Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 7h 57m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/2796
Official Board of Supervisors page (Fairfax County): https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boardofsupervisors/

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-11-04. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:07] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our March 21, 2023 Board of Supervisors meeting. And we are going to begin our meeting with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But before we do that, let me ask board members if they have anyone this morning they would like to keep in their thoughts and prayers today.

[00:00:25] And I'll just start with one, which is I think most people have probably heard in the media by now that Wes Foster Jr. passed away. And Wes Foster, of course, was the co-founder and chairman of Long & Foster, which is one of the largest independent real estate companies in the nation.

[00:00:44] He passed away on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. The company reported at the age of 89. And for those not familiar with Long & Foster, they began their work in a 600-square-foot office here in Fairfax County, which was always their home headquarters.

[00:01:01] They lived in the Northern Virginia area and grew a very small real estate practice into one of the world's largest. And so we want to keep Wes Foster, his wife Betty, and his two sons, one daughter, six grandchildren, and many extended family members and friends, as well as the workers at Long and Foster Real Estate in our thoughts and prayers this morning.

[00:01:27] And with that, I'd be happy to recognize any other supervisors. Supervisor Herdy. Yes, Mr. Chairman, very sad to lose another one of Fairfax County's kind of titans in West Foster. Also sad to announce the passing of Patsy Drain at the age of 87 years old.

[00:01:44] I remember her fondly back when she worked for my dad. She always talked about her time working for Ronald Reagan during his run for governor. She was an excellent writer, a hard worker. She supported many in the community through her law practice in Fairfax and Leesburg and in her writing and teaching.

[00:02:01] She served on the Fairfax County Board of Elections secretary. She was involved in many Republican organizations, including Republican women's clubs and the State Central Committee. During a lot of this, she attended night classes at George Mason, to add to her degree.

[00:02:17] She was truly an extraordinary person. She stood for what she believed, dedicated herself to public service her whole life, and leaves behind a legacy of patriotism and community leadership. I ask that we keep Patsy and her children and family in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Others who would like to be recognized?

[00:02:37] Seeing and hearing none. At this time, if we could all rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:02:43] To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[00:03:22] And this morning we have four presentations, and as we always do and have done in the past, I will announce the proclamation, invite our designated speaker and anyone else who's here with them for the proclamation to join us at the podium. In front of me, we'll then read the proclamation, and after the speaker's remarks and a vote, we will pose for a picture from the dais.

[00:03:49] And our first resolution this morning is to recognize Peter Murphy for his decades of service as chairman of the Fairfax County Planning Commission and this was requested by myself and Supervisor Herity and Pete if you could come on down to the podium and anyone who is here with you certainly welcome to join you as well and I will recognize Supervisor Herity to read a resolution yes Mr. Chairman I have a resolution whereas Fairfax County Planning Commissioner Pete Murphy has been an active member of the community for many decades dedicating much of his life to public

[00:04:24] service and whereas in 1982 pete murphy was appointed to the planning commission and has served as its chairman since 1989 playing a critical role in transforming the county from a sleepy bedroom community to the economic powerhouse it is today and leading the way in forming land use policy in fairfax county from fairfax corner to the to the tyson's plan and whereas pete murphy's vast knowledge of plant of the planning process and fairfax county Foundation contributes to the commission's successful operation, how it conducts business

[00:04:59] and makes decisions, and how we grow as a county. And whereas Pete Murphy's steady leadership is one of the critical elements that has enabled Fairfax County's development success, and whereas during his time as chairman, Pete Murphy has received multiple accolades from the community and the board, including the Department of Army Commanders Award for Public Service, the Kate Hanley Public Service Award, and the Fairfax County Volunteer of the Year Award in the Community Leader category, and was named Lord Fairfax for the Springfield District.

[00:05:34] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby congratulate and thank Peter F. Murphy for his decades of service as chairman of the planning commission and his many contributions to fairfax county and wishes him well in his future endeavors so moved i'm happy to second that along with most of the board of supervisors i don't think this is going to be a close vote which is a good thing uh discussion on the motion let me start with you supervisor harry yeah i and i could i could say i

[00:06:09] I could say a whole lot, but I will echo the thoughts of many of us here and, you know, on our board and previous boards, because it really has been a legacy. It's been decades of service and care for this community. And really, you know, the land use process was something we really didn't have to worry about in Fairfax County.

[00:06:31] And it was in a large part, you know, while other appointees turned over on that board, Pete was kind of the steady hand. Remember when Springfield Supervisor Marie Travesque first appointed you in 1982, which is a long time ago.

[00:06:47] That was the year I graduated from college. In fact, I know it was the year I graduated from college. But your leadership, vision, and experience have been invaluable to me, my office, my staff, and most importantly to the community and to Fairfax County. And you undersaw a lot.

[00:07:03] I mean, we were a sleepy bedroom community, and that was the transition from that bedroom community to the economic powerhouse. we are today but you don't stop there um Burke Volunteer Fire Department and your many other volunteer activities I think you were outshone a little bit on uh on Saturday night though I mean Charlene gets the Founders Award and Charlene gets the uh but uh so it's truly a family of service and you also couldn't have done it without uh without these two because uh without their support the long nights uh on on planning commission's days and and and today the drives to

[00:07:43] and from um without the chauffeur it doesn't work but uh i just want to say thank you for everything you've done not just for the planning commission but for the county and for our community um i'm not going to say we're going to miss you because you're still my you're still my planning commissioner and i'm still counting on you um and you still are providing valuable leadership on the uh on the planning commission even though not chair so thank you again for your service thank you uh supervisor faust and we'll come this way yeah the feeling everyone almost everyone's going to want

[00:08:15] to say something i know everyone's going to want to say uh express their gratitude to you and uh i i join that uh it's um you know as a i've seen you from both sides of the dais as an activist Arguing land use cases from a community advocate standpoint and working with you as a supervisor, your class act, you know, you always showed respect and you just treat people the way they deserve to be treated.

[00:08:53] And that's, you know, after 41 years, you're still doing it. And we appreciate everything you've done for the county. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I'll say it's been a pleasure to have the opportunity to serve with Mr. Murphy.

[00:09:13] And I think just thinking back to when I first came on to the planning commission, I was just retelling a story to him. When I got sworn in, my daughter was there age three, and she also had her hand up. She got sworn in on the planning commission with me.

[00:09:31] It was pretty special. And the thing I really appreciate about, and I'm going to say Pete because that's what I normally call him, he is such a family person, and he always asks, how is your family?

[00:09:47] He cares so much about the individual, and his service has been exemplary. I can't imagine the number of hours that you have committed to Fairfax County. We're talking thousands and thousands and thousands of hours.

[00:10:04] You have made a difference in the lives of many here in Fairfax County, and I'm going to say I'm grateful for your contributions. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve with you, and I'm grateful for the things that you've helped create here in Fairfax County.

[00:10:20] And I just want to say I don't intend to be a stranger from you. I'm going to make sure I know where you are, so don't go far, mister, and look forward to seeing you as well. So thank you very much. supervisor gross thank you pete um the other night i think just earlier this week last week i was channel surfing and i came upon the planning commission hearing and um yeah trouble sleeping

[00:10:52] and um it was strange not to see you in the chairman's seat but i did notice that during the debate there was a question and i could hear pete murphy's voice saying no you need to do it this way, something to that effect. So he's still exercising his role as his longtime role as chair.

[00:11:13] I've always thought of you, Pete, as sort of an Irish leprechaun. You always have a twinkle in your eye. And I think, although we really appreciate all the many, many years of leadership you provided for the Planning Commission, what I like to remember about you is your emceeing of the lords and ladies um events all those years in the forum where we were we were trying to honor people but you were so funny all the time in your presentations that it was like a stand-up comedy

[00:11:47] show and and it just made everybody feel so good and it was i think an example of your outlook on life regardless of the challenges that are thrown to you you always find something fun in life and I think that's also probably something that your wife and your daughter have had in their lives is your wonderful sense of humor, even when things get a little tough.

[00:12:12] So thank you, Pete. It's been a pleasure working with you over these years, and I look forward to at least another few months as far as I'm concerned. Thank you. Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Pete, I appreciate your steady hand with the Planning Commission.

[00:12:28] It can always get a little crazy at times, and you had that steady hand. But I really want to congratulate you on your lovely wife, who knows how to instruct people to crack open lobsters when they're not sure how to eat a lobster. Thank you for your service, Pete.

[00:12:46] Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Former Chairman. I'm going to be clearly one that we will all recognize as maybe chairman emeritus because your style, your, your, I always think of it in terms of, because I came from the school board side where our meetings weren't always maybe managed the way that they could or should be managed.

[00:13:10] And your style, your, really the humor, the variety, the way you kept the meeting moving. And they were long meetings, I know that, but they were long because you wanted to listen, but you all wanted to, you also wanted to keep things moving along. So, Pete, my deepest thanks to you for your decades of service.

[00:13:28] It is clearly an inspiration to all of us and something I deeply appreciate. So thank you on behalf of me and Mount Vernon District. And I see one of our other illustrious members of Mount Vernon District right behind you with decades of service to us as well. So, Tim, thank you as well. Thank you.

[00:13:44] Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Pete, thank you for your incredible service. 1982, I was born in 1982. I was born at the end of 1982, so I think you got me beat, but all of us are standing on your shoulders, and you have made such incredible contributions.

[00:14:12] Thank you, and to your family as well for their contributions. Thank you, Pete. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Things are changing, but, Pete, you know, there's one thing that's not going to change, and that's the legacy that you really have made with the Planning Commission as chairman for so many years.

[00:14:36] You know, it's kind of weird, but I only did 16 years on the Planning Commission, which is less than half of the number of years that you actually served and been chairman. But I've learned a lot from you. I really have.

[00:14:52] You know, I've learned, you know, sometimes you have to take things seriously, but sometimes you don't want to take yourself too seriously. And, you know, that's a lesson I think you taught me. You know, I spent a few years as vice chair, which means I got to sit next to you.

[00:15:09] And we almost had to be separated, I think, because, you know, just the back and forth and, you know, the comments. And I think that may be one reason I sit on the end of this board. That's why that seat is empty. Yes, and the seat is empty, exactly. So, you know, some things continue.

[00:15:27] But, Pete, you know, I agree with, you know, Supervisor Gross was talking about humor and the importance of that. You've always understood that and always really used that to make people feel comfortable and really to get the best out of the process.

[00:15:45] But, you know, more than anything, and I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, You've really respected the institution of the Planning Commission and promoted that. And that gets beyond any of us as individuals. But, you know, you've always and you certainly taught me how important it is to have an independent, respectful, deliberate, thoughtful citizen Planning Commission.

[00:16:12] And that's something that I think will always be your legacy. And, you know, and even even with all those late nights, you know, we can you really showed how we can disagree, but without being disagreeable. And that's that's really that that speaks so much to you and your character.

[00:16:33] So thank you, Pete, for for all the years. And thank you for your friendship. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. And before we vote, I too want to pile on and thank Pete because I think people watching today and people here in the auditorium have gathered that we literally have a legend in front of us.

[00:16:55] Someone who has contributed more to Fairfax County than virtually anybody else I can think of and has done it in such a friendly way. You know, Pete is one of the easiest persons to be a friend of just because of his personality. And I think that personality has driven your work on the Planning Commission.

[00:17:14] As Supervisor Alcorn just said, you know, the institution of the Planning Commission was better served and always protected by you. But Pete was tough when he needed to be, fair always, respectful of people, always put the county first. And for anyone who knows a thing or two about the Planning Commission, you know, they handle some quite controversial, tough issues, emotional for a lot of people.

[00:17:38] and yet always handled under Pete Murphy as chairman in the most professional way that people in this county would expect and deserve. And you served for 33 years from one chairman to another. 33 years as chairman is just impossible.

[00:17:54] I mean, just think about that. Let that sink in. And that's why I say, you know, Pete, you're a legend. And I also want to thank your wife and daughter because I know the major sacrifices they've made for you to be able to do this job, to be here night after night, sometimes in the late hours, and to serve in so many other ways.

[00:18:14] Pete is not just a former chairman of the Planning Commission, but he's all in in the community, as we've said. Won so many awards, involved in so many volunteer opportunities, instrumental in Celebrate Fairfax, instrumental in the Burke Volunteer Fire Department.

[00:18:31] You've just gone all in. It hasn't just been about land use and the Planning Commission. But one thing about Pete is when he sets out to do something, he does it well and he does it fair. And that's why he has so many friends like all of us that think of you, Pete, as a friend as much as a literal living legend in Fairfax County.

[00:18:50] And so we thank you and thank your colleagues who have joined you here as well. I know every member of that planning commission and former, current, past has deep respect for you. and that's why they wanted you as their chairman for so many years.

[00:19:07] And so thank you, Pete, and thank you to the Murphy family for everything you've done. And as others have said, we know you're still on the Planning Commission, which helps me rest a little bit easier at night. But I know that you will continue to be involved in every way you can be in the community and the residents of Fairfax County.

[00:19:23] Thank you. With that, I think we're ready for a vote. I don't think it's going to be close. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? well you're out voting because your two commissioners behind you voted yes but but in in all seriousness um pete uh thank you so much and the floor is yours my friend well thank you very much i just finished reading the instructions that the chairman sent me about how you should behave behind this podium so i just want to let you know my red light just went on

[00:19:56] so i'll make it brief i want to thank pat harry for helping you with this citation and i'll thank the board and former alumni association people that have always enjoyed each we've always enjoyed each other no thank you very much but the person who really made this all happen for me and supported me all these years has been my wife charlene and my daughter cheryl and standing right here with me for the photo op and she's really been wonderful for me and for cheryl and cheryl has been wonderful for me also and it's quite a pleasure to come here before you and staying with my family and with some of my friends from the planning commission because

[00:20:32] that's what it's all about so thank you very much i really do appreciate it um i'm here to serve but you know somebody mentioned something about sleepy community and all that i just want to recall one thing that i think i don't know whether rodney or me but matters is a lot but back in the early day uh come springtime we used to have a joint venture between uh the leech the leech uh member that's not the lead district anymore it's franconia and the springfield this it was called springfield days remember that oh yeah and we had a parade with a lot of

[00:21:07] convertibles with a lot of politicians waving we had amusements down at springfield mall or springfield shopping center and one year they decided the people that ran it to have a slogan contest think of a slogan about springfield and what it means to you i don't remember i remember what who wanted it was something like Springfield is fun but I thought the one that came in second was the best one yet and I saved it and I found it the other day which I very really do

[00:21:42] is find things that I saved and here it is Springfield Virginia Washington still sleeps here dad come in with the theme of this meeting today I mean you know let's let's let's be honest with each other. And they're not talking about George. I mean, you know, this was, and Robbie will bear me out on this, this was a sleeping valley for people in Washington. That's where we were. We were the bedroom community for Washington and also for the Pentagon. A lot of people thought the Pentagon

[00:22:21] was in Washington, but actually the Pentagon's in Virginia. And that's how we have come in the last several years we've passed that bedroom community stage and we're in a dynamic situation right now where we have a great place for all people to live recreate go to church do all those kinds of things that we hope everybody would do eventually they sure did and they're doing it now thanks to the board of supervisors we've had and thanks to my my colleagues in the planning commission and i want to thank all the members of the planning commission who are here today you see John Oldfelder and Tim Sargent.

[00:22:56] Phil, yeah. You can come down. Come on down, Phil. Come on down. Come on down. Come on down, Phil. Anybody else in the chief? Yeah, that's right. That's right. Here is the chairman, the new chairman of the Planning Commission, Phil Nijalski-Eichner.

[00:23:13] Welcome. Good seeing you, Phil. Thanks for coming. Wonderful. Thanks, Pete. Okay. And I do want to thank the people on our staff. Jill Cooper is just pulling miracles out of her hat every day for us, and she does it so easily.

[00:23:30] Jacob Copernetti, where is Jacob? Come on down, Jacob. You're with us. Our senior clerk, I mean, really great people. And I want to thank, I said, Charlene and Charlene, come on up here a little bit. And for all you do for me and for everyone else, and I'm very proud of the fact some of you went to the Burke Fire Department 75th banquet Saturday night, And Charlene was given the highest award, the Founders' Trophy, for the service she gives to the fire department.

[00:23:57] Fortunately, she's not climbing any ladders or going up a hooking ladder. She's in charge of the hall, but she brings in the money. Only in the house, I click on that. Where does it say, wife speaks? I don't remember that. That's how you keep them straight. But thank you all for the remarks you gave, and I really appreciate them, and I know Charlene does too.

[00:24:19] And John Oelfelder was here, and Tim Sargent, and Jacob Capra, Ledley, our senior. And Phil. And Phil. Yeah, Phil. He just snapped on it. It'll do anything to get in the picture now with these chairs. Okay? So thank you very much. I appreciate it, and Godspeed.

[00:24:35] Thank you. Thank you very much, Pete. And if all of you could come forward, join us for a photo. And Supervisor Harrity, Supervisor Lusk, and Supervisor Alcorn as planning commissioners, if you could join us for the photo. And Jill. And Jill, please. Oh, and Jill.

[00:24:49] And next, we have a resolution to recognize and congratulate Alice's Kids for its work in the community and recent national recognition.

[00:26:58] This was requested by myself and Supervisor Stork, and I know, I do know, Ron Fitzsimmons is here, the executive director of Alice's Kids. Ron, if you could come on down to the podium, if anyone's with you, they're welcome to join us as well. And I am going to turn the gavel to Supervisor Gross so that I can read the following resolution.

[00:27:17] Whereas Alice's Kids was established by siblings Ron Fitzsimmons and Laura Fitzsimmons Peters in honor of their mother Alice for their efforts to lift up family despite their financial struggles and whereas Alice's Kids is a non-profit organization that provides short-term financial assistance relying on a network of school staff, charitable organizations, government social workers and churches for referrals and giving parents an opportunity to shine in front of their children thanks to the anonymous funding process.

[00:27:48] And whereas funds raised by Alice's kids help pay for clothing, shoes, school uniforms and supplies, glasses, sports equipment and fees, summer camps, yearbooks and other items that can help raise the self-esteem of children in need.

[00:28:05] And whereas last month, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt, who grew up in Virginia and graduated from Braun Run High School in Ashburn, donated $250,000 second-place Celebrity Jeopardy winnings to Alice's Kids. And whereas Alice's Kids received numerous donations after the Celebrity Jeopardy episode aired, bringing them closer and closer to their 2023 fundraising goal, thanks to Patton Oswalt's advocacy and generosity.

[00:28:35] Whereas the grassroots efforts of Alice's Kids have improved the lives of many thousands of children, and their recent national recognition will allow them to help many more now therefore be it resolved that the fairfax county board of supervisors on behalf of all residents of fairfax county does hereby congratulate and thank alice's kids organization and ron fitzsimmons and laura fitzsimmons peters for their efforts to help lift up the children of our community you've heard the motion seconded by supervisor stork is there discussion on the motion yes thank Thank you, Madam Chairman.

[00:29:09] And very briefly, first, I've known Ron for a long time. There was a time Ron was here on the bench serving the Mount Vernon District Supervisor a long, long time ago. And it was only many years after that that I learned of the charity that Ron and his family began and that run here in Fairfax County.

[00:29:29] And I have been so impressed by the work that they do. Very few organizations make donations anonymously the way you do to children to help them get the same opportunities that other kids have, not just in Fairfax County, but all over the place.

[00:29:47] And when I was watching Celebrity Jeopardy, I had no idea that Patton Oswalt, the celebrity, was playing. And every one of these celebrities picked a charity that they wanted their winnings to go to. And I almost fell out of my chair when I heard Alice's Kids because I just thought there must be more than one.

[00:30:06] Could this be Ron's Alice's Kids? And lo and behold, it was. And then I linked back that actor's roots in Virginia and some things started to make sense why he was doing that. But for an organization that is very small in size but very effective, using every donation as effectively as they possibly could, I know this was a huge, huge deal to Alice's kids and has helped you raise so much more money because of that notoriety.

[00:30:34] And what that means for us is there's a lot of kids in our community and other places that are going to get opportunities to do things that we just expect most kids in Fairfax County get a chance to do. And I can't think of a better legacy for your mom, for the work that you do and the dedication that you, Ron, and your team put into this work.

[00:30:56] It makes a big difference. And so when this got national attention, we thought this is an opportunity. It doesn't happen every day. One of our small nonprofits gets national attention that we come to celebrate that and to thank you, not just for this one instance, but you've been at this for a long time.

[00:31:12] Thank you for everything you've done for our young people. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Additional discussion supervisor stork. Well, thank you madam chair and and it is a great pleasure and an honor to recognize what frankly folks in Mount Vernon district and our really are the south county area have recognized for a long time is the huge efforts. If you need something done for a kid, you know where to go.

[00:31:38] My wife, who was a school counselor for 27 years, knew where Alice's kids was and who to call and what to do to get that need that that kid couldn't meet in some other way. It wasn't just about food. It was about something special for that child, which gets back to the name.

[00:31:57] And Ron, you and I have had many conversations about the challenge, the challenging youth, the challenging process you had of growing up and your mom's struggles to frankly make a difference in your life. But in the end, she obviously made the ultimate difference in your life.

[00:32:17] To be able to be remembered in a way that I know speaks to not only your values, Laura's values, but also to your mom's clear values that we can each make a difference, if you will, the power of one that she made in your life, but really the power of two that the two of you have put together to help and support and make a difference in so many young people's lives.

[00:32:43] I'm sorry, I can't think of a higher power than that in terms of what we can do as a human. So it's been a pleasure and honor to know you and to work with you and really to see this purely voluntary huge amounts of time you took, particularly in the early years, blossomed into something that's in the majority of the states and the country you've been supporting kids.

[00:33:10] And it started with, in the case of most of us, it started with that individual donation. That's somebody down the street who saw something and wanted to have something done and knew where to go to make that difference. And then obviously Patton Oswalt and his $5,000 initial donation to you and then how that essentially grew to $250,000 is a story really unto itself.

[00:33:39] But it in no way compares to the difference that you've made in children's lives and the fact that your mom, you know, kind of came, her life came through your life to make that difference in so many other children's lives. So I'm very thankful that you and her and your family had that opportunity to see the good and care in so many ways and recognize that you and your sister do have the power of two through the power of one, your mom,

[00:34:14] to make the powerful difference to the children that you've touched for now more than a decade. I'd like your son to come down. Patrick, where did you go?

[00:34:33] Come on down. You need to be here with your dad. Did you want to say something? I think your actions have spoken louder than your words ever could, sir. So thank you.

[00:34:48] Thank you, Supervisor. This is Patrick Fitzsimmons, my son, and a member of the board. Any additional? We'll give you a moment. we have to vote first you can't speak until we vote um all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed say nay any abstentions mr chairman that motion carries thank you very much vice chairman gross and uh proudly um i'm happy to turn over the podium to ron to share a few words welcome uh thank you jeff uh thank you jeff and dan for offering this motion and i appreciate the board support of our of our charity when i was uh christine mornell remember when i

[00:35:27] was on jerry highland staff i used to complain about resolutions like this and how much time they took up now it looks a little different from here um 12 years ago i met with cynthia hull many remember cynthia the late cynthia hull at ucm and i asked her they do so many great programs over there i asked her what do you do when a kid comes in and they can't afford soccer cleats or the prom ticket, or a field trip, little things that are still very, very important to their sense of self-worth.

[00:35:59] Her response was, "We don't have a petty cash drawer." And that really hit me. And so we went from there, started off really small, like Dan was saying, here in the Mount Vern area. Ultimately, we got a lot of interesting publicity because of the way we deliver the charity, and I'll explain in one second.

[00:36:18] Teresa Vargas, the columnist of the Washington Post, has written about us five times. That, of course, garnered a lot of national attention. And then one day, the first request came in from Boise, Idaho, and I said, what do we do with this? We had the money, so we paid for it.

[00:36:34] So today, we are a national charity. And in fact, talking about Patton Oswalt, after Patton's donation to us, we received a $1 million donation from a couple in Annapolis. So we are skyrocketing here.

[00:36:52] One thing in my few seconds here that I'd like to do is convey something to all the teachers and social workers, police people, homeless shelter staff, people who deal with children in need, that we are anxious to spend even more money on these kids who need these things that make them feel a little bit more normal.

[00:37:15] And our process is very simple, but it is unique. A teacher will send a request to us. We don't accept requests from the general public. A teacher sends us a request for soccer cleats for a kid. We get it, and within 24 hours, our amazing group of volunteers sends out a gift card to the teacher, to Dick's Sporting Goods, let's say.

[00:37:38] The teacher turns around, gives it to the parent or caregiver. That person can then turn around to their child and say, let's go to Dick's Sporting Goods this weekend, get those soccer cleats. We are anonymous. We do that to preserve the dignity of the child.

[00:37:54] There's a lot of shame in poverty. And my sister and I know that there's a lot of shame in accepting poverty, despite some of the stereotypes out there. So we do it that way. So that gives the child has no idea that there's a charity involved. They maintain their dignity.

[00:38:10] The parent, the caregiver has a moment to shine. And the teacher also, and the social worker, they feel really good about their participation. This is what's attracted a lot of national attention, the way we do it anonymously, and we'll continue to do that.

[00:38:28] I mentioned volunteers. I want to thank my board of directors, and we have a good 50 volunteers that send out those gift cards electronically every day. They're a machine. And finally, last but not least, I know she's watching somewhere, but my sister, Laura, who is probably at this point playing backgammon in Tampa, Florida.

[00:38:58] She's retired down there and getting ready for the Blue Plate special, which starts at 1 p.m., I think. I want to thank my sister, Laura. If you're listening, Laura, I don't know if you can see Channel 16, but she's an inspiration to me, and I love her dearly. Thanks very much, Laura, for being there, and thank you all for your support. Thank you very much, Ron. Thank you very much, Ron. Powerful stuff, and I'm glad we had an opportunity to thank all the folks you thanked

[00:39:34] as well and and you uh for your perseverance uh with this and um as we mentioned these are anonymous gifts so really we're also saying thanks for the thousands of kids whose whose lives you've improved who you know wouldn't know it was you um and i think that's the beauty of what you're doing so thank you very much and with that um i think we're ready for a photo of supervisor stork if

[00:39:57] you'd join me and our next proclamation is to designate april 2023 as child abuse prevention

[00:41:57] month. And this was requested by myself, Supervisor Palchuk, and Supervisor Lusk. And I understand we have Fairfax County parent Stella Lynn who's here. Stella, if you could come on down and anyone else who's here with you, they are welcome to come down and join you as well. And with that, Supervisor Palchuk is running a little bit late this morning, so I'm going to read the proclamation. Let me hand gavel over to supervisor gross whereas nationally in 2020 nearly 3.1 million children were involved with child protective services and whereas in 2022 nearly 53 000 children in the commonwealth

[00:42:37] of virginia and 3600 children in fairfax county were reported as possible victims of abuse or neglect and fairfax county's child protective services 24-hour hotline received approximately 13,300 calls for protective services and information about prevention and family support services.

[00:42:57] And whereas the Department of Family Services and other county agencies, Fairfax County Public Schools and community partners work together to offer programs and services to strengthen resilience and protect children from abuse and neglect, and whereas child abuse prevention is a community responsibility and finding solutions depends on people becoming involved, asking questions, making critical decisions, and offering help. And whereas all Fairfax County residents, community agencies, faith groups, and businesses are encouraged to renew their commitment to preventing child abuse, supporting families, and promoting safety,

[00:43:35] family resilience, and child well-being, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby proclaim in the month of april 2023 as child abuse prevention month in fairfax county and urges all residents to recognize this month by working together to prevent child abuse and neglect protect children and strengthen families you've heard the motion seconded by supervisor lusk is there discussion on the motion mr chairman yes very briefly madam chairman i i first i want to thank the folks who are here today for this proclamation i know there's a lot of you uh here and as this as this

[00:44:14] proclamation mentions the network that's necessary to do this work from county staff to people in our community to volunteers to parents to our school system so many people that interact with children many times child abuse is discovered through adults acting responsibly protecting children and many times they aren't their own children and so I think the statistics are eye opening for us. The fact that CPS has received 13,300 calls in a year is unbelievable. That we

[00:44:51] have 3,600 children in Fairfax County reported as possible victims of abuse or neglect, and those are reported cases. We know that there are too many cases that aren't reported, and so one of the reasons why this proclamation is so important is to raise awareness that all of us in the community, have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our community, which is our young people. And thankfully, there's at least one here with us today weighing in, reminding us how important their voices are and their futures are, and what role we play in protecting them and

[00:45:31] getting them the help that they need. And I'm certainly proud of the work our county staff does, FCPS, DFS, CPS, all of the different agencies in the county that do this work, and I really want to thank the people who do that work because it's very difficult.

[00:45:46] It's emotional. It's trying. It's gut-wrenching work, and among the most difficult jobs in the county, but those folks who do it do it with a passion to help our youngest people, and I really want to take this opportunity to thank them and build awareness and make sure that we are all doing our part to recognize signs of child abuse and doing the right thing to report it when we see it for investigation and to get help for these young people and their families.

[00:46:15] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Any other comments before we vote? Seen and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed say nay. Any abstentions? That motion carries unanimously, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Gross.

[00:46:32] and Ms. Lynn, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, Mr. Chairman McKay, Supervisors Palchik, and Mr. Supervisor Lesk, and other distinguished members of the Board of Supervisors. I humbly stand before you today to share my experience with the Parenting Education Program. The classes taught me how to build my children's confidence, how to cope with daily stressors and most importantly to be more mindful of my of the tone and delivery of my

[00:47:08] message when communicating with my loved ones. The skills and tools I've learned in the parenting classes strengthen the relationship with my children and for that I am forever grateful. One of the facilitators said the best gifts we can ever give our children are roots and wings.

[00:47:29] Roots so that they will always remember where home is and what is important to our family, our morals and values. And wings so that when they are older, to fly and soar as high as they can, to chase their wildest dreams and live their best life, hopefully with the love we have instilled in them.

[00:47:52] And with this, we are slowly equipping the next generation with skills to manage obstacles they may encounter. And because of this, we are slowly changing our community for the better. Thank you for this opportunity to share a few words about the program and how it impacted my life.

[00:48:11] The Parenting Education Program is just one example of many essential preventative resources and services available to all parents and caregivers. We are honored to be a part of it and have met many amazing people along the way.

[00:48:28] So thank you. Thank you very much, Ms. Lynn. And then I think we're ready for a photo and as Supervisor Pouchik and Supervisor Lusk would join me. And anyone who is here for this, please, please come on down and join us for the photo. I think anyone in blue in particular, but and we can if we can all come up here in the front by the dais and we will get ready for a photo.

[00:51:20] And finally, this morning, we have a resolution to recognize the Franconia District Police Station and the auto crimes enforcement team. for their partnership outreach and crime prevention efforts and this was requested by myself supervisor stork and supervisor lusk and i know we have captain john leib franconia police district commander here with us today if you could come on down anyone who is here with you is of course welcome to join you as well and at this time i will turn to supervisor stork for a resolution

[00:51:50] thank you mr chairman whereas car thefts are on the rise around the region including an apparent coordinated effort in lorton in january targeting kia and hyundai vehicles and whereas in january alone 33 vehicles were stolen in fairfax county and whereas in response to these increasing thefts franconia captain john lieb and the franconia station partnered with the fairfax county police auto crimes and enforcement team ace team to focus on the lorton community where by early february

[00:52:25] at least nine vehicles had already been stolen this year and whereas by increasing their presence in the neighborhoods most impacted, the team made two significant arrests in January, and whereas the Franconia team also provided awareness and crime prevention strategies via Nextdoor and broader messaging in their Franconia community report, and whereas the Franconia station also held a steering wheel lock distribution event at the Lorton Community Center, which was well received by residents from around the county, and also included child safety seat inspections, gun lock distribution and crime prevention and safety information. Now, therefore, be it resolved that

[00:53:04] the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all residents of Fairfax County, does hereby thank the Franconia Police Station and the Auto Crimes Enforcement Team for their partnership, outreach, and creative approach to community policing, which has had a positive impact on our neighborhoods. It's been moved and multiply seconded by myself, Supervisor Lusk,

[00:53:27] Supervisor Herity. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, and Supervisor Lusk. Not well known and will soon change, actually. The Franconia Police Station actually services a significant part of the Mountain Vernon community, mostly the Lorton community on the east side of I-95.

[00:53:49] We also have the West Springfield Station on the west side of I-95. That will all change this summer when the new Lorton Police Station opens, which I think the community is long looking forward to, although we will clearly miss our relationship of many decades with the Franconi Police Department.

[00:54:06] But as part of that, the Lorton community had, as many areas of the county had had, a significant number of autos that were being stolen. And in the community, it was becoming a very, very frustrating part. Not only that, but also vandalism, things associated with that.

[00:54:21] And Captain Lieb, really on his initiative, and I'm not sure who all, and I know you'll correct me with that, but I know you involved the ACE team, and I had a chance to meet with Chris Mollis. I don't know if I got that name quite right, but I met with him and you after the fact, when really the work had mostly been done, and it was an opportunity to congratulate them at an event that you held with the ACE team and some of your officers, which had been very involved.

[00:54:47] And with that kind of sparked, at least in my mind, the need and the importance of recognizing, frankly, the prescience that somebody had. I know the chief was in front of this issue more than a year ago, but to set up the team as well as to have that team targeting, obviously, all of Fairfax County, but in particular to address what had become really a significant community issue in Lorton.

[00:55:09] So I'm deeply appreciative of yours and really all the efforts of your team, not only to stop the individuals who were involved, and they were teenagers, regrettably, but fortunately they were stopped. And I know that a key part of that was not so much even just the automobile that they stole, but how the automobiles were then used for subsequent crimes and some of the anonymity that having a stolen car provides.

[00:55:35] And again, I'm sure you could speak that far better than I can. And then the follow-on to that, which is to secure from Hyundai and Kia the clubs, as we, as Jeff and I call it, we actually met there on the day that you were distributing them. We met many of the community members who were deeply appreciative of getting the club to put on their steering wheel to at least for this model of Hyundai and Kia was essential to reducing the theft of those.

[00:56:00] So, again, our deepest thanks, my community and my and I'm sure the board's deepest thanks for your efforts and the ACE team's efforts. And I know many, many others, and I know you'll enlighten me as to some of those, but, again, I wanted to make sure that we at least acknowledge your reference.

[00:56:16] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork, Supervisor Herity, then Supervisor Lusk. I'll echo that. Thanks, and this is just another example of the quality of our force when we see an issue. We go out, get in front of it, and solve it.

[00:56:33] And I think it sends the message we need to send not just to our community, that we care, that we've got a good quality to force. But also the message it sends to the bad guys is that if you come to Fairfax County, we're going to get this solved and we're going to find out who's perpetrating it and get them charged.

[00:56:52] So I want to thank you for everything you do day in and day out. This is just another great example of the quality of our department. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll join in in thanking Captain Lieb. I appreciate his innovative leadership.

[00:57:08] I've seen it in some other areas as well, not just here as it relates to this issue. But I also want to commend him for an event that we held at the High Blue Valley Community Center just a few weeks ago. And we had a number of steering wheel locks that were disseminated.

[00:57:24] And I want to articulate that we had a group of people who got there early. There were so many there that we almost disseminated every single steering wheel lock at the point that we started the event. was just amazing so we know there's a need out there so i appreciate the work with hyundai and kia to secure these because i think we're going to need to probably continue this effort so thank you for that and i look forward to seeing what other innovative ideas this department comes up with so thank you very much thank you supervisor lusk and let me just add a supervisor gross first Thank you.

[00:58:03] I'm not sure that any portion of the Mason Magisterial District was involved in this particular effort about the club and the locks, but I did want to note that the Franconia Station covers a good deal of Mason District also.

[00:58:20] You have the longest north-south piece of your patrol area that I've ever seen. So quite often we do have to refer constituents to the Franconia station rather than the Mason station.

[00:58:37] It's a little confusing, but I've always been very appreciative and pleased with the participation that my office gets with the Franconia station and has over the last many decades. So I just wanted to note that it's not just the south part of the southern part of the county.

[00:58:57] It's very much, you touch a lot of magisterial districts, which means your reports probably have to be broader than usual because you need to let that one know and that one know and that one know. But thank you very much.

[00:59:13] Thank you, Supervisor Gross. And you're right, you know, familiar with that district pretty well, and it's too big. It always has been, and we're looking for relief and help on that in the future. But I wanted to thank you, Captain Lee, for making this a priority, because district captains, station commanders can make different things in the community a priority, and you've made this a priority, and it's made a difference.

[00:59:38] To answer your question, Supervisor Gross, about any of this being in Mason District, the day we were down at the distribution at the Lorton Community Center, the first person in line, I was told, lived in Reston, who traveled all the way across the county to get a club.

[00:59:53] And so the work that you're doing most certainly has a countywide impact. I know it's meant to target some of the issues we were dealing with in the Franconia District, but the whole county is certainly not immune from this. But you made it a priority at your district station, and we want to thank you for that.

[01:00:09] As someone who had their own car broken into many years ago, I can tell you that the victims of that, whether their car is broken into or stolen, feel personal violation. I don't think anyone understands what it feels like to have your car stolen.

[01:00:27] Yes, it's not the same as some of the other crimes committed against persons, but that particular crime against property is a personal intrusion that not only has an effect on people, but has the potential to give the wrong impression about the safety of a community.

[01:00:43] Because if that happens to you, you automatically don't feel safe. And to be able to proactively do something like this, you know, Sadly, our department doesn't get thanked for the vehicle thefts that don't happen because of the work that you do. You respond to the thefts that do happen.

[01:01:00] But knowing that prevention plays a major role in the reputation of our community and the safety people can feel in their own homes and their own communities makes a huge difference. And so what you're doing by making this a priority, I think about the victims a lot.

[01:01:16] Certainly, I think about us getting the perpetrators and holding them accountable, which you do, but also on behalf of people who aren't victimized because of this work, the improvement in their life, the work that you're doing, it matters. It matters to us in the county, and I want to thank you, Captain, for making that a priority and your whole team here.

[01:01:35] That morning we were out there in Lorton. It was quite a showing from your station, from the auxiliaries, from the people who were out there to support it, and the gratefulness of the community for putting on these programs, these prevention programs. It's huge, so thank you.

[01:01:51] With that, I think we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Captain, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Chairman McKay and county leaders, thank you, and it's an honor to be here this morning. On behalf of Chief Davis, thank you for the recognition of our hardworking police personnel from the Franconia District and from the Auto Crimes Enforcement Squad.

[01:02:17] This team's immediate identification of this trend, the precision of their enforcement, and their community-centric outreach showcased our commitment to and the effectiveness of our intelligence-led and data-driven policing strategies. Their swift actions, professionalism, adaptability were complemented by the support and insight from both our Community Engagement Committee and Volunteers in Police Service Program, both groups of which are represented here this morning.

[01:02:47] In closing, we'd like to thank you, too, for your continued partnership in public safety, specifically Chairman McKay, Supervisor Stork, and Supervisor Glaus for your continued presence and participation in our wheel lock distribution events and our community outreach projects more generally.

[01:03:03] So on behalf of this team, thank you very much. Thank you very much, Captain, and we appreciate all of you, and we thank you for joining us this morning, too, to celebrate this moment. And with that, I think we're ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward and Supervisor Stork and Lusk could join me.

[01:05:13] Okay, we are now going to move to appointments to boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory groups. And let me ask Supervisor Gross if she has a motion. Mr. Chairman, I move approval of the appointments dated March 21st, 2023 and listed as final copy.

[01:05:32] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Lusk. Any discussion? Any changes to the final copy dated March 21st, 2023? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[01:05:49] That motion carries and brings us to board matters. And per our normal process, the clerk has compiled these digitally and will go alphabetically by district, following myself and Vice Chairman Gross, and I have just a few board matters.

[01:06:10] First, I move, let me turn the gavel to Supervisor Gross, I move to approve without objection the proclamation request listed in this document to be presented inside and outside of the board auditorium, and there's a lot of them there. I'm not going to read all of them, but the board can see there's a number of them that are being requested without objection. Without objection, so ordered. Thank you. And my second board matter is being done jointly with Supervisor Alcorn, the chair of our Transportation Committee. Over the past several years, this board has taken significant steps to prioritize pedestrian safety, not the least of which are the endorsement of

[01:06:47] Safe Streets for All program, the installation of maintenance and maintenance of safety-related equipment marking and signage such as rectangular rapid flashing beacons, pedestrian hybrid beacons, high visibility crosswalk markings, and yield to pedestrian signage, and the commitment for $100 million in pedestrian and bicycle safety and access projects that this board has made.

[01:07:11] Despite all of these efforts, there were still sadly 23 pedestrian fatalities in Fairfax County on our roads in 2022 the highest number since consistent statistics started to be collected in 2010 and as we know this is a nationwide tragedy and a nationwide trend that many communities are grappling with the trail sidewalks and bikeways committee has delved into this issue and has requested that the board prioritize additional measures along major arterials in the county the first is a turn calming program like those being amended in jurisdictions including

[01:07:47] New York City, San Francisco, and Portland. These programs can reduce turning speeds and thus pedestrian fatalities and injuries at intersections. Secondly, the committee recommends that no crosswalk in which there has been a pedestrian fatality be eliminated unless there is a compelling reason to do so, as crosswalk markings serve as warnings to drivers that pedestrians may be present. As the safety of our pedestrians and bicyclists is so important, I move that the Board direct the Department of Transportation to review turn-calming programs in other jurisdictions,

[01:08:22] discuss these programs with VDOT, and return within four months to the Board's Transportation Committee with its analysis of how such a program could be implemented in Fairfax County, including any cost or resource implications. I also move that the Department of Transportation review the Committee's suggestion regarding the crosswalks, discuss it with VDOT, and bring their analysis and recommendations back to the board at the same Transportation Committee meeting. And attached to this is the original letter from the Trails, Sidewalk, and Bikeways Committee. You've heard the motion. Seconded by Supervisor Alcorn. Is

[01:08:57] there discussion on the motion? Yes, Supervisor Palachuk. I am wondering if we could add a friendly amendment for the crosswalks we had a fatality in one where wanted to understand if there's whether it's lighting or other improvements that can also be done to those crosswalks where there have been fatalities so supervisor Paucek not just fatalities but whenever there's an accident in a crosswalk there is an immediate evaluation of that with our police department and Department of Transportation that happens and so they can include in their presentation to us that process and and maybe an update on some of the things that have been done

[01:09:37] in the past where those instances have occurred but automatically they do review those and they can share some information about how they do that absolutely and I think one by one we've done them but since we're doing this review I think it would be helpful as we review funding either one time or our recurring funds for those crosswalks thank you thank you supervisor Palchuk And I would imagine that that also that review would also hold true for anything dealing with a right turn on red after stopping if there's been something like that, because that's epidemic.

[01:10:11] Supervisor Alcorn and Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. So I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this and bringing this forward. I would just note also that we are doing our speed camera pilot, which is also getting underway.

[01:10:27] It just underscores this is a really tough problem, you know, and this is this is one of those problems that really requires an all of the above approach. And I welcome I look forward to hearing back from staff because I think we do need to look and see what else can we do that would actually make our streets safer.

[01:10:49] So thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for bringing this forward. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair. Support the board matter. Support the motion. I do just want to note, and I saw this letter from the committee, and they referenced the crosswalk at Braddock Road in Kings Park Drive, and it says in the letter that VDOT inexplicably plans to eliminate.

[01:11:13] And actually, so the plan as part of the Braddock Road Multimodal Improvement Project would be to eliminate that entire signalized intersection and move the crosswalk to a different and safer location where it's separated from the turns from Kings Park Drive onto Braddock Road, as well as improving the safety of the Braddock Road-Burke Lake intersection, which is less than a quarter mile away.

[01:11:46] So there is an explanation for that. I obviously support the intent and the motion, but did just want to speak to that since it's referenced in the letter. And actually, to that point, Supervisor Walkinshaw, perhaps you and staff can work on reaching out to the chairman, at least, of the Trails, Sidewalk, and Bike Waste Committee to make that clear.

[01:12:07] I mean, we absolutely appreciate their letter and concern, but they should be given that explanation. Any other commentary? Yes, Supervisor Walkinshaw, that is a very broad intersection with a lot of turning movements, a lot of turning movements.

[01:12:25] I've used that myself, and it takes a lot of traffic, doesn't it? And I'll just say, I mean, with respect to that, the pedestrian fatality there at the Kings Park Drive intersection, it is a situation where turn calming, I won't say it would have prevented it, but it's a demonstration of why turn calming is worthy of exploration.

[01:12:48] Thank you. I guess this probably would be for a different board matter that maybe I need to bring up sometime, but stop sign violations i don't know that we've had pedestrian incidents because of a stop sign violation but i would say 75 of stop signs are not stopped at not even slowed down so i may be bringing that forward maybe i can work with you supervisor alcorn because that is a huge problem for our community um seen and hearing no further discussion all those in favor oh i'm sorry

[01:13:25] supervisor heritage yeah just just to go to your point you know how many were stop sign incidents how many work at part of this should be a kind of a data driven look at the causes of the pedestrian fatalities and and so we can target our solutions to the root causes because if a majority of them are X then we know we need to look at X rather than you know an over encompassing look and also I think there needs to be differences based on whether we're in our urban suburban or rural sections of of the county so I think it's a I think

[01:14:02] I'd appreciate kind of a data-driven look at what what are identified causes of each of those pedestrian fatalities we may not be able to get them all but if we see it a grouping that might be might be helpful madam chairman we certainly at the risk of doing staff's work for him from the Dias. One of the reasons this is broad is because I know staff always uses data in looking at these and will bring back data. And to Supervisor Alcorn's point, you know, some of this is situational. It's by intersection. It's, you know, you look at an accident and what happened.

[01:14:40] There's not one reason why this is happening. There might be one reason why one incident happened, but certainly not one reason why this is happening throughout the county. And so, you know, DOT, I know, uses good data and coordination with the police department on all of these. And we can certainly, you know, broaden the presentation to make sure that there's awareness about, you know, that process and what happens and how these are treated differently on a case-by-case basis and what is working the best and what is the most efficient. Because what is clear is even with our board's huge financial commitment to this, we have challenges all over

[01:15:15] the county. And so we need only be doing the work that shows through metrics and through experience that is effective so that we can get to as many intersections as possible. Thank you. We have not voted yet. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, say nay. Any abstentions?

[01:15:35] That motion carries unanimously, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Gross. And next up is you. I have no board matters today. Excellent. Supervisor Walkinshaw. No board matters. Excellent. Supervisor Faust. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, on Monday, March 13, 2023, my office received notice that 15 Drainville Small District 1A residents, 5 adults and 10 youths have successfully petitioned to become candidates and have their names placed on the ballots for the McLean Community Center Governing Board elections. Three adult positions and two youth positions are open.

[01:16:11] Attached to this board matter is a copy of the MCC certification of the candidates dated March 13th, 2023. A person went to a memorandum of understanding between Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Governing Board of the McClain Community Center dated February 8th, 1984, as revised, the MOU.

[01:16:30] The notice of all certified candidates is to be presented to the Drainesville District Supervisor and through him or her to the Board of Supervisors at their next regular meeting. Early voting began Wednesday, March 15th, 2023, and will continue through Wednesday, May 17th, 2023.

[01:16:51] Personal requirements, the MOU, the results of the election will be reported to the Board of Supervisors at the first meeting following the election. Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the record reflect receipt by the Board of Supervisors of the attached list of candidates for the MCC governing Board election.

[01:17:10] You've heard the motion. Without objection, it is so ordered. Supervisor Faust. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this board matter addresses West Falls Church Transit Station Area Subunit A2 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Authorization.

[01:17:26] Mr. Chairman, an amendment to the West Falls Church Transit Station Area section of the Comprehensive Plan was adopted in July 2021. That amendment anticipated 160,000 square feet of institutional use associated with Virginia Tech's Northern Virginia Center. Since that time, Virginia tax programming needs have changed and a zoning application filed by HIT Contracting and Rushmark Properties RZ200 2022 DR 00018 reflects a shift between the planned institutional use to general office use. The rezoning application by HIT Contracting and Rushmark Properties

[01:18:04] proposes a decrease in the planned institutional use by 120,000 square feet and an increase in the general office use by approximately 62,000 square feet. While this shift from institutional to office use requires an amendment to the comprehensive plan recommendations, this change does not propose to increase the plan floor area ratio or overall plan limits of development in a transit station area.

[01:18:30] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board authorize consideration of a comprehensive plan amendment for subunit A-2 of the West Falls Church TSA. Specifically, the plan amendment should consider the shift from institutional use to office use as that shift is proposed in the zoning application that has been filed.

[01:18:51] The proposed change should not increase the planned FAR, and it should be demonstrated that any proposed changes meet the broader goals of the West Falls Church TSA plan. The plan amendment should be reviewed concurrently with the zoning application.

[01:19:07] So move. Discussion on the motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Faust.

[01:19:23] No further board matters, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Faust. Supervisor Alcorn. Oh, I have you listed before. We'll go that way. Supervisor Lusk first. Yeah, the Franconia thing.

[01:19:39] Alphabetical now, Mr. Chairman. You weren't ready. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will move two of my motions today. The first is, Mr. Chairman, access to justice for self-represented litigants is a significant issue facing the legal community today.

[01:19:56] Many litigants who access the courts are unrepresented. A significant portion of individuals either choose to represent themselves or they do not have the means to hire an attorney to represent them. The barriers faced by self-represented litigants include cultural and language barriers, procedural hurdles, and general difficulty navigating the court process and understanding legal terminology from what forms to file to where and when to appear and what to say in court.

[01:20:26] In 2017, the National Center for State Courts published a study entitled Virginia Self-Representant Litigate Study, Outcomes of Civil Cases in General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, and Circuit Court. This study revealed that the traditional adversarial model where both parties are represented by council occurred in only 1% of general district cases, 6% of juvenile and domestic relations court cases, and 38% of circuit court cases.

[01:20:59] Poverty was a reason most often associated with not being represented by council. According to a 2019 study by the Fairfax Bar Association in collaboration with George Mason's Honors College, the top reasons litigants do not have a lawyer were the cost of hiring an attorney and the belief that the case could be handled alone.

[01:21:22] Additionally, the study showed many litigants felt overwhelmed and lacked awareness of free legal aid services. The Virginia Supreme Court's access to justice commission acknowledged the need for services to self-represented litigants when it adopted a resolution on December 9th, 2021, approving the creation of a pilot self-help centers within courthouses to increase public trust in the courts and to provide unrepresented litigants with information necessary to participate meaningfully in proceedings and protect their interest.

[01:21:59] The Fairfax County Bar Association, which runs the law library, is proposing the creation of a self-help resource center located in the law library in the Fairfax County Courthouse Complex. The proposal is being led by Judge Susan Stoney and Judge Petakiti Smith from the Fairfax County General District Court.

[01:22:24] The Self-Help Resource Center would be the first of its kind in Virginia. The center would serve as an alternative option for those who are unable to afford legal services and for whom pro bono help is not available. The types of assistance provided would include the provision of legal information, referrals, forums, and resource materials on topics related to various court matters.

[01:22:50] Because the center would be providing legal information only, not advice, the rules pertaining to unauthorized practice of law and conflicts would not be implicated. In my district, we have had constituents contact my office desperate for legal direction as they were unable to obtain legal aid services.

[01:23:12] In one instance, child custody case, the parents had no idea what to expect at their court hearing and thus were not able to prepare for or understand the court process. economically challenged residents and residents from our black and brown communities are impacted the most. Keeping in line with our One Fairfax policy, a self-help resource center will confirm that self-represented litigants are entitled to be able to understand and interact meaningfully with a judicial system that determines their rights and affects their lives in so many

[01:23:51] significant ways from housing to child custody child custody cases my office reached out to our chief financial officer Christina Jackson for direction on establishing the self-help resource center Miss Jackson instructed and had NCS review all county funded programs that might be similar the determination was made that there are no similar programs in existence so with that mr.

[01:24:18] chairman I move the county executive prepare a budget consideration item for review by this board in the amount of ninety six thousand dollars that will be a recurring item as part of the FY 2024 budget this funding will be designated for helping a Fairfax County self-help resource center for establishing a Fairfax County self-help resource center within the library law library at the Fairfax County Courthouse so happy to second that motion and again this is a consideration item so for people watching we're not approving this but adding it to the consideration items list as a part of our budget process and

[01:24:57] I'm again happy to second that motion discussion on any further discussion on the motion yeah the only point I'll make mr. chairman's I appreciate the the board's indulgence here and just acknowledging that there are so many individuals who as I indicated in the board matter just have no understanding of what they should or should not be doing when they're in a court proceeding.

[01:25:18] And this is an opportunity to help them, give them some of the tools and the information so that they can be prepared when they get before a judge. And some of these decisions will have long-term consequences for them and their families.

[01:25:35] And I think it's just only fair that we establish a way to level this field for them. So with that, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Other discussions? Supervisor Palachuk, Supervisor Herity.

[01:25:53] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Very much appreciate you bringing this forward. Supervisor Lusk, I was just sat through a Friday morning court about a week ago and was a little bit happily surprised that the judge was very helpful, very supportive of ensuring that the individuals who were not represented definitely understood their rights.

[01:26:13] So I was impressed by that, but also by the lack of representation for so many, like you mentioned, who, because they are not facing possible jail time, are not able to have that pro bono representation. I guess my question is, because I just want to make sure I understand the board matter, the $96,000, does that mean that we've already kind of determined what kind of program we're looking at and that that's the cost?

[01:26:43] How do we come across come to the ninety six thousand dollars? So the man so mr. Chairman as well as yeah, so there is a program and a process that's been established to Create this Program at the ninety six thousand dollar level we can share that with everyone again. This is a consideration item You'll have the opportunity to see how those costs are Established but in essence in essence You need to hire a person to be the coordinator for this for this program and most of the costs are centered around that particular

[01:27:21] Event and may ask is this going to be because you mentioned NCS will this person be hired by NCS or who will be overseeing this program? Mr. Chairman, we're gonna get a thorough Discussion of this one this is just putting it on the consideration item list And so when staff can vet all the details of it, those details will come with us before we approve anything.

[01:27:44] This is just to put it on the list. Okay, thank you. Would love to see those details as they were not included here. Thank you. Supervisor Herity. Yeah, I would just note, and I appreciate the board matter and was happy to second it along with the chairman. The only thing in, I think this isn't limited to Breckenbund communities.

[01:28:03] It's the Asian communities. it's the it's it's typically economically disadvantaged communities so I think as long as that's that's included in here this is a absolutely a thing that we should be looking at in in the budget process yes a balance against our other needs so mr. chairman just supervisor less very quick response there yes this is for anyone who needs a service I think the point was made that the black and brown members are the most adversely impacted not to say it was only for the black and brown members just for clarification actually the the exact

[01:28:42] sentence is economically challenged residents and residents from our black and brown communities are impacted the most which is an absolutely factual statement and it is all-encompassing correct okay any other discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries Supervisor Lusk okay and then this is the second motion I'll make here today mr. chairman mr. chairman Beezer homes LLC the applicant is requesting a rezoning from the R1 district to the PDH 8

[01:29:18] district on property identified among the Fairfax County tax map records as 91 - 1 double circle 1 parcel 13 through 17 the subject property the applicant is currently processing a rezoning application identified as rz to rz-2022-le-00012 to permit the development of 26 single-family attached dwelling units in compliance with the comprehensive plan the zoning the rezoning application is scheduled for a planning commission hearing on

[01:29:54] april 26 2023 in order for the application to be heard in may the applicant is requesting expedited processing. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors direct the Director of Planning and Development to schedule RZ-2022-LE-00012 for a hearing before the Board of Supervisors on May 9, 2023. The applicant understands that the authorization of expedited processing and the scheduling of a board date in no way relieves it of the requirement to comply with the applicable standards of the zoning ordinance. In addition, the authorization does

[01:30:29] not dictate that the pending application will be approved nor does it prejudice staff's review so moved mr. chairman uh you've heard the motion and second by supervisor faust any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries supervisor lust so with that mr. chairman i'll conclude my motions for today thank you very much thank you supervisor lust supervisor alcorn thank you very much mr chairman just a couple brief board matters first of all uh first one is uh together

[01:31:05] with supervisors paul chick and smith it's recognition of james madison high school girls basketball team winning yet another state championship so uh mr chairman uh james madison high school has had a notable number of state championships but the girls basketball team has become a dynasty under the leadership of coach kirsten stone these athletes recently won their fourth consecutive Virginia 6A state championship. And as noted by the Washington Post, during their tournament run, the team was considered both a powerhouse and an underdog since

[01:31:39] several veteran players had graduated the year previously. So, Mr. Chairman, I would ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a certificate of recognition for the team to be presented at a Board of Supervisors meeting or at a time and location that is convenient for the school and these student athletes. Without objection it is so ordered and Supervisor Alcorn they are a dynasty. It was amazing to watch the game and also in my board matters of course we had the Hayfield Boys who won a state title as well and in the case yeah second state title and

[01:32:14] in the case of the Hayfield Boys equally important to us for the second consecutive year beat a powerhouse in Prince William County which is a certain amount of joy associated with that on top of the win but some outstanding high school basketball represented the county so well in Richmond so look forward to having them come before the board. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Second board matter an announcement that the third annual tour to Hunter Mill is coming Sunday May 7th and I would invite each of you to attend this third annual tour to Hunter

[01:32:49] Mill. There are going to be three routes so you can pick and choose. We've got a short ride 5.9 miles or sorry the family ride is 5.9 miles short ride is 15.5 and then for the more ambitious the long ride is 29 miles so there's a route for every ability this year's ride will begin at the Reston Community Center in Hunters Woods and take riders through scenic areas of the Hunter Mill District this is more of a Western route than the ones that we've done before we're gonna get the roots will go into Frying Pan Farm Park and details of registration will be found on the Hunter Mill District webpage at fairfaxcounty.gov slash Hunter Mill, and it's a

[01:33:28] fun and healthy way to explore our county's roads and trails. So therefore, Mr. Chairman, I would ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs provide promotional support for the 2023 tour to Hunter Mill as appropriate. Without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. That's all, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have an for the Tree Commission Charter. The charter of the Fairfax County Tree Commission is established in County Code Chapter 122 Tree Conservation Ordinance and Article 9 Tree Commission. Commission's current charter includes an annual reevaluation of the implementation of the Tree Conservation

[01:34:07] Ordinance, the annual reevaluation of landscaping and screening requirements contained in the Zoning Ordinance, providing leadership in developing an understanding of tree conservation objectives and methods, and assisting the staff with developing technical specifications and guidelines the human ecological benefits of a healthy urban forest are well established and county policy including community-wide energy and climate action or CCAP has established ambitious specific goals to expand the urban forest staff from multiple county departments including the Public Works and Environmental

[01:34:41] Services Office of Environmental Energy Coordination Park Authority Planning and development and land development services all have important roles in managing the counties or forest resources the tree Commission has developed a draft of a revised charter expanding their purview to now additionally include the county's natural landscape policy promotion of tree planting and care on private property counties tree action plan and expanding public outreach to county residents and private organizations the proposed changes to the tree Commission charter have been discussed by the

[01:35:20] the chair of the tree commission and the chair of the environmental quality advisory council or equac and they support the expansion of tree commission responsibilities as the charter of the tree commission is contained within county code a code revision is necessary to modify the charter therefore mr chairman without objection we ask the county executive direct staff within the department of public works environmental services land development services and the office of the county attorney to initiate the necessary code amendment process to modify chapter 122 of county code to revise the charter of the tree commission generally consistent with their proposed draft

[01:35:58] to further ask the county executive bring the code revision to the board of supervisors for approval before december 2023 i've heard the motion uh without objection it is so ordered supervisor stork thank you mr chairman and the next and final item i have is the fifth annual environmental expo get outdoors learn and do mount vernon district will host its fifth annual environment expo get outdoors learn and do on saturday april 22nd 2023 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m fort hunt park we're excited to partner with the national park service clean fairfax and many

[01:36:37] county agencies again this year this free fun family friendly festival will feature activities and exhibitors sharing information about climate action, environmental challenges we face, and solutions we participate in to make Fairfax County and the world at large a healthier, more sustainable place.

[01:36:57] Attendees will enjoy live music, reptile and raptor demonstrations, an electric vehicle showcase, nature and eagle nest walks, giveaways, solar cooking, scavenger hunts, and more. Please visit my website, fairfaxcounty.gov forward slash Mount Vernon to learn more about the event.

[01:37:16] Join us to learn, engage, and act to save our environment. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask with the unanimous consent that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to promote the Environment Expo through its various communications channels. Without objection, that is so ordered.

[01:37:32] Supervisor Stork. That's it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Supervisor Palchuk. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Two board matters. The first one is joining with you with Supervisors Faust and Alcorn, Pedal with Pedals, the Family bike ride in tyson's members of the board to celebrate the cherry blossom season the tyson's community alliance and the national cherry blossom festival are hosting the inaugural pedal with pedals family bike ride event on sunday april 2nd from 8 a.m to 11 a.m at the plaza at tyson's corner center this is a free event and everyone is welcome bike marshals provided by the fairfax

[01:38:12] alliance for better bicycling fab will lead four waves of cyclists around tyson's corner center plaza every half hour in addition there will be a bike decorating station to make your ride blossom free bike repairs provided by trek face painting photo ops snacks and refreshments and so much more the bike ride starts and ends in front of tyson's tower and vita tyson's corner while event parking is available attendees are encouraged to take the silver line metro to the tyson station more information and registration can be found at tysonsva.org/pedalwithpedals therefore we move

[01:38:50] without objection that the office of public affairs publicizes events on the appropriate channels and we invite our colleagues and community members to help us kick off spring spring with a safe and really fun bike ride around the plaza and without objection that is so ordered supervisor palchek definitely there are not uh 20 mile rides here but hopefully something for everyone um and my other my next board matter is a motion for expedited motion for expedited board of supervisors hearing date members of the board pending special exception amendment

[01:39:26] sea 2010-pr-010 is a request to allow the replacement of two signs at the top of the hilton headquarters building with larger signs and to align to allow a sign over the front entrance door of the building at 79 30 jones branch drive in tyson's staff including the urban center section of the department of planning and development have no issues with the application the application is scheduled for a public hearing before the planning commission on april 26 2023 given the absence of

[01:40:02] any significant concerns i move that the board authorize an expedited board date for sea 2010-pr-010 and schedule a public hearing before the board of supervisors for may 23rd 2023 as always approval of the motion shall in no way prejudice or affect any ongoing staff review and should not be construed a support for the application by the board second you've heard the motion and the second by supervisor harity discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye any

[01:40:38] opposed any abstentions that motion carries supervisor palchuk that's all thank you mr chairman thank you supervisor palchuk supervisor harity yes mr chairman i have three written foreign matters and three quick announcements uh the first one is to designate may as older americans at adult abuse prevention month this year the u.s administration for community living has chosen the theme Aging Unbound for Older Americans Month. Our older adults play vital positive roles in our communities as family members, friends, mentors, volunteers, civic leaders, and members of the workforce and more. Just as every person is unique, so too is how they

[01:41:14] age and how they choose to do it. Older Americans Month is an opportunity to celebrate the strength of older adults and the aging network in Fairfax County with special emphasis on aging in place So older adults can plan to stay longer in their homes and live independently in the communities for as long as possible May is also older Adult abuse prevention month in the Commonwealth while recognizing the vitality of the county's older adults We also recognize that vulnerable older adults need protection from abuse neglect and exploitation Fairfax County has many resources for older adults who want to age in place and live here in the county

[01:41:52] We also have many resources available for older adults caregivers and individuals with disabilities through the aging disability and caregiver resources line Therefore mr. Chairman I'd ask that without objection that we designate may as older Americans and adults abuse prevention month in Fairfax County and Invite a representation representative from the Commission on aging you receive the proclamation from the board at our May 23rd meeting that objection it is so ordered supervisor harry um i'll try to sum this up and save it for the actual uh presentation but uh mark uh this is a request for lime and fight the bite awareness month

[01:42:29] um you know ticking mosquito season is here again we do this every year so i would uh you know we've got more people outdoors since the pandemic and then the cases are showing it the cases have increased in fairfax county and across the across the nation we also have it's not even in the board matter, there's a new disease now that is up in the northeast that's tick-borne that we're getting ready to see down here that's a little more troubling than even that. So, and it is, all this is preventable. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, I ask we prepare a resolution declaring

[01:43:06] May 2023 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month to be presented to Monte Scal, Director of the National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association, at our May 9th meeting and ask the Office of public affairs share this information on preventing and recognizing symptoms of Lyme disease also ask opa share this information with our partners at fcps for students and their parents to educate themselves as well and i further ask without objection that we prepare a separate resolution declaring may 2023 is fight the bite awareness month to be presented to the fairfax county health department at our may 9th meetings and without objection all of that is so ordered supervisor

[01:43:45] the last one is is one of my one of my favorites is the uh the shark tank uh technology challenge always interesting to see what our kids come up with so we we had our first one in 2015 took a short break for the pandemic but uh we're back we've got six different schools um that will be that accepted the challenge um four four will be represented in the finals uh where they'll be uh in front of the shark tank or in the shark tank uh they'll get notified in may and and this is really i want to call out integrity one who provides the awards clearly they have been a

[01:44:20] great partner in this and all the judges uh i ask without objection that the board of supervisors hold may 23rd for a reception to honor shark tank technology challenge students and their families and the winners be invited before the board to receive certificates recognizing their achievements and contributions to our community um and that may 23rd is a board date is that correct uh yes it is okay and that's good okay yeah i think we called ahead on that one yes all right without objection that is so ordered supervisor just real quick uh last of the teen job fairs is uh this uh saturday

[01:44:56] at chantilly high school from one to three free registration still open we had over a thousand students attend the first two at west springfield and south county in about 70 businesses uh invite any of my colleagues to come to the chantilly uh event my budget town halls uh tomorrow night on channel 16 and I'm co-hosting I included the flyer I'm co-hosting a town hall next week with school board member Laura Jane Cohen titled the fentanyl it's in our neighborhoods and schools what you need to know and do it's going to be at Lake Braddock High School at 7:00 p.m. also have the free naloxone training

[01:45:36] which which I did and it's really easy and I'd encourage all my fellow board members to do that. It's easy, and the flyer is attached. And with that, that's all I've got, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Supervisor Smith. One board matter and one announcement. Staff and Land Development Services, the Department of Code Compliance, and the Fire and Rescue Department enforce the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and Statewide Fire Prevention Code to ensure life safety requirements are incorporated into the design, construction, and maintenance of the buildings and structures in Fairfax County.

[01:46:10] We celebrate Building Safety Month each year to raise awareness of the importance of complying with these codes to provide safe buildings and infrastructure that serve our community every day. Fairfax County is committed to facilitating the safe and sustainable building of our communities and is fortunate to have dedicated staff to confirm through the permitting, plan review, inspection, and enforcement process that modern safety construction methods have been implemented.

[01:46:36] Fairfax County staff collaborate with industry to continually improve processes and services so construction permitting can be a positive example of effective and efficient government services. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I think I'll say without objection that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors name May as Building Safety Month in Fairfax County and direct staff to prepare a resolution to be presented outside the boardroom to the Building Safety Month Planning Committee members along with Mr. William Hicks, Mr. Jay Riyad, Chief John Walzer, Chief Chris Sample, and Mr. Gabriel Zekek.

[01:47:09] And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Smith. And this is the first time I've made an announcement about somebody turning 100. One of my neighbors, Erica Curtis, is turning 100 today. Erica was born and raised in Vienna, Austria.

[01:47:24] She served in the British Armed Forces in World War II. And then she came to the United States first in Washington, D.C., in Alexandria. And in 1982, she moved to my neighborhood poplar tree. And you could see Erica walking the neighborhood until she was well into her 90s and fighting people for the lap lane in the pool.

[01:47:44] You know, she thought she should be first. So I want to wish Erica Curtis a happy birthday today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith. And with that, we are going to move on to admin items.

[01:48:00] And let me ask Supervisor Gross, is there a motion to approve admin items 1 through 10? Mr. Chairman, I would move approve the administrative items, and I have a question on 7. I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk. Question on 7, are there any others that board members have questions on or would like to pull for a separate vote?

[01:48:20] I'm not seeing and hearing any. So a question on admin 7, which is authorization to advertise public hearings on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment to Chapter 112.1 regarding Article 6, parking and loading and related changes. Supervisor Gross.

[01:48:35] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is what we've called parking reimagined. It's created a good deal of consternation in Mason District, especially in the Annandale area, because Annandale is a revitalization area, but there are some recommendations here that my constituents don't feel are appropriate for the revitalization area, and I don't necessarily disagree.

[01:49:04] But my question is that it's been brought to my attention, and I think I understand what the issue is, but it's been brought to my attention that the information provided to the public prior to November of 2022 did not include the recommendations that we have now.

[01:49:20] And so would staff please give us an overview of the public outreach meetings that were held and why there now are different recommendations than were presented to the community previously.

[01:49:37] Thank you. Thank you, William Malin, Department of Planning and Development. In July of last year, we presented to the community the rate tables, so all the rates were provided with ranges and explanations about why we chose the rates we did for input.

[01:49:53] In November, we released the entirety of the draft, and that was presented to both the Planning Commission and Board of Landings Communities and was made available to the community we then did public outreach on that with open houses to explain the changes with input from the community as well as staff we provided an update of that in February to the draft language and highlighted the changes that we're making and proposing again presented that back to plan Christian board and then we again working from additional input from the community have made minor tweaks that to what was presented to the

[01:50:31] board today so the idea of a public meeting and public outreach you've got a proposal you take it out to the public hear their comments and then sometimes incorporate those particular items into excuse me I'm sorry those particular items into what you present to the board so this is the way you develop information and a greater public input into what the recommendations are.

[01:51:06] Is that correct? Yes, very, very correct. Yes. And again, the next step would be planning commission and board public hearings, and we assume we'll get additional comments based upon what's presented today and be able to provide potential changes as necessary. Okay.

[01:51:22] That was my understanding, but I'm not sure it's understood by the community who have Some people have identified it as a bait and switch, which is not what we do here. It is putting something out for people to react to, taking their reactions and their comments, incorporating that into what you present to the board.

[01:51:47] Simple enough? Correct. And, you know, going back to November, some of the comments we heard from the community was concerns about the authority that the director may have for adjustments. And when we came back in February, we adjusted that to lower the recommendation from a staff perspective.

[01:52:03] So, you know, and again, there's a large range of whether the Planning Christian Board can make that recommendation. So we did try to hear the concerns of the community and make those adjustments and identify what those changes were. Okay. I just wanted to make sure that there's a, I asked a question about the process because it gets, it is misunderstood sometimes.

[01:52:22] Why is this different than what we were given before? but it's different because you've had additional input. That's the way we get to, it's like editing a draft and editing a draft and editing a draft. So then the draft becomes something that is no longer the draft. It's the main proposal.

[01:52:40] And that will continue throughout the process. And, you know, just we're authorizing these public hearing days, but, you know, if more time is necessary, of course, we'll allow more time. I think the point is get these dates on the table so that we can get more input.

[01:52:56] And depending on how much more input we get, we may or may not meet these dates. Because I do think there is a lot of confusion still in the community. And this is a way to make sure we're reflecting that and getting as much community feedback as we can. That now, you know, it's tied to a potential date.

[01:53:12] But we're not saying here is a board. We have to have hearings on those dates. We're saying let's set these dates. Let's continue that conversation, that evolution. If it is ready to go by that date, that's one thing, but if it's not, we're going to take the time to continue to solicit public input.

[01:53:28] Thank you, and that was, I wanted to make sure that that point was made. We normally don't have a lot of discussion about the administrative items, but this one seems to have hit a nerve for a lot of folks. The other question I would have, and maybe you can get back to me on this, but there was, in the document apparently, there is an indication that Annandale is considered a transit hub.

[01:53:53] And so the parking requirements would be lower in Annandale, in the Annandale revitalization area. That's a pipe dream, quite frankly, that Annandale is a transit hub. And so I'd like to be able to, and we don't have to have that discussion right here, right now, but I would like to have more information provided to me in time for the hearing as to why staff feels that Annandale is considered a transit hub.

[01:54:23] it's we may get there someday but not anytime soon so um thank you okay supervisor faust and supervisor harry and we'll come over here thank you mr chairman yeah i mean i'm going to support advertising uh this amendment but i do have some serious issues and concerns have been brought forward by my constituents and uh and by myself uh i'm just going to list some of them and ask that

[01:54:55] an effort be made over the coming weeks to address them very specifically uh because you know that this is a you know we say we can go back and change parking after the fact if it doesn't work right but you can't i mean the prop a building is constructed and the parking can no longer be expanded and so there's no confusion i support very much the the overall goal of reducing the amount of parking we have too much in this county but we have to do it appropriately so the

[01:55:29] inadequacy of the rates uh for multifamily this is an issue that keeps coming up uh perhaps they're adequate i mean they seem like dramatic changes but what are they based on show us you know statistically where this they have worked you know other than uh just uh you know putting them forward uh the the authority of the director it's dramatically increased even after we dramatically reduce the number of required parking spaces and the public does deserves a voice in

[01:56:08] these decisions we're not trying to evade public input through this process but that's the sense you get when you you read this there's no longer a requirement no criteria for consideration of impacts on neighborhoods that's not specifically included uh the way i believe it was for the director to consider uh you know the why would we not consider the impact uh when a request is being made for parking reductions uh you know i'm hearing about loading areas i don't fully understand the

[01:56:42] issue but you know the concern is in particular the impact on handicapped parking uh if we eliminate or dramatically reduce loading area requirements. There's no avenue for the public to address the director.

[01:56:59] If we're going to turn over up to 60%, I think is the number you're proposing for reductions, there's no opportunity to speak to the director by the public. And finally, this is my issue. I absolutely believe we're heading in the right direction.

[01:57:19] There's too much parking. We have to get people out of their cars. But it's a dramatic benefit to developers, and I'm fine with that. But we need to make our parking areas that we end up with after this is implemented, we need to make them more pedestrian-friendly.

[01:57:40] I mean, we can't ignore the fact that there's dramatic savings being approved here, But we're not asking anything in return in terms of, you know, the greening of the parking areas that are required, the pedestrian facilities through the parking areas that, you know, that can make them more pedestrian friendly.

[01:58:10] You know, we're assuming that we can reduce parking because we're creating a pedestrian friendly community. Okay, let's do that. Let's focus on how we do that. And you can do it with parking. So those are just some of the issues that are coming before me, and I don't want to be overly negative because, in essence, I think you're on the right track, and I support what you're doing, but we've got to make sure that we do it right.

[01:58:39] Thank you, Supervisor Faust. Supervisor Harity. Yeah, I'll try to keep my comment short. In terms of the savings that's created here, hopefully that would end up in more affordable housing being able to be created. So I'm not as concerned that we spend the savings we generate from this as I am with making sure we get parking right.

[01:59:01] You ask anybody in a townhome community that was built in the 70s, that's where we made a big mistake. And we're still living with it. We all live with it every day. And then we go in and improve the street and take away the street parking. It's a nightmare. So it is critical that we get it right.

[01:59:16] I've heard a lot. I'm going to support advertisement, but I'm hoping that after that advertisement we listen to our constituents and do what we did with the fire code and the bamboo, take the time to make the final tweaks to get it right.

[01:59:32] But I think we really still have some work to do here on making sure we got it right. And it's important because it is kind of forever for anything that's built under this. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. A follow-up on Supervisor Gross's comments about how this applies in various revitalization areas.

[01:59:56] I think one of the things I believe the Planning Commission or a Planning Commissioner asked for was a chart that shows sort of the differences between what the existing requirements are and what the new requirements would be in revitalization areas, TSAs, TODs.

[02:00:15] I think that would be really helpful if that doesn't already exist. Mr. Malin, does that already exist? I don't think I've seen that yet. We do have a comparative document between the current provisions and the proposed from a rate standpoint going on the base.

[02:00:31] Once you start going into revitalization areas, it gets a little more complex, so we have to look at making that type of a comparison. See what you could do. I think this could be really helpful in terms of the public engagement and dialogue on this. The other thing, just as an FYI, I've heard from constituents about this as well.

[02:00:51] I'm in the process of gathering input. I know there's some communities in Hunter Mill that have parking issues, and not just the ones from the 1970s. You know, there are more recent multifamily developments in Hunter Mill.

[02:01:07] Some of them seem to be parked fine. Some of them seem to be short. so what I'm doing and I recommend other supervisors if they're so inclined to do is is gathering information on where there are parking problems and then looking backwards and saying well how how were they parked you know under what conditions what were some assumptions that went with that some of this is going to be hard to maybe dig up but but frankly I think it's up to us as supervisors to make sure I mean we know our districts and and and supervisor

[02:01:43] Faust is right I mean just eyeballing a lot of our our developments we have a lot of surplus extra parking in some parts of the county that is not being used is never used but then comparing that with where we do have parking shortages I think is going to be useful in the public dialogue and the last thing I'd say and this is probably in parallel with this effort

[02:02:07] The fact that we do have excess unused parking in some parts of the county, in some areas like Tyson's, you know, I think underscores the fact we need to figure out a way to unlock some of that existing unused parking that's privately owned, generally subject to rezoning requirements from historic days, but yet is an unused resource.

[02:02:35] So, and I know this is something I've talked with staff about, I think, I know we're also going to be looking at on-street parking is another, I think that's one piece of it, but also where we can look to perhaps get more engaged as a county in making sure, or at least getting some of this privately restricted parking to be available to folks publicly as I think a direction, at least in some areas, we're gonna absolutely need to go um so um appreciate the comments and i appreciate all

[02:03:10] this staff work to help flush this out and and come up with a good result so thank you mr chair thank you uh any other discussion seeing and hearing none uh supervisor pouching i don't want to add too much to the discussion i know we'll be moving forward i really again want to thank staff it's we're a large county and there are a lot of different areas and we have over park areas we have under parked areas we have whole variety so I think this is absolutely moving in the right direction and looking forward to the feedback I think the I don't think I heard a comment on this in addition to looking at right sizing the parking and how we do that especially with the

[02:03:49] existing areas I think I absolutely appreciate in here both the inclusion of the bicycle parking requirements as well as inclusion and and next steps I think we definitely need to keep looking at and we do that in every case I know every case I come forward and say pedestrian and bicycle access are critical and so I think as we learn through that and understand that we want to be able to move people and move them safely and effectively and efficiently that we understand how the the parking for bicycle the pedestrian access are important

[02:04:26] and we're going to have different viewpoints but I do think that we are much more urban area that we were in the 1970s and our parking needs to reflect that so thank you for the work and looking forward to the continued conversations on this all right uh thank you very much uh we've given you a lot there uh we are authorizing a public hearing though only uh with this item and we'll have plenty more time to work on this but as others have said i certainly want to thank staff for the time and effort that they put in this one thing that i think is universally believed is the current parking regulations in the county don't work and we have to do something and you all put

[02:05:05] a lot of work into trying to to come up with that right balance and and i know we'll continue to and in the weeks ahead so thank you uh with that um the we have a motion and a second to approve admins admin items one through ten uh all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries and brings us to action items action item one is authorization to amend fairfax county's one-year action plan for fy 2022 and let me ask supervisor faust

[02:05:42] chair of our housing committee if he has a motion i do mr chair i move approval of the kind executive's recommendation second heard the motion it's been seconded by supervisor lusk any discussion on action item one seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries action item two is approval of the 2023 rate adjustments to centerville fairfax center reston tyson's tyson's grid of streets and tyson's wide road funds in the braddock drainsville hunter mill providence springfield and sully district

[02:06:18] supervisor alcorn thank you mr chairman i move approval of action item number two as recommended by the county executive you've heard the motion it's been seconded by supervisor faust any further discussion on action item two seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries action item number three is approval of a resolution to extend the cable franchise term of coxcom llc uh and let me turn the gavel to

[02:06:50] supervisor gross and i move the county executive's uh recommendation seconded by supervisors smith and Supervisor Lusk. Is there discussion on the motion? Seen and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed say nay. Any abstentions? That motion carries unanimously. Thank you, Supervisor Gross. And this brings us to action item four, approval of a resolution to extend the cable franchise term of Verizon, Virginia, LLC. And I again will move the

[02:07:23] county executive's recommendation. Seconded again by Supervisors Smith and Lusk. Is there any discussion on the motion seen and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye any opposed say nay any abstentions that motion carries unanimously and action item number five is approval of a resolution to extend the cable franchise term of comcast of virginia llc and i again will move the county executive's recommendation and seconded again by supervisors smith and Lusk. Is there any discussion? All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed say

[02:08:03] nay. Any abstentions? That motion carries unanimously. Thank you very much, Supervisor Gross. And finally, Action Item 6 is authorization for the Director of Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, DPWES, or his designee to execute betterment agreements, deeds, and other instruments with virginia department of transportation vdot dominion energy inc fairfax water and other utility companies or their designated agent supervisor stork do you have a motion thank you mr chairman i move the county executive's recommendation second heard the motion it's been seconded by supervisor gross any discussion seeing and hearing none all those in

[02:08:41] favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries and that brings us to closed session. And let me ask the county attorney how long we believe we need for closed session. Mr. Chairman, I believe it'll be between 30 and 45 minutes. 30 to 45 minutes. And so our first public hearing today is at 3.30. So if we can reconvene for closed session at 2.45,

[02:09:16] 245 should supervisor gross's motion be approved we'll be in recess and reconvene at 245 for closed session supervisor gross chairman i move the board of supervisors recess and go into closed session for discussion and consideration of matters enumerated in virginia code section 2.2 dash 3711 in the attached agenda for this meeting and in addition as permitted by virginia Code Sections 2.2-3711A7 and 8, Farrell v. Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County Circuit Court Case

[02:09:48] number CL2020-569, and Lefebvre et al. v. Fairfax County et al. Fairfax County Circuit Court Case number CL-2021-1569. Second. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Lusk.

[02:10:05] Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries and before we go into recess let me ask if anyone has any cases that they intend to defer this afternoon for public awareness supervisor Smith thank you mr. chairman I have three cases they're scheduled at 3:30 that I'm going to defer one is Maton-Gloris Road Virginia Medical Transport and proposal to vacate a portion of Barney Road so those three cases thank you okay and they are listed

[02:10:40] on the agenda, all three of them to be deferred to May 9th at 3.30 and 4 p.m., and so just for public awareness, are there any others? Okay, seeing and hearing none, the board is in recess

[02:10:52] until 2.45. Okay, welcome back. We are coming out of closed session, and I am first going to turn

[02:17:54] to Supervisor Smith, who has a motion to bring us out of closed session. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors certify that to the best of each member's knowledge. Only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements by virtue of Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which closed session was convened were heard discussed or considered by the Board of Supervisors during the closed session. And I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Palchuk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any

[02:18:33] opposed. Any abstentions? That motion carries. Motions coming out of closed session. Supervisor Smith. Mr. Chairman, in the matter of Christopher Farrell versus the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, case CL 2020-569 in the circuit court of Fairfax County, I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize a settlement counter offer based on the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session. I'm happy to second that motion. Any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries and I don't believe

[02:19:12] there were any other motions coming out of closed session is that right that's correct chairman McCain also just to note for the record I'm not sure we did that supervisor gross was not in closed session correct supervisor gross was did not participate in closed session and is not here at this moment for the record. And so with that, we're going to move on to public hearings. Individuals, just a few reminders. Individuals wishing to provide testimony have a number of options. They can testify here in person or they can provide testimony by phone or YouTube video. At the designated point in the public hearing, I'll call for any speakers from the speakers list and they will either come forward,

[02:19:51] their video will be shown, or they will be connected by telephone. There will then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the application to come down to the podium or to call in on a number that will be provided on the screen. Speakers testifying via video must have signed up and submitted their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the hearing.

[02:20:11] For all testimony, you're given three minutes to speak as an individual. If you're a spokesperson for a group, you are given five minutes. With that, I'm going to call our first case, which is a public hearing on SE 2022-SP-00043 PNC Bank NA in the Springfield District.

[02:20:29] and could the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit? Afternoon, Sherry Akin with McGuire Woods, and I reaffirmed the affidavit dated February 9th, 2023. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Any disclosures from board members?

[02:20:45] Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is William O'Donnell filling in for Damaris Martinez from the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant, PNC Bank N.A., is requesting a special exception approval to reestablish a drive-thru bank with two drive-thru lanes within a vacant building and a shopping center.

[02:21:10] No new construction is proposed. The application site is within the Old Keene Mill Shopping Center, west of Rolling Road and north of Old Keene Mill. On July 31, 1989, the board approved a previous SE for a drive-through financial institution within the shopping center on a 15,000-square-foot portion of the property located on the southwest corner of the site, shown here in the green outline.

[02:21:38] Since the financial institution use has been vacant for over two years, approval of a new special exception is required in order to reestablish a drive-through financial institution use. um the applicant is seeking to re-establish a drive-through uh financial institution within the existing vacant building and maintain the two drive-through lanes drive-through lane one which is the lane furthest from the bank building would be served by a new proposed atm to be installed within the existing island drive-through lane two closest to the building would be vacant but a future atm is proposed to be installed within the building facade in summary staff finds

[02:22:16] the proposed use is in harmony with the comp plan and applicable zoning ordinance provisions thank you this ends my presentation thank you very much uh for that presentation let me ask if anyone has any questions of staff seeing and hearing none we'll now recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation thank you mr chairman members of the board again i'm sherry akin a senior land use planner with the law firm of mcguire woods and it's a pleasure to be here this afternoon on behalf of pnc bank mr o'donnell provided a good summer of the application request so in the interest of time I won't repeat the specifics again this is a

[02:22:51] fairly simple request to reinstate a use PNC Bank is looking forward to serving the community from this location and I'd be happy to answer any questions thank you very much any questions of the applicant I'm not seeing or hearing any thank you very much this is a public hearing I have no speakers who have signed up in advance is there anyone here present in the auditorium that wishes to speak on this matter anyone present who would like to speak on this subject. This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in. No one has called in. I assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing

[02:23:26] comments and a recommendation from county staff. On March 15, 2023, the Planning Commission recommended approval of this application subject to the proposed development conditions published in the staff report and affirmation of the previously approved modifications and waivers of the transitional screening and barrier requirements. Staff concurs with those recommendations. Thank you. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing. This is in the Springfield District and recognize Supervisor Herity. Yeah, Mr. Chairman, I'm just going to make my comments up front and keep them brief. It is a pretty simple application. Happy to see this come back after the pandemic slowed

[02:24:06] things down in banking. Since the bank pad already exists and is vacant, it clearly makes sense to reinstate the drive-through. Also glad to hear there'll be an ADA ramp added to the western portion of the PAD site. So I want to thank PNC Bank and staff for their work to get this through quickly. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I request that the applicant confirm for the record agreement to the proposed development conditions dated February 28th, 2023.

[02:24:33] Second. Nope, that was not a motion. You can second in a second. PNC Bank is in agreement with those development conditions. Dated. Dated February 28th, 2023. thank you thank you i move that the board of supervisors approve se 2022-sp-00043 subject to the development conditions dated february 28th 2023 i further move that the board of supervisors approve a reaffirmation of the previously approved transitional screening modification and waiver of barrier requirements to that shown on the se plat so moved second

[02:25:10] heard the motion and a second discussion on the motion any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries our next public hearing is a public hearing on sea 95-y-024-07 costco wholesale corporation in the sully district and could the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit oh i'm sorry it's in the springfield district not in the sully district my mistake

[02:25:46] yes the next one is sully it's a two for today for there you go uh thank you mr chairman uh david houston with bean kenny and corman law firm reaffirming the affidavit dated january 9th 2023 thank you very much uh for that are there any disclosures from board members any disclosures

[02:26:07] Seeing and hearing none will now recognize county staff. I believe there are some disclosures. Yeah, we're confusing these two Costco cases. They're not alphabetical. We're doing Springfield or they are alphabetical. They are alphabetical. We're doing Springfield and then Sully supervisor Palchuk. Yes. Mr. Chairman Mark and Vianney Esquire donated in excess of $100 to friends of Dahlia Palchuk. Okay. And I don't have any other disclosures. Any other disclosures? Supervisor Lusk.

[02:26:40] Yes, Mr. Chairman, I'll also note that Mark Biani made a contribution in excess of $100 to the Friends for Rodney Lusk campaign. Thank you. Okay. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk.

[02:26:56] Supervisor Stork. Yes. Mark Biani gave a contribution in excess of $100 to the Dan Stork for Supervisor. Okay. Any other disclosures? Any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing no more?

[02:27:13] At this time, I would recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good evening, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to confirm, this is SCA 2007 SP00102 in the Springfield District. The Costco property is in the northeast quadrant of the West Docks, Route 29 intersection east of Fairfax County Parkway.

[02:27:34] The site is zoned to the C8 Commercial District and Water Supply Protection Overlay District. The subject of this application is the fueling station in the southwest corner of the site. The proposed changes are limited to the fueling station site only and no changes to the previously approved retail building or use are proposed.

[02:27:51] The applicant is now seeking to expand the fueling station in order to improve the efficiency on the site, a method which they have found to be effective on other Costco properties. The proposal is for seven new freestanding double-sided fueling pumps and an expanded canopy as shown here. This will increase from eight existing pumps for a total of 15.

[02:28:10] The applicant has provided a traffic analysis showing there will be no significant increase in trips due to the expansion. While the expansion is expected to reduce overall queuing, the applicant has agreed to a detailed development condition to deal with possible excess queuing during peak use times. There will be no increase in impervious area.

[02:28:27] Additional water quality measures, additional trees, as well as four Level 3 functional EV charging parking spaces are provided and staff comments are addressed at this time. This concludes my presentation. Thank you. Thank you very much. For that presentation, any questions of staff?

[02:28:46] Okay, seeing and hearing none, we now recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation. Thank you again. David Houston, being Kinney and Corman, I will be very brief on this. This property was originally a price club that opened 37 years ago.

[02:29:04] I was around helping Mr. Jaguer open this back then, so it dates me. The gas has been opened at this location for 10 years, and the Costco gas program has evolved to such an extent that the members now demand it, and that's kind of why we're here today.

[02:29:29] We worked with staff. VDOT, whose office overlooks the service station, was very attuned to this, and we prepared an operational analysis, and we made it to their satisfaction with what's proposed.

[02:29:49] Upgrades here include egress striping in landscape islands to improve traffic safety, a green light, red light system so that you can see when an open pump is available, A reserve mitigation plan, if there's unusual backups, we have a plan to move cars away so they will no longer back up into the service drive at West Ocks Road.

[02:30:19] We added a BMP structure to handle the runoff from the canopy expansion. We improved the site distance at one of the entrances on Piney Branch. and Costco is proposing to have four Level 3 EV chargers at this location.

[02:30:40] We have, as I said, worked with staff closely. We met with and received the endorsement of the Springfield Land Use Committee and also the unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission.

[02:30:56] I would be happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Any questions of the applicant? Any questions of the applicant? Thank you very much. This is a public hearing. I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to testify on this case? Anyone in the auditorium that would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in. No one has called in. At this time, I would assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On February 8th, 2023, the Planning Commission

[02:31:33] recommended approval of this special exception amendment and reaffirmation of the modification of transitional screening and barrier waiver subject to the development conditions dated february 7th 2023 and staff concurs with this recommendation thank you very much any questions last call for questions seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and turn to supervisor herity for a motion yeah i'm just kind of brief brief real brief comments it's a this is a really good thing something our citizens like it highlights how popular important this fuel facilities become drivers are coming back and demands up what it does is really expand their

[02:32:11] throughput there's about 2500 per day to the pumps it's uh improving traffic flows and decreasing wake times is efficient and beneficial to all parties involved i want to thank costco and staff for working this through and with that said i'd like to ask the applicant to confirm their agreement to the proposed development conditions dated February 7th, 2023?

[02:32:33] Yes, Costco is in agreement to the February 7th development conditions. Thank you. With that, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors approve SEA 2007-SP-001-02 subject to the proposed development conditions dated February 7th, 2023.

[02:32:52] I further move that the Board of Supervisors approve the reaffirmation of the previously approved modification of transitional screening and the waiver of barrier requirements along the eastern property line in favor of that shown on the se plat that was previously approved so moved for the motion it's been multiply uh seconded any discussion on the motion any further discussion on the motion seeing and hearing on all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that That motion carries.

[02:33:24] And that brings us to now a public hearing on SEA 95-Y-024-07, Costco Wholesale Corporation in the Sully District. And who do we have who can reaffirm the affidavit? Surprise. David Houston, Beacon-Kinney and Corman, reaffirming the affidavit dated January 9, 2023.

[02:33:49] Thank you, Mr. Houston. Disclosures from board members. Supervisor Palcic. Mr. Chairman, Mark M. Vianney donated in excess of $100 to the Friends of Dahlia Palcic. Thank you, Supervisor Palcic. Supervisor Lusk. I'll make the same disclosure.

[02:34:05] The Lusk for Supervisor campaign received in excess of $100 from Mark Vianney. Thank you. Supervisor Stork. Mark Vianney donated in excess of $100 to the Stork for Supervisor campaign. Thank you, Supervisor Stork.

[02:34:22] At this time, if there are no other disclosures, I'll recognize county staff for a staff presentation. The Costco property is in the northeast quadrant of the Costco property is south of Lee Jackson Memorial Highway and west of Route 28.

[02:34:45] It is zoned to the C-8 Commercial District and the Water Supply Protection Overlay District. The subject of this application is the fueling station in the southwest corner of the site, and the changes are limited to the fueling station only.

[02:35:02] Similar to the last application, YAPFACAN is seeking to expand the fueling station in order to approve the efficiency on site, and an additional three pumps would be added here for a total of 11 fueling pumps with associated enlargement of the existing canopy.

[02:35:19] The limits of disturbance would cover 0.36 acres of the site. There are no proposed modifications to the retail building and use. The applicant has conducted a traffic study showing the proposal won't have an adverse impact on the road network.

[02:35:35] The applicant will also be providing new road striping on and around the site and has provided a plan for managing traffic and circulation during peak times. The applicant will be providing four functional EV spaces as well. All staff comments are addressed at this time.

[02:35:51] Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing or hearing any at this time, we'd recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation. Thank you again. I will be even briefer.

[02:36:08] Basically, this implementation of this plan will reduce the time the customer is in the gas facility by up to 50% during peak periods. So it's very beneficial to the Costco membership.

[02:36:25] Upgrades that we have worked on with staff here include widening a drive aisle for safer turning movements, four Level 3 EV chargers, the red light-green light system to show when pumps are available, striping upgrades to the Chantilly Crossing Shopping Center, a reserve mitigation plan during extremely peak periods, and adding an LID stormwater management device.

[02:36:54] we worked with staff the sully district council land use and transportation committee and the planning commission and have favorable results from all three i'd be happy to answer any further questions thank you very much any questions of staff or the applicant seeing and hearing none thank you uh this is a public hearing uh i have no one signed up in advance to testify on this matter is there anyone present who would like to speak on this case anyone in the auditorium who would like to testify this is a public hearing seeing and hearing no one let me ask if anyone

[02:37:28] has called in no speakers have called in uh closing comments and a recommendation from county staff on february 8th 2023 the planning commission recommended approval of the application subject to the development conditions dated february 7th 2023 and staff concurs with this recommendation okay any questions from the board seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor smith for a motion thank you mr chairman i would like to ask the applicant to confirm their agreement to the proposed development conditions dated february 7 2023

[02:38:02] yes costco is in agreement with february 7 2023 development conditions thank you i move that the board of supervisors approve sea 95-y-024-07 subject to the proposed development conditions dated february 7 2023 for the motion it's been seconded by supervisor harity discussion on the motion just supervisor smith just briefly um i appreciate that the applicants strengthen the language and the development conditions i think it is really important to have this the extra striping in the service lane in the shopping center i think the reserve mitigation strategy

[02:38:41] in case a lot of people are there at once is really important the red light green light you You know, we know these places are very popular and that will move people and that there will be four spaces for level three, which I think it's great to get level three EV parking charging stations.

[02:38:58] So thank you very much to the applicant for doing that and to Ms. Estes for all her work so that we know we got this right. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor Smith, any further discussions? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the application, please say aye. Aye.

[02:39:14] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? and that motion carries thank you very much our next public hearing is a is being deferred i understand it is a public hearing on rz 2022-su-00010 matan gloris road llc in the sully district supervisor smith at the request of the applicant i move to defer this public hearing for application

[02:39:44] number RZ2022-SU-00010 to a date certain of May 9, 2023 at 3.30 p.m. to allow the applicant additional time to refine their application before their public hearing. And the chair will second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries and brings us to our next public hearing public hearing on RZ 2016-SP-033 merit investment LLC in the Springfield district.

[02:40:23] And as soon as they are ready if we could have the applicant in this case please reaffirm the affidavit. Suzanne Wright: This is Suzanne Wright with the Department of Planning and Development. There's been a proper signature issue with that and it's going to have to be deferred and we're just getting the date situated May 9th.

[02:40:45] is the next date we could have the hearing i'm waiting on a date and i'm ready to make the motion to defer unfortunately it was a title that was on the proper okay so so we'll give you a second yeah we'll give you a second to get the date may 9th may 9th 2023 may 9th four o'clock okay supervisor harry yeah mr chairman unfortunately uh i have to move that the board of supervisors

[02:41:18] defer the public hearing for rz fdp 2016-sp-003 to a date certain of may 9th at four 2023 at four o'clock p.m it's been moved and multiply seconded any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries. We have another series of deferrals here on the next two cases. First is a public

[02:41:52] hearing on PCA 80-S-008-02, RZPA 2022-SU-00095, Virginia Medical Transport, LLC, in the Sully District. Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors defer the public hearing for PCA 80-S-008-02 to a date certain of May 9, 2023.

[02:42:21] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchik. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? That motion carries. And that brings us to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing, another one being deferred public hearing on pca 80 dash s dash that's the one i just read so we are public hearing on uh proposal to vacate a portion of barney road in the sully district

[02:42:56] supervisor smith i move to defer this public hearing for the vacation of a portion of barney road to a date certain of may 9 2023 to a time consistent with the associated rezoning application number rz 2022-su-00010 to be scheduled for board consideration on may 9 2023 you've heard the motion it's been seconded by a supervisor pal check any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion

[02:43:31] carries and we are after four o'clock so our next public hearing is on af-2022-sp-00006 aa83-s-004-3 white hall statewide agricultural and forestal district in the springfield district in cases like this there is no affidavit so at this time i would recognize our county staff for staff presentation thank you mr chairman my name is sophia fisher with the department of planning

[02:44:09] and development this is a request to renew a statewide agricultural and forestal district it's approximately 205 acres and located in the springfield district one thing to note is that it is adjacent to the hztm district that was renewed or approved rather by the board about two weeks ago and there's also the Hanselot district to the southeast so there's a nice clustering of a and f districts in this area the property is zoned rc and is located in the water

[02:44:46] supply protection overlay district there is floodplain rpa and a significant amount of eqc located on the site approximately six acres are in use for residential purposes and it's planned for low density residential. A soil and water quality conservation plan was prepared by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. Critical recommendations include carrying out RPA, pasture, nutrient, and pest management practices. The area forester visited

[02:45:23] the property in November of 2022 and found that the forest resources are in good condition other than the continued lack of oak regeneration. He noted that it is too soon to conduct another select harvest after the 2013 harvest, but otherwise the applicant should continue to follow the forest management plan developed for the property in 2007.

[02:45:48] Staff finds that the proposed district renewal satisfies all applicable criteria. Thank you. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff at this time? Seeing and hearing none, we'll give the applicant an opportunity for an application.

[02:46:03] presentation. Not required, but you're welcome to. Good afternoon. My name is Nadine Vasquez, owner applicant, along with my son Jeremy Vasquez for the renewal of Whitehall Statewide Agricultural and Forestall District. Whitehall has been a family-run farm since 1961 when it was a cow-calf operation when I was growing up. Later on in the succession of renewals, we expanded to growing vegetables for CSA as well as raising our own beef, pork, and eggs. These protein products that

[02:46:40] raised on whitehall were raised humanely as grass-fed beef and pork with non-gmo feed and no antibiotics and our chickens were all pastured fed no pesticides were used on any fields where vegetables were grown or anywhere on the farm as we have honeybees on december 15 2021 whitehall had a great personal family loss of jeff waters my husband who had dedicated 40 years of inspiration and hard work for his love of Whitehall. It is in his remembrance of spirit for farming that keeps

[02:47:13] my son and I, as well as many valued volunteers over the years, to keeping Whitehall a farm and an open space. I hope you had the opportunity to read some of the donation letters to Whitehall from some of the local food banks where families with food struggles were helped with products directly raised on Whitehall. Also, during the pandemic, Whitehall volunteers and employees delivered these food products to families or individuals who did not want to leave their homes or were ill. One of my favorite Whitehall events was a free day for first responders and

[02:47:50] their families to come and picnic and enjoy a stress-free day at Whitehall's beautiful open space. Whitehall has also played a role in educating school children about farm life with field trips where they could participate in planting seeds which they could take home to watch their plants grow. Whitehall's 100 acres of forest also help the community by removing 115 tons of carbon dioxide each year, thus reducing the carbon footprint. It is my hope that you will agree that Whitehall needs to stay in the Agricultural District for the next 10 years. Thank you.

[02:48:28] Thank you very much for your presentation and work. Much appreciated. Any questions of staff for the applicant. Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing and I do have three speakers who have signed up in advance to testify. Speaker number one is Sevem Kalyonku. Sevem here.

[02:48:48] Speaker number two, Stephen Youssef. Stephen Youssef here. Speaker number three is Joseph Buckrice. He's here. Okay. Sevem, please, if you could go to the podium. Welcome. Thank you all for this opportunity to speak.

[02:49:06] Excuse me. My name is Sevem Kalyonju. I'm an environmental educator and a neighbor of Whitehall. I'm here today speaking only on behalf of myself but I am a former employee of Fairfax County Park Authority where I led meaningful watershed education experiences or MIWIs as we call them teaching Fairfax County Public School kids about the interconnectedness of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Currently I'm the executive director of the nonprofit called Green Muslims where I still lead these MIWIs as we call them and I teach outdoor classes to children and adults through other organizations as well.

[02:49:40] Now my family has lived next to Whitehall for over 25 years now and of course enjoyed the clean, quiet, and peaceful surroundings. Through my own education and teaching experience, however, I've come to understand just how important preservation of the property at Whitehall as forest and farmland is as it provides a sizable buffer zone for Castle Creek and its branches, thus benefiting the the Pope's Head Creek Watershed, and the Greater Chesapeake Bay Watershed, as well.

[02:50:08] Erosion and stream pollution are big problems here in Fairfax County, as I'm sure you all know. As any observation of our local stream banks or monitoring of stream health will show, Fairfax has undergone and continues to undergo rapid and aggressive development, including the areas surrounding Whitehall.

[02:50:26] Green areas, such as Whitehall, not only provide homes for wildlife and native plants, but they also protect our waterways from this erosion and pollution. Trees and other plants help hold the soil in place, and they also absorb and filter rainwater, as well as runoff from other locations, resulting in cleaner water in all of our streams, rivers, and the bay.

[02:50:49] Over just the past few years, hundreds of acres of trees have been removed for development in the Pope's Head watershed alone, with no apparent thought to the impact on our local streams or wildlife, and the results have been pretty obvious. Flooding, eroding stream banks, light and noise pollution, and also stream pollution in the region.

[02:51:09] On Colchester Road specifically, there has been extensive development, and the roads frequently flood now, carrying dirt, construction material, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides into the nearby streams, including Castle Creek and Popeshead Creek. Prior to this recent development, this really wasn't the case.

[02:51:26] Whitehall, on the other hand, has had a positive effect on the local watershed because of its maintenance sizable riparian buffers around all of its creeks and it even protects those wooded and stream areas from livestock and is cautious with this as you've heard with its use of chemicals it's a very well protected water watershed area and it should be noted that a 2017 USGS report which was titled stream flow water quality and aquatic macro invertebrates of selected streams in Fairfax County Virginia 2007 to 2012 it stated that quote benthic macro

[02:52:01] Microinvertebrate community metrics indicated that streams throughout Fairfax County are generally of poor health. One station, Castle Creek, was an exception with results indicating relatively high quality aquatic health. I planned this for five minutes so I can stop now, but we really appreciate the area and education-wise it's been a blessing.

[02:52:22] Thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony. Speaker number two, Stephen Youssef. Is Stephen here now? Stephen, if you could come on down. He'll be followed by Joseph Buck Rice, speaker number three. Mr. Youssef, welcome. Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the board.

[02:52:38] My name is Stephen Youssef. I am a father, citizen of Fairfax County, and a beekeeper and entrepreneur. I am the beekeeper on the farm, and I came here today to speak to what a wonderful, peaceful zone that area is in this county and how places like that are becoming increasingly more rare.

[02:53:06] Whitehall hosts a very healthy field trip circuit on its property. We get elementary school-aged children from all over the county. I participate in those. We set up a beekeeper station. We have puppets and live bees. And probably my most proud achievement of being involved with that farm is the fact that we've educated over 5,000 elementary age school kids to date in this county on the importance of pollinators, not just honeybees. And I just want to implore you to maintain this

[02:53:41] wonderful gem. That's it. I can't really add too much more than that. I just want to say thank you for your time. Thank you for your testimony. Speaker number three, Joseph Buckris, hope I'm pronouncing that right. Is there anyone else in the auditorium after speaker number three that would like to testify on this matter. Okay, if you could please come down here and sign in with the clerk, that would be appreciated. Welcome, the floor is yours. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Joseph Buckris. I've been working at Whitehall for over three years now.

[02:54:16] I was born and raised in Fairfax County, and I went to George Mason University where I majored in environmental and sustainability studies. I graduated in 2020, but before I did, I was lucky enough to connect with Jeff Waters and Nadine Vasquez at Whitehall and I interned there at the farm as a vegetable grower and quickly realized that I enjoyed raising good food as well as eating good food. I eventually began working with the cattle, the pigs, the chickens on the farm and this was in the winter before COVID. As supply chain shut down, Whitehall was able to keep going because while grocery stores sold out of meat, we had grass-fed beef from our cattle, we had

[02:54:55] pasture as pork from our pigs, and we had a field of hundreds of chickens laying hundreds of eggs every day. Even three years later, these supply chain issues still persist. In my time at the farm, I've been able to connect with so many people who enjoy the blessing of a farm in their community. The short supply chains we have access to when times are tough connect people to nutritious food, and the farm's beautiful outdoor space is very valuable in northern Virginia. Whitehall is one of the last places in this area providing farm fresh products from a working farm, and I hope we can continue to do this in the future. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your testimony.

[02:55:34] And we now have speaker number four, who is Robert Clark. Mr. Clark, welcome. Is there anyone else after Mr. Clark that would like to testify on this matter, this present? Anyone else who would like to testify? Mr. Clark, welcome. Thank you, Chairman McKay and the rest of the board. Appreciate the opportunity. My relationship with Whitehall Farm started in 1991. I was still a boy. I started working for Mr. Waters as a carpenter's helper that also lend itself to farming operations and what I want to speak of is the history behind it Nadine can speak from when she was a child I can

[02:56:13] pick that up in 91 the operation is always we've improved and what I want to speak to is we continue to improve so that's maintaining the property in the best possible way riparian the areas have been non disturbed we do everything we can we were speaking about last time we timbered in 2013 not only did the state forester was involved because that's what you do but there is a consulting enforcer also involved which monitors the timber harvest and Mr. Waters was also out

[02:56:51] there and it's paramount that we keep this farm operating as far as the cattle over the years it was just a large grazing operation in recent years we turned to you know rotational grazing which if you know anything about that it just builds the soil it lessens the contamination of the surrounding soils not to mention you have all this 200 plus acres in the middle of Fairfax and it's a lot of it's a labor of love for everybody involved including Ms. Vasquez it's a lot of work and uh but we're working towards the future there's succession planning and things of

[02:57:30] that nature it's really all i have to say thank you for your time thank you very much uh mr clark is there anyone else who would like to testify on this case anyone else present seeing and hearing no one let me ask if anyone has called in no one has called in um assume or actually let me ask the applicant i assume you waive rebuttal okay um at this time closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Thank you. This renewal was heard by the Planning Commission on March 15th and by the Agricultural and Forestry District Advisory Committee on February 22nd.

[02:58:08] Both recommended approval as to staff. Staff recommends approval subject to the proposed ordinance provisions dated March 1st. Excellent. Thank you very much. Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none. At this time, we'll close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Herity for a motion. Yeah, I'm going to do my comments after the motion on this one. I request the applicant state for the record their acceptance of the ordinance provisions dated March 1st, 2023.

[02:58:36] Yes, Whitehall will accept. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors approve AF-2022-SP-00006 and Appendix E of the Fairfax County Code be amended to renew the Whitehall Statewide Agricultural and Forestry District subject to the ordinance provisions dated March 1, 2023 so moved and the chair will second that motion along with supervisor lusk any discussion on the motion discussion on the motion supervisor parity you know and you've as you've heard i think most of the boards familiar with whitehall farm it's it's it is truly a gem it's i think one of

[02:59:14] our last privately owned if not the last privately owned working farms in fairfax county um and as Jeff explained too many many times before before his passing they have more profitable options which is subdivide and develop it and you know I want to I want to thank Nadine and for for keeping that spirit of Jeff alive you know his loss was recognized by the board in January 2022 what what you all do and have done in terms of education veteran support commitment to the

[02:59:50] environment truly is truly is remarkable and uh i just really appreciate you and your family continuing that tradition and stand ready to work with you as you move forward uh over the next 10 years to uh to continue to preserve this so so thank you and i appreciate everything you're doing thank you very much any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much

[03:00:24] and congratulations. Our next public hearing is a public hearing on proposed plan amendment 2021-CV-1CP affordable housing preservation policy. And again with this there is no affidavit. So as soon as

[03:00:50] county staff is ready we would welcome a staff presentation. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon. My name is Breanne Fuller from the Department of Housing and Community Development.

[03:01:14] I'm here today with Megan Van Dam, Anna Shapiro, and Tom Fleetwood from Housing as well. I am here to present the proposed Affordable Housing Preservation Comprehensive Plan Amendment. In July 2020, the board established the Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force to develop strategies to preserve affordable housing in Fairfax County.

[03:01:37] The task force met from October 2020 to February 2021 and created a set of recommendations. In April 2021, the board both endorsed the task force recommendations and authorized a comprehensive plan amendment for preservation. The purpose of the preservation task force was to develop a preservation strategy to preserve marketing committed affordable housing as well as manufactured housing.

[03:02:01] The recommendations made by the task force include financial tools, land use policy, policies, legislative priorities, and process improvements to assist with preservation. The recommendation for a comprehensive plan amendment reflects the countywide goal of preservation by establishing a goal of one-for-one replacement of units during redevelopment.

[03:02:19] This goal will help be achieved by understanding the impacts that a redevelopment will have on existing affordable units and working to identify incentives to assist with the replacement of those units. Outreach for this amendment occurred from September 2022 to January 2023.

[03:02:40] We had six public meetings. Three were virtual. Three were in person. We spoke to various district land use committees, community groups, housing advocates, industry groups, and property owners. And overall, we found that there was a lot of support for preservation. There were some concerns noted about some of the details about how the policy will operate that I'll go over in my next slides.

[03:03:00] One of the task force recommendations was a survey of all market affordable properties that have rents at 60% of the AMI or below, completed every two years. We utilized this list while crafting the amendment to help us understand how this policy might play out.

[03:03:19] There was a wide range of characteristics that the properties had, including their proportion of affordable units, affordability levels served, and locations in special planning areas. Staff utilized this list to test methodologies of applying additional density to assist with preservation, but found that a one-size-fits-all approach would not work due to the differences in the properties and how they might each handle additional levels of density differently.

[03:03:44] Staff determined that it would be important to take each site into consideration individually. The proposed plan amendment supports the goal of no net loss of multifamily rental housing with a focus on rents generally affordable to households earning 60% of the area median income and below and 80% of the area median income and below for expiring affordable dwelling units and workforce dwelling units. It helps retain affordability during infill development and redevelopment scenarios where a rezoning and or plan amendment is proposed. It adds to the county's affordable housing preservation tools and allows for flexibility to take each site's unique

[03:04:21] characteristics into consideration by evaluating potential density and/or financial incentives on a case-by-case basis. The proposed amendment would add a sixth objective to the housing element of the policy plan for affordable housing preservation. This objective establishes a goal to preserve existing multifamily rental housing, provides incentives for preservation, includes the analysis of existing affordability of a multifamily rental property that is being redeveloped so that staff can understand the effects that a proposed rezoning and/or comprehensive plan amendment might have on affordability. And this amendment also includes

[03:04:58] the addition of a second appendix to the housing element. That second appendix includes additional details on the policy, including the evaluation of each rezoning and plan amendment individually to assess how to get to the one-for-one replacement goal. Since each project will be unique, preservation will mean balancing expectations for unit replacement with the incentives that could potentially be utilized to assist with that. It also goes into detail regarding the existing affordable dwelling unit ordinance and workforce dwelling unit policy that will still apply to new developments, but that number will count

[03:05:33] toward the preservation of units. The guidelines also include the provision of relocation plans and additional implementation details that will be available in administrative guidelines that are currently being developed. The administrative guidelines will include greater detail on assessing existing affordability and the implementation of the preserved units as well as relocation assistance plans.

[03:05:57] The proposed amendment also includes the addition of two definitions to the glossary. The first one is for market-affordable multifamily rental housing, which are those units without income restrictions where rents are decided by the property owner, with a primary focus on units serving households earning 60% of the area median income and below.

[03:06:18] And then we have committed-affordable multifamily rental housing, which are those units where rents are restricted through zoning requirements, deed restrictions or other means, and affordable to households earning 60% of the area median income or below, and then 80% for expiring ADUs and WDUs.

[03:06:38] Finally, if the board adopts this amendment, staff will be working with the affordable housing stakeholders to develop the administrative guidelines. We anticipate publishing a draft in May and presenting to the board in late summer. We are also incorporating recommendations regarding manufactured housing preservation into the comprehensive plan through a separate amendment, with direct outreach to the residents and owners of the manufactured housing communities and other stakeholders this concludes the background and description of the amendment and I would be happy to answer any questions thank you thank you very much are there any questions of staff supervisor Alcorn thank you very much mr. chairman just quickly so the

[03:07:17] the basic idea here is putting in the comprehensive plan putting some flexibility in terms of site specific density on a case-by-case basis for the 60% or below, I mean, this is most of it, the market affordable units. We've gotten some correspondents asking about slightly higher AMIs, so 80%.

[03:07:39] And frankly, I'm not sure I would be totally comfortable going to 80% using this particular strategy. I think this makes a lot of sense for 60%. But what is our strategy? What are our next steps for preserving the 80% AMI?

[03:07:56] What's next for that? And this is maybe for Mr. Fleetwood. Good afternoon, Supervisor Alcorn. Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development. I think one of the principal means by which we preserve affordable housing is using, of course, the low-income housing tax credit program.

[03:08:19] And within the tax credit program, there's this concept of income averaging, which does allow you to serve up to 80% of the area median income, So long as the average served in the property is 60 allows for more of a, more of a mixed income community.

[03:08:35] You serve some higher income folks at up to 80 and allows you to serve, you know, more lower income families at up to about 40% of median income. So that's a, that's the most critical tool that we have. Okay.

[03:08:50] And I know, I know this board's talked a lot about preservation and, and I, I agree with some of the folks that have communicated with us. that it's important that we preserve those slightly higher income-based developments or units, homes, as well.

[03:09:08] So I would just encourage you, Mr. Fleetwood, to keep working with our housing committee as there are other tools and strategies that could be used to ensure the continuation of those 80% AMIs as well. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[03:09:23] Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. Any other questions of staff? Supervisor Herity. What kind of demand do we have for the county subsidized units, up to 80%? Are they going market rate, or do we have a high demand for the units up to 80%?

[03:09:46] Supervisor Herity, Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development. We do have a significant demand for the units at up to 80%. We regularly see significant utilization in, for example, the WDUs, that have been delivered in the market any other questions supervisor faust thank you thank you

[03:10:17] the 80 percent if it is uh committed 80 percent of ami and below it's part of the it's addressed in the comprehensive plan is that correct that's correct supervisor faust in the in in the sense that uh it only addresses those committed units under adu and wdu at up to 80 in the main this policy is of course focused on 60 percent okay and the market uh affordable at 80 percent i guess

[03:10:51] between 60 and 80 is what people have expressed concern about um it's not specifically addressed in this comp plan that correct um man i think this uh mr alcorn suggested we need to continue to look at that because that's really i know that was not part of the directive for this comp plan To me, it's an issue that I wasn't aware of, I don't think, until very recently.

[03:11:23] But it is something that I think justifies our focus going forward. If I may, Mr. Chairman, just very briefly, I will say that when we conduct our next survey of the market affordable multifamily complexes, we have had discussions already about the possibility of including a 60 to 80 tier so that we understand what's going on in that part of the market as well excellent thank you sir thank you supervisor faust any other questions seeing and hearing none uh this is a public

[03:12:01] hearing and i have five speakers who have signed up in advance uh to testify speaker number one is paul zarowski is paul here he is and he's coming on down uh speaker three is chris burns is chris Burns here? Is Chris Burns present? Speaker four, Carrie Wilson. Okay. Mr. Zyrowski, welcome. You'll be speaker number one and have five minutes. I only thought I had four, so maybe we'll get out of here a little earlier. I know that a lot of time and effort went into this policy, but one

[03:12:35] of the things that I'd encourage the board to look at is a bit more specificity in the sense that there are limited tenant protections. One of the things that I brought up was a right to return for redevelopments. There are also things about relocation assistance. There is a short bit about a developer providing it, but also for developers. It does talk a lot about incentives. It talks a lot about zoning and up-zoning and infilling, but if I'm a developer and I'm looking at this, I think I may have some challenges trying to figure out where I fit in. Now, I am a member of the Affordable Housing Committee in Fairfax County. I served in a similar role in Alexandria,

[03:13:13] But who I'm really here to represent is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Our Lady of Good Counsel. If you're not familiar with us, we provide financial assistance to people in need. Our need has doubled in the last three months, and most of that has to do with rent.

[03:13:28] And so as a number of the supervisors mentioned, I'd strongly encourage you to look at that 60% number, because in one of the public hearings in Reston, the staff gave their presentation, which was great, and said, well, you know, 60% is about $85,000 a year.

[03:13:46] A young woman stood up and said, does anyone here make that? And nobody did. And so the people who are most engaged in the affordable housing issue are those who are at or below 60% of the area median income, which according to my math is between 350,000 and 400,000 people in Fairfax County.

[03:14:03] And my concern with this policy is that in addition to not being clear in terms of who it assists, that change in the definition of committed affordable to 80%, that then basically takes affordable housing, changes the definition so it is no longer what is classically referred to as affordable housing. And so I did a little thought exercise over the weekend and I put in 80% of the area median income and 75% of two-bedroom rental units in Fairfax County would be affordable at 80% of the area median income. And so we can take care of that at market rate because that is market rate. And I think even Supervisor Faust mentioned

[03:14:41] this last October that those 80% units had have not had the uptake in terms of rental units that was anticipated and one of the examples was last fall the Colvin woods project was approved and if you read the details of that it says these are currently 60% units we provided a subsidy and then the tenants were told well your rent may increase because of that and so my concern is we will take deeply those units that are most that are most in need to the people who most need them, change the definition to 80% and then declare victory.

[03:15:13] So I'd encourage you, if you do want to have developers make the policy more clear in terms of what they can expect for incentives and density bonuses, and also please make the policy more clear in terms of what tenants can expect when they are redeveloped out of a currently affordable unit.

[03:15:37] And I do thank you for your time. Thank you very much for your time. Much appreciated. Speaker number two is Jill Norcross, joined us by telephone. Ms. Norcross, can you hear me okay? I can. Can you hear me? We can. Welcome. The floor is yours.

[03:15:53] Wonderful. Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide this by phone. I am speaking on behalf of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, or NAVHA. Our mission is to promote healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities that meet the diverse housing needs of Northern Virginia residents.

[03:16:12] And we endorsed Fairfax County's efforts to create an affordable housing preservation amendment to the comp plan. As a participant of the Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force, Navaja appreciates all of the time and efforts spent by the task force members and county staff to draft these recommendations.

[03:16:29] And I will add that we did prioritize at that time that 60% AMI population and below because of comments that you heard earlier from other speakers. While we applaud this preservation amendment as being in line with the One Fairfax policy that supports racial and social equity, and we commend the county for adopting the best practice benchmarks of no net loss of affordable housing units and the goal of one-for-one replacement.

[03:16:57] However, we also believe the policy should include more details and specificity in defining preservation and the requirements that developers will need to follow. As we know, the housing developers benefit from clear guidelines and predictability, especially with regard to redevelopment opportunities. And we understand staff's request for flexibility and to negotiate preservation opportunities on a case-by-case basis, but we would have hoped the following recommendations from the task force would be included in the amendment and really hope they get included in the guidelines.

[03:17:27] So, as you may recall, the AHP Task Force recommended these specific guidelines that we believe are left out of the current amendment language, which is to consider the needs and demographics of existing residents in developing the replacement housing program, to maintain an equal number of bedrooms, unless doing so would lead to a high level of displacement of existing residents, to encourage preservation of the three- and four-bedroom units, to set aside at a minimum the same unit mix when a property has units that are or below 60 percent AMI to preserve the greater affordability where possible, and it should be

[03:18:03] noted that utilizing the income averaging option provided under the LIHTC program may be appropriate and advantageous at financing the acquisition and rehabilitation of market affordable communities. We recommend you follow all applicable relocation assistance requirements and guidelines. Permanent relocation may be needed to maintain the financial viability of the development, and the replacement housing location should be in proximity to the site undergoing redevelopment. Off-site replacement housing should offer access to economic opportunities and public transportation and be accessible to social, recreational, educational, commercial, health facilities and services and

[03:18:41] other municipal services. And finally, when lower AMI rent and income is served in an existing community, those AMI levels should remain at the same in the replacement. As you may know, the Affordable Housing Task Force requested this comp plan amendment to be authorized no later than July 2021. So while we are delayed in the suggested timeline, we do hope the administrative policy guidelines will include some of this language and provide details and definitions for current property owners and developers. We also recognize that this amendment is a starting point and we really encourage additional guidance and revisions for the policy over time. Thank you so much for

[03:19:15] this opportunity to provide public testimony today. Thank you for your testimony. And we are now on Speaker number three, Chris Burns. Is Chris Burns present? Has Chris Burns arrived? Don't see Chris Burns. How about speaker number four, Carrie Wilson?

[03:19:32] Has Carrie Wilson arrived here? Okay. We will go to speaker five, Renee Grebe. Is Ms. Grebe on the phone? Yes, I am. Thank you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Thank you for your time this afternoon. I'm Renee Grebe, a Fairfax County resident, and I'm speaking to you this afternoon as a Northern Virginia conservation advocate for Nature Forward, formerly the Audubon Naturalist Society.

[03:19:56] We're the D.C. area's oldest independent environmental organization, and in our conservation advocacy, we prioritize human health and access to nature, biodiversity and habitats, fighting the climate crisis, and sustainable land use. And while it may seem surprising that an environmental organization is providing comments for the Affordable Housing Preservation Complement Amendment, it relates to both our CCAP and resilient Fairfax goals.

[03:20:20] Housing policy is climate policy. With the aggressive emission reductions for CCAP, it's important to take steps to reduce the need for single-vehicle travel. And retaining and creating affordable housing close-in is an important way to reduce sprawl. So Fairfax County really needs to think about reducing sprawl and emissions to meet its climate and resilience goals.

[03:20:41] If people can afford to live closer to where they work, they'll spend less time commuting and will produce fewer transportation emissions. And close-in affordable housing will give us the opportunity to save more of our natural areas by reducing sprawl. Though I will note that this comp plan alone does not guarantee that happening, and we'll separately ask the board to keep this in mind for future development and policy proposals.

[03:21:02] The Nature Board generally supported this initiative, and we support the goals of this plan. Like I said, housing policy is climate policy. We asked the plan to be made even stronger in three ways. One, to include protection for mobile home community residents. We understand that a second comprehensive plan amendment is being developed to specifically address mobile homes, but delaying and handling this separately leaves these important affordable communities vulnerable.

[03:21:27] This current plan is being considered, should include protections for mobile home residents who rent their land. Fairfax County has several mobile home communities, some of which are the most affordable remaining housing that we have and often close to jobs and transit centers. And they disproportionately shelter immigrants and people of color.

[03:21:43] A number of these communities like Harmony Place and Audubon Estates down the Route 1 corridor are also in floodplains, making them even more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. So working to include their residents in a strategy for affordable, climate-resilient housing will help both meet affordability and climate goals.

[03:22:00] Two, include incentives for creating and preserving affordable housing near key transit corridors. The true cost of housing is more realistically the cost of housing plus transportation. Housing close to metro and buses can enable households to have fewer cars and thereby pay less for insurance, maintenance, financing, gas.

[03:22:20] But metro adjacent housing, obviously, is typically some of the most expensive housing in our region. So retaining and creating affordable housing near transit will be good for residents' bank accounts and for the climate because no car and one-car households produce fewer carbon emissions than households with two or more cars.

[03:22:37] This aligns with the Affordable Housing Preservation Task Force recommendations highlighted in the staff report to develop policies that consider preservation based on location and characteristics of the affordable housing, such as those near mass transit and walkable amenities. And then lastly, propose a strategy for workforce housing in addition to affordable housing.

[03:22:56] I appreciate Supervisor Alcorn's question on this front and the first speaker's concerns on this front, but Fairfax County has one of the highest average median incomes in the nation. And because of this, a large number of residents hold government jobs that are related, that require high skills and education.

[03:23:14] This high average income for Fairfax really hides substantial wealth gaps with significant demand for workforce housing that Mr. Fleetwood highlighted. We asked the board to identify ways to protect people, whether through this comp plan amendment, maybe through alternative means, to make sure that workforce housing is preserved and still affordable.

[03:23:32] addressing the preservation of workforce housing could further reduce carbon emissions. And, again, affordable housing is good climate policy, and it's a matter of justice and fairness for residents who underpin the county workforce. So thank you so much for your consideration and comments, and thank you for taking on this COMP Plan Amendment.

[03:23:49] Thank you very much, Ms. Grevy. And let me make sure that Chris Burns and Kerry Wilson have not arrived. Is that right? No, Chris Burns or Kerry Wilson, okay? At this time, this is a public hearing that completes my list of speakers who have signed up in advance.

[03:24:06] Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? Anyone present who would like to speak on this matter? Let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in. Okay. And this will be speaker number six. And who do we have? Jerry Jones.

[03:24:22] Mr. Jones, can you hear me okay? Yes, I hear you. Okay. Thank you very much. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. But my comments will be brief. I just became aware of this on the agenda just about a week ago.

[03:24:40] We can have to go and start talking with my neighbors on this, and we've had our neighborly discussions on this. And some of our comments were, well, for one, there's a lot of high-density developments underway right now that we've noticed. It seems like every time you turn around, there is another high-density development going on.

[03:24:57] I'll give you some of the examples. One's the university's development going on on Knox Road. These are just examples in our area right here. There's enormous development going on being built over there at the state police site on Braddock Road.

[03:25:15] And we just learned of another one that's being proposed in Oakton. This is a 1,200-unit development being proposed in Oakton. So it just seems like all of a sudden they're really popping up everywhere. And so now there's a proposal to amend the Affordable Housing Preservation Policy, which I briefly looked at and didn't have enough time to go into details on, but it looks like it's going to be changing zoning codes to allow even more access to high-density projects.

[03:25:46] So I believe that this policy is to be reviewed when it was first adopted a couple years ago. It was supposed to be reviewed every five years or sooner. However, my neighbors and I were not expecting such a quick revisit to make amendments already on this policy.

[03:26:06] Therefore, I am asking on behalf of my neighbors that this be postponed for 30 days so that we could read this more and understand this proposal better. Our concerns, as I mentioned, are it just seems like there's not an orderly system going on with these high-density projects.

[03:26:23] In fact, some of them, from what we see the advertising, it seems like they're even going higher. than what they were originally being displayed as. And, of course, our big concern is the volume of traffic.

[03:26:40] It's already pretty bad right now, and it's going to obviously get more intense. And so it's not clear if this development is applying to every area in Fairfax County.

[03:26:55] It seems like some communities are getting hit much harder. We have friends in Reston, and they believe that they're being disproportionate with the high-density developments. It seems like some areas are not receiving any areas there in McLean. So how is this being distributed throughout our large county?

[03:27:16] And finally, I have a related note. Of course, high-density developments require removing existing trees. I went online for Fairfax County to see if there's a tree canopy survey, if there is one, and if it's updated annually.

[03:27:32] And I could not find a survey. I hope there's one that exists and that is updated annually. And when I used to live in Arlington County, they had that, and they still have that, and they update it regularly. So you could see how much trees are being preserved countywide.

[03:27:48] And that's very important for many reasons, for animal life, for our air, the beauty. It brings a lot of peace and enjoyment. So I propose, if Fairfax County does not have this survey, I urge that we adopt a similar policy and implement it immediately.

[03:28:09] And then this will then become part of a community advisory group that then could take that and provide input into this proposed amendment. I hope that is kind of clear and makes sense. If not, if you have any comments or questions, please let me know.

[03:28:26] If not, I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Jones. Are there any other callers on the line? Okay, who do we have? Speaker number seven, Mary Payton. Mary Payton will be speaker number seven. Mary, can you hear me okay? I can hear you. Thank you and I want to confirm before you testify that we do have your email that you sent a few minutes ago and we'll submit that for the record, but welcome. The floor is

[03:28:55] yours. Okay, thank you. Mary, can you hear me okay? I can hear you. Okay, the floor is yours we're waiting for your testimony oh yeah we're gonna have to thank you Jeff man I'm speaking today representing the South County Task Force which works

[03:29:34] along the one area and yes can you hear me yes please continue we can hear you fine okay yeah I've muted the TV yes I'm speaking today on behalf of the South County Task Force which is a advocacy organization for low-income people along We're at Route 1 area.

[03:29:57] I'm also the housing chair of the Fairfax NAACP and a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. And I just wanted to reiterate today to the previous speaker that this is not, we're not talking here about additional affordable housing.

[03:30:15] We're talking about preserving the number of affordable housing units that exist as market rate units. This is more of an issue around displacement than addition. What I'm seeing when development is starting to happen around the metro stations and the BRT stations is that it's starting to affect a lot of the older garden apartments that are not necessarily 60% AMI families, but more like 80%.

[03:30:45] They're more workforce housing units. If you take the AMI and take 30% of it and divide it by 12, you get a monthly rent that's 30% that's supposed to be an affordable rent for that income level of a person.

[03:31:01] And if you take that rent and you go out and look at some of the apartment buildings, what they're charging, you see that a lot of these units are suitable for workforce families. And these are the families that we call the essential workers, the ones we want to keep in the county, the ones we want to tell businesses that we have housing for.

[03:31:23] But what's happening, this ordinance does not affect them, does not protect their affordable housing. What it does is it introduces the 8% of the workforce development unit. So say you have an apartment building with 700 units in it, which you do have one in Merrifield right now that's under proposal for redevelopment.

[03:31:46] If you put in the WDUs, if you rebuild it to 700 units, the developer wants to tear it down and build 1,500 units. If you take 8% of the 1,500 units to give those to people who make up to 60% of AMI, you're still displacing 520 families.

[03:32:07] They have to leave. They can't afford any kind of new housing, new apartments in Fairfax. All of the rents are over that 30% monthly affordability area. They have to find another older apartment building, or they have to leave the county, which is probably what a lot of them will end up doing.

[03:32:28] There's another apartment building here, Beacon Hill. The developer put up a proposal a couple years ago to redevelop it in 2,000 units. and again a number quite a large number of workforce families would be displaced so this is something you all need to be aware of and it's starting to happen and it's going to happen more and more as the county develops and I think this is a good good amendment I think it's it's the start of something but I really think you have to pay attention to the workforce families who put

[03:33:03] 60 percent in there because there was a big focus on building new units for the very lowest income people. And I think that was a good plan at the time, and people went along with it, and we got that 60% number. But this is a different thing. This is displacing people who already live here. It's not building new things. It's not like the other, the 60% was targeted at building new stuff for the poorest families. This was targeted at trying to not displace the workforce, the lower paid workforce people who are here already. So I really urge you

[03:33:40] pay some attention to that watch what's happening and if you can't do it in this amendment figure out pretty soon how to deal with it because it's starting to happen now thank you thank you very much uh miss payden uh any other callers that are on the line no other callers okay um at this time let me turn to staff for any closing comments recommendations or response to any of the speakers on february 15 2023 the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend the staff recommendation

[03:34:16] to adopt the affordable housing preservation amendment to the housing element of the policy plan and staff concurs with this recommendation okay thank you very much any questions from board members questions from board members seeing and hearing none uh at this time i will close the public hearing and recognize supervisor faust for a motion thank you mr chairman Mr. Chairman, this board is adopted and is aggressively pursuing a goal of delivering by 2034 at least 10,000 new homes affordable for people earning up to 60% of the area median income.

[03:34:51] This board is also committed to pursuing an equally critical goal of no net loss of market rate and committed multifamily affordable rental housing. Mr. Chairman, the Affordable Housing Preservation Amendment affirms the preservation of multifamily rental affordable housing as a county-wide goal in the comprehensive plan in support of no net loss of affordable housing.

[03:35:15] The amendment provides the county with additional strategies and tools to assist preserving affordability during the review of rezoning applications and plan amendments involving infill development or redevelopment of these housing types.

[03:35:32] implementation of this new policy will be expressed in a set of administrative guidelines that are under development currently. It is anticipated that a draft of these guidelines will be published in May for public review and comment to ensure that they are realistic and effective and that the guidelines will be presented to the Board of Supervisors at the August 1, 2023 Housing Committee meeting, with adoption of these guidelines expected at a board meeting in September of 2023. Together, the action today and the guidelines that are in

[03:36:08] preparation represent major milestones in furthering the county's affordable housing preservation goals and asserting the county's role as a regional leader in affordable housing preservation. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt Plan Amendment 2021-CW1CP affordable housing preservation policy as recommended by the Planning Commission and as shown in the staff report that was included with the board item. I further move that staff is directed to continue developing the affordable housing preservation administrative policy

[03:36:45] guidelines to provide further guidance on the implementation of this policy and that staff is directed to engage the stakeholders in the process with the goal of presenting guidelines to the Housing Committee on August 1, 2023, and to the Board of Supervisors for Adoption at a board meeting in September 23, I so move.

[03:37:07] I'm happy to second that motion with Supervisor Stork. Any discussion on the motion? Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Herring. Yeah, as I've long said, I think the focus on affordable housing should be on those that can't help themselves.

[03:37:25] As we've heard from one of our speakers, at least, we've got plenty of market rate housing at 8%. I have concerns with this, that relocation isn't guaranteed for those at 60%, and that they can end up coming back to the units and they'd be at 80%.

[03:37:42] Um, my fear is also kind of what AOB has shared with us that, uh, that the requirement to replace market weight affordable units could inhibit the delivery of much needed housing, especially incentives, if incentives fail to cover the cost of the preserved affordable units.

[03:38:02] And it's a lot of those incentives that are basically making housing unaffordable for many of our residents because those incentives are paid by our residents. As we've heard many times, our young adults are priced out of housing and our seniors are priced out of housing.

[03:38:23] We're not going to be able to do enough government-subsidized housing to fix this problem. And where we need to start is reducing the cost of housing. That starts with zoning and permitting. It starts with focusing on those that can't help themselves and growing our housing base.

[03:38:41] So I'm not going to be supporting this. It's probably no surprise to the board, but I think there are better ways to attack this problem. Okay. Others who would like to speak? Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you. I appreciate Supervisor Herity bringing up the issue of right to return.

[03:39:01] I guess what I would ask, not as part of this motion, as part of the administrative policy guidelines for implementation, if staff could come back to the board and see how that could be addressed as part of the administrative guidelines. So thank you for bringing that up, Supervisor Herdy.

[03:39:19] Thank you. Others who would like to speak? Yes, Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And clearly, this is a good next step for us. I think that's what we all, I think, are pleased about. And I was supportive because contrary to others, I don't think there is enough 80% housing.

[03:39:42] I don't know where it is. I mean, I know there's a fair amount of it. In fact, I know that the fair amount of that on the Richmond Highway Corridor, and I don't think any of us have a problem with that. The issue is how do we ensure that this distribution of housing is countywide.

[03:39:59] I think this starts to tackle that issue by highlighting and identifying where those issues and where those needs are. And I'm looking to support far more housing that's affordable in many other areas of the county while not taking away from the needs for that same affordable housing in the Richmond-Iowa corridor.

[03:40:16] I do believe we can have both. I don't believe you have to shrink the pie. I think we can expand the pie and get more housing of all kinds. And anybody who's purchased housing in the Mount Vernon District knows that we have the most expensive home in the Washington metropolitan area.

[03:40:32] And I think we have some of the least expensive homes in the metropolitan area, and I don't want any of them to go away. I want them to be there for people who are attracted to whatever housing meets their family or meets their particular need in life, because we all know that changes as well.

[03:40:48] So I think this is the right next steps. I'm particularly pleased with how the Mount Vernon community has engaged this process deeply. You heard one of our strongest advocates, Mary Payton, talk about that. The South County Task Force has been a key part of the advocacy, but I also want to thank the Mount Vernon Council of Citizens Association, Civic Associations, and their recommendations that we take a look at and include relocation assistance plans, as well as to ensure that the redevelopment of and replacement of affordable units, market affordable, as well as is committed affordable, take place in the communities that they're in.

[03:41:25] I have a statement that I say often and frequently, and probably my staff will roll their eyes when I say this again, is that we may need to make sure that we leave no one behind. If you've lived in our community for a while or want to live here longer, we need to make sure that there's options for you, and that can be a variety of those kinds of things.

[03:41:45] But to get those options, we have to build more housing. That's going to take both the private sector as well as Fairbanks County and others to come to the table, and we have a lot of not-for-profits who have been key parts of that, come to the table, looking not only to preserve the affordable housing we have and improve it and make it better, but also make sure that while we do that, we build housing that can add and support the additional people that are moving into our communities, because we want this to be a vibrant, productive, successful, long-term 21st century community.

[03:42:17] We need it all to make that happen. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Anyone else who would like to speak? Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. um just briefly i'm reminded today of the discussions we had last week at the housing commission the housing roundtable over at george mason and it became very apparent that we've been seeing this growing need and growing crisis and it's not recent over 10 to 15 years ago there was a decline in actual building of new housing and that has only exacerbated what we see today i'm

[03:42:53] I'm going back to look at the 2021 AHP task force report that really ignited this. I know there's no panacea, but why we need to move forward. The demolition of older market affordable apartment complexes with redevelopment as high-end residential communities.

[03:43:11] We have seen renovation or repositioning of previously market affordable properties into higher rent properties. We have seen rent increases of market affordable units that outpace the rise in household incomes. And expiration, and this is one of the tools we had, of the committed affordable unit subsidies and affordability restrictions.

[03:43:36] So will this fix the need we have for affordable workforce unit preservation? No, but we have to use every tool we can these days. As was stated, most of what comes before us is market-driven. We cannot create more land. We cannot create more units, but we do have to work with our partners in doing that. What I do hope and look forward to the guidelines that will be coming forward is that this will give us some additional incentives and development tools.

[03:44:08] Every project that comes forward for rezoning, redevelopment, as is the case, needs to continue to come forward to the Planning Commission, to staff, to our board for approval. But what I hope that this can help us do and obviously if it's not it doesn't do that then we need to revisit it in the future is to give us those additional tools and guidelines especially in the middle areas of the county near the transit-oriented development in providence district we have six metro stations we have 90 percent of tyson's and all of merrifield and we just see the continued growth

[03:44:43] near transit-oriented development which as was stated is also good climate policy to have our housing there and that is where we are seeing the cost continue to rise as more and more communities want to live and us millennials want to live closer to transit to be less dependent on cars we also want to ensure that they are access to the best amenities parks schools and all of that and so yes i i think that a little bit of the devil will be in the details of the guidelines that we hope that we can continue to have tools for affordable workforce housing new

[03:45:21] development being built we are work you and your team tom's team is working on that but the preservation is really tricky one how do we how do we actually preserve that and there's no easy answer i do hope that having more of an ability and we already have this in areas in tyson's and in high-density areas, but how do we ensure that there is access to create or preserve affordable housing everywhere in the county, and not just in some areas, not the way it was built decades ago, where parts of the county had affordable housing, and we still see those today.

[03:45:54] And other parts of the housing see rising, rising costs of housing and lack of affordability, and therefore segregation of our populations. So this is a guideline. We hope that through the process really appreciate the nonprofits who were part of this account the civic associations who were part of this the nonprofit advocacy groups were part of this and and the staff really want to thank you for your time and helping to develop our first of our kind improvements we hope to the comprehensive plan if this doesn't help it doesn't work in the next couple years we should come back and try to

[03:46:32] to understand why and I know that Bree and your team and everyone in Tom's team is absolutely committed to doing that and to understanding the impact of our policies again looking forward to the guidelines and being able to understand how we preserve units how we build more housing for our workforce many of whom can no longer afford to live in the county where they work and should be able to it reduces traffic it include and it increases inclusivity in our community and ensuring that everyone who lives or works here is able to continue to do that so I really

[03:47:08] am grateful for this imperfect but a step forward a good step forward in our ability to have another tool in our toolbox for affordability for our entire workforce and our community here in Fairfax so happy to support this and looking forward to the harder work ahead of how we implement this in action thank you Supervisor Lusk thank you mr.

[03:47:32] chairman just for the record I want to reiterate a point I made at the last housing committee meeting which was connected to a statement that was made by Renee Grebe acknowledging that we have in my district the highest number of manufactured housing units acknowledging that we need to preserve and provide opportunities for the residents of those communities to have access to better amenities infrastructure and thinking about what I've described as a need to also improve the exterior of a number of these units

[03:48:10] so I just want to make sure here on the record or whoever would like to answer this that the intent is that we will have a mechanism and some methodology to address this question as it relates to preservation and improvements to those housing types manufactured mobile homes so someone could provide an answer there that'd be great yes thank you so much we we are currently we currently have the manufactured housing amendment underway now and that'll require a lot of specific targeted outreach with those communities that's a big reason why it's

[03:48:50] separate from this this amendment but we are you know committed to seeing that through and seeing seeing the recommendations from the Manufactured Housing Task Force through as well and just just as a quick follow-up Mr. Chairman what's the timing when do we anticipate that coming back to this body we're currently working on on scheduling that out and I think our last our most recent thought was late this year early next year that we hope to get it to you thank you very much supervisor gross thank you I'm happy to support this proposal Tom remind

[03:49:27] me i think it was 2007 was that when we did the thousand units of preserved housing and we actually preserved 2000 do you remember when that was supervisor gross i believe that that began with fiscal year 2006 2006 okay it was back it's it was a long time ago we were very successful we exceeded our goals in preserving housing and we worked with a lot of with non-profits and i

[03:50:00] remember one especially, one of those complexes that was preserved through working with non-profits actually renovated some units so that they would be accessible units by those with disabilities.

[03:50:16] Really good idea. Not very many of them, but it was a really good idea. It gave us an opportunity. But many of those units now are 15 years older, and some of the complexes that might possibly be on the list are also 15 years older.

[03:50:38] Housing ages, and I am very concerned about the quality of what we're trying to preserve because sometimes the opportunity to provide additional affordable housing, that's a very strong goal and a very strong draw, but if the housing is not up to a quality standard, then we've got a continued problem.

[03:51:07] And so we need to be very prudent about what we're trying to do because in some cases the landlords of private housing have ignored, essentially ignored the maintenance issues. And so we need to be careful about that.

[03:51:23] But I am very pleased to see this come forward. Housing and affordable housing has been an issue for this board as long as I've been on the board. And each time we adopt a new plan, it gets better.

[03:51:38] We learn from what we did before, and so I want to thank staff for their work on this and our nonprofit partners, and let's see how far we can go. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Gross. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[03:51:54] I want to thank staff, Ms. Fuller especially, for your work on this and the task force members. This has been a long time coming and a lot of work, and I think this is a really valuable tool to have in our toolbox. I think, as we've heard from some of the speakers, it's not going to solve every problem that we have with respect to affordable housing.

[03:52:15] I'll also just say, you know, I see it differently than Supervisor Herity. I'm someone that believes in the free market when it comes to housing and that we have a lack of affordable housing because the demand for housing outstrips the supply of housing.

[03:52:33] And what we're considering here with this plan amendment is saying to property owners, we will lift some of the government regulations that restrict the supply of housing. And that's what the comprehensive plan and the zoning ordinance are.

[03:52:49] They're government regulations, appropriate government regulations, but government regulations that tell you what you can and can't build on your own property. And we're saying we'll lift some of those regulations and let the free market work if you agree to work with us to help us meet our affordable housing preservation goals.

[03:53:07] So someone that believes in a market, someone that believes in reducing government regulation should be doing backflips on this dais to enthusiastically vote for this. And I won't do any backflips, but I'll vote for it.

[03:53:27] Walkinshaw and seeing no one else that would like to be recognized, I too am going to support this plan amendment. I think everything that needed to be said has been said already. I appreciate my colleagues staff and all the people who participate in getting us to this point it's imperfect but a major step forward and certainly look forward to working closely on the companion implementation guidelines that have been mentioned to not only make sure that this is in the plan but that we actually have the tools and implementation right so that we can achieve the overall goals that we have and so I appreciate everyone's work on this and with that we do have a motion on the floor that's been seconded all those in favor of the motion please

[03:54:06] say aye aye aye any opposed parity nay any abstentions and that is approved nine to one and that will bring us to our next public hearing which is a public hearing on proposed plan amendments pas 2021-cw-t2 fairfax county and franconia springfield parkways braddock drainsville franconia hunter mill mount vernon springfield and sully districts and 2019-3-t1 fairfax county Parkway and Burke Center Parkway in the Springfield District. And another application that

[03:54:42] obviously has no affidavits. So as soon as county staff is ready, we would welcome a county staff presentation. Good afternoon. My name is Thomas Burke. I'm a senior transportation planner with Fairfax County DOT. I'm here tonight with Mike Garcia, also with DOT. We're here to give a joint presentation for the two plan amendments that were mentioned that address long-term transportation

[03:55:20] recommendations for the Fairfax County and Franconi-Springfield Parkways, including at the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Burke Center Parkway. So we met with you all in July 27th of 2021, and you endorsed our recommendations from the Fairfax County and Franconi-Springfield Parkways Alternatives Analysis and Long-Term Planning Study. At the same time, you authorized this plan amendment. And during the process of studying the parkways, you also authorized a

[03:55:53] separate plan amendment 2019 roman numeral 3 t1 which addresses specifically the intersection at fairfax county park wing burke center parkway asking staff to look at a potential partial interchange or flyover so the uh the fairfax county and franklin springfield parkway's alternatives analysis and long-term planning study was a a several year effort with a large amount of of public outreach the current comprehensive plan has recommendations for the parkways that in most cases are decades old and the board back in 2013 said hey dot why don't

[03:56:31] you take a look at the long-term planning recommendations and take a fresh look use current trends data tools and and see if you know it stacks up or whether we need to make some updates so that was the process that we went through and we wanted to make sure it was a multimodal so we looked at trails and transit as well and like I said you endorsed those recommendations uh in july of 2021 some of the key um takeaways from the analysis and the outreach um a lot of support for enhanced public i'm sorry enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities

[03:57:06] there's gaps in the in the fairfax county parkway trail and the franklin springfield parkway and the trail and the franklin springfield parkway so number one we should fill in those gaps so we continuous facilities from Route 7 to Route 1 and into Springfield there was also interest transit in the Fairfax County and Franklin Springfield Parkways are challenging because it's low density without very many employment centers so but people still wanted us to look at enhancing transit so that was a definite takeaway there was not a whole lot of support or a demand for high occupancy

[03:57:45] lanes. The current plan has HOV on a bulk of the Fairfax County Parkway and the Franconi Springfield Parkway to Franconi Springfield Metro Rail Station and we did not find demand in our analysis and we also did not find a whole lot of support for it from the community. We did find however we do need those six lanes so generally we said keep the six lane recommendation but drop the HOV. So a little bit more on transit, HOV probably would have helped transit. It was a balancing that we had to take

[03:58:20] into consideration, but ultimately we decided that it would be better to use those fifth and sixth lanes for general purpose traffic so that not only vehicles could benefit, but transit vehicles could also benefit. And while we're dropping HOV, we did think HOV feeders at Dulles Toll Road 66 and 95 would still be a good idea. So if you're destined for HOV facilities on those major arterials or principal arterials that are heading into the core you would be able to have more of a direct connection so you don't have to get into the general purpose lanes and weave and cue jumpers at key intersections would also be a good idea so that buses could jump ahead of of queues of traffic

[03:58:58] use and fairfax connector is in fact looking at a route that would connect herndon metro station with frank county springfield they would probably only stop at places like the gambrel road and south run park and ride lots it wouldn't stop like normal buses along the parkway itself because of low density but it still would provide express type service and i mentioned the bicycle pedestrian we want trails not only to fill in the gaps in the existing trail but also put trails on the opposite side so you don't have to cross a six lane up to six lane high speed facility and then the recommendations in more detail are in the staff report but i did want to highlight

[03:59:36] some of the important ones uh first of all i wanted to mention i should put a bullet in here vdot has already done a design public hearing there they've done a lot of the right-of-way acquisition and they're actually getting ready to kick off construction on the three phases of the section from 29 to 123 including the interchange at pope's head road over the next 18 months they're going to kick off they hope to and plan to kick off the construction for all three phases aside from that the remainder of the recommendations are long-term in nature none of them have funding or priorities but it's still important to get the comp plan in order so that we can at some point

[04:00:09] put them into our tpp and fund them but like i said we're going to put the trails on both sides we're going to remove the hov they'll have hov feeders at the main that the freeways we're going to maintain the six lane recommendation and actually drop an eight lane recommendation on fairfax county parkway from side and stricker road to rolling road as well as on frank county springfield parkway to from rolling road to frontier drive those eight lane recommendations we think are no longer needed and then we're only adding one new full interchange at franklin farm road we're adding a partial recommendation for a partial interchange at burke center parkway

[04:00:49] and we're removing a planned interchange at mclaren road extension we believe that a traffic signal can suffice so we're here tonight today on march 21st to present to you these recommendations once if they are adopted they would be eligible for you all to in the next tpp update transportation priorities plan update to include them should you wish or at any addition or any future update and it also allows us to seek funding opportunities such as through vdot and bta or other grants and other programs so with that i'll open it up questions thank you mr burke are there any

[04:01:28] questions of staff any questions of staff seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing i have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this specific matter is there anyone here present in the auditorium that would like to speak on this subject anyone present who would like to speak on this subject sir if you could come down and sign in with the clerk and and we are on a public hearing on the franconia springfield in fairfax county parkways is there anyone else who would like to testify let me ask the clerk if we have anyone who has called in no one has

[04:02:01] called in at this time so we will wait for this gentleman who will be speaker number one and this gentleman is speaker number one if you could state your name and address and the floor is yours yeah good afternoon um i'm joe cicconi uh i live in uh south run um the a couple weeks ago i took a

[04:02:39] quick uh ride down the bike path of the trail from uh south run uh rec center to 123 um i counted the number of uh excursions that cars had made against the fence across the trail and in places there's there's a guardrail in places in front of the trail I counted 35 excursions of where where the trail has been where a car has come across the

[04:03:14] trail and in the protected area I counted those two although the car didn't make it to the trail so I'm just here just wanting to say that the trail I'm hoping that in the future, it will be a protected trail to prevent any serious injuries from these cars that are coming across the road.

[04:03:40] I work with Mr. Burke here on this, and he says he's going to be putting this forward. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you very much, sir, for your testimony. Anyone else who would like to speak on this matter? This is a public hearing. seeing and hearing no one i'll confirm again no one has called in uh closing comments and recommendation from county staff okay uh the planning commission met on march 8 2023 and recommended unanimously unanimously to support the staff recommendation support the staff

[04:04:18] recommendation as detailed in the staff report that's in your board item and staff concurs with that thank you very much any questions from board members seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor Alcorn for a motion thank you very much mr. chairman first of all let me say appreciate the speaker coming out tonight and I I believe some of the issues he was raising in terms of safety of users of the trail should be addressed and could be addressed in design so I think I'm seeing a lot of nodding of heads from my colleagues that staff should definitely look at that as these segments move forward so the

[04:04:56] The proposed plan amendments, these have been in the making for quite a while. They would revise the long-term transportation recommendations for the entirety of the Fairfax County and Franconia-Springfield Parkways, including at the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Burke Center Parkway.

[04:05:11] The recommendations developed through a thorough evaluation of conditions and future needs with extensive public outreach and detailed in the staff report dated February 15, 2023, provide a more current and context-sensitive multimodal transportation vision for the future of the parkways that will equitably accommodate anticipated future growth within Fairfax County and the region and better serve all users and modes.

[04:05:37] These revised recommendations outside of the ongoing VDOT project to widen the Fairfax County Parkway to six lanes between Route 29 and Route 123 and construct a grade-separated interchange at Pope's Head Road are long-term in nature with no set schedule or funding.

[04:05:54] And I would just add, as discussed at last week's Board Transportation Committee meeting, this is a major step and an important step for long-range transportation improvements, but not everything that goes in the comprehensive plan gets built. And over time, things can be reviewed and adjusted for various reasons.

[04:06:14] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Planning Commission recommendations for plan amendment 2021-CW-T2 and 2019-3-T1 as detailed in the staff report included in the board item.

[04:06:31] So I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Herity. Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Herity. Yeah, real quickly, because I know we got a lot of speakers waiting, but Fairfax County Parkway clearly is one of our main streets. It ties together six of the county ministerial districts, seven if you include the franconia springfield parkway over 10 years ago i hosted a parkway town hall to get the public's feedback on what they should be should be included in both short and long-term vision for the parkway in 2013 this board supported not this board the board back then supported by motion jointly with supervisors cook highland and faust to to request the corridor

[04:07:08] improvements uh study and a comprehensive plan look and this is the result you know transportation is in long years um amazing the uh the the public involvement we get 15 000 over 15 000 responses to our survey that's i think three times the amount that we got for our strategic plan um so people clearly are interested in this road in the county and and the best news is that it certainly in the sections in the springfield district we responded to those working with supervisor walkinshaw we think we've resolved the burke center parkway issues um while most of these These are long-term.

[04:07:48] I'm happy it's been reported a couple times that Pope said interchange is getting underway this year. So looking forward to that. I certainly will be supporting this, and thanks for a good process. Thanks to staff. I think we did our job on public input and listened to it.

[04:08:05] Thank you, Supervisor Herdy. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll echo all of what's been said and just stress my appreciation for the work on the Burke Center. parkway issue. And just to share with my colleagues that Burke Center Parkway, I think, is the only cross street with the parkway that would have an access restriction in the Fairfax County Parkway project. And that's why the inclusion of the partial interchange or flyover

[04:08:39] is really important. Long term, recognize that that's a long term vision. And in the short term, BDOT and FCDOT have continually recommitted to allowing access to Burke Center Parkway outside of rush hour, and I know we're going to continue to hold them to that commitment.

[04:09:02] So I appreciate all the work that has been done on that in this entire project. My predecessor, Supervisor Cook, and Supervisor Herity deserve credit for putting that in motion, but I appreciate all the work that's been done here. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw, and I want to thank staff, too. This was a major undertaking over a long period of time, and we're here at a good outcome.

[04:09:21] So I will absolutely support this. But I know it was a lot of meetings and a lot of public information sessions to get this right, and it's appreciated. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[04:09:37] And that motion carries. Thank you. Next, we have a public hearing on a proposal to vacate and abandon a portion of Blake Lane, Route 655, in the Providence District. And again, no affidavit for this application, so as soon as staff is ready, we would recognize county staff for a presentation.

[04:10:26] Good evening, Mr. Chairman and members of the board.

[04:10:59] My name is Jeff Edmondson. I'm with the Fairfax County Department of Transportation site analysis section, and I'm here to present a proposal to vacate and abandon a portion of Blake Lane in the Providence District. As you can see from this aerial, the subject portion of Blake Lane is west of the intersection with Palmer Street.

[04:11:22] This image here shows the comparison of the 1972 alignment of Blake Lane and the existing 2022 alignment of Blake Lane. In the 1970s, Blake Lane was realigned to its existing alignment that turns into Germantown Road to the south with four lanes.

[04:11:43] The applicants Edwin Giovanni, Discardo Lazo, and Dahlia Sara Lichter are requesting that a portion of Blake Lane be vacated under Virginia Code 152272 and abandoned under 332909 of the Virginia Code.

[04:11:58] As a result of the Fairfax County Roadway construction project 655029B86C501, Blake Lane was realigned along with Germantown Road to create the existing condition. The subject portion of Blake Lane is a remnant of the previous alignment.

[04:12:16] The subject portion of Blake Lane is located west of the intersection of Palmer Street and Blake Lane and is partially paved and part of the secondary system of highways. That ends my presentation. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing.

[04:12:32] I have no speakers who have signed up in advance. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? Anyone in the auditorium that would like to speak on this subject, this is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in. Oh, I'm sorry.

[04:12:48] If you could please come down and sign in with the clerk. We're on a public hearing to vacate and abandon a portion of Blake Lane. Is there anyone else who would like to speak on this besides this one speaker? Anyone else who would like to speak? Okay. Ask the clerk, do we have anyone on the line?

[04:13:05] Okay. And if anyone else in the auditorium is here to speak on any of the remaining items and is not already signed up at any point in time, you can come down and sign in with the clerk as well.

[04:13:23] If you're here to testify and have not signed in in advance and would like to, if you could come down here and sign in with the clerk's office.

[04:13:42] And you will be our first speaker on this matter. Welcome. Hi there. I'm Joyce Frost. I live in the Providence District, and you're talking about my neighborhood. I live at 2901 Hibbard Street, and I do go down Palmer Street, and we do take the back roads during inclement weather we do need all of those roads accessible to all the residents in that neighborhood during inclement weather we do have people that cut through the neighborhoods Palmer Street, Hibbard Street, Gray Street in that area and Blake Lane

[04:14:17] to get around to get out onto Blake Lane or to access 123 so I just want you to know that I do live there and those are usable streets thank you very much ms frost for your testimony anyone else who would like to speak on this matter seeing and hearing no one we've confirmed no one is on the line uh closing comments and a recommendation from county staff thank you mr chairman i think

[04:14:50] it may be worth uh adding that this is not it's not vehicularly passable it's a remnant portion of the former alignment and it's currently vegetated across so there is no vehicular connection there it is a stub and pavement that does not connect through staff recommends that the board adopt the ordinance of vacation and the order of abandonment for the subject right away thank you thank you very much any questions from board members seeing and hearing none i will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor palchek for a motion thank you mr chairman um and

[04:15:27] thank you very much to staff who worked on this and for the clarification i know i drive the section pretty regularly uh where blake lane turns off and then germantown continues um it was realigned years ago um and that this portion um if you could just clarify one more time is not currently one of the portions that it's that oh sorry vehicles can drive on but it's actually um located pretty adjacent to this property owners that is correct supervisor palachick uh i i have a slide here that would be great i have a slide that shows what if you're

[04:16:07] looking west directly at the portion of right of way it's heavily vegetated at this point in time uh if it's worth looking at that's what the existing condition 2019 to 2022. excellent thing yeah it's a little um confusing to look at but yeah the top is the 1972 condition and then the bottom is 2022. um it is a little bit of a dead end right there and no longer accessible right where palmer if i'm reading this correctly palmer and a little bit offshoot of blake lane uh come together is that correct correct okay excellent and so um is it

[04:16:43] correct to understand that this has not been drivable since 1972 is that correct correct yes uh there we go this google street view maybe gives you some perspective yes you cannot drive through there we're used to those trees there so very helpful i appreciate the photographs um thank you i know that we have quite a few uh little portions out there in the county and this is one of those so with that mr chairman the applicants are requesting the vacation and abandonment of a portion of blake lane the subject portion of blake lane is a remnant of the former alignment of blake

[04:17:19] lane therefore i move that the board of supervisors adopt attachment three the ordinance of vacation and attachment for the order of abandonment of the subject right of way you've heard the motion it's been multiply seconded. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries.

[04:17:43] Thank you very much. Our next public hearing is a public hearing on the draft proposed one-year action plan for FY 2024. And we have staff on their way down. As soon as they're ready, We would welcome a staff presentation.

[04:18:15] Good afternoon, Chairman, members of the Board, Laura Lasso, Department of Housing and Community Development.

[04:18:43] This is a public hearing before you on the draft proposed one-year action plan for fiscal year 24 as issued by the Consolidated Community Funding Advisory Committee. Fairfax County, as you know, is required to prepare a five-year consolidated plan and one-year action plan to disclose intended uses of CDBG, home, and ESG funds.

[04:19:07] As we know, there is a wide range of needs and priorities for affordable housing, community development, and supportive services in the county. This plan details how the federal funds will be used to address these needs and priorities. The plan incorporates previous public input and information from community-wide housing strategic plan, the Housing Blueprint, County Executive Strategic Plan, as well as it supports the One Fairfax policy.

[04:19:37] CCFAC authorized the release of this plan, and on February 7th, you authorized this public hearing. The Draft Action Plan includes a total of $8.9 million in estimated allocation of federal funds. Since this board item was advertised, as well as the plan released to the public for comment, We have received actual HUD grant awards for fiscal year '24.

[04:20:05] CDBG will see a decrease, unfortunately, of about $236,000. HOME will see a decrease of about $85,000, however the ESG program will see a slight increase of $5,000.

[04:20:21] After the end of this public comment period and public hearing, CCFAC will consider all comments received and will forward its final action plan to the Board for action on May 9th. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Ms. Lazo.

[04:20:37] Are there any questions of the board for staff? Any questions? Seen and hearing none. This is a public hearing, and we have four speakers signed up. Patty Kline, Lois Ruckert.

[04:20:53] Is Lois Ruckert here? Ah, she's on the phone. Thank you. Sally Wild is also on the phone. And then Chris Burns. Is Chris Burns here? Patty, go ahead. Thank you, Supervisor Gross.

[04:21:10] I'm Patty Klein, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Arlington Fairfax Falls Church. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Fiscal Year 24 Action Plan. Helping low-income homeowners remain in their homes is a vital and extremely cost-effective affordable housing strategy that deserves recognition and significantly more funding, not the reduction the Action Plan proposes.

[04:21:38] Since the pandemic began, low-income homeowners' need for home repairs and accessibility modifications to age in place have increased. More households need assistance with repairs and many need more extensive and expensive repairs that include repairing and replacing roofs, HVAC systems, water heaters, as well as accessibility modifications such as stair lifts and wheelchair ramps.

[04:22:07] As the county's population ages, these needs will certainly continue to increase. The Shape the Future of Aging survey produced some startling findings that reinforce this reality. 49% of survey respondents report maintaining their home to be a problem, and 23% report falling or injuring themselves at home to be a problem.

[04:22:33] I know that a lot of our Rebuilding Together clients and volunteers have written very passionate letters to you about their own personal experiences. These community members are speaking from the heart and to the reality that thousands of Fairfax County homeowners urgently need help with critical repairs and modifications to remain in their homes.

[04:22:57] As Fairfax County's partner in addressing this issue, Rebuilding Together is positioned to help many more homeowners in need of repairs and our amazing skilled volunteers multiply the impact of the county's support. Funding from CCFP is essential, but it's not sufficient to meet the existing homeowners' critical repair needs.

[04:23:19] When the county advertises CDBG funds for fiscal year 24 and beyond, I urge you to include home repairs and accessibility modifications as an eligible activity in RFPs. In fact, nationwide single-family housing rehab is the single largest use of CDBG funds for housing.

[04:23:41] For a modest investment, together, we can help older adults safely age in place, make homes accessible for those with disabilities, improve energy efficiency in older homes to help meet the county's climate goals protect individuals and families from health and safety hazards in their homes while helping to maintain and preserve affordable housing for future generations.

[04:24:08] Thank you for remembering that keeping low-income homeowners safe and healthy in their homes is a vital part of Fairfax County's commitment to affordable housing. Thank you. Thank you, Patty, and thank you for all the good work you do with Rebuilding Together, one of my favorite programs. Lois Ruckert of Little River Glen Senior Center Advisory Council. Ms. Ruckert, can you hear us? Yes, thank you. I am proud to say I'm president of Little River Glen Senior Center Advisory Council. Our council represents senior center resident members,

[04:24:45] people that live at the OLLI community, and community members, members that are aging in place. Do you know that there are approximately 1,800 member visits per month? Our senior center offers a wealth of activities designed to keep our members active and engaged. I'm hoping that the comments I make now are appropriate. It is in regard to a problem we have, which is parking.

[04:25:17] Now, there is a new construction proposal that's actually planned that will add 60 more units of affordable housing and will obviously result in more membership for us.

[04:25:34] The council is so excited about more affordable housing for Fairfax residents. The most common complaint of existing members is in regard to inadequate parking.

[04:25:52] Please listen carefully. Only 17 new spaces are allocated for the 60 units that will be built. Now, this 17 number has come from zoning regulations.

[04:26:08] Of course, we're aware zoning regulations must be followed. The reason that the plan has continued on, it appears, is that other sources of parking on campus, distant parking spaces, are counted in regard to the number of total spaces so that there is considered enough parking, but that isn't correct.

[04:26:37] Think of our population. Probably half of them use canes, other mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs. Residents, resident members sometimes drive to us because it's easier.

[04:26:54] Now, one, seems to be one solution that's been offered is to cover the existing walkway to the senior center. Honestly, the existing walkway now is underutilized. Spending thousands of dollars to cover it could be money not well spent. Some resident members feel, and I've looked at it, there is a slope to the walkway. And the walkway is a distance to the senior center.

[04:27:27] So their reservations and hesitation to use the walkway is totally understood, should we bother to cover it. Chairman McKay, Braddock Supervisor Wilkinshaw, and I don't believe he's at the meeting, but Mr. Harrington, Director of Public Works and Environmental Services, the council wants to thank you.

[04:27:53] All three of you took the time to contact me to say you felt our letter was better sent to housing and assured me that it was forwarded on. I am sorry to say that housing never replied, even though all we requested, we hardworking volunteers that spent hours on that letter, was a return receipt.

[04:28:22] Really? Also, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services neglected to reply to us. I've been told that our correspondence was received.

[04:28:41] It makes us feel unvalued. Yes, we are volunteers, but we are passionate about our mission. Chairman, thank you for mentioning the Traffic and Parking Study. We are going to look at it and go over the dates because you can imagine if it was during COVID or our population was the last.

[04:29:06] It was most at risk. It was the last that had people returning, at least to community members. And Beverly Moses from the Department of Housing and Community Development is lovely. She spoke to us regarding the one-year action plan and the five-year plan, but she could not help us with this issue.

[04:29:25] An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Efforts must be made now to anticipate and plan for this parking space shortfall. Do not think 17 spaces are enough. Hopefully we can sacrifice some green space.

[04:29:44] We wish to work proactively and collaboratively with housing in order to come up with a better solution. You know, necessity has been called the mother of invention.

[04:30:03] We are passionate, as you can tell, and this parking space issue is vital to the center now and in the future as the population ages. Thank you so much for listening and for caring.

[04:30:19] Thank you, Ms. Ruckert. Supervisor Wackenshaw, do you want to respond? Yeah, thank you, Madam Vice Chair. And this has been a longstanding issue and challenge at the Glens with parking. I know staff are very aware of it. And, Ms. Ruckert, I do appreciate your letter and your work to bring those concerns to us.

[04:30:38] And it sounds to me like what we need to do is have a meeting with housing and the Little River Glen Senior Center Advisory Council. I'm happy to help pull that together so we can make sure everyone's on the same page and understands where we are moving forward and the efforts that have been made and will continue to be made to address this issue.

[04:30:57] Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. And speaker number three is Sally Wild, who has also called in. Ms. Wild, can you hear me okay? Yes, I can. Thank you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. I'm basically following up on what Lois spoke about.

[04:31:13] am a resident at Little River Glen at the moment and I represent my whole building there as well as myself with the same concerns about the parking we're concerned that if they don't have spaces in the new facility they will try to be parking in our area as well and we do not have enough space now especially right now we're down a number of units that are vacant because the possible of improvements going forward but so right now there's occasionally extra spaces around but

[04:31:48] we won't have that and i like just counting them and everything and we're you know like 0.49 percent of our population to the full full capacity of parking spaces and with all the people at senior center and their staff and the staff that the administration for us again they have to be able to park and there's you know only limited space for that one of the things was said at one point was that we could park up where ollie is or where braddock glenn is but when you come home late at night like sometimes i do like after midnight um you don't want to be walking that far to our place

[04:32:27] in the dark not to mention bad weather flippery everything else and seniors are not known to be real stable as they age so we would certainly appreciate um this the board that you're talking by maybe putting together that would be wonderful i'd be happy to be part of it as well if that counts i don't know and um we really would like to get this situation taken care of because it does form a lot of problems construction people come there's just no place for anybody um anyway so

[04:33:02] that's what i would like to just i felt i really wanted to say was we would like to see a better solution for this situation. Thank you very much, Ms. Wilde, for your testimony. And speaker number four is Chris Burns. Is Chris Burns present? I know he was signed up for another one earlier and was not here. Is Chris Burns present? Chris Burns is not present. Speaker number five is Alexander Burke. Mr. Burke here. I know Mr. Burke is here. Is there anyone after Mr. Burke present in the auditorium that would like to testify on this subject? On this subject? Anyone that would like

[04:33:38] to testify. Okay. Mr. Burke, welcome. The floor is yours and your testimony has also been circulated. Okay. I definitely will make it more brief here too. My name is Alexander Burke. I live at the Harper House in Herne and there too. We are a senior self-efficient people living there too.

[04:34:09] Okay. Get on to the main point there at all. Fairfax County give the contract to Edgewood. It's what tells us there's only one maintenance person to handle 120 partners.

[04:34:27] It cannot be done by one person. We would press that we would have two maintenance people full-time at the harbor house, like a 40-hour work week. We need that.

[04:34:44] We are proper work. We're cheating ourselves. There's many things that need to be done. If you've got one person, you can't make an order of 50 orders in one day. You'd be lucky to maybe get 20 or 24. That is what we are faced with there, too.

[04:35:01] In the Harbor House, I would like to see our sidewalks need to be fixed there, too. Especially around our courtyard there, we do have events tonight. For example, police night out in the town of Herning, they come and visit us.

[04:35:19] in the harbor house i the reason i feel the sidewalks need to be fixed or tall we are older there are people on wheelers there are people on cane or two i'm almost there but we we do need some help they're tall it'd be important for the um you know like fairfax county people in planning or somebody who knows about maintenance would handle this, you know, to do the proper way.

[04:35:49] And let me see here, looking at my paper here. Okay, global warming is here. It's not going to go away. If we handle ourselves in a very smart way, planting trees, bushes, they're tall, we can slow the effects of the great heat we will be faced in the summertime.

[04:36:16] In the winter, trees and leaves give shade. It helps to cool the building. And the same time, it does the benefit in the wintertime. It slows down the wind current, means more heat stays in the biller and less in utility bills at all.

[04:36:33] That's something we definitely do need to look into. Be part environment engineering person to work that. Why not catch the rainwater to water the plants? You know, handle it in a smart way. We can do many, many things.

[04:36:51] They're tall. And let's see here. Okay, here. No, I'm getting off the paper. Okay. Okay, I'm trying to get a point there. I think I really did handle everything here, just in my few comments.

[04:37:13] I'm making it very brief to get the main point out there, Tom. Here's what really we're faced with. Edgewood has a five-year contract. They've got about three more years. Can you people ask Edgewood to have a second maintenance person?

[04:37:33] We are a senior place, they're told. Not everybody can speak for their self. It's simple that. I would say probably around about 35% to 40% of the people do not have the capability to do that.

[04:37:49] This is why it is so important and show leadership in Fairfax County to have it done. And I want to say thank you, people, for all the talk or two, and if you read the paper here, too. And John Foster, would you have maybe a chance to visit the people here at the Harbor House to come by and say hello?

[04:38:11] Sure. No, I've been there many times, and I look forward to coming back. Okay, you know, please get in touch with me, Tal. You know, we will work together, you know, to work on your schedule, Tal. You're a busy person. No, I...

[04:38:27] Yes, please, Mr. Bowles. Yes. Yeah, first of all, I really appreciate coming out, Mr. Burke, and I'm not going to put staff on the spot right now and ask them specifically about the maintenance at Harbor House, But I do want to hear more, and in particular, you know, whether the contractor is, according to our standards, meeting the requirements that we look for.

[04:38:55] We talk about affordable housing. We say when we walk down the street, you don't know whether it's affordable or not. I mean, but that's the structure. We've got to make sure that the operations are similar to what people would experience in a commercial versus affordable.

[04:39:13] So, we will follow up. Okay, we look very forward to see the Greenville Supervisor District or to show up there at all. And thank you, Mr. John Foster, to your end point there, too. And I'd like to say, everybody have a good evening.

[04:39:30] Thank you very much, Mr. Burke. We appreciate your testimony, and I don't believe there's anyone else here to testify on this matter. So, at this time, let me ask if anyone has called in on this subject. No one has called in on this matter closing comments and a recommendation from county staff Thank you staff have noted the testimony from today and request the board to forward any other comments received On the draft annual action plan to the CC fact for its consideration Before the CC fact makes its final recommendation to the board on May 9th. Thank you very much Are there any questions from board members?

[04:40:10] Supervisor Harrity. Yeah, Mr. Chairman, just one. What action would this board need to take, if any, to open the CDGB funds to home repairs? Is that a policy decision or is that a board decision? Laura Lasso, Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.

[04:40:35] Currently, there are funds in this action plan that address home repair for the elderly. So it's a subset of what we heard Rebuilding Together say. it's already an eligible activity in addition funding is provided through as mentioned by the speaker the consolidated community funding pool and rebuilding together currently is a recipient of current fiscal year 2324 funding for home repairs I'm more talking about opening direct grants up don't we do direct grants but they open now we will have a request for proposal out this summer we have yet to design what will be

[04:41:15] A priority, but certainly we can entertain Homeownership rehab if the board desires has that been a priority in the past? We have had only one year and I've been with the department for six years where we have allowed homeowner Repair it was done by Habitat for Humanity And what action would we take what we have to take to include that is that direction from us?

[04:41:41] Or is that something you decide or it would be direction from the board? So if we put it in the shape plan that probably would help. Okay. Yes, please It just seems to be a very cost-effective way to for us to keep people in affordable units and low-income people in affordable units. Thank you You're welcome. Okay. No other questions at this time. I am going to close the public hearing and turn to Supervisor Faust for a motion Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I will address the comments very appropriate comments mr harry made uh but first i'll put my motion on on the floor

[04:42:19] uh mr chairman i move that staff be directed to forward the comments received on the draft annual action plan to the cc fact for its consideration before the cc fact makes its final recommendation to the board for action on may 9th 2023 so moved i'm happy to second that motion uh discussion on the motion supervisor faust yeah thank you very much uh mr chairman of course we didn't distinguish but all comments will be uh presented to the uh cc fact for

[04:42:55] consideration but with respect specifically to the testimony uh of uh miss klein and the uh rebuilding together uh i have been speaking with staff about i mean it's so so obvious how significant and important that program is in terms of our housing preservation goals and keeping people in uh you know preserving affordable housing i'm sure just about everybody in this board has probably been to a project that they've worked on and you can see the leverage

[04:43:29] the small amount the small investment with the 25 or 30 volunteers swarming over a house to get it in shape whether it's putting in grab bars or uh you know uh just making a house more livable uh for people who could not otherwise afford to do it so uh we will uh talk work with staff and in all probability i assume the next step will be a consideration item looking for additional funding for that not necessarily for a specific program but for a specific type of

[04:44:06] service with yeah sure rebuilding together will do quite well in competing for that but uh that that's the expectation right now and i would ask mr fleetwood to fill in all the blanks i left on is there anything else you would add tom no sir thank you okay we're good okay any further discussion any further discussions seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you very much and

[04:44:43] we have two remaining public hearings today and one has five speakers and one has 38 speakers so we are going to complete the five so that those folks who signed up on public comment can be on their way and i have just as a reminder for public comment i do want to remind everyone of the rules associated the board will hear public comment on any issue except issues under litigation issues that have been scheduled before public hearings before the board and personnel matters and or comments regarding specific individuals speakers must register in advance and each speaker is given

[04:45:23] three minutes for his or her remarks a maximum of 10 speakers may address the board during any public comment period and speakers may address the board once during a six-month period we have five speakers who have signed up in advance and we have cut off the sign up for public comment so we only have five as opposed to uh the maximum of ten tonight and our first speaker is edward cody is edward cody here edward if you could come on down uh to the podium and he is going to be followed by penelope robertson is penelope robertson here okay uh penelope robertson is here

[04:45:57] uh katie schnittiger schnittiger is is uh she's here okay excellent you are here uh alan robertson alan robertson is here so when it's close to your time if you could come on down a little bit closer to the podium uh for efficiency that would be appreciated and our first speaker is edward cody the third uh testifying as an individual mr cody welcome thank you very much i have a presentation

[04:46:34] today. My button is flashing white. And we have staff coming down here to make sure you're

[04:46:55] connected properly. Thank you for your time today. Today I'm going to talk about Newington Road and

[04:47:28] the proposed action to make it a safe and commutable road for pedestrians and bicyclists. I'm sorry I was preparing to present today so a little bit thrown off. I had some images for you to show what it is like firsthand to walk on the road and the safety issues that it presents.

[04:47:52] But ultimately, I am here to discuss and talk about three of the county's strategic plan for mobility and transportation points, and that's to reduce congestion and traffic, to find ways to safely navigate throughout the community that are sustainable, and to reduce, of course, resilience to vehicles and single-mode transportations.

[04:48:21] Now, this isn't a new issue. This was actually proposed, and there was a plan back in 2015, and there was a 2015 report for a proposed comprehensive amendment. And ultimately, in that amendment, once they did the assessment, it found that the section within Newington Road had poor visibility, They had no pedestrian facilities.

[04:48:45] The lane was too narrow for vehicles and bicyclists to share. And it actually, a quote from that was that it was an extremely dangerous situation for bicyclists and pedestrians. Ultimately, what I am proposing is that the planned project moves forward.

[04:49:10] And in doing so, that would increase, well, that would lessen traffic, that would increase safety for members who are trying to navigate the community to public services. So there's a library, there's a Fairfax Community Park, there is my son's daycare that is all within walking distance, but we cannot access those.

[04:49:34] And if we do access those, we are walking literally on the road, and traffic is forced to veer into the opposite sides of the lanes, which I do have images to. So if I could email this presentation to you at some point so that you can see these visuals.

[04:49:51] We actually have a walk set up with Mr. Payton from your office, and I definitely appreciate you guys setting that up and taking this initiative seriously. Thank you for your time. Thank you for all your work. Thank you very much, Mr. Cody, and our staff will work with you to make sure, or through Supervisor Stork's office, to make sure your presentation is circulated to us.

[04:50:12] We appreciate that. Thank you. Okay. Speaker number two is Penelope Robertson. Penelope, welcome. Thank you for your time.

[04:50:29] I'm Penelope Robertson, and I've lived here my whole life, and I'd like to address the possibility of letting Lake Akatink fill in. Over the pandemic I had my Girl Scout meetings at Lake Akatank. Me and my mom also have a reading spot overlooking the lake.

[04:50:46] I also enjoy playing on the playground with my little brother, which we are unable to do now because it's closed and broken. And in addition to all that, I would like to be like my mom in the future and rent out boats at 14.

[04:51:01] I'm unable to do that anywhere else because I won't have my driver's license. The lake also means a lot to the community, such as the kids at school.

[04:51:17] Me and one of my friends went on the school news, and we said that the lake could turn into a swamp/wetland or quicksand. And on the way back to class, we heard crying from every class that we passed. The kids also made letters, which I'll read in a second, and crafts about how much the lake means to them.

[04:51:37] And most of the people moved here just because of the lake. if we don't have a lake, then the only perk that we have is that we're near the highway. And that isn't even that good because it doesn't suit people very much except for driving to work and things like that. There are also some impacts on the animals, like how all the fish will suffocate, and if all the fish die, the bald eagles will leave. The bald eagles happen to be a really big tourist attraction, and if all the fish die, the mosquito population will skyrocket because there's

[04:52:11] nothing to eat the mosquito eggs. There are also environmental impacts that are insane. Like some of my neighbors have gotten a notification from FEMA about how their property is now uninsurable because it's too high risk. If it turns into quicksand, kind of like in 1968, then you will need to fence it off because nobody will want to go there anymore. And when it floods, where will the silk go downstream and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay. Lake Akatink should not be allowed

[04:52:48] to fill in because it means a lot to the community, the environment, and wildlife. Here are some of the letters that the kids made. Dear Lake Akatink, please help Lake Akatink. Me and my friends are trying to make some money so you can save it. Please save Lake Akatink and get all the trash out.

[04:53:17] My big brother got his first fish at Lake Akatink. Dear Lake Akatink, please help Lake Akatink. I want the lake to turn into a swamp or a wetland. My mom met my dad there and it's their anniversary soon and they're going to have a picnic. Anniversary. Picnic. I don't want the pond. I don't want it to be a wetland. Please save Lake Akatink.

[04:53:43] Please save Lake Akatink because people made many memories there and Lake Akatink means a lot to us. Please save Lake Akatink. That one is from a kindergartner. Dear County, please save Lake Akatink or or I will be sad. I'll be sad if you don't do anything. Please save Lake Akatink. Dear Lake Akatink, please, please,

[04:54:16] please save Lake Akatink. Everyone will be sad. Be our hero. Lake Akatink, 10 out of 10. Can you do something, please? I will not save Lake Akatink. I love Lake Akatink so much, and I am happy for please help Lake Akatink. Thank you. Thank you very much, Penelope. Excellent job. Excellent job, and thank you for joining us, and thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Katie

[04:54:55] Katie Schnitger. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to share my comments today. My name is Katie Schnitger. I'm a brain injury survivor and work at Brain Injury Services. March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month, and I would like to highlight the needs, available resources, and ways we can all better support brain injury survivors in our community. In this nation, every nine seconds, somebody suffers an acquired brain injury. By the time I'm finished talking, 33 people will have sustained a brain injury. In Virginia, over 300,000 individuals are permanently disabled because of an acquired brain injury by comparison there are

[04:55:33] about 150 000 living with alzheimer's in virginia brain injury is double that number and rising what is an acquired brain injury it's an injury to the brain because of falls car accident domestic violence choking drowning incidents playing sports stroke chemo brain and brain fog from covet 19. these are just a few examples an acquired brain injury does not include degenerative conditions like MS, dementia, or Parkinson's disease. According to the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, Fairfax County had over 149,000 traumatic brain injury survivors last year,

[04:56:10] and over 40,000 of them were disabled. The effects and needs after brain injury can be life-changing. Survivors have many questions after their injury. Can I work? Can I drive? Can I communicate and think clearly? Does my insurance cover additional therapies?

[04:56:26] Can I finish school? Can I support my family? Brain Injury Services can help survivors move forward after their injury. The mission of Brain Injury Services is to empower those impacted by brain injury. This includes children, teens, adults, and seniors. We are a community-based service that bridges the gap between hospital and rehabilitation care.

[04:56:46] We help individuals and families rebuild after a brain injury through case management, short-term mental health therapy, support groups, occupational therapy, day programs, and vocational support. We provide these services at no cost to our clients and family. Last year, we served 494 survivors in Fairfax County.

[04:57:06] We're the only nonprofit service provider for survivors returning to the community in this region. In closing this month, we encourage you to promote awareness of brain injury survivors and those who support them. We encourage you to join our dialogue in how we can work together to fund and build more direct services.

[04:57:22] If you suspect you or someone you know has a brain injury, please don't hesitate to get medically assessed. If you or anyone you know needs help adjusting to living post-brain injury, please get in touch with us at www.braininjury, S as in Sam, B as in Victor, C as in Cat, ssinsam.org, or call us at 703-451-8881.

[04:57:46] Thank you. Thank you very much, Katie. Good to see you again. Thank you for your testimony. Speaker number four is Alan Robertson, and we have a final speaker who is dialed in after Mr. Robertson. Mr. Robertson, welcome. Thank you.

[04:58:02] Mr. Chairman, supervisors, I want to thank Penelope for her remarks. It took a great deal of bravery and she exhibited a great deal of skill. And I wish I could claim her as my own, but I'm sure her parents are very proud. It's with a heavy heart and a sober mind that I stand before you again to address Saving Lake Akatink.

[04:58:29] After years of reassurances to the community and cooperation with stakeholders in the community, it came as a great shock to us that Mr. Harrington, the director of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, had decided, with the Deep West's department, those involved, had decided to not recommend dredging Lake Accatink.

[04:58:54] The cost estimate has been going up for dredging. We expected it to go up. It has gone up considerably. We know what the current estimated cost of saving Lake Akatink is. What we don't know is the cost of losing Lake Akatink.

[04:59:13] That's a question that respectfully needs to be answered. Other parks in the county offer recreation, wildlife, similar amenities. But no other park offers the same combination of wildlife, recreation, community, and accessibility that Lake Eckatoon Park does.

[04:59:35] Lake is an integral part of that and of great value to the community. Particularly, and again respectfully, this board needs to consider the cost to the low-income residents who use that park.

[04:59:51] It does it within walking distance for a large community that is underserved and in need of the amenities that are there. And that lake, again, is a big part of the amenities that that community needs.

[05:00:08] Likewise, we must consider Lake Hacking's value to Fairfax County's taxpayers. The cost has gone up, the estimated cost has gone up, in part because of an increase in the amount of sediment that was discovered to be in need of removal.

[05:00:31] That's a 43% increase over when the project was first suggested or first proposed. Now, we seem to be looking at this as a negative. That's actually backwards.

[05:00:47] This is a positive. Every cubic yard of sediment that Lake Akatink sequesters has value to this county. That sediment that isn't going downstream, that isn't going to be affecting Franconia District and Mount Vernon District and the Chesapeake Bay, we need to know what value that is.

[05:01:12] And the Department of Public Works doesn't know. They do not know. We also need to consider ways to reduce the cost of dredging that has not been properly vetted.

[05:01:31] There are options for funding that have not been properly vetted. Conowingo Dam is a great example. It's in Maryland on the Susquehanna River. It's on a larger scale, but in a similar circumstance as Lake Akatink.

[05:01:47] And regarding the value of Lake Akatink, the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Service Benefits Study can provide a model. That study determined that the Chesapeake Bay TMDL provides $22.5 billion of value.

[05:02:10] Lake Akatink has real value in the millions, maybe hundreds of millions of dollars annually. I respectfully ask that this board thoroughly and carefully investigate what that value is.

[05:02:28] Otherwise, we're gambling on this great community asset. And it seems to me that it's a losing bet at this moment. I thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Robertson. And our final speaker is Rochelle Price.

[05:02:44] Is Ms. Price on the line? Yes, I am. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Hello, and thank you for allowing me to share my comments today. My name is Rochelle Price, and I am a survivor of a traumatic brain injury.

[05:03:00] I'm here today because March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and I want to share my story about working with Brain Injury Services. Like Mr. Stork, I love bicycling. In 2005, I was in a bicycle accident on the WMOD Trail, and my life changed.

[05:03:24] Brain Injury Services has been with me since 2006. After I was placed on permanent disability and my income went to zero, Brain Injury Services gave me a $100 gift card at Giants.

[05:03:40] Most recently, Brain Injury Services provided me with a top emergency card for transportation. In addition, Brain Injury Services is working with me on my Veterans Administration disability claim. And seeing who I can be connected to in the community to help me get a new mattress for my bed since my old one was destroyed by movers in 2017.

[05:04:08] I've taken advantage of the numerous program opportunities offered by brain injury services, including support and educational groups to learn about brain injury, executive functioning, strategies to increase my independence, and services available in the community.

[05:04:26] I have also worked with their Compass Vocational Rehab and Friendship Programs and received counseling services. All the support and services I receive from Brain Injury Services are free.

[05:04:43] Working with Brain Injury Services has empowered me to help others like myself to enrich their recovery and possibly return to gainful employment. Brain Injury Services continues to empower me.

[05:04:58] Right now, I'm relearning Microsoft Office skills. My Brain Injury Services Case Manager is working together with the Virginia Department of Aging Case Manager and my Rehabilitative Services and the Veterans Administration Vocational Rehab to help me return to work.

[05:05:21] Returning to work, and please note this, this is important. Returning to work will reduce my dependence on income-based county services and my self-efficacy. If you or anyone you know needs help after a brain injury, please tell them about Brain Injury Services.

[05:05:43] You can learn more at www.braininjury, S as in Sam, V as in Victor, C as in Cat, S as in Sam.org, or by calling 703-451-8881.

[05:06:06] Thank you for your time. Thank you, Ms. Price. And that concludes public comment. We thank our five speakers and takes us to our final public hearing on the day, which is a public hearing on proposed salary increases to $125,000 or $130,000 for members of the Board of Supervisors and $140,000 or up to $145,000 for the chairman, effective January 1, 2024, beginning with the term of the next newly elected Board of Supervisors.

[05:06:36] And before we begin the public hearing, let me ask staff if they have any short staff presentation. Sure. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the Board of Supervisors. I'm Kathy Shavik, Director of the Department of Human Resources for Fairfax County Government.

[05:06:52] I'm joined by Deputy County Attorney Karen Gibbons and Senior Assistant County Attorney Patty McKay. In an election year, the Board can propose a salary adjustment, hold a public hearing, and vote on an increase that can only be applied to the Board and the Chairman that are elected on November 7th, 2023, and seated on January 1st, 2024.

[05:07:16] Salary for the Board of Supervisors has not changed since 2015, eight years ago. This is that public hearing. Thank you very much. Are there any questions for staff before we go to the public hearing? i don't see any we do have 38 speakers signed up to testify we will go in order if anyone has come in and would like to testify and has not signed up in advance if you could please sign up with the clerk here at the end of the dais that would be appreciated and our first speaker is shabon chase vice president of the southern states police benevolent association she could come on down she

[05:07:54] will be followed by a call in speaker number three is shika sanco is shika here shika sanco here okay we'll be speaker number three to be followed by mary jean andres is mary jean andres here if she could come on down uh closer uh to the podium here that would be appreciated miss chase welcome the floor is yours you have five minutes thank you chairman thank you board of supervisors uh i am here with our president of the southern states police benevolent association steve monahan So I'm actually going to turn my time over to him.

[05:08:27] I just wanted to say hi with a familiar face. And I will turn it over to my good friend, Steve, here. Welcome. Thanks, Siobhan. Chairmen, members of the board, thank you for allowing us to speak tonight. As Siobhan said, my name is Steve Monahan, and I'm the president of the Fairfax County Chapter of the Southern States Benevolent Association.

[05:08:45] I'll be candid. There is profound disappointment in the board by all police officers and county employees after hearing the discussion surrounding this proposed pay increase for the Board of Supervisors. Specifically, we come before you today to talk about the statements to the board made on March 7th while discussing Supervisor Faust's motion.

[05:09:07] Before I go into those statements, I would like to point out that the FCPD employee groups have met with each of you and spoken about the need of a 15% raise for second lieutenant and below. Today, we are the one of the lowest paid police departments by starting salary in the region.

[05:09:24] And when I say the region, that includes 20 different police departments. Additionally, with the current proposed FY24 budget giving officers a 2% raise, we will have the lowest starting pay out of those 20 regional police departments on July 1st this year.

[05:09:41] This includes Prince William County, Arlington, Alexandria City, Montgomery, Prince George's County, the District of Columbia, and even Stafford County. Each of these departments are paying their officers more than what FCPD pays. You all have the ability to change this.

[05:09:59] Now to the statements. Supervisor Faust, one of your statements said it is important to consider the involving nature and increasing demands of the job of the board members and the chairman of the board of supervisors. Our officers feel that way, too. The responsibility and demands of police officers keep growing and growing.

[05:10:21] Call volume is increasing, yet we have less cops on the street. Officers are handling more calls relating to emotionally disturbed individuals, sometime taking an officer off the street for 12 plus hours and extending their workday up to 16 hours. Officers are forced to work longer hours with little to no overlap.

[05:10:40] They're spending more time at work rather than at home. They're burnt out. Supervisor Palachuk, one of the statements you made, you've made several great points as why raises are important. You mentioned how individuals have to move away from their district because they can no longer afford to live here.

[05:10:59] Our officers feel that way too. Police officers can't afford to live in the county they serve. Today, only 22% of the force lives in the county. Whereas the majority live south so they can afford to raise the family on their salary. You also said you were extremely disappointed that we don't have more people coming forward to this position.

[05:11:22] Our officers feel that way, too. In 2015, FCPD had 4,100 applicants. And in 2022, we had 1,900. We were also disappointed that officers are choosing higher-paying police departments to work for while we sit here with close to 200 vacancies.

[05:11:38] We also agree with the statement you made saying we would encourage and make it a little bit easier for applicants to come forward and make that sacrifice of being a public servant. Like you, we also have to worry about housing, daycare, transportation, and the cost of food.

[05:11:58] Supervisor Lusk, you mentioned that you had to make a serious decision about running for the Board of Supervisors due to the salary you all receive. Our officers are in a position right now to make serious decisions. We have senior officers, detectives, experts who are unfortunately looking to leave the department or retire early in order to meet their financial requirements of being a parent, husband, wife, son, daughter.

[05:12:26] Officers are leaving to get better paying jobs so they can afford family expenses like college. You said we have to be honest about this question about compensation. Our officers feel that way too. Like I said, we've met with each and every one of you.

[05:12:43] Each of you express your support for public safety in Fairfax County. and stated that the police department, police compensation needs to be addressed. We stand in front of you today asking you to have the same fervent discussion about police compensation that you had regarding your own on March 7th.

[05:13:03] As Supervisor Faust said when he made this motion, a reasonable compensation increase recognizes the growing responsibility and expectations of this job. It will help Fairfax County. Our officers feel that way too. As you discuss the need for the raises for yourself, Almost done. We ask for you to consider the quality of life, wellness, and morale of your police officers and how a significant raise would positively impact them and their families.

[05:13:29] One of you said on the 7th, we have the commitment to have the best possible workforce in the region. Our officers feel that way, too. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Monaghan. Appreciate your testimony. Mr. Chairman.

[05:13:55] Supervisor Harris. Yes, real quickly, a budget question. What would the cost of a 15% increase for 2nd Lieutenant and below? We actually already have that question in the queue. We have that question in? Good. Thank you. Yep. Okay. Speaker number two is Alicia Lolian.

[05:14:13] Is she connected by phone? Yes, I'm here. Okay, Alicia, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. I've been, my husband and I have been living in Fairfax County close to 30 years, and we feel that this is an embarrassment for this increase that you want, that you want to give yourself even if you haven't had a raise in eight years even if you do two to three percent which most companies in this area give their staff each year that doesn't even equate to 40 to 45 percent that you are asking for and if you look look around the country do you see i can't think of

[05:14:51] any organization or company that gives their employees 40 to 45 percent raise a year it's a total embarrassment and on top of that the officer that was just speaking before me giving the Fairfax County employees a two percent raise and you want to give yourselves a 40 to 45 percent raise I mean how embarrassing is that I'm just embarrassed to be a Fairfax County native at this point the way hearing all of this news and then last night WGLA Channel 7 announced that that the Commissioner McKay

[05:15:29] was using the county vehicles to use for personal business going swimming with his family they noticed the county vehicle in the parking lot they announced that last night which is costing the taxpayers I guess the money they're paying for the vehicle the insurance plus the gas that he's not paying for himself that he's using county our taxpayer dollars to fill up the tanks of those vehicles and I think that's ludicrous as well And I know where I live is close to Annandale, Virginia.

[05:16:01] And in the years that I've lived here, if I could see something that you all have done to help improve the area, I could say, yeah, maybe an increase, but not that much. But since I've lived here, Annandale, Virginia needs to be a total facelift. They need a total revitalization.

[05:16:19] My husband and I have to go to Tyson's Corner, Sherlington, Arlington, or further just to get a decent meal on a Saturday evening. There's no place to go. Penny Gross has been our representative since we've been here, and she has done zero. The homeowners that live in this area, they are so glad she is retiring because I'll tell you two things that have happened since we've lived here, two bad things.

[05:16:42] One is when the Metro had their strike, we called her office as our representative. They pointed fingers, sending us to Don Beyer, Senator Warner, and different other political figures.

[05:17:01] They didn't want to handle it. They didn't want to have anything to do with it. So there was one employee that I worked with in my office, and she lives up Braddock Road. She paid $100 a day round trip to and from because she doesn't own a vehicle just to get to her job. We were just trying to get some kind of bus service or something to get us to our jobs.

[05:17:20] this isn't for leisure. They didn't want to help one iota. Secondly, those roadsters that were going up and down Little River Turnpike with those, sounds like gunshots coming out of their mufflers. For those of us, they have to get up at 4.30, 5 o'clock in the morning, and they're racing up and down the Turnpike. We call Fairfax police, and they said their hands were tied because of a rule or law that Kay Corey had put out that was passed. They couldn't touch them. So here we're suffering all night and you could hear them going up little river turnpike all the way um to inside annandale

[05:17:55] all night long when we called penny gross's office they said they couldn't do anything alicia if you could alicia suffering alicia if you could wrap up your time expired a while ago okay well i'm i'm almost close but i've just my i guess my um thing is with the with the um The delinquent taxes that's due in Fairfax County and the rest of us pay and you're all not going after the delinquent taxes.

[05:18:21] I was just going to say, enjoy your jobs now because with the way people are so upset, you're not going to be voted in after the November election. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number three is Sheikah Sanko. Speaker, we could be here all night.

[05:18:41] Speaker number three is Sheikah Sanko. If we could respect the speakers and their time. Sheikah Sanko, is she here? Mary-Jean Andres. Mary-Jean, welcome. She is speaker number four. Mary-Jean Andres.

[05:19:00] Andres. First, I would like to thank WJLA News, those citizens that posted on the Nextdoor website, and Supervisor Herity that brought this matter to public attention. I am an avid reader of Chairman McKay's newsletters that come out via email, And I note that I could not find in any of the recent issues any mention of this important issue.

[05:19:27] Now, some say that the board is undercompensated compared to other supervisory bodies based on the study done at the behest of the board. But many would respond that that study is flawed. It compares part-time to full-time positions.

[05:19:44] It does not include certain freebies, such as the use of a county-owned vehicle by Chairman McKay. nor does it account for the fact that the Fairfax Board is actually the highest-paid board in Virginia. Also, I ask if the study considered that the board members are accruing a government-funded pension, something which very few Americans have the benefit of.

[05:20:08] Some say that the board is undercompensated because of the number of hours spent by them, but many would respond that certainly some of those hours are voluntary, Not in pursuit of board duties, but rather in pursuit of political recognition in anticipation of the next election.

[05:20:29] Also, these positions are meant to be part-time and are public service. They are not meant to support anyone as a full-time job. We all thank you for your service, but these are not meant to be full-time jobs.

[05:20:46] Some say that without the proposed increase, fewer people will present themselves as candidates for the supervisory positions. and that without the increase, there will be a barrier to public service. But many would respond that there has not been a shortage of candidates for these positions in the past.

[05:21:05] And further, that it's a personal choice, again, to be involved in public service. Some say that without the proposed increase, only those of great personal wealth will run for supervisory positions. But many would respond that, one, that's not been the case up to this point, I don't believe, and two, that there are many political groups that back candidates lacking in personal wealth.

[05:21:34] Think the Thesaurus Foundation as one. I would also like to note that the ballot box is ultimately the best remedy for poor political decisions, including approving a pay raise of this magnitude.

[05:21:51] But I would note, I wonder what machinations went on behind the scenes so that one of the supervisors that's retiring, Supervisor Faust, was the one that proposed this and will not be subject to a show of voter dissatisfaction in the next election cycle. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number five is Christopher Williams.

[05:22:16] Is Christopher Williams here? It's Christopher Williams here, speaker number five. Speaker number six is Carolyn Bivens. She joined us by phone. Carolyn, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you, sir. Just by way of a brief background, I've been president of a national organization, CEO of an international organization, senior executive of a third. I've also been chair of a major national philanthropic organization. So I have a little bit of business background.

[05:22:54] I would also like to, as a background, say that inflation has certainly taken a chunk out of people's budgets the last few years. More companies are announcing layoffs. People's investments are worth less, including 401ks as a result of the stock market.

[05:23:13] We have more low-income families and at-risk seniors in our communities than ever before. And the future is extremely uncertain at the moment. Corporations are laying off staff and freezing hiring. Many CEOs are voluntarily reducing their salaries.

[05:23:33] foregoing bonuses, and reducing staff bonuses. Against that backdrop, the Fairfax County has full-time staff, very professional, well-paid full-time staff. The Board of Supervisors, my understanding, was designed as a part-time position, just as most board positions around the world are. Next, compared to neighboring communities, the Board of Supervisors' compensation is more than competitive. In fact, it is the highest in Virginia. Number three is since salary

[05:24:10] is only one aspect of the Board of Supervisors' compensation, in order to completely understand what the compensation was, we'd need to know what the other benefits are, and I don't think that we do. A 35 to a 45 percent increase sets a terrible tone when our police are underpaid and the first speaker, but far more eloquently than I can. They're underpaid competitively, and when other employees will be receiving much smaller increases. Two members of my family are full-time

[05:24:48] teachers in Fairfax County. The 2024 budget should be reviewed for efficiencies. This isn't the time to call to add more overhead, but just the opposite. Too many are just getting by and others are on the verge of falling into crisis respectfully in my opinion the case has not been made for making the board of supervisor positions full-time more importantly a 35 to a 45 increase would be viewed as tone deaf in this environment i thank you for the opportunity to

[05:25:27] participate thank you and speaker number seven is patrick plumber speaker number seven is patrick Plummer, is he here? Patrick Plummer. Speaker number eight is Kevin Quinn. Is Kevin Quinn here?

[05:25:46] Kevin Quinn, speaker number eight. Speaker number nine, Helga Junker. Okay, if you could come on down. This is speaker number nine. Welcome. My name is Helga Junker, and I have been a resident of Fairfax County for almost 35 years. As a senior citizen on a fixed income, I can appreciate the challenges faced by board members as they struggle to balance growing county funding needs and inflation, both governmentally and personally.

[05:26:19] However, after receiving my property tax bill, which went up 11.52%, well above the average, and then hearing about your proposed 45% salary increase, I was both appalled and incensed. Your positions are part-time, and yet you are receiving the equivalent of full-time pay for this part-time position.

[05:26:42] Getting full-time pay for part-time work is a disservice to the thousands of hard-working full-time employees who make significantly less than your $95,000 to $100,000 a year. On average, police officers $70,000, firefighters $45,000, teachers $65,000 are working more than full-time hours, usually under great stress, and they would love to make $95,000 a year for a part-time job.

[05:27:10] I acknowledge that the board had its last pay increase in 2015, but a 45% increase? Ridiculous. Why are your salary adjustments not tied into what county employees receive? This would bring your proposed pay increase down to approximately 18% to compensate for eight years of no increases, especially as the current 2023 budget has allocated funds that can be used by board members to offset your personal and operating expenses.

[05:27:40] This increase would still be a hit on our tax-funded budget, but changes should be made going forward to get board increases on an annual basis tied to the county employees which you serve. I have two proposed action items. Reclassify your board positions to full-time so that the compensation levels are commensurate with other administrators in similar positions.

[05:28:04] Note this requires justification and documentation to substantiate full-time duties and identifiable deliverables will need to be detailed. The pro to this action is possible better pay, higher pay, and benefits I assume you are not currently offered.

[05:28:21] The con is that this will require you to be accountable for your work time and restricted to additional income activities that may be considered a conflict of interest. If this is not an option, but you still feel stressed working more hours than the part-time position describes, then may I suggest a better time management skills development course?

[05:28:43] The ability to take control of your work life and find a balance is a challenge that all employed individuals face each and every day, and it's not reasonable to charge the taxpayers for inefficiency. Elected officials are given power and authority by the voters who chose them to be their representatives, but they are not autocrats and they can use this power whatever way they want.

[05:29:08] They have to be accountable and held accountable. I commend you all for taking on the challenge of public service, but remind you that you are fiduciaries of our hard-paid tax money and should act accordingly. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Our next speaker is Adrienne White.

[05:29:28] You were unable to reach Ms. White. I'm sorry, I can't hear you. We were unable to reach Ms. White. We were unable to reach her. Okay, our next speaker is Holly DePaul, who has submitted video testimony. Good evening, Chairman McKay, Supervisor Alcorn, and other supervisors.

[05:29:48] My name is Holly DePajal, and I reside on Bale Road in Vienna, Virginia. My apologies for not attending in person, but I am traveling for work today. I look for a private company and have over 15 years of experience implementing budgetary software for state and local governments.

[05:30:05] I want to address you, the Board of Supervisors, about the recent news of budgetary decisions of this board, in particular your compensation. We have all been facing the financial burden of inflation. Experts say that the impact of inflation has cost families an extra $7,000 to $10,000 a year.

[05:30:26] Recently, this board voted 8-2 to grant themselves a significant pay raise in excess of $35,000 a year. I am both shocked and livid at this display of greed. That $35,000 raise is more than tenfold greater than what the rest of Fairfax County employees will receive.

[05:30:47] Fairfax County employees are scheduled for a 2% increase and if you were bound by that same adjustment that would be an extra $1,900 to $2,000 a year for each of you. That same $35,000 raise is also almost five times greater than the $7,000 inflationary impact. You would be hard-pressed to find a Fairfax County taxpayer who in the last year was given a $35,000 salary increase. In the private sector, we considered ourselves lucky if our employers gave us a $5,000 increase due to the

[05:31:26] cost of inflation. Now that is for a full-time job. And for the record, I want to affirm that a position on the Board of Supervisors is a part-time position. Someone seeking this position on the Board of Supervisors should be a person with a servant's heart and not someone seeking riches. I want to applaud Supervisor Alcorn and Supervisor Herity for demonstrating the character to say no to such an aggressive compensation adjustment. If this board feels that the

[05:32:05] compensation is lacking, then please have the political sensitivity to read your audience, that is your constituents, and show self-restraint. If you looked at social media like Next Door Neighbor, you would see that residents are irate at the expected new property tax bills for the year. Last year our 1965 house faced an 18% increase and this year it was another 10% increase.

[05:32:35] The assessed value closely matches its valuation on Zillow, a real estate app that does provide high-end estimates. Since 2000, the real estate tax bill for the typical Fairfax County household has grown over 217%, while inflation is 88%, and household income is a lowly 67%.

[05:32:59] So property taxes have gone up three times more than household income. For my neighbors, there are over 560 comments on one thread about the excessive assessment adjustments, And it has a nine to one ratio. The opinions you count, the opinions are counter to your self-interest. And I know that these opinions cross party lines from Democrats to independents to Republicans. And to reaffirm, this is the impact that we have seen in our property taxes

[05:33:38] versus our take home pay. This is out of line. Thank you very much. Good day. Thank you. Our next speaker is speaker number 12, Shirley Jenwright. Is Shirley here? Not seeing Shirley. Jeff Flading. Jeff is speaker number 13. Barton Bennett will be speaker number 14. And Diane Rudnick is speaker number 15. They will be our next three speakers. Mr. Flading, welcome.

[05:34:13] As a retired Air Force officer, retired executive in the local IT industry, I've evaluated the pay increases of thousands of people over the years.

[05:34:34] As a taxpaying citizen, I'm somewhat your employer as our public servants. So when considering your request for pay raise, there are a few key thought processes to evaluate your request. First, do we need to pay you more? And second, do you deserve to be paid more?

[05:34:53] As to whether citizens need to pay you more, I believe the answer is no. You all signed up for these positions. You knew the pay and the race history. You fought to have these positions for whatever mixture of public service or power or pride or perks you chose these positions.

[05:35:11] There's no need to pay you more for these positions, and most of you will seek to retain these positions. But as a compassionate citizen, an employer, I also don't think any of you should suffer if you now find the pay is so inadequate beyond what you expected. If you don't like the pay, you should not run again.

[05:35:31] That more than a pay raise would open the board to some fresh new faces. I know that was one of the concerns. As the question was, do you deserve to pay more based on your performance? Well, that's a complex question, and it would take longer than I have. But let's just look at the police staffing emergency.

[05:35:49] As one mentioned, the first speaker made great points there. You helped create the police staffing emergency over the last few years with uncompetitive pay, low inflation wages, forced 12-hour-plus shifts, and many more features, including delayed promotions. When you treat officers like that, how can you expect the emergency to be effectively dealt with anytime soon? In this upcoming budget, this emergency should be central to your budget planning, as one supervisor mentioned. The budget has only a few band-aids in it to deal with this emergency, which will impact us for years to come. Yet here we are

[05:36:26] talking about your pay raise. On the issue of providing for public safety and our police force, you did not earn increased safety. In fact, if you really worked for me, you would be put on a performance improvement plan, leading to your dismissal. There might be others who are pleased with your performance, such as land developers. They should be pleased with your actions on ZMOD to increase housing density and your upcoming project of parking reimagined to reduce parking in the county. But even for those groups, pleased with your performance, I would argue they need

[05:37:01] not pay you more, any tax dollars, to get this kind of performance. So your request for pay raise is denied. If you find the current pay a hardship, don't run for re-election. Please consider that, as it would be the best way to get fresh talent onto the board. And none of these comments pertain to Senator Harry. Thank you. Speaker number 14 is Barton Bennett. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you

[05:37:38] your time. Today, I'm here tonight to also speak in opposition to the proposed salary increase, which from the current $95,000 and $100,000 respectively for the members and for the supervisors and for the chairman, up to $130,000 or $145,000. I didn't realize until I saw the agenda that you guys actually are deciding on either or, either $125,000 or 130 for supervisors or 140, 145 for chairman.

[05:38:09] You know, the media didn't quite have that exactly the same way as the agenda pointed out. Either way, the third option is table this whole motion, review it further, and look at it a different way. You do have a copy of my proposal, although I'm already ad-libbing from it, so bear with me.

[05:38:28] You know, at the time you're proposing this, as others have pointed out, you know, the county executive and the proposed budget for the county has only proposed 2% increase for county employees. The union is asking 5.4% to be in line with the market rate adjustment, right?

[05:38:47] You know, and when I wrote this, but the more I'm thinking about it, I may support a raise to you all that's in line with what the rest of the county is getting. But as I go through and look at more of the data, I question how much I would want to really support that, too.

[05:39:05] But I guess I could get behind a 2% increase for you all on an annual basis. At the low end of this proposal of, say, $30,000, nine supervisors here, we're talking $270,000 here.

[05:39:22] That would pay for, what, three or four police officers? although we have, I think we're budgeted for in the short $200,000, so we don't need to appropriate more positions, but maybe fill that $270,000 towards starting pay for these police officers, you know, or for teachers, or for bus drivers, or whatever it needs to do where we need, have a definite need to improve manpower.

[05:39:47] The charge published by the Fairfax Times is sorted by one of the neighbors on Nextdoor, And I tweaked it a little bit, too. You'll see it on my second page here. I didn't submit it soon enough to be able to get it up on the screen, so I apologize to those in the audience.

[05:40:04] But basically, this shows that the current $95,000 exceeds the county board's salaries in nearby Virginia counties that are part-time. The second chart includes Montgomery County, D.C., and PG County, which are full-time.

[05:40:23] It's a different structure of government than we have over here. So they're full-time positions, but it's not comparing apples to apples when you throw them in there. But we did anyway, and according to that, supervisors would be matching.

[05:40:40] You're already 95,000 is right in line. The average of everybody else is 94, 890. For the suit of chairman, it's 108, so the chairman would be a little bit behind comparing it to everybody else. So I'm not denying you all don't work long hours on some days.

[05:40:56] Some of that, as somebody pointed out, is relating to campaign appearances for the next election. Mr. Faust was quoted as saying it would attract more qualified people to run into office. My answer is I doubt or hope that any way that most of you didn't get into this for the money.

[05:41:15] You did it for public service. And I think there's a lot of other people out there that would be willing to step up. And again, basically, if $95,000 a year or $100,000 a year is not adequate income for you to be able to continue to position, then maybe it's time that you move on to another position like those of us in the private sector do and we look for another job.

[05:41:37] I was in sales, I just had to go sell more, right, or switch gears. If I couldn't do it in my present role, I moved to another company, right? So maybe that's time for you all to consider that if you can't survive on this income. For Supervisor Faust, I know you're retiring after this year.

[05:41:56] I do thank you for your service. You've put in a lot of years, and, you know, I disagreed with a lot of issues with you, but we agreed on others. but you're staff first in class when it comes to constituent services and I thank you. I've had to deal with them in different roles a couple of times but I ask you to withdraw this proposal which they all have you proposed since you're leaving so I suggest you withdraw this proposal table it for the future because it's a slap in the face to your constituents that you serve so well all these years. Thank you all for your time.

[05:42:34] Thank you, Mr. Bennett. Speaker number 15 is Diane Rudnick. Is Diane here? Is Diane Rudnick here? Speaker number 15, speaker number 16, Charles McAndrew. Charles is here.

[05:42:49] Speaker number, this is a call in 17. Okay, Mr. McAndrew, welcome. Good afternoon. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the county board.

[05:43:05] My name is Charles McAndrew, and I'm a member of the Fairfax Taxpayers Alliance board member. Also want to acknowledge our distinguished county executive and my speech.

[05:43:21] When I first found out that you all were having a proposal to increase your pay to 37% for the county and 45% for the chairman of the board, I really found that outrageously preposterous.

[05:43:36] But then I was told by a reliable source that you haven't been given an increase for eight years. So I went and looked at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find out what was the inflation rate from 2015 to 2022, which is eight years.

[05:43:54] And the inflation rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 24.0%. And if you divide that by your eight years that you did not have a raise, that amounts to 3% a year. I consider that more reasonable than your current request, which, again, I say is way too high.

[05:44:19] So I think if you decided to give yourself a raise of 3% to make up for that, I can understand that. You're only going to give the county employees, as I understand, a 2% increase. And I heard the first gentleman speak tonight about the police department.

[05:44:36] I support everything that gentleman says about the police department. They deserve to be paid. It's a job I wouldn't have, especially in D.C. or PG County. But anyway, I make this comment because I'm hoping that you will push back on this tremendous increase.

[05:44:55] And I'd like to add one thing that 40 years ago, I asked my supervisor, Marie Trevesky, is this a full-time job? And she says, yes, it is. And I said, well, I challenged that. She said, good. You pick a day of the week and come around and follow my footsteps.

[05:45:13] And I did that. I spent the whole day with Marie Tversky. She had a board. I said, pick any day of the week. I picked Tuesday. Tuesday we went around, and she had a board meeting in the morning. She had constituents that she dealt with during the day.

[05:45:30] And that night, the huge Fairfax County Federation of Civic Association, which 40 years ago had 220 members, invited her to give a speech. And that speech went on, and she left to go home at 9 o'clock at night. So my question to you is, is this really a full-time job, or is it a part-time job?

[05:45:51] Marie Tversky told me it was a full-time job. And that was 40 years ago when the county was less population than we have now. So anyway, I hope that you will consider my thoughts. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your attention. thank you very much for your testimony our next speaker is Michael Sopko we were unable to reach Mr. Sopko able to reach Mr. Sopko uh Dan Mathias is Dan here Dan Mathias uh how about uh speaker 19 Jonna Gannon Jonna is here and after Jonna um I am told speaker number three is here now which

[05:46:29] is Shika Sanko is Shika here you will follow uh miss miss uh uh Gannon please good evening my name john again and i live in the franconia district tonight i'm speaking as an individual for myself first i'm not against a cost of living raise for the board of supervisors the last raise in 2015 was effective for the 2016 to 29 board i don't know why in 2019 the board didn't provide a raise for the 2020 to 23 board but i asked what percentage increase was given during 2023 for the county employees the firefighters the police the teachers what

[05:47:07] percentage is being proposed for them in the next budget there's no dispute that elected officials work long hours even full-time plus hours days nights weekends group and individual meetings reading preparing i think all of you consider this a full-time position elected officials do not take this job for the hours the schedule or the pay it is um i hope they do at least do it for public service it is well known that money more money can be earned in private sector jobs and in government service jobs i left my federal employment after almost 27 years and earned a better salary after i was elected to eight years to the only unpaid elected position in the state

[05:47:46] of virginia i can see penny smiling on that one there are almost 300 elected people in this position statewide and they don't get a salary or a stipend i made after my husband died i made the choice to not run for a re-election because i couldn't see taking money out of savings to run for an election that i may or may not win and if i did win it paid nothing and it would encumber my work week because i had to go find another job after quitting mine to take care of my husband i made the decision of what was right for me and my family at that time a decision is only having two or more options to choose among most people think it's right or wrong

[05:48:22] good or bad desired undesired but hard decisions are made when all the options tend to fall on one side or the other you may want to be elected and you may want more money these difficult decisions are made every day by people more people in this county than not by increasing your salary at this time shows indifference to the majority of the people living below even well below a hundred thousand dollars a year income the this move at this time reflects that this board is moving further away from the constituents constituents earn considerably less and i don't think um it looks good for the county employees in my opinion it does look good to the small percentage of

[05:48:59] of upper-class people who earn more than $145,000 a year. Why do you care about your salaries being closer to those of D.C. and Maryland legislators? I would think you would be worried about moving further away from your constituents in terms of your salaries and also further away from the other elected officials in Virginia who you have to work with.

[05:49:18] If the county employees received a 2% increase for each year from 20 through 23 and are proposed to receive a 2% next year, then the supervisors deserve a 10% raise, maybe even 16% to account for the remaining three years in the next term, not a 45%.

[05:49:33] Lead by example. Where is your decency, your humanity, your humility? Of all the comments I've heard and read, many of which were wrong and unfounded, the one I think says it best is the timing of this is totally tone deaf. Thank you. Thank you, Jonna. Sheikha Sanko, who was speaker number three, will now testify.

[05:49:59] Welcome. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. The question that I have for you today, who come up with this idea to give yourself a 47% raise while the rest of Virginia residents living below poverty?

[05:50:21] You see, I've been here twice today. I'm a home health care aide. I work with seniors. I see seniors suffer. Some of them don't have enough money to put food on their table. Some of them don't even have transportation.

[05:50:41] And here you are, giving yourself what be 47%. I read about you guys online. Mr. Chairman, you're a very wealthy man. I read about you.

[05:50:58] You have so much money, and the rest of you don't care for us. I was a homeless two years ago. I called the Fairfax County Services for help. I didn't get help.

[05:51:14] Do you know who helped me when I was sleeping in my car? My client, Mr. Patrick Eugene Linehan, the former DIA director for Africa and Asia. He's listening right now on the phone while I'm talking to you.

[05:51:32] I'm getting emotional because I see poverty in Northern Virginia. Where are you guys going to get this money to give yourself a 47% raise when police officers, teachers, seniors don't have enough?

[05:51:53] Have you been to the food bank? I volunteer at the food bank. Go look at Northern Virginia people who are day-to-day job, 12 hours job, can't even afford food. You know why? The rent is sky high.

[05:52:10] My rent is $1,895 on a one-bedroom. I recently owed Dominion $447 utility bill. Guess who paid for it? United Methodist Church. I called Fairfax County Services to pay my bill.

[05:52:30] They did not help me. Not even a single one of you. I went to Mr. Al's office. I read about him. He's a good man. He cares about the people that he serves. Some of you, we don't even know you guys exist.

[05:52:47] This is a part-time job. I would love to have me a part-time job on a 47% raise. I just leave my job. Do you know my grandma died? He was begging Fairfax County, Virginia for air and aid.

[05:53:08] She couldn't afford it. That is wrong. None of you deserve on a part-time job of 47%. Thank you for your service. Thank you. Our next speaker is David Lyons.

[05:53:35] Our next speaker is David Lyons. Speaker number 20 is Alice Milliken here. Speaker number 22. Okay. And speaker number 23, William Brennan. Okay. You will follow. The two of you will follow.

[05:53:51] Mr. Lyons, we do have one. Speaker number 21 is a call-in caller. Mr. Lyons, welcome. The floor is yours. Yeah, good evening. That's going to be hard to follow. Mr. Chairman, Mr. County Executive, I appreciate the opportunity to be before you this evening.

[05:54:09] I'm Dave Lyons, the Executive Director of the Fairfax Workers Coalition. And I just have to say, when this item was first announced, we received, as I'm sure you did, a lot of calls. And I don't recall a time in the last couple of years that I've heard our members and workers so upset.

[05:54:31] It touched a raw nerve, especially in light of the proposed compensation increase for everybody else. Now, I don't want to demagogue this issue. Some will. And I'm going to say, which some of my folks may not agree with, I'm not against you getting a raise per se.

[05:54:48] What I am against is how you're responding and treating county employees. The fact is, I understand the law. I understand that you can only propose this in election year. I understand this is a requirement imposed by the state.

[05:55:06] And I understand that this is your one chance to do it, and it's been eight years. But I ask you, who is going to make up for all the raises that the county employees have lost for eight years? I don't see any proposal to do that.

[05:55:23] I don't see any proposals for all the freezes that you were imposed on us that have created a tremendous amount of pay inequity throughout the county, which is the primary cause of it. I don't see any proposal to do anything about that. Look, many people here, including yourself, are public servants.

[05:55:44] I know you take that phrase seriously. I know many of you. And the community pays for our service, and we seek to make good on that trust. I took it seriously as a firefighter for over a quarter century, and I take it seriously today. That's why it was so disconcerting to hear this board in view of where we are as a county, to simply push forward this proposal without really addressing the serious issues that confront county workers and the citizens.

[05:56:11] I know there's a budget process and there are deadlines, but we need to address this now. Right now, we have a serious crisis in recruitment and retention. Every day, I talk to workers, and the number one topic is, did you find a job there? Where are you looking?

[05:56:27] Can I go? I hear so-and-so's paying 8%. percent. Prince William just advertised a nine percent MRA. So Henrico and Richmond are in the eights. Stafford even higher. Loudon, six percent. People read this and they know about it because they don't live here. They live in those jurisdictions. And even the Commonwealth of Virginia, headed by Governor Youngkin, is proposing five percent. So, and the reason they do this is it's not just a question of pay equity and how much we're owed. They want Fairfax talent. They

[05:57:06] want to compete. And do we want to compete is the question. They want our workers and they see themselves as competitors. You've got to get your minds around the fact that Fairfax is no longer the gold standard for pay or working conditions. What does this have to do with raising your salaries after eight years? Well, you're politicians. And the last thing I have to explain to you is perception. This is part of what you know instinctively. This is part of what you do, and it's important. So when a proposal like this comes up in the context of what's happening

[05:57:45] out here, then the proposed MRA has created a perception that was harmful and resulted in what you're hearing tonight. As I said, I understand this proposal. I get it. But some of the comments we heard in the media and from the board really bothered people. Do you know how hard it is for my folks to find child care that's affordable? It's not just you. Do you know how hard they are falling further and further behind every day? People that are less advantaged than you by far.

[05:58:21] And the perception people received was this, whether it's fair or not, is that you wanted to take care of this board first before the workers. Now, it may not be fair. I know there's a different deadline, but that is the perception you created. I have respect for what you do. I know you probably didn't mean to create this perception, but you sure did. Because here's the issue. We don't have a shortage of politicians. We have a shortage of human service workers. We have a shortage of cops.

[05:58:52] We have a shortage of my members in solid waste collection that are leaving for the private sector. That's where the problem is. That's where the issue is. And what I would urge you to do before you push the button on this is ask yourself, what is the right thing to do? And we think the answer is obvious you need to protect county services and pay your workers fairly and stop the drain of talent and experienced workers out the door you need to do this now and we need we

[05:59:27] know you're going to raise the mra more than two everyone knows it it's not a secret and you need to raise it up to what's fair to what's recommended and maybe even a little bit more because if you want to compete with these other jurisdictions you're going to need to do that or you're going to keep losing workers and your services will not be what they were. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Lyons. Speaker number 21 is Bill Baldwin and Mr. Baldwin is on the line. Mr. Baldwin,

[05:59:58] welcome. The floor is yours. I've been watching and listening all day since 430 and I agree with everything that's been said from the, you know, detailing of the raise for the board of supervisors,

[06:00:15] But it gets even more complex because it goes back to really October 6th of 2022 when our chairman, Chairman McKay, stated in the Fairfax County local news that he thought that the county should have the authority to levy any fact that they want and let their voters hold them accountable.

[06:00:43] Well, I think that that will come to pass, and, you know, I think we will hold you guys accountable for everything that is coming down the pike. It seems I don't like to reach into my own pocket and feel somebody else's hand in there down with the change that I have.

[06:01:05] But it just amazes me that you would, you know, bolster a race for yourself, yet at the same time, short change, the county not only our service personnel, but also the police and EMS unit individuals who are protecting us as citizens, which, quite frankly, that's why you're in there is to protect us and to keep us on the page.

[06:01:36] to making Fairfax a better and safer place to live. And it just upsets me that, you know, that we have to get to this state where you're, you know, I really think it's a show game where you're saying, okay, we want a 45% raise, but you knew that people were going to be antsy about that.

[06:02:01] And I think it's just your way of allowing us to voice our concerns and at the same time almost approve of you giving overly raises to everyone in the county.

[06:02:17] You know, thinking that our pockets are endlessly deep and that we're going to keep boiling out our money to the county and to the state. Personally, I find this absurd, and I would appreciate it if you guys would, you know, Not spend $2 when you've only got $1, okay?

[06:02:41] Thank you very much, and I appreciate your listening. Thank you very much. Alice Millican is our next speaker. Alice Millican, to be followed by William Brennan, Jacqueline Balcells.

[06:02:56] Is Jacqueline here? Richard Hayden. Okay. Ms. Millican, welcome. Thank you. Hello, my name is Alice Millican. I'm a constituent from Springfield. I want to start by saying that I have immense respect for the Board of Supervisors, and of course you deserve a raise after having none for eight years.

[06:03:18] The issue is that you're asking for such a large raise when you are giving so little to the employees of this county. Let's point to a hypothetical full-time staff member making $50,000 per year working in a nature center. This is the starting pay for a naturalist one.

[06:03:36] She will see a 2% raise, which is $1,000. For some perspective, from 2022 to 2023, rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Kingstown, which is in the Franconia District, increased $1,680 per year.

[06:03:54] So you've given her a raise of $1,000, but her rent has increased $1,680. Let's say she gets an additional raise for passing her annual review. A total raise of 3% to 4% won't cover the increased cost of rent, groceries, utilities, and insurance.

[06:04:17] I don't even have time to touch on the disservice this county has done to part-time employees. How can you justify giving yourself a 37% raise, an extra $35,000 per year, when you're essentially giving a pay cut to employees, some of whom are living paycheck to paycheck?

[06:04:35] one of the arguments for such a significant pay raise for board members was the need to attract qualified candidates however i want people in charge of our budget who understand what our community needs i want board members who put the employees of the county first i want better funded parks and park staff i want you to give part-time staff full benefits make more part-time jobs into full-time positions i want board members who prioritize the important causes over the salaries of the most powerful positions one individual does not need an extra 35 000 per year but the

[06:05:14] employees of this county do need that money the employees collectively make fairfax county the place that i'm proud to call home how can you justify giving yourselves an extra 35 000 each when you've essentially given your employees a pay cut thank you for your time thank you Thank you, Ms. Milliken. Speaker number 23 is William Brennan. Speaker number 23 is William Brennan. Jacqueline Balcells is here, and Richard Hayden. Okay. Mr. Brennan, welcome.

[06:05:48] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My name is Bill Brennan. I've lived in the Braddock District for almost 50 years. I know the members of the Board of Supervisors have not had a raise in the pay for eight years and eight years before that much has been made by the proposed percentage of the proposed percentage increase but inflation of 25 percent over eight years means it is that it is not out of line for the pay of the county employees who have received periodic raises during

[06:06:27] that period that is compounded during that period as well many county employees make more money than the board. Yet the Board of Supervisors is responsible for all the county legislation, approval of the multi-billion dollar budget, appointing the heads of most departments, and general oversight of many agencies. The offices of the Board of Supervisors, including support staff, represent less than one-eighth of one percent of the budget.

[06:07:01] Voters demand that these people be highly qualified to do this vital work. Some residents think that members are adequately compensated but as that is not hardly the case living in the county are thousands of public employees at the federal state and county levels who are not compensated for above excuse me who are compensated far above the level of board members the pay of supervisors is less than those working in the federal government at the gs 12 level and

[06:07:36] above. I believe it is fair to say that most of these employees don't have anywhere near the responsibilities of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Fairfax County is one of the largest counties in the nation with more than 1.2 million people. The county is more populous than nine states. It is a large county with a large complex governmental structure. We must have and retain highly qualified people who are motivated to do this wonderful job.

[06:08:16] Being a supervisor involves both regular work hours and hundreds of additional hours outside the office. I follow the activities of Chairman McKay and Braddock Supervisor Walkinshaw in the regular newsletters, and I'm constantly amazed at the many public functions they participate in aside from their normal work hours.

[06:08:38] I urge passage of this pay raise. Future supervisors deserve it. Fair-minded voters should support it. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Brennan. Speaker number 24 is Jacqueline Balsells. Hi, board. I'm not great with public speaking, but I am part of the Providence District, and I have been a Fairfax County resident for more than 40 years.

[06:09:09] I just think that this increase in, or this giant increase in pay is just not the right time, not the right amount. Do I believe that you guys have tough jobs? Absolutely, you have a very tough job. This is a very complex county, and an enormous county.

[06:09:29] But I think all the money needs to be spent on supporting the police and getting those jobs, the empty positions filled. I remember 20, 30 years ago when police officers would come from other states. They were so interested in coming to work in Fairfax County, and that is not the case right now.

[06:09:51] And we need to do something about it, and that needs to be the number one priority. Because safety, we cannot take it for granted. You know, carjackings and break-ins and all of this nonsense, that is a priority. And that's a priority for residents that you need to be able to feel that you don't have to worry about you know just not being able to go out your door or somebody might break in or or steal something from you or Anyways a lot of people have already made points that I was going to make anyway, but

[06:10:27] Just and I have no affiliation whatsoever with any police officer or any of that. I just really value safety and I just want this county to get back to what it was. Thank you for listening to me. Thank you very much, Jacqueline.

[06:10:43] Speaker number 25 is Richard Hayden. Richard Hayden. Is Richard Hayden here? I've not seen him. Speaker number 26 is a caller, Brian Heller. We do not have him on the phone at this time. Do not. Speaker number 27, Amy Keene.

[06:11:01] Is Amy Keene here? Yes. Okay. Please come on down. And speaker number 28 is Tammy Wong Dong Ware. uh who is here uh and speaker number 29 kenneth russell is kenneth russell here okay um miss keen welcome thank you i'm representing the kinship caregivers support group fairfax county used to be a place where families like mine kinship families got basic support services kinship families are held together by caregivers who didn't give birth to the children that they're

[06:11:39] raising but we give those children a home to come to when their home is destroyed and we spend the rest of our time trying to put the pieces of that traumatized child's life back together. Kinship families are grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, any adult related to a child in need of a home. Some come through the Department of Family Services as foster kinship families, but a lot are informal kinship families who took in these traumatized kids to keep them out of the system. I'm raising two girls, one I gave birth to and one I gave a home to when she was ripped from hers. My youngest started out life as my niece. She was in a car accident in Pennsylvania

[06:12:18] with her dad, who's my older brother, and her pregnant mom on September 27, 2014. Both parents were killed on impact. My girl was four at the time. She saw her parents die in front of her, was pulled from a flaming wreck by a stranger, and had to be medevaced to a children's hospital.

[06:12:37] I got the call at 11 30 that night, and my sister and I immediately drove to get her. When we arrived this morning, she was sitting straight up in bed. She was waiting. She said, there was an accident. There was a fire in the woods. Mom and dad are dead.

[06:12:55] I said, I know, but I'm here for you. And I want you to stay with me for as long as you want. And she said, I want to stay with you forever. And I said, I'm going to do everything that I can do to make that happen. That was nine years ago. And the challenges that my girls and I have had to face during that time would bring most parents to their knees most days.

[06:13:15] The parents of young children seem to think that families who face tragedy might be contagious. So I got used to standing alone outside the elementary school when picking up my girls. The day that I saw the flyer for the kinship caregiver support group in my kids' folder from school, it was like someone was throwing me a lifeline.

[06:13:33] Finally, a group where my girls could spend time with other kinship kids and understand they were not alone. For me, it was the only place where there were other kinship caregivers who understood what I was going through and had actual insight and solutions to address the trauma issues affecting my kids.

[06:13:50] I was so thankful that I lived in Fairfax County. At the time, it seemed to be the only place in the state of Virginia that cared enough about kinship families to try and help. The support group met at South County Government Center every Thursday. This group has been in operation helping families like mine in need for more than 15 years.

[06:14:10] We have a social worker from DFS. Her name is Mary Hagar, who facilitates this group. And if anyone deserves a raise, it's her. The group adjusted during COVID, moving to Zoom meetings. However, in September 2021, the group was told that there were some changes at DFS.

[06:14:29] Apparently, there's a new director. That director decided to cut our support group meetings down to once a month. After nearly two years of trying to find someone to help, we finally had a representative from DFS come and listen to a Zoom meeting.

[06:14:46] We were told that she'd get back to us about what could be done to help. At our meeting last Thursday, that representative told us that the group could no longer be supported by DFS because they didn't have the resources or staff to facilitate the group.

[06:15:04] So I'm asking you, since the Board of Supervisors controls the purse strings in this county, why is it that you can find the funds to give yourself a 45% raise when essential services are being stripped away from Fairfax County residents who are in the most need and are the least supported?

[06:15:20] Why does Fairfax County feel that providing even the most basic services to kinship families is not important? Why is the DFS historically underpaid and understaffed? It would appear the board is not doing its job because Fairfax County has provided no solution for kinship families.

[06:15:41] The one service that families like mine are most need of, the one program that supported us, has been eviscerated. And that happened on your watch. On your watch. So no, I don't think the board of supervisors earned a raise.

[06:15:57] The amount of the raise for one of you would pay for the yearly staffing submission to keep Kinship Support Group up and running. I included a letter from Sarah Smalls, who's a long-time member. She describes the history of the programs that were helping Fairfax County Kinship families before our services were cut.

[06:16:16] I suggest you read it. And then you should be ashamed for letting these programs fall by the wayside while you plan on what to do with your 45% raise. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

[06:16:32] Speaker number 28 is Tammy Wondong Ware, to be followed by Kenneth Russell.

[06:16:51] Good evening, Chair McKay, Board of Supervisors, and Mr. Hill. I'm Tammy Wondong, and I have 34 years of service with Fairfax County.

[06:17:09] I currently work as a Social Service Specialist I in the Adult and Aging Division. I am a proud union member of SEIU Virginia 512 and serve as the chapter president.

[06:17:26] I'm speaking to you on my own behalf, and I thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. I would like to start by saying Fairfax County employees, like myself, help to make this county run.

[06:17:44] We give our all each day to make sure we provide the best services possible. All we ask is for a livable wage and respect in our workplaces for a job well done.

[06:18:00] We are working daily to acquire the signatures needed to file for an election. We need a union contract now. Through a contract, we can work in collaboration with county leadership, and that will benefit the county as a whole.

[06:18:21] We are experts and have valuable insights to share. Working together to improve workplace conditions will also improve retention and attract new employees to stay for a career, not just a job.

[06:18:40] However, recent developments regarding wage fairness make me understand even more just how important it is for us to have a say in the decision-making process.

[06:18:57] Our calls for action on wage compression and raises have not been heard. I'm so grateful that I did not have to chase the money for positions that I applied for over a span of three decades.

[06:19:15] I stayed to join in the fight to help many of my co-workers who have just one paycheck and are challenged when they acquire a second job to pull the ends together. We recognize that when the county proposes to fund the market rate adjustment at only 2%, when it is suggested to be 5.44%, let's call it what it is, another pay cut.

[06:19:48] What's frustrating is that we come year after year. I've been coming for a long time, from 2015 to 2023. County workers lost approximately $32,000 each due to raises only being fully funded three out of the past nine years.

[06:20:13] With the county proposing to fund only 38% of the MRA, county employees will have lost approximately $45,000. And overall, it's really insulting. Even though the Board of Supervisors won't fully fund the general workers' pay plan each year, we see that you made sure to propose enough money for the next incoming board to get a comfortable raise.

[06:20:43] Under the proposed plan, board salaries would go up by as much as 45% for the chairman's office and as much as 37% for individual supervisors. We want to be clear. We want everyone, including the Board of Supervisors, to make a living wage.

[06:21:07] And we recognize that having a real living wage for elected officials is critical to ensuring that working people and county employees can run for office and serve. But to propose up to 45% raises for the board and only 2% raises for general employees is simply unacceptable.

[06:21:31] And lastly, with a $90 million budget surplus, we know the county has enough money to make a difference for us. It's time to prioritize the Fairfax workforce. In closing, we look forward to securing a strong union contract and to continue working with you during this budget cycle.

[06:21:55] I'd also like to call on you to fully fund the MRA and to work with us to do everything in your power to end wage compression and ensure fair pay for all employees. Thank you. Thank you, Tammy.

[06:22:11] Thank you, Tammy, for your testimony. and speaker number 29 is Kenneth Russell, and speaker number 30 is Vijaya Shanasara.

[06:22:27] Is Vijaya here? Mr. Russell, welcome. I'd like to thank the entire board for this opportunity to speak. I am a lifelong resident of Lorton. The cry of Richmond would just return more of our tax dollars we send them is often heard. All of my figures are 2021 figures. The per capita tax for Virginia is $2,623. I looked for Fairfax County's per capita tax. I couldn't find one,

[06:23:07] so I used my house tax. My per capita tax is $3,144. The county is $521 higher without any of the many everyday taxes. Comparing state governor's salaries, BOS makes more than one governor. They have a population of one million point four. The chairman makes more than five governors. If raised to the utopian level as cited in this proposal, BOS would exceed 16 governors.

[06:23:44] Chairman would exceed 35 governors. I am against any raise that exceeds any governor cited. Proposal cherry picks part-time versus full-time, comparing apples to oranges. An adjoining state has a nine-tiered part-time rate, $24,429 to $36,960.

[06:24:10] Sick leave, in my 40 years of full-time and various part-time jobs, I have never had sick leave. My pension is 45% under the county medium income. Now I have time to share my views and opinions with the BOS.

[06:24:30] I was a union rep part-time at my previous job. Self-enrichment, like the BOS, is a belief to help. I believe supervisors and representatives are synonymous. Now I hear of a new benefit, ours.

[06:24:49] It's now party versus party. The 8-2 vote is the closest I've seen to a coalition vote yet. Constituents' taxpayers have become secondary, the only paid or in front of us. I, for one, would like to see the next BOS function for their constituents, maybe even consider written views and opinions from constituents.

[06:25:18] The current cost of Rx to retirees is never even mentioned or considered respectfully in service at no cost to all retirees, many of whom are hanging on by their fingernails. The heralded raise of other assets from $360,000 to $400,000 was a 9% raise.

[06:25:40] Just food for thought. I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Russell. Our next speaker is, let me verify Speaker 30 is not here, Vijaya Shanasora. Okay, Speaker 31 is Patricia Parker, who submitted video testimony.

[06:25:57] I do not support the excessive raise for board members. The board justified this increase by saying that supervisors put in full-time hours and deserve a livable wage that doesn't require a second job or personal wealth, and that this change is necessary to recruit more diverse talent. While I believe that the board probably does put in a lot of hours, the fact remains that the position is defined as part-time. If the board feels the job has changed, then they should take an action to officially make supervisor a full-time position.

[06:26:28] In fact, the board did vote in 1993 to become full-time, but changed course within a week, in part because of concerns it would create career politicians out of touch with working residents, which seems to have happened anyway. Maybe the county does now require full-time supervisors, but instead of having that worthy debate, the board has just declared themselves full-time for the purposes of determining their pay while avoiding any drawbacks of this as an official decision.

[06:26:56] Regardless, the current salary of $95,000 is already a full-time salary. It is well above the median income of about $55,000 for the county, and the increase would place it above the median household income. Most families here must have two adults working to make ends meet, but apparently the board feels entitled to comfortable one-income households.

[06:27:18] Second, there is no evidence to support that increasing the pay is necessary to attract more economic and racial diversity to the board. In fact, I believe it may have the opposite effect. According to the Census Bureau, most racial minorities in Fairfax County have household income below the current individual $95,000 salary.

[06:27:39] This means that a board position at the current pay would already be a significant raise for many citizens of diverse backgrounds that the board claims to want to recruit. Also, a $130,000 salary may incentivize high-income earners to consider a board position who may pay cut. Statistically, these people are more likely to be white than people of color. The chairman said more people should be able to run, not just the wealthy or those, quote, lucky enough to have a spouse that makes a lot of money, end quote. The fact that the board feels

[06:28:12] a family would need one spouse to make a lot of money in order for the other spouse to accept an almost $100,000 job is so out of touch with the experience of most residents. In many families, the spouse making $95,000 would be considered the one making a lot of money.

[06:28:30] Basically, every argument the board makes about citizens being discouraged from running because of the pay might be compelling if the current salary were objectively low. But treating a six-figure salary as if it's nothing and sprinkling in some buzzwords about diversity, regardless of whether they're applicable, is not a winning strategy.

[06:28:47] Thank you. Speaker number 32 is Fong Nguyen. I'm sure Supervisor Herity is watching on the screen behind.

[06:29:07] I don't know where he is, but we really need to stay in order. Speaker number 33 is Lisa Valentine. Is Lisa Valentine here? If you could come on down. I don't see that Speaker 33 is here. Is Speaker 33 here? That's a call.

[06:29:23] Oh, it's a call-in, Speaker. Is Lisa Valentine on the line? Okay, we'll let her go first. We'll give you three minutes here. Yes, thank you for letting me speak, Speaker. I am very proud to be a Fairfax County resident for almost my entire life.

[06:29:39] And I honestly say that I never gave one thought to the salaries or the positions of the Board of Speakers before this announcement of your large increase. I have read up on everyone on the board now, and I want to say thank you for everyone's long terms and the short terms of everyone that has done a fantastic job.

[06:30:07] But I strongly, vehemently oppose the percentage of increase that you are recommending. I think it's insulting to the county employees that you would propose to give yourselves such an increase.

[06:30:24] A starting salary, just a little perspective here. Starting salary for a Fairfax County police officer is $53,969. Starting salary for a Fairfax County firefighter, $54,382.

[06:30:41] Fairfax County police, excuse me, public teacher is $53,313. Well below the current starting salary of $95,100,000 of the Board of Supervisors. I cannot recommend that you give yourself these raises because this is an election year, and everyone should vote November 7, 2023, and I know a lot of people that are probably going to run for your position.

[06:31:17] So please don't do this. It's a very insulting thing to do to the police officers and all the public servants in Fairfax County. A little increase is okay. This big one is not acceptable. Thank you.

[06:31:39] Thank you. Mr. Nguyen, if you could testify at this time, Joyce Frost. Is Joyce Frost here? Joyce Frost. Okay. You will follow Mr. Nguyen and Wendy Galliano. We'll follow that. Okay. Mr. Nguyen, welcome.

[06:31:58] Thank you. I would like to thank Supervisor Herity, Supervisor Alcorn for your opposition to the increase in your salaries. I thank you for your integrity. For the rest of the board, I would like to share with you an inspirational story.

[06:32:22] True, on June 15, 1775, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington to be the Commandant Chief of the Continental Army.

[06:32:39] In his speech, he accepted his commission, but he declined the salary for his service. You have been reminded by previous speakers tonight that you signed up to be public servants.

[06:33:04] You signed up to serve the people of Fairfax County, and you should not expect to enrich yourself as public servants. Many Fairfax residents are suffering and struggling in the current economy.

[06:33:30] 45% increase in your salary is outrageous. You are well paid for the work that you do. If you think your job is too much to handle and you're unhappy with your salary, like other speakers said, please find another job.

[06:33:58] I live in Mason District for 47 years. I have an offer for supervisor gross. Again, if this job is too much for you and you're unhappy with your salary and if you're willing to step down, I am willing to take over your position

[06:34:20] without pay, without benefit. Joyce Frost. Joyce Frost is speaker number 34 to be followed by speaker 35, Wendy Galeano, and speaker number 36, Robert Whitfield, who I know is here, will be the next three. Ms. Frost, welcome. Thank you. Resident of Fairfax County for about 30 years.

[06:34:52] First moved here, my apartment was $550. It was a one-bedroom right near Fair Oaks Mall. I purchased my house in 1993 for $120,000.

[06:35:09] Can you buy that today? I live in your district, Dahlia. Can you buy that today? You can't, okay? I worked in D.C. originally. When I had kids, I had to work in Fairfax.

[06:35:24] I had to quit my job because I couldn't find childcare, okay? You know what I tried to do? I tried to apply for public assistance. You had to make more. You had to make less than $10,000 a year. I exceeded that, so I couldn't get any help.

[06:35:41] But it was worth me to quit my job to raise my children here in Fairfax County, okay? The teachers here deserve a raise. Anytime I call Fairfax County for any reason whatsoever, the dogs, okay?

[06:35:58] loose Fairfax County came to my rescue when I saw my neighbor's house open I called Fairfax County Police Department non-emergency they came without question when the plow truck was digging up my my my road at 3 a.m. in the morning I called Fairfax County Police Department they showed up for me when I needed a counselor for my kids the guidance counselor of Oakton High School stepped up for my children okay none of you came to their rescue none of you but you want a 47% pay raise? Are you kidding me? Okay? I've worked on my job now for nine years.

[06:36:38] I can't tell you what I make. It's embarrassing. Okay? I don't make nearly what you make. Okay? When I asked the county, how do they assess my property tax? You know what they said? They drive around the neighborhood. I'm tempted to paint my house pink, put some flamingos on the yard.

[06:36:57] So that way, when you drive around and assess my property, you're going to go ahead and assess it for cheaper okay because you don't come in my house was built in 1944 I have a 1944 kitchen guess what you said my house is worth almost eight hundred thousand dollars if I put my house on the market today and if I don't get eight hundred thousand dollars will you give me back the money that I've been paying on the taxes will you give me my refund that's what I want to know because I will put my house on the market tomorrow and see if you give me my refund, okay?

[06:37:35] But yet you sit here proud. I want money. I want money, too. We all want money. Don't we all want a raise? Of course we do. You get a raise and you get a raise. Let's have that trophy syndrome. Everybody gets a raise. We all get a raise. How about that? Okay? Thank you.

[06:37:53] The next speaker is Wendy Galeano, and Ms. Galeano will be followed by Mr. Whitfield, And then Speaker 37, Paul McElvain. Ms. Galeano, welcome.

[06:38:12] Good evening, County Board members. I am Wendy Galeano. I am a Human Service Worker III Fraud Investigator in the Pays Unit. I am speaking on behalf of myself only. I have been a dedicated employee for the county for 28 years and a proud SEIU Virginia 512 union member.

[06:38:37] Fairfax County employees like myself that work hard every day to meet the needs of county residents. We are asking to be appreciated for our efforts. I am asking for a collaborative effort between the county, the union, and the employees. We want to work together to improve workplace conditions, improve retention, attract new employees, and appreciate our loyal, seasoned workers.

[06:39:03] Recent actions have made me feel unheard and unappreciated. I personally have been impacted by the financial cutbacks of the county and extreme rise in inflation. My landlord is a lovely person.

[06:39:19] He appreciated my clean rental and my rent paid every month on time. A year ago, he requested to raise my rent by $300 a month. He compromised with me when I told him I could not afford that much. This February, he raised it an additional $500 a month.

[06:39:38] He said he can get a lot more money per month to benefit his family. I moved out to stay with my family while I searched for affordable housing. In the last few years, I have also been impacted by both the rising medical costs and decreasing financial coverage with our county Cigna insurance.

[06:40:00] Discontinuing the copay plan, increasing deductibles, and increasing the yearly max has significantly increased my out-of-pocket expenses. My two daughters have chronic health conditions that require ongoing care.

[06:40:17] Continuing to pay high medical expenses year after year has created a pay cut for me. The market rate adjustment should be 5.44%. The county only funding 2% of that creates yet another pay cut.

[06:40:33] From 2015 to 2023, county staff have lost $32,000 because they have only fully funded three of the last years of raises. This $32,000 would have paid for all my kids' medical bills.

[06:40:56] The county won't fully fund the pay plan each year, but found the money to boost the board's income by 35 to 45%. I want everyone to make a living wage, including the board. Offering a 45% increase to the board and a 2% county employee market rate adjustment is unacceptable.

[06:41:18] With a $90 million surplus, it's time to prioritize the dedicated employees who have been working hard each day. I thank you for considering my point of view. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Galliano.

[06:41:34] Our next speaker is Robert Whitfield, to be followed by Paul McElvain. Is Paul here? He is. You will be Speaker 37. Welcome, Robert Whitfield. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the Board of Supervisors.

[06:41:52] I'm Rob Whitfield, and thank you first to Supervisors Herity and Alcorn for not voting in favor of this proposal. I've lived in Fairfax County since 1977, and obviously in that time a great deal of change has occurred.

[06:42:10] Unfortunately, we're in an era now with increased inflation. I certainly remember the 1980s when interest rates were 12%, 14%, 16%. I hope we don't go there again. But as to the pay situation for our supervisors, my suggestion, in fact, I talked briefly with Brian Hill before this meeting,

[06:42:38] I would like to see some form of incentive included in the compensation proposal, so that by doing something to reduce the costs of the services and programs of Fairfax County, that you justify your own increase.

[06:43:00] The simple kinds of things that I'm thinking of is that Lake Fairfax Park, which is in Hunter Mill District, doesn't charge for admission, but the park in Burke does. And I'm talking about out-of-county, I'm not talking about in-county residents, I'm talking about having on the weekends, for instance, charging for people who come from other counties and other jurisdictions.

[06:43:26] We have various programs that don't seem to be the Fairfax Connector Bus is one that appears to be, I haven't seen the recent numbers, but it's quite clear that some of the services provided are not being run on a cost-effective basis.

[06:43:46] And so I've been to many board meetings where members of this board have been attending, so I have a sense of some of the work that you do. But, I mean, the idea that you're only going to increase the pay of county employees 2% or so, your own pay has to be in line with what you give the people who work for the rest of the county.

[06:44:10] And so Brian knows that I've tried for several years to get the return on the taxes sent by residents and businesses in Fairfax to Richmond. We only get back, he confirmed to me just now, it's now about 22.8%, I think he said.

[06:44:29] So, I mean, I can suggest to Brian that, okay, if you get it to 28% in the next four years, you get yourself a big bonus once you've delivered the goods. Now, I don't know what it is you can do, but you need to find things that you're doing to reduce the cost burden on the average homeowner in Fairfax County.

[06:44:53] thank you thank you very much rob speaker 37 is paul mckelvane welcome thank you good evening my name is paul mckelvane i live in the franconia district formerly the lee district and have been a resident of fairfax county since 1971. i would like to speak in favor of an increase in compensation for members of the fairfax county board of supervisors but in opposition

[06:45:28] to a salary increase. I'd first like to recognize the overwhelming support of the Fairfax County Board for expansion of low to moderate income housing throughout the county in order that selected citizens can live in decent, safe, affordable housing. That's on the website.

[06:45:46] As I understand it, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have adopted a goal of creating a minimum of 10,000 new units of affordable housing by 2034 with no net loss of existing affordable housing. CNBC and other news outlets proclaim a rule of thumb that housing costs should not exceed 30% of gross income. However, based on census data, Pew Research has observed that in 2020, 46% of Americans exceeded this 30% threshold and 23% spend at least 50% of their income on

[06:46:24] housing consider this alternative providing free housing to each member of the fairfax county board of supervisors would therefore yield an equivalent salary increase of your 30 to 50 percent thus achieving the salary enhancement you advocate for yourselves in added benefits hence i propose that each supervisor, as a condition of employment, be provided free housing in one of the low to

[06:47:02] moderate income housing units, preferably in their district and required to live there during their term of office effective 1 January 2024. In this way, each official will firsthand and experience the results of their policies, be more knowledgeable about the issues involved, gain wisdom to better serve the public, and receive the equivalent of your desired increase in salary.

[06:47:33] There are those who accuse the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors of merely talking the talk. By adopting this proposal, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will not only walk the talk, but provide leadership in ensuring the inclusion of our supervisors and advancing diversity and equity among all citizens of Fairfax County, particularly those in our low-to-moderate-income communities whom the board champions.

[06:48:06] Thank you for your attention. Thank you. Speaker number 38 is Nicole Miller. Nicole, can you hear me okay? Yes, can you hear me?

[06:48:22] We can. Welcome. The floor is yours. Okay, so I wanted to testify today because I figured you all needed at least one person who's supportive. So tonight, some people have said that the salary increases should be tied to what the county employees get. Yet, isn't that what the calculation provided showed it would be?

[06:48:40] Fairfax County employee market raises are about 2% to 4% in compounded annually. That's not adding the 2% and multiplying it by 8 or looking at 24% inflation. As you've heard from many residents in this community, they think this job is part-time.

[06:48:56] But reality is, what would it look like if this job was part-time? What services would the community go without? Would the community be satisfied with part-time services? And how long would any of us residents stay in a job with zero raise? It's no secret that I don't love all of you, but I know from my own personal experience that this is a full-time job.

[06:49:16] I've experienced those late nights with Chairman McKay when he was Supervisor McKay and trying to convince him to eliminate the buses from the transit center. When that didn't work, working with him to ensure that the needs of the slug line community was preserved. The same goes for Supervisor Lusk, who held evening meetings virtual and in-person during COVID to help our community through painful traffic calming, and he never complained.

[06:49:42] Most people are not involved with anything in this county and are just unaware of how much this job entails. They just know that their taxes went up and they have no idea why. My compassionate side says that I know very well that feeling that comes from being in a job where you don't feel like you're compensated for the time and the effort and energy you needed to serve. Public service takes a lot from your soul. The salaries for the roles you hold must not be a deterrent to qualified people seeking public office. We all know that public service is never about the money. It's about the gratification and being motivated by the desire to help others.

[06:50:17] However, the rising cost of living here affects all of us. I know that the raises and the salaries should mirror the market rates that were afforded to all county employees, compounded as appropriately, and nothing more. Well, I do understand you're allowed to work a full-time job outside of this role.

[06:50:32] There should be more disclosure from the board members about outside employment, boards that you sit on, and how much of your time that role demands. The voters should be able to be informed on the level of commitment that you're able to make and are making. And lastly, let me say this, I support the raise that you guys provided forward, but I will only support it if you provide the Fairfax County police officers a compensation increase that places them at an advantage over local communities for recruiting, that lets them send their kids to college and save for their retirement.

[06:51:04] You've made quite a few decisions for policy over this last year that's not only made residents targets to increased crime, it made officers targets to violence, But you've also said that your minimal raises for our police officers, that you don't want to pay them for appropriately for their dedication and their commitment to Fairfax County.

[06:51:22] Not a one-time bonus, but a salary that makes it hard to go elsewhere. You are listening to the public's opinion on your raises, which you feel will compensate you appropriately. But the raises provided for our police officers don't compensate them appropriately. Thank you for listening. Thank you very much, Nicole.

[06:51:39] Speaker number, I have one, two, three, four, five more speakers who have signed up. If you are here to testify and you have not spoken and you have not signed up, please make sure that you signed up with the clerk here on the corner. And I will do my best to read to read these.

[06:51:57] Speaker number one looks like Stella Garagas. Is that close? Stella, if you could come on down. Artie Skinner will follow Stella and Bethany Heim. Those will be the next three speakers.

[06:52:13] Thank you very much for working so late tonight and giving us the opportunity to testify.

[06:52:29] My name is Stella Goings, and I am a citizen of one of your constituents in Fairfax County. I have the opportunity, because I live in Fairfax, to serve as a volunteer for many churches and humanitarian service organizations.

[06:52:50] so I feel that I have a fairly good base of understanding of what's happening in our county. I appreciate the work that the supervisors do, and we certainly all appreciate the fact that you have gone without a salary increase for a long period of time.

[06:53:07] But it is abundantly clear that your salary increase request of 37% to 45% increase over your current salary is excessive, And it reveals a mind-numbing, absolutely mind-numbing failure to understand the realities of the people who live in your county, my county.

[06:53:35] We have in this county, and we've heard today, some really gut-wrenching testimony from your fellow civil servants who've also been without adequate pay raises, and from people living in the humanitarian space and working to provide services on a voluntary basis for the citizens here.

[06:53:59] We have many families who are facing crisis in Fairfax County, and you have to recognize that. That's part of your job. When you go home tonight, each and every one of you will go home to a comfortable residence.

[06:54:18] When you put your children and your grandchildren to bed, you'll do so with the comforting knowledge that they had something to eat for dinner and that they are safe and secure in the homes that you provide. But that's not true for many, many, many citizens, and the number is growing astronomically.

[06:54:38] We have children in Fairfax County, we have families in Fairfax County, who will go to bed tonight hungry. There are humanitarian organizations that are attempting to assist, but they're being overwhelmed by the cost of food, by empty shelves, by declining donations.

[06:55:02] When we have the opportunity to speak to the supervisors, the supervisors this year did respond with emergency grants to some of our food banks. Most of the food banks received grants, emergency grants, of less than $20,000.

[06:55:21] Well, you're smart people. Do the math. That's less than 50% of the salary increases that each of you are requesting for your work. It's inadequate. The money that is being given for these organizations is inadequate, and it's leading to, in many instances, reduced intake, So that the food banks are now having to tell people, citizens, here in Fairfax County, that they can only accept one, two, in one case, eight new cases or people applying, families applying for assistance in a month.

[06:56:01] So I'm here to ask you, as a citizen, to consider reducing your request for a salary increase, to make it commensurate with the salary increases that are being given to other civil servants here in Fairfax, and that will bring it in line with the other humanitarian needs, the humanitarian needs that you have a primary responsibility to address.

[06:56:32] I want to ask that you consider not only reducing the amount, but maintaining that amount at a reduced level until the basic needs for food, housing, a decent standard and quality of life is being better met for the citizens of Fairfax County.

[06:56:51] Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Goings. Our next speaker is Artie Skinner, to be followed by Bethany Heim, to be followed by Gay Ashley. Ms. Skinner, welcome. Thank you. I know it's been a long day. My name is Artie Skinner. I've been a Fairfax County resident for many years, and I've lived in the Mason District for almost 30. Members of the board, many of your constituents are suffering in the current harsh economy. Inflation is rising much faster than their salaries, including those of county employees. Local food banks are emptying as fast as we can fill them.

[06:57:31] In contrast, board member salaries are already close to or above $100,000 for part-time positions. It is astonishing to me that this board would propose massive salary increases paid for by taxpayers in a time like this.

[06:57:48] I have tried and tried to think of who would advise you to propose something with such obvious bad optics. The only person I could come up with is whoever is running against you. Please do not move forward with this proposal.

[06:58:05] Your constituents cannot afford it, but they can vote. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number one is Bethany Heim, to be followed by Gay Ashley, to be followed by Adriana Santiago.

[06:58:21] Ms. Heim, welcome. Hello. Before approving raises for yourselves, I believe voters need more transparency on the full scope of compensation. I don't believe this has been shared and should include retirement health care, office budget, and county car perks.

[06:58:38] To be honest, I care more about Fairfax County having adequate police officers, teachers, librarians, social workers, and solid waste staff over politicians who are already well paid and collect political donations from developers. I hope to see more diverse ideas after the next election and a disruption of the current one-party group think in Northern Virginia.

[06:59:01] I hope we get more Republicans, Libertarians, Green Party, and independent representation. Thank you. Thank you. And our next speaker is Gaye Ashley. Gaye Ashley will be followed by Adriana Santiago and Donna Grande-Span.

[06:59:20] Welcome. Thank you. First, I want to thank all of you because I'm sure the job is bigger than what we know. But the increase is unconscionable in my mind for the same reasons everyone else has said everything.

[06:59:39] We have a lot of people in the county who are struggling. Northern Virginia Association of Realtors has gone out of their way to collect coats and book bags and things like that.

[06:59:55] we're proud to do that but people are struggling people are struggling to pay their mortgages the taxes in fairfax county we have a lot of benefits but not if we can't afford to live here um i know people retiring and they can't live here this is our home um as far as the increase goes, I am definitely against it. I believe I saw that the intent was to encourage people to

[07:00:30] run for office. Is that, I believe that's correct. I think that's off the mark. And the reason I think that is because Wolf Trap has a wide variety of volunteers, very dedicated. Fairfax Adult softball very dedicated volunteers there are people out there who care and i think we just need to reach them and i do think you guys do a good job i hope your hearts are with fairfax county

[07:01:03] i think it they are um but that's who we need i would not want to see someone take these jobs for the money that would be really disappointing and i don't think we would get the quality of care that I believe you guys are putting out there.

[07:01:22] So thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And our next speaker is Adriana Santiago. And Donna Grande Spann is here. Ms. Santiago, welcome.

[07:01:42] The floor is yours. Thank you. First, I want to thank Mr. Harity for your vote. I actually work in the building name after your grandfather. And please correct. Ah, excuse me, after your dad.

[07:01:58] Thank you for correcting me. And my colleagues and I have had to drive there every single day during the first two years of the pandemic, and still driving there every single morning. I had my first part-time job back in my youth, and it paid probably less than $23,000 a year.

[07:02:24] And unfortunately, I did not get a company vehicle paid by the hardworking citizens of Fairfax County as part of my mediocre benefits package. Lightheartedness aside, not even my current full-time job pays that much.

[07:02:42] I'm currently working two positions in my department because my former department is short staff, and I am not being properly compensated for that. But I understand that as a public servant, I signed up for this, and I have to do what I said I was going to do.

[07:03:04] I remember reading about one of you lamenting about how you can't pay for the tuition for two of your kids with your current salary of $95,000 a year. It made me think about the parents with full-time jobs who earn less than them, one of them being my dad.

[07:03:29] who right now is probably working really hard because he's a business owner, but not in this county. And I think about why your spouse can pull their bootstraps, like how we're told to do, and get a well-paid part-time job so they can help you better your children's future, just like many parents in this county and in country do. So if you're struggling,

[07:04:09] What about those of us earning less than $95,000 a year? So I would suggest get a side hustle, just like many of us have done or even considering doing, which is what I'm considering doing once I earn the privilege of working from home because I can't do that right now.

[07:04:35] I suggest humbling yourselves in working part-time job for DoorDash or Uber since they have flexible hours. But I highly suggest not to use your company, excuse me, the county-funded vehicle in doing so.

[07:04:52] Fairfax County likes to tout equity. Well, you're all public servants like myself and the rest of us in this audience and those of us listening. So why don't you get a 2% increase like the rest of us public servants? Or better yet, get a full-time job like the rest of us so you can meet your ends.

[07:05:13] Thank you to the audience for listening. Thank you. And our next speaker is Donna Grande-Span. Welcome. Thank you. I'm Donna Grande-Span. I live in Lorton, and I am very fortunate to get both Mr. Stork's and Mr. Herity's newsletters, which I actually read, unlike most of my junk mail.

[07:05:41] I do want to thank you all for your service. I don't for one minute think that this is an easy job. I mean, look how long we're here tonight. And I think I'm the last person, so we can all go home soon. Okay, I'm sure everybody's relieved. And I bet all of you would rather be just about anywhere else tonight than right here.

[07:06:01] You've taken a beating. I think you've heard the heart of the people who are here. Mr. Herity and Mr. Alcorn, thank you for bringing light to this. Honestly, you guys got caught with your hand in the cookie jar. That's kind of what happened.

[07:06:17] It's not uncommon. And I can't say that if I were in the same place, I wouldn't have thought about it. I really, you know, I'm just not that good a person. And I bet Mr. Harity and Mr. Alcorn don't get invited to a lot of cocktail parties these days from all of this.

[07:06:36] But I'm not going to repeat everything that's been said tonight. I think you guys have heard it. I'm just going to suggest one thing. If when you ran for office, if you had been very transparent about this plan, I don't think you would have gotten elected.

[07:06:56] And I think based on that, based on that, I think you know what you need to do. And I'm going to ask you if you're ready and willing to rescind the proposal and make that as public as this has been.

[07:07:16] Thank you all again for your service.

[07:07:26] Thank you very much. And that does bring me to the end of the list of speakers that I have. Let me just verify that there's nobody here who wanted to speak who has not had an opportunity to. Okay. At this time, then I will close the public hearing.

[07:07:45] I'm sorry, Chairman McCain, we do have three telephone callers. Oh, we do have three telephone callers. Okay. Never mind. I will not close the public hearing. We will take three more telephone callers, and our first one will be... Our first one will be Jerry Jonas, speaking as an individual.

[07:08:01] Jerry Jonas, who will be number 45. Mr. Jonas, can you hear me? Yes, sir. I can hear you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. So I do believe that it's reasonable to request a pay raise, you know, especially when there hasn't been one received for many years.

[07:08:25] However, it should be reasonable, the amount, and include analysis of the full compensation. That includes benefits. So as reported recently in the local news, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the chair also get retirement and health care benefits.

[07:08:44] They also get office budgets and personal staff members' assistance that help support you, which is fine. But this data should all be included, at least the retirement and the personal benefits, like I just mentioned tonight about the cars, allowances.

[07:09:02] That should all be included in the overall salary raise calculation. Asking for 35, 45 raise is bad optics, as was mentioned tonight. And, you know, we've heard a lot of my notes that I wrote have been repeated tonight, have been mentioned tonight.

[07:09:17] But, again, I just want to emphasize, residents are struggling with higher property assessments, and this really should be capped at some amount. It just seems like there's no end in sight with this. It just will keep going and going, and it's forcing a lot of people that are planning to retire to have to move out.

[07:09:33] And that means leaving their family, leaving grandkids. It's just not fair, and something needs to be done on that. Other counties in the nation have these caps. So this needs to be something to be looked at. This will tie into what I'm going to talk about a little bit later.

[07:09:48] It has to also be based on a merit type of system. So I just want to add, though, that many of the residents are not federal government employees. They're not enjoying a generous pay raises. Many are having their hours cut, and they're lucky to get a fraction of what this proposed pay raise is.

[07:10:05] The other part of the salary compensation concerns the merit, as I mentioned. It's been reported recently in local news that what really sounds like basically waste and abuse of spending. One example is the supervisors approving to pay $200,000 for memorial at the county building to COVID.

[07:10:26] So that was really hard to believe with my neighbors and I. And, I mean, it seems there's a broken fountain that needs to be fixed. That would be much cheaper and way less controversial than building a monument to COVID.

[07:10:43] Another recent example of some waste and abuse is this county library paying a speaker $35,000, including first-class travel, with taxpayers' funds. Speaker fees are very commonly paid for by donations.

[07:11:00] And I know Arlington County has a Friends of Library that pays their speakers by donations, not taxpayer funds. $35,000 for one speaker, and there was, I think, at least two or three other speakers that the article mentioned. So I presume that the supervisors are briefed on this by library staff.

[07:11:21] So in summary, I'm saying that this salary compensation, if a raise is justified or needed, it needs to be justified by a full compensation survey and also analysis of performance.

[07:11:37] Thank you very much. Thank you, Jerry. Our next speaker is Cindy Nelson. Ms. Nelson, can you hear me okay? Yes, sir. Can you hear me? Yes, we can. Welcome. Thank you. Yes, sir. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak.

[07:11:54] I'm an accountant, and I read through the materials that were posted, and I'm quite shocked about the proposed salary increases, as many of the people before me have stated. First, I want to clarify that the proposed increases that have been stated tonight are not accurate.

[07:12:12] According to the letter that was filed by Mr. Frost on March 7th, it states that the salary is actually going to be $140,000 for the board members, and it's going to be a pay raise to $161,000 with a 15% differential for the chairperson.

[07:12:32] A chart of salaries for the part-time and the full-time board members was listed in the attachments by Mr. Foulston, his letter on March 7th. The chart shows that there's eight counties in our area. Five of those counties have part-time positions in the board with the highest paid county currently being Fairfax County with a salary of $95,000.

[07:12:56] They're currently being paid the highest salary in the area for a part-time position. The next highest part-time county salary is Arlington with only $77,000. The full-time positions that are in three counties, the highest salary in D.C. is at $154,000.

[07:13:16] and the next highest salary is at $146,000 in Montgomery County. It's being requested that the Fairfax County Board, who has part-time positions, mind you, is requesting a salary of $140,000 per board member, which is shy of the full-time salary in Montgomery County of $146,000.

[07:13:41] Comparison, a full-time position with a salary of $146,000 in Montgomery County with the proposed position salary of $140,000 for Fairfax County. This is very inadequate and very unequal.

[07:13:58] Further, a request is being made for the chairperson to receive $161,000 for a part-time position, which is the same salary for the chairperson in Montgomery County that has a full-time job. This has got to be like a punch in the stomach to the Montgomery County folks.

[07:14:18] If the proposed salaries are summarized for eight board members, it totals $1.1 million plus a chairperson salary of $161,000 for the part-time positions, which is close to $1.3 million in salary increases, salaries every year.

[07:14:40] You all would be making the salary of $1.3 million every year. As reported by other publications, this is a requested 47% pay increase, as many have stated. This is very inadequate, as the board is requesting inflated salaries for part-time positions that are compared to the full-time salaries in the area.

[07:15:03] Typically, salary increases are usually 2% to 5%, not 47%. In conclusion, the proposals for the increase of the board and chairperson salaries are exorbitant and not comparable to other board members' salaries in the area by any means.

[07:15:20] I highly recommend that the proposals not be approved and that it be required that the two proposals be resubmitted with reasonable salary increases. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next caller is Adrienne White.

[07:15:36] Ms. White, can you hear me okay? yes mr chairman can you hear me we can welcome the floor is yours thank you my name is adrian white i'm representing reclaim fairfax county a county-wide organization of residents who believe members of the board of supervisors should earn compensation increases through exemplary service to your constituents the way most of us did in the business world after an annual performance review

[07:16:08] Before I provide our review of the board's performance over the last few years, I will add that the board should not pass a 45% salary increase for itself until it significantly raises the salaries of our first responders, the best police officers, firefighters, and medics one can find, people who devote their lives to our health and safety.

[07:16:33] We have lost hundreds of them at a time when crime is increasing in Fairfax County, traffic laws are going unenforced, leading to anarchy and deaths on our roads, and general lawlessness. In the last few years, during the perennial game of outfitting neighboring jurisdictions for the best teachers, we have lost our county's competitive edge.

[07:16:57] Our teachers deserve a larger paying raise than your appointed county executive has proposed. If we were to rate your performance, we would be forced to assign a D or F to the board members who essentially voted to remove us from land use and environmental discussions, despite the fact that we are among the best educated and most experienced constituents a politician could find.

[07:17:23] At the advice of consultants you hired to quote-unquote streamline the management of land use changes, you have removed citizens, neighbors, from land use processes with CMOT, if it survives the Supreme Court, by abolishing certain public hearings and notice.

[07:17:42] choosing to ignore MYS current Dulles Airport noise contours, passing agritourism and new by-right party venues on side roads in RC and RE zoned communities, allowing the 28 bypass through the floodplain in a regional park with no Fairfax public hearing, the jug handle through the floodplain and data centers, excuse me, by right, not opposing the digital gateway draining into the Aquafone Reservoir, and things to come like the joys of parking reimagined,

[07:18:18] proposing drastic reductions of parking requirements up to 60% to be administratively granted by the unelected director without notice to neighbors or public hearings, and the upcoming process to bring the comp plan into alignment with your strategic plan.

[07:18:36] There isn't time tonight to cover even the highlights of our new not-so-golden age that merits a poor performance evaluation. When I ran my own management consulting company, I worked day and night, seven days a week. I never used that fact to justify my rate.

[07:18:53] My clients kept me on for successive projects because they experienced the beneficial results of my company's help. Although we agree that some of you work at least 40 hours a week, day and night, as part-time citizen legislators, we do not feel that all that time has been aligned with the interests of county residents who choose to live here in a safe suburban environment with great schools and enviable public services.

[07:19:23] While a pay increase will be appropriate when earned, We believe that you must first take the opportunity to pay our essential public safety professionals a Fairfax living wage, reorient your approach to decision-making, to reflect the values of your constituents, and return the county to one in which we feel our voices are heard.

[07:19:47] Thank you. Thank you very much. And let me verify there's no other callers on the line. Okay. At this time, I'm going to close the public hearing and just ask staff if they have any closing comments.

[07:20:03] I don't have any additional comments. Thank you. Okay. Any questions of staff for board members? Questions of staff for board members? I just want to get, let me ask one question because I think everyone in the auditorium knows the answer to this already. But unfortunately, a lot of people in the media didn't know the answer to this.

[07:20:22] If this pay increase or any pay increase is adopted by this board, it takes effect on what date? The pay increase wouldn't take effect until the next board, so on January 1st, 2024. 2024. Okay. I just wanted to clarify that because, as I said, I think everyone here knows that, but I've seen a lot of written reports that the board already voted to increase their pay, and by Virginia law, this board can't increase their pay.

[07:20:50] they can only increase the pay for future boards and so no such vote has been taken to date and if it is taken it will be for the board that is seated the next board that is seated and i just want to make sure you know that that's very clear uh to everyone uh other questions supervisor harry just i i heard one question and and i think we've been always been very clear and transparent but i think it'd be worth disposing as a budget question that'll be out there for citizens to look at just on a generic basis if they could if staff could just provide as an answer to a budget question the generic benefits board members get as well as the office budget that board members get

[07:21:26] um i know each of us takes a different medical package so there's different values to that but on a generic basis what do we get in terms of benefits pension benefits and office budget i don't want it now i think it just put it in writing and uh and out for for our citizens to to see because i heard a couple of questions on that tonight and i i don't think we're hiding any of that but i think it would be good to get it out so people know including um benefits i think you're right i think each board member is going to be different i mean several of us don't take

[07:22:02] any medical benefits or anything so we'll include the ones that do not take advantage of those benefits as well within the county and certainly happy to share the budget information as as you've acknowledge and i know you know i have a pending budget q a that also shows what board offices spend of that budget because there's quite a big variation on the board too in terms of how much money is returned uh and not spent from our office budgets on an annual basis and i know that's a pending uh budget q a so if we could wrap that into that uh inquiry that would be appreciated

[07:22:38] we actually got that came out okay okay so that's out uh today so um hopefully we can we can publicize that okay any other questions that board members have okay seeing and hearing none i am going to turn to supervisor faust thank you mr chairman uh thank you to everyone who uh come out and testified this evening and all those who have contacted our offices with regard to this issue

[07:23:09] mr chairman as has been noted any salary increase the board members receive will not be effective until next January and will be effective only for the new board elected in November of this year.

[07:23:27] It will be the first salary raised in eight years for board members and only the second in the past 16 years. Under state law, it will be another four years before the board of supervisors can even consider adjusting their compensation. I'm certain that it is in the best interest of all county residents that we attract great candidates from all backgrounds and stages of life to serve on the board. And not only that they want to serve on the board, but also that they be compensated

[07:24:07] adequately so they can serve on the board, even if he or she is not wealthy or does not have access to other sources of income. Supervisor compensation should be set at a level that will enable anyone to serve regardless of their personal circumstances. To help advance that goal, I believe it is appropriate that this board is considering increasing supervisor pay for the first time in eight years. Regarding the amount of the increase, as you know, the board advertised a range

[07:24:40] of $125,000 to $130,000 for supervisors and $140,000 to $145,000 for the chairman. We've heard a lot of testimony and received a lot of comments about that those ranges and you know in in deliberation or consideration given the rule the responsibilities of a supervisor and the chairman i personally believe that salaries set within those ranges would be appropriate but but uh i have however

[07:25:14] confirmed that this board can set the salary of the next board at an amount that is less than what we advertised we certainly cannot set it at more than what we've advertised so the charts that were attached to the motion that i uh made i guess a couple weeks ago now uh to advertise this hearing included scenarios for consideration and evaluation of different possible salary

[07:25:46] increases in consideration of the input that has been received i'm going to base the motion i am I'm about to make on the scenario that displayed what a board member's salary would be today if board members had received the same average increases and MRA adjustments as General Conte

[07:26:17] employees actually received over the eight-year period since board member salaries were last adjusted. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the annual salary for board members be adjusted effective January 1, 2024 to $123,283 and that the annual chairman's salary be adjusted to $138,283,

[07:26:49] also effective January 1, 2024. So move. You've heard the motion from Supervisor Faust. supervisor smith and i will second the motion uh discussion on the motion supervisor faust yes i just wanted to add mr chairman uh that the proposed member salary adjustment is calculated based on the market rate adjustment and the average increases county employees receive since the board last adjusted its salary in 2015 and it does not include any projected

[07:27:25] pay increases that county employees might receive this year or over the next four years when the the board of supervisors will not be able to receive another pay raise. The chairman's salary adjustment is just over 12 percent higher than the adjusted member salary, which is lower than the 15 percent average differential of elected bodies in the region.

[07:27:48] So and numbers have been thrown around and I believe me, I appreciate that it can be confusing and you know there were a lot of numbers that we even laid out with all the scenarios we talked about and everything so I'm not criticizing anybody but I will say that if this motion is adopted the average increase over the past eight years would be 3.7 percent for supervisors which is what county

[07:28:21] employees averaged over those years if you look forward four years because the board will not be able to get another pay raise for four years if they get one then the average increase is about 2.48 percent per year so with that Mr. Chairman I you know I really do believe that this is appropriate and I hope the board will support this proposal thank you Supervisor Faust Supervisor

[07:28:53] Harrity just a quick question what was the number for supervisor 1 2 3 2 8 3 I'm trying to find that in your board matter it's in there I think the staff staff has this chart as well right is it possible to is it possible to put that chart up on the screen because I see the one I have says lost wages projected

[07:29:27] salary for BUS chair with MRA with the MRA implemented says 118 462 and for Board of Supervisors members it says with MRA implemented 112 539 with MRA implemented we're looking at the chart that's titled I believe we're looking at the chart that's titled projected salary for Board of Supervisors members with MRA and to the merit County increase mr. chairman chart chart to BOS salary

[07:30:06] projections with MRA and merit increases look at the correct document you will find that we have gotten accurate information is that's the small jerk can

[07:30:20] we put that chart yeah can we put that chart up on the screen anywhere on here

[07:31:00] john where yeah 123. i apologize i wasn't prepared to present the chart but you're correct that it is the chart with the title that you read so it's with mra and merit increases so we gave ourselves merit increases mmra so i was looking at the one that was just with mra yeah you were looking at the wrong one because i said with the uh increases and the mra when i made my motion and just to be

[07:31:40] clear i think one of the things that's confusing is it had projected next three years and that's not included in the motion so i think that might be what is is causing the confusion also so there it is so in essence supervisor faust's motion is the bottom yellow line which is where a county employee a typical county employee would be over the same period of time is that correct that was the intent of the motion yes that's correct so that last yellow line was last this

[07:32:13] past fiscal year where you funded um pay increases and the mra okay okay uh additional questions comments comments yeah i'll wait for i'll wait for comments uh any additional questions um let me let me just be also clear on one thing because there is a chart in here supervisor harity uh referred to it earlier that is a lost wages chart and that only shows the county employee

[07:32:50] compensation increases that the board didn't get compounded but we're not including these in this motion we're going straight to this motion goes straight to the amount a typical county employee would be earning today but does not include any of the earnings a typical county employee got over the last eight years correct i'm sorry i was looking for the chart that you My question is, is there's a lost wages column in here, and the lost wages total, $45,007.

[07:33:22] That's $45,007 a typical county employee has earned cumulative over the last eight years. What we are saying is the proposal that Supervisor Faust has on the table doesn't capture any of that. It takes the next board to exactly what a similar county employee would be earning starting next year.

[07:33:44] does not account for any of the the lost wages it just moves them up to that level without accounting for the compounding effect of raises that county employees did get over the last eight years and i just want to make sure that's clear exactly okay thank you okay uh any other technical questions okay comments did you want to start supervisor sure um first i want to thank all the residents that uh came out and testified tonight um as you can see your your your your testimony did make some difference it may may not have made all the difference that you wanted it to but it

[07:34:18] made a difference and i think uh i think our board learned some things about how some county residents feel tonight you know i looked at the last back at the last time the board approved an increase in its salary and similar to this time around employees compensation promises weren't addressed in that budget what's worse about this time around the increase is being considered without addressing compensation promises to our employees.

[07:34:45] Again, we've got a 15% vacancy rate in our county staff, and we're facing retention issues in multiple resident-facing county agencies, specifically a staffing crisis in our police department, not to mention paramedics, mental health providers, trash collectors.

[07:35:04] I mean, that 15% we heard from a couple of county employees tonight, a vacancy rate is having an impact. It's in the midst of the high inflation, a 50% increase in taxes, high gas prices and post pandemic challenges with a substantial tax bill increase still on the table for the average homeowner i think prioritizing a board salary increase without addressing any of these as we heard from our residents tonight is outrageous to me my residents and to many of the employees that we heard from tonight as we heard tonight we need to prioritize our spending and

[07:35:39] protect critical county services not fund board raises i uh i won't be some i won't be supporting the motion as made. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Others who would like to speak? Supervisor Gross. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of our, one of the people who testified said that the timing of this is totally tone deaf. I don't disagree, but it will never be the right time. And that General

[07:36:14] Assembly has set it up that way. It's to create angst and agony and anxiety for everybody. Those around the dais, as well as those in the audience who have testified tonight. There is a very, as has been mentioned many times, there is a very narrow window in which the board can even consider an increase in board compensation. It has to be during an election year between January 1st and

[07:36:47] April 15th, and only after a public hearing. It is a very, very narrow window. And again, the General Assembly has set it up that way. I think it was Mrs. Junker who suggested that there be a formula to address regular increases. That would be a good idea, but that's not the way the General Assembly has set it up. But I do think, perhaps, Supervisor Faust, when you made the original motion to even advertise a public hearing, I think you had something in there about

[07:37:25] You know, how in future years we might be able to do something that was more formula-based. And I would hope that that will be something that would be available to the board. What I've heard tonight is that those who testified are willing to spend millions of dollars to increase employee salaries, and we need to do that.

[07:37:48] But they didn't like the $300,000 that is being considered to increase the board salaries per year. I was talking to a candidate for the board who was quite surprised.

[07:38:05] He said, well, now you sit on the hospital board and you sit on these other boards. How much do you get paid for that? He was really surprised when I said, we might get lunch that we get to eat during the meeting, but we do not get paid for any of that extra representation of the county on other boards.

[07:38:25] And I think that is probably something that also is not seen as something that we must, that we do. This is only the fourth time in 28 years, in the 28 years that I've been on the board, that this has come up. And I have never voted to increase my own salary.

[07:38:45] I'm not, I don't have to worry about this time, quite frankly. I have, to Mr. Nguyen, I have already announced my retirement. So if Mr. Nguyen wants to try for my job and serve without remuneration, go for it. A lot of people are. I think that also we need to make sure that we understand that we are always lower than the rest of the region, and we really shouldn't be comparing board salaries, our board salaries, to others in Virginia, because there is no other place like Fairfax County where we have a really a full-time job, even though it's part-time under the state.

[07:39:24] We really need to be compared to the District of Columbia, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County. With Fairfax, those are the big four that we have always been compared with. And we will still, even with this, we will still be under what the others are, what other elected officials are earning.

[07:39:50] So I'm going to support this because I think that because the way the General Assembly has set it up, we can only do this once in every four years, and we haven't done it except for about eight years. In my time in office, I think it's been every eight years.

[07:40:08] So I appreciate what we've heard from folks. I think there's been a lot of misinformation out there about just what it is that we're doing. And I am satisfied in my own mind that I can support this motion without any regrets.

[07:40:27] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Gross. Others who would like to speak? Others who would like to speak? Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have no illusions that ever voting for something that potentially, and I underline the word potentially, benefits me personally is ever something I want to do.

[07:40:52] And in this case, I don't want to do that either, but it is a potentiality, and I recognize that there are choices that others can make to decide whether or not this is something that I particularly benefit from if I'm fortunate enough to win elections over the next many months or not.

[07:41:15] And for me, it's a way of trying to ensure that we have opportunities for all. And I know others have heard this and they get frustrated with it being said, but it is the kind of position that is almost all-consuming in terms of your time, your efforts.

[07:41:36] I know for the young parents in here, I can't even imagine doing that. And I know that for me personally, it would not have been possible because for my family, At least for my spouse, she was already not particularly in favor of me doing this, but it is an all-consuming evening.

[07:41:56] It's maybe not 24-7 because I reserve that for our public safety folks, but it is truly anywhere from 12 to 16-hour-a-day job. Not every day, of course not, but it does take huge amounts of time.

[07:42:14] I support some kind of increase. I realized what was put on the table is not unlike what we do with any of our proposals as we put on there potential ranges of something that we may or may not do as a board. And for me, the purpose of having that out there, even though I, you know, I was uncomfortable in the beginning with just that amount, I recognize that that's part of the dialogue.

[07:42:37] That's part of the consideration. That's frankly part of the time that I needed to hear from all of you, way for myself whether or not this is truly merited in the sense of comparative to what we have been proving and authorizing and what I have personally been supporting for our county employees and I have personally supported these kinds of increases in the seven previous budgets that I've supported because I felt that our county employees did warrant and the marketplace did require us to to support these I know for some of our county

[07:43:15] employees particularly ones that are that are essentially best barely making a kind of a basic living it's tough it's tough to see this and and go how can I how can I make this work but I also say we're here to make sure that we see that and we are consistent in our votes and consistent in our efforts to ensure that that we provide those opportunities those stair steps if you will for everybody in our community to reach whatever heights you might want to and as a person who's been in the private sector for decades I know that there are far more lucrative far more other opportunities you have to make far more

[07:43:55] than you do on the Board of Supervisors I didn't take this job I don't do this job on a full-time basis now because I I don't know that there are other opportunities out there like that I recognize that I can make a difference I I can ensure that our employees receive reasonable compensation and that I look for ways to make sure that we are competitive, not only in the Washington metropolitan area, but around the country.

[07:44:19] I know that we need to do something that's reasonable within the context of what we are paying our employees. I think the formula here where we are recognizing an increase for the Board of Supervisors after eight years, consistent with what our county employees have gotten and their average increases and merit and MRA increases I think is reasonable.

[07:44:43] I'm going to support that, but at the same time, recognizing that we still don't benefit in the way that some of our county employees have in terms of the increases. I know that we're not going to benefit over the next four years, but I also am deeply committed to making a difference with some of our pay ranges with this budget.

[07:45:03] We've got some tough decisions to make on that, decisions that will potentially increase or at least keep our tax rate higher than what at least I want it to be. But I know that there's tradeoffs there. I know that I'm going to continue listening as part of this conversation. We have three days of public hearings where I'm sure we will hear the same kind of discussions and arguments that we're weighing as individual members.

[07:45:25] And I can assure you that I will take the same approach to our employees that I have with a consideration for what the future board members should make on this board. so not easy I don't feel good about it but I also know if I don't act on it I don't move this forward that the next board members will not have the same opportunities to frankly get paid a wage that I think warrants the 50 60 70 hours that they spend in their work on average a week and on an hourly rate that's very competitive with with some of our lower paid employees so supervisor

[07:46:05] Stork others who would like to be recognized anyone else who would like Supervisor Palczyk thank you mr. chairman and happy to follow those words we heard from many of you tonight about the importance of our county employees in addition to what was shared by my colleagues for me Fairfax County is its employees from collecting leaves to caring for the elderly and those with disabilities to maintaining our parks and trails to providing childcare public safety, education, stormwater management, financial assistance, transportation, land

[07:46:41] development services, human services, recreational services, and so much more. The people of this county are what make our county great. While Virginia law requires that the Board of Supervisors vote on a pay raise before April 18th of an election year, every four years at most, for the next board, this board and the supervisor are absolutely committed to increasing the pay of our county's employees many of whom are frontline employees we know that our employees deserve the most competitive pay and benefits in the region and that our county residents deserve and expect the best service

[07:47:18] while the vote tonight must be decoupled from that larger budget conversation be assured that many of us will continue to fight for our employees while working to try to reduce the impact of our limited funding avenues that currently relies so heavily on our residential landowners here in Fairfax County. The vote in favor of a pay raise for elected members of the next board to match the average employee raise over the past seven plus years is focused on ensuring that future boards are more representative of the county of today. There are many barriers to

[07:47:56] running for office and salaries should not keep those who wish to represent their communities from running for and serving in public office, especially those currently underrepresented on our board. This has been a difficult discussion and conversation.

[07:48:13] I appreciate the input from our many community members tonight and in previous nights, and we look forward to the continued conversation. I thank my colleagues and Supervisor Faust for your leadership and ensuring that future boards can continue to serve and represent our community.

[07:48:33] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Palchuk. anyone else? Supervisor Faust. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just, I wasn't sure that it's going to come up, but I wanted to mention, you know, there is a 2% MRA in the advertised budget.

[07:48:50] I know many members of this board are hearing from the community and talking amongst ourselves that this is something that needs to be addressed, but what never seems to come up, and I just want to mention it in case someone's not aware of it is that the advertised budget does fully fund the the merit increases the the steps the longevity pay increases so you know we are focused on the MRA as are many of you but I just want you to know that there is another aspect to the compensation

[07:49:29] that is fully funded at this point. So the focus will be on the MRA, I believe. Speaking for myself, and I think I see a lot of nodding heads. But anyway, I would say we appreciate the concern for our county employees, and we share it.

[07:49:49] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Faust. Anyone else who would like to speak? Let me just close by, again, thanking the people who testified. I thought a lot of the testimony was very good, but... We've been getting feedback on this for a couple weeks now from people both for and against it.

[07:50:09] I do think, just based on the correspondence that we've gotten, there is a lot of misinformation that was out there about this. But I also think that's by design. And, you know, as unfortunate as that is, that is the reality that we deal with.

[07:50:25] And so I do appreciate that, you know, as others have said, that, you know, the board does not enjoy raising its salary. I do not enjoy raising a future board salary. The Virginia law requires us to consider it only in election years for future boards.

[07:50:43] I don't think anyone on this board enjoys that process. And that's one of the reasons why, speaking for myself, we don't do this every four years. As a matter of fact, before tonight, I voted for one pay increase in 16 years, in part because it's a painful process.

[07:51:02] It's a painful process because there's a lot of context and pieces to be understood. But I do like the motion that Supervisor Faust has made because one of the things we heard in a lot of the testimony is at least treat yourself as a general county employee.

[07:51:19] And when you look at this chart, it is true that there are some years we did not fully fund compensation for our county employees. In fact, there were two years in a row that have zeros all the way across. And those zeros were the two years when we were at the peak of COVID, when almost no jurisdictions were increasing pay.

[07:51:39] Nobody knew what tomorrow was going to bring. But I am grateful for many of the things we did do for county employees during that period of time, Whether it's telework or hazard pay for some of our public safety officials, we did a lot for our county employees during that period of time, never enough.

[07:51:56] And I have voted on this board for every single pay increase that our county employees have received since I've been on this board. This is my 16th year. 100% of the time when this board has raised pay for county employees, I have voted to do that.

[07:52:12] and i will do that again with this budget and i hope that we can improve on the mra as as was mentioned and certainly on some of the public safety pay you know as we are sitting here today the chief emailed us some good news and that is that we have the largest police recruit class in the 10-year history of fairfax county and that's good for all of our residents every single one of them it's also good for our police officers so we are making progress on that point but as i said earlier i appreciate that supervisor faust has tied this exactly to what a general county employee would have gotten over that same period of time

[07:52:50] that it's frozen for the next board for four years there won't be another increase period and this can be re-evaluated it's fair to the taxpayers of this county to be looking at this real time every four years as opposed to waiting every eight years and let future boards decide what future boards get paid but we should not be doing this once every eight years i think it's a disservice to the process it's a disservice to our public and as was reiterated by several folks before the advertised amount just like the tax rate we advertise the highest amount possible and then

[07:53:27] typically what this board does is come in with a reasonable amount based on public testimony based on analysis, based on public input, and I appreciate that Supervisor Faust's motion does that. Lastly, you know, I wrote down notes for every single person that testified, and I just want to focus on one because Charles McAndrew comes before this board every single budget, and I really appreciate his testimony tonight from the Taxpayer Alliance about whether this should be a full-time job or a part-time job, and I appreciate that he took the time

[07:54:03] many many years ago to spend a day with a member of this board to understand what that's like i don't expect a normal everyday resident to do that i wouldn't expect he would want to but i i do appreciate the fact that he did that and in his mind he at least thought maybe this should be a full-time job we should not be deciding that i don't think as a board i respect the fact that there are some people on this board that have other employment.

[07:54:32] I do not. I never have. I've done this job full-time for 16 years because I can't imagine how I could do another part-time job and do this job the way that I would expect as my own constituent for my supervisor to be doing it.

[07:54:48] That may not mean we agree on every issue, but I would hope we would agree that the time, effort, and energy put into this, at least for this supervisor, is all the time. And I don't disparage anyone who has a different schedule, but to paint with one brush color and say everyone should be full or part-time, frankly, I think the voters, the constituents in those districts who have access to their supervisor can determine whether or not they're getting access to that supervisor and to their office.

[07:55:18] And then lastly, because a lot's been talked about office budgets and other things, you know, I'm proud of the fact that in my years in office, my office has returned over $600,000 in office budgets to the county. Because my staff also works like I do around the clock, and they work hard and they work efficiently.

[07:55:38] And because we have access all the time to our residents, we run a very tight ship when it comes to our office budget the way our taxpayers would expect. And so, you know, there is a lot of other pieces of the puzzle here when we look at efficiency, how we run our offices, how we provide services to our constituents.

[07:55:56] But at the end of the day, for the point tonight, I support Supervisor Faust's motion that treats us like any other county employee and puts us on a level playing field with our county employees and, frankly, allows us to feel the pain some years and the gain that they have some years in coming up with that computation.

[07:56:16] So with that, I think we're ready to vote. All those in favor of the motion, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Herity, nay. And any abstentions? And so we'll do division. Supervisor Alcorn. Alcorn, no. Walkinshaw, aye.

[07:56:33] Stork, aye. Smith, aye. Grouse, aye. Lusk, aye. Lusk, aye. Herity, nay. Palachuk, aye. And the chair votes aye, and that is approved 8-2 for the future board. And again, I want to thank folks who have been here for a long time tonight.

[07:56:48] and we respect and appreciate that. Thank you for being involved in your county government and taking the time to come testify and stay with us this evening. And with that, that brings us to the end of our board meeting of March 21, 2023, and the board is adjourned.

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