarding this policy, please send me an email.

The Trust Policy is being translated in Spanish and will be available online soon. .

Thank you to everyone who attended my FY 2022 virtual Budget Town Hall on Monday, March 29. I appreciated your input and it was a great discussion. If you missed it, you can watch the meeting here.

Despite the pandemic, the county's Animal Shelter was very busy last year! They handled 2,999 animal intakes and more than 2,000 animals were adopted. Read the annual report here.

Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force Meeting, April 12, 7 to 9:30 p.m.

To learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study and the task force, visit the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study webpage. The next schedule meeting is Monday, April 12, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Details and the agenda will be found here. The meeting will be hosted on the Webex platform. Use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. If you prefer to listen to the meeting on your phone, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use access code: 129 614 5778. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711. (Please note each meeting has a unique link and call-in information.) You will also be able to watch a live stream of the meeting on YouTube Live, which is also where you can watch the March 22 meeting.

The Reston P&Z virtual meeting is Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. More information.

Wiehle Pedestrian Crossing Study Group virtual meeting is Thursday, April 29, 7 to 9 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: 173 385 8066. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711. To submit feedback, questions or comments, email WiehleCrossingStudyGroup@fairfaxcounty.gov.

The first application for a development project under the county's new Economic Incentive Program (EIP) was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 23. The property is located in the Skyline Center at 5201, 5203, and 5205 Leesburg Pike in the Bailey’s Crossroads area. The EIP is available to development proposals that are located in the county’s six Economic Incentive Areas and that meet the program’s other eligibility requirements. EIP incentives include real estate tax abatements, site plan fee reductions and an expedited zoning process, among other regulatory incentives. Learn more about the program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

Fairfax County is partnering with Smart City Works and Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) on the Pitch and Pilot: Fairfax County Innovation Challenge, a competition where teams and companies propose high-impact solutions to address bicycle and pedestrian safety. The goal of the Challenge is to find, and ultimately pilot, innovative solutions to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in the county’s increasingly multimodal transportation landscape. Registration is now open, and the competition will conclude with a public pitch contest on April 21. Learn more.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay and Public Safety Committee Chair (Lee District) Supervisor Rodney Lusk are hosting a public input session on April 6 at 7 p.m. for residents to provide comments/questions on hiring a new police chief. You can participate by calling in to 703-324-1114. You can also provide video testimony prior to the meeting to Supervisor Lusk; email leedist@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Volunteers are needed for the annual cleanup of sections of Reston as part of the 33rd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup, Saturday, April 10, 10 a.m. to noon (rain or shine). The event is coordinated by the Alice Ferguson Foundation and Reston Association in collaboration with my office. All ages are invited! More information, including registration is here.

Reston Founder's Day is April 10

On Founder’s Day visit Reston Historic Trust & Museum’s YouTube Founder’s Day playlist to learn about Reston’s public art from several community leaders (including me).

Learn more about other Founders Day activities.

Register online.

International Transgender Day of Visibility is a time to celebrate transgender and non-binary people in our community and acknowledge the determination it takes to live openly and authentically. Read White House Proclamation.

State Code on Grass Height

As warmer weather arrives, residents may notice un-mowed tall grass on residential and commercial properties in their neighborhoods. Chapter 119 of the State Code regulates grass height, which may not be taller than 12-inches on any vacant or occupied property less than half-acre in area. More information from Fairfax County Code Compliance is here.

The Fairfax County Park Authority’s (FCPA) premier water park, the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole is now hiring to fill over 200 seasonal positions for the upcoming summer. More information.

Don’t just share your beautiful farm photos on Instagram; enter them in the first-ever photo contest being hosted by the Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park. The contest is open to adults and youth, and the deadline to submit photos is April 15. The guidelines and entry form can be found at the photo contest website. More information.