Updates & Information from
Dranesville Supervisor John Foust
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Dear Neighbor,
This email includes information on the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, information from the Health Department on potential side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, and payment assistance options with Fairfax Water. See below for details.
Also, below are a few other updates, meetings and events:
- Jones Branch Connector Receives National Recognition
- Addressing Homelessness in Fairfax County
- NCS Senior Center Re-Opening 2021
- July 14, 21, 28: zMOD - Long-Term Care:
- Understanding Options and Advocacy
- July 21: Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan - Community Update and Feedback Session
- July 30: Long-Term Care: Understanding Options and Advocacy
- July 30: McLean Central Park Comment Period Extended
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
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Funding Available for Tenants and Landlords Through Emergency Rental Assistance Program
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Fairfax County is administering relief for renters experiencing a negative financial impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) Program. Through this program, tenants and landlords may receive funds to pay delinquent and prospective rent payments.
Tenant Checklists and Landlord Checklists are available in multiple languages including Arabic, Amharic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Each case is assessed individually, and assistance is provided based on eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Has experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to COVID-19.
- Demonstrates a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
- Have a gross household income at or below 80& of the area median income.
- Eligible households must have a rent that is at or below 150% Fair Market Rent.
- Up to 15 months of assistance may be available.
6 Things to Know About Accessing Emergency Rental Assistance:
- Immigration status is not a barrier to receiving services.
- Minimum documentation includes a lease or rental agreement and proof of income.
- Residents who have received funding previously are still eligible to receive ERA resources.
- Residents can get financial assistance if they are unemployed.
- Coordination Services Planning (CSP) have instituted additional staff and technology to reduce wait times and to ensure that residents speak directly with a staff member.
- CSP specialists can assist residents in multiple languages.
Eviction Prevention Resources:
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What You Need To Know About Heart Inflammation and COVID-19 Vaccines
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The CDC shared information about heart inflammation occurring in some people after they received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna). The CDC is actively monitoring these reports, reviewing data and medical records to learn more about what happened and to understand any relationship to COVID-19 vaccination. Read more about the situation on the CDC website.
This condition, which is called myocarditis, can be caused by many different infections, including the flu. Symptoms may include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Doctors diagnose myocarditis by a combination of these symptoms and lab tests or scans. People with myocarditis often are admitted to the hospital and receive supportive care and rest while they recover.
The Risk of Myocarditis After COVID-19 Vaccine Remains Low
More than one thousand myocarditis cases have been reported. Most have occurred in young men less than 30 years old and they occurred most often after the second vaccine dose. Symptoms generally began within 4 days of receiving the vaccination.
The CDC indicates that people who suffered myocarditis largely recovered. A CDC review of medical records for 29 people who had confirmed myocarditis revealed that 22 required hospitalization, half of them for just one day. At the time of the analysis, all of the patients had been sent home, and almost all had resolution of their symptoms and returned to normal health.
The Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccination Outweigh
the Known and Potential Risks
Although younger people are less likely to become seriously ill or die from COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths do occur. Many people, even those who had mild COVID-19 illness, may continue to experience symptoms such as fatigue, loss of taste and smell, problems concentrating, and other symptoms for months after a COVID-19 infection. Young people with mild or even asymptomatic disease can transmit the illness to others.
So on balance, the known and potential benefits of vaccination exceed the known and potential risks. And that is why the CDC and the Fairfax County Health Department continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone aged 12 and older.
How to Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19
If you are concerned about myocarditis or have questions about vaccination, please talk to your doctor, or call the Fairfax County Vaccine Call Center at 703-324-7404. Find vaccination information on the Fairfax County website or vaccines.gov.
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Fairfax Water Payment Assistance Options
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Experiencing a financial hardship due to COVID19? You're not alone. Eligible residents can apply for assistance through the COVID-19 Municipal Utility Relief Program among other payment assistance options. For more information, visit the Fairfax Water website here.
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VDOT: Jones Branch Connector
Receives National Recognition
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Newly built Tysons roadway named 2021 Project of the Year by the American Society of Highway Engineers
The Jones Branch Connector, a joint effort by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Fairfax County to build a new crossing over the Capital Beltway in Tysons, has been named the 2021 National Project of the Year by the American Society of Highway Engineers.
The annual awards recognize outstanding work completed on transportation projects, including highways, bridges, traffic signals, railroads, public transit and bikeways. Projects are judged on criteria of complexity, innovation, social and economic considerations, safety and aesthetics, and sustainable features.
Completed in spring 2020, Scotts Crossing Road, coined the “Jones Branch Connector,” is a half mile of new road and bridges across the Beltway from Jones Branch Drive to state Route 123 in Tysons. Four travel lanes, two bicycle lanes and lighted sidewalks were built to link the Tysons East and Central areas, providing new access to the 495 Express Lanes and McLean Metrorail Station. The median is reserved for future transit as well. The road has been estimated to pull 21,000 vehicles a day from local intersections, increasing to 32,000 by 2040 as business and residential redevelopment expands in Tysons.
Fairfax County led the design and development of the project, while VDOT broke ground in 2017 to administer construction. In less than two years, the team opened one lane of traffic in each direction, a milestone that allowed thousands of commuters access to the new direct connection while the remaining lanes and features were constructed. Archer Western Construction LLC was the contractor for the $60.2 million project, financed with federal, state and county funds.
Learn more about the project and see more photos online, including transparent soundwalls that maintain community views and time-lapse footage captured from Tysons rooftops. To read the full press release, visit VDOT's website here.
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Addressing Homelessness in Fairfax County
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Watch this short video to learn more about addressing homelessness in Fairfax County.
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NCS Senior Center Re-Opening 2021
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Good news! After being closed for over a year, select Fairfax County Senior Centers are now open. Members are welcome to visit ANY of the re-opened centers to use fitness rooms and computer labs, play games and socialize with their peers. Staff and instructor-led classes and programs will not be offered but are scheduled to resume when senior centers open at full capacity on September 7, 2021.
No temperature or daily health checks are required to visit one of the re-opened centers. However, we ask that you stay home if you feel ill. If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, please wear a mask during your visit. Participants will also be required to sign a liability waiver to visit senior centers.
Herndon Senior Center
873 Grace Street,
Herndon, VA 20170
703-464-6200, TTY 711
Lewinsville Senior Center
1613 Great Falls Street,
McLean, VA 22101
703-442-9075, TTY 711
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July 14, 21, 28: zMOD - Long-Term Care:
Understanding Options and Advocacy
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Interested in learning more about the new Zoning Ordinance Join Department of Planning and Development staff for a series of lunch and learn sessions and a community meeting on a variety of topics, including navigating the new Ordinance, accessory living units, and home-based businesses. The meeting information is listed below and on the zMOD Outreach Page.
Upcoming Meetings
zMOD Overview and Navigating the New ZO
Wednesday, July 14, at 12:00 p.m.
(Call In Number: 1 866 899 4679, Access Code: 565-257-813)
zMOD Overview and Navigating the New ZO
Wednesday, July 14, at 7:00 p.m.
(Call In Number: 1 866 899 4679, Access Code: 714-776-749)
Accessory Living Units
Wednesday, July 21, at 12:00 p.m.
(Call In Number: 1 866 899 4679, Access Code: 290-975-077)
Home-Based Businesses
Wednesday, July 28, at 12:00 p.m.
(Call In Number: 1 877 309 2073, Access Code: 327-204-557)
Save the date for more zMOD Lunch and Learn sessions: Accessory Structures and Other Residential Changes on September 8 and Commercial and Industrial Changes on September 15. Details will be updated on the zMOD Outreach website here.
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Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan -
Community Update and Feedback Session
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After pausing for a year due to COVID-19 in 2020 (which followed more than a year of work, engagement, development and refinement in 2019), County Executive Bryan Hill presented a first-ever countywide strategic plan to the Board of Supervisors in February 2021. Join Fairfax County staff for a virtual community conversation to share your thoughts on the Fairfax Countywide Strategic Plan:
Event Details
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
This plan is subject to change following community feedback and direction from the Board of Supervisors. For more information and to see the latest version of the proposed plan, visit the County Wide Strategic Plan website here.
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July 30: Long-Term Care:
Understanding Options and Advocacy
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Research has shown that at some point in their caregiving journey, a family caregiver will face the decision of whether to place a loved one in a long-term care facility. This panel conversation will provide information about the different options and resources to inform yourself before making the decision, and how to advocate for your loved one while they are in a long-term care facility.
Event Details
Friday, July 30 at 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
The panel includes:
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McLean Central Park Comment Period Extended
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A Public Information Meeting was held on May 24, 2021 to review the development concept for McLean Central Park. The meeting was attended by over 61 people and was held online in a virtual setting so that members of the public could participate safely and conveniently from their own homes.
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Stay Informed about COVID-19
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Fairfax County is closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Residents are strongly encouraged to utilize the resources listed below:
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