Spring is always busy in Fairfax County and this year is no different! Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors voted on the markup of the FY 2022 Budget (effective July 1, 2021). Difficult decisions were made and while the board did not go along with my recommendation for another dedicated half penny for affordable housing, getting the equivalent of that amount from federal recovery funding is a good start. More details are below and as always, your comments and questions are welcome. Contact my office at huntermill@fairfaxcounty.gov.

There have also been several significant announcements (good news!) regarding vaccines and COVID-19 restrictions:

The county's Health Department announced that beginning today you can get walk-in appointments at the Tysons Community Vaccination Center (CVC). The first-come, first-served walk-in appointments are Monday thru Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The CVC is located in the former Lord & Taylor at 7950 Tysons Corner Center in McLean. Now that there is enough vaccine supply, you should be able to quickly get an appointment countywide. Learn more.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced new guidance on mask wearing yesterday for both people who are fully vaccinated and those who haven't been vaccinated yet. The information includes a handy chart; learn more.

Governor Northam announced last week that sports and entertainment venues in Virginia may begin to operate with expanded capacity, and social gathering limits will increase beginning Saturday, May 15. This is all very promising news as more people get vaccinated. Learn more

A silver lining of the pandemic has been the outpouring of generous support for our neighbors in need. Several examples have been featured in this newsletter. Another shining example is Rustic Love Vienna, a group of students and families raising money to support first responders and food-insecure families during the pandemic. To raise funds, they build and sell heart signs and I got mine at this weekend’s Vienna Open Air Market. Looks great in my yard! (photo above). Learn more.

On April 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted their recommended pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Learn more.

You may notice a chlorine taste and odor in your drinking water while free chlorine is washing its way through. Flushing also may result in temporary discoloration and the presence of sediment in your water. These conditions are not harmful and should be of very short duration. Learn more.

The county's Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is publishing a series that explores some of the most promising solutions to our most pressing environmental issues. The articles are below and you can also follow on Twitter and Facebook 

Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) Virtual Public Meetings May 18 and May 20

The Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination is hosting virtual public meetings on May 18 and 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m.to provide residents and stakeholders the opportunity to learn about CECAP, its goals and objectives, and to provide attendees a chance to share their thoughts, opinions, and questions. Learn more.

Yesterday, the Board of Supervisor approved the markup of the proposed FY 2022 Budget, which is scheduled for a final vote next Tuesday, May 4. Below is a quick summary of what was approved and you can watch the meeting here.

Once adopted, the FY 2022 Budget becomes effective July 1, 2021. Learn more about the budget.

My office occasionally receives questions about the operation of food trucks. Below is helpful information from Code Compliance:

Fairfax County Code regulates the sale of food from vending trucks on VDOT roadways. Food trucks are allowed to operate at county-owned facilities, at private commercial and industrial properties with principal uses over 25,000 square feet, or on active construction sites, as long as they obtain a food truck location permit through the county. They can be located on Park Authority properties with a Park permit, in certain limited VDOT rights-of-way with a Health Department permit, and on certain non-residential uses on residentially zoned property such as community pools, as an accessory use with a special permit approval. They also can be associated with a special event through the temporary special permit process. Learn more about operating food trucks in Fairfax County.

On Friday, April 23, the Board of Supervisors appointed Kevin Davis to the position of chief of the Fairfax County Police Department. Deputy County Executive for Public Safety Dave Rohrer has been acting as interim since former chief Ed Roessler retired in February. Davis’ appointment is effective May 3. More to come in next week’s newsletter.  

Learn more about Chief Davis.

Contact the Reston District Station for more information.

NEW: The webpage for the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study now includes a section with edits and changes to the Reston Comprehensive Plan made by Task Force members. You can see the latest documents listed under the “Task Force Comprehensive Plan Mark-Ups” tab in the Community Engagement section of the webpage. Learn about the study and get the latest information at: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/planning-development/plan-amendments/reston-area-study.

The next scheduled meeting is Monday, May 10, 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting will be hosted on the Webex platform. Details and the agenda will be found here. You can watch all of the task force meetings on YouTube Live

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.

Additional registrations may be opening up for the May 15 Tour de Hunter Mill. If you would like to participate in this fun community event, you can be added to the wait list so you will be contacted if spaces become available. Please join us if you can! Learn more.

Any registered Fairfax County voter can vote early, and can cast their ballot at any early voting site. Learn more.

Reston Community Center is seeking performing arts groups of all ages and cultures for the 21st Annual Reston Multicultural Festival. Opportunities are also available for art and food vendors, civic organizations and artists.The festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 25 at Reston’s historic Lake Anne Plaza. Learn more.