Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 5h 14m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/3618
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 2026-10-31. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:08] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our Board of Supervisors meeting of December 3rd, 2024. And we're going to begin our meeting in a moment, as we always do, with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But before those are able to rise for that, we do want to recognize some folks in our community that we want to keep in our thoughts and prayers.

[00:00:28] And as soon as I'm finished, I'm going to ask my colleagues if they would like to be recognized as well. First, I want to recognize Jenny Jew, who passed away in October. Services for her were held last week. Jenny was best known as the creator of the National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually in the month of May throughout the United States.

[00:00:51] McDonald's Corporation selected her to be the face of its first I Am Asian APA Heritage Month website. She was a consultant to many federal government agencies, Congress, embassies, universities, and national organizations of matters relating to women and Asian Pacific Americans.

[00:01:09] Among her many honors and awards was she was the 2011 Springfield Lady Fairfax, was past chair of the Fairfax County Commission for Women, and was also a former national chair and president of the Organization of Chinese American Women. And as I mentioned, she passed away in October.

[00:01:28] Services were already held, but if we could keep Jenny and her family and those who were affected by the work that she did in our thoughts and prayers, that would be appreciated. Secondly, I'm sad to announce that Tom Johnson passed away on November 19, 2024.

[00:01:46] In his words, he said he had a wonderful 67 years and couldn't have asked for more. Tom was born on April 20, 1957 in Gardner, Maine, was the fifth of six children. He was a longtime volunteer with the Braddock Dems and FCDC and was known as much more than that.

[00:02:07] He was known for his love of travel and adventure and ability to light up every room that he was in. I know many of us on the board knew him personally. His proudest accomplishment was his marriage and partnership with Susan along with the family they created. He's survived by his wife, Susan, and their children, Michael, and Michael is a proud member of our Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Olivia and Owen, and six grandchildren, Lucas, Phoenix, Francis, Kitt, River, and Cyrin, and Supervisor Walkinshaw and I were able to attend

[00:02:41] his service last week, his celebration of life last week, and even learned a lot more things about Tom and the work that he did in the community. And then finally, I want to acknowledge the passing of Marco. Marco was a canine in our Fairfax County Explosive Ordnance Disposal canine unit at the police department from 2011 to 2019.

[00:03:06] And Marco protected attendees at numerous special events and served during national security sweeps. He was known for his calm demeanor and being a good dog and passed away on November 24th. And I mention Marco because I think many times we forget the tremendous role that our canines play in protecting our community.

[00:03:27] And in particular, I know we forget how important they are as a family member for the handler in our police department as well as so many in our department that are inspired by the work that these service animals do throughout Fairfax County.

[00:03:42] And so if we could keep Marco and our Fairfax County Police Department, especially the K-9 unit, in our thoughts and prayers. And with that, I would recognize any of my other colleagues who would like to say a few words. And I'm going to start on this side, this time Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[00:03:58] Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and appreciate your mentioning Tom Johnson. It was a real loss for the Braddock District. And, you know, Tom was one of those people who had such a joy for life. And at his celebration of life, we talked about the things that he loved, his family, his community.

[00:04:17] He was one of those people in Red Fox Forest, great neighborhood in the Braddock District, who was always there to support his neighbors and help his neighbors. You mentioned his son, Michael, who's a Fairfax County firefighter, also a Braddock District resident, and his daughter, Olivia, a Braddock District resident as well.

[00:04:35] The Johnsons are very close friends of mine, so it's a terrible loss, but it was really special that we were able to come together and celebrate his life last week. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:04:52] I also, like many of you, had the privilege of meeting Tom on a number of different occasions, mostly at his house. Tom was a community leader as well as a leader within the Democratic Party, and he will be missed. I'd like to extend my condolences to his wife, Susan, their children and their grandchildren.

[00:05:10] Thank you. Supervisor Palchik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to add my thoughts for Tom and his family. One thing I think that wasn't mentioned yet, because we have all of our students and superintendent here, is that Tom and Susan met at McLean High School, and I actually went to middle school to Frost with Mike.

[00:05:29] And I still remembered him when I met him again as an adult. I was one of the kindest people, even in middle school, which is pretty hard. But I know that he and Susan raised incredible family. They have wonderful grandchildren and definitely made a mark in the community in Braddock District and beyond.

[00:05:47] I first met Tom on a bike ride with the Dems and got to enjoy and learn from him about all the work that they were doing. And finally, just appreciate the community efforts. While I was not able to join for that celebration, left Susan a message, and I know that they are all very grateful.

[00:06:06] for the love and support from our community. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sorry to announce the passing of Tom Whipple. Tom was not a Fairfax County resident. He's an Arlington resident, but he did spend a career working in Fairfax County for the federal government.

[00:06:25] He's probably best known for the founder and creator of Virginia News, VA News, which is published by the Virginia Public Access Project, now has 22,000 in circulation, basically a clipping service, daily clipping service.

[00:06:44] And he started that back in 1996, when his neighbor, Bill Dolan, was running for Virginia attorney general. And he would cut out clippings from different newspapers and put them inside Bill Dolan's Washington Post bag with the newspaper inside it.

[00:07:04] So that's how that got started. He did a lot of other things. Some of us also know his spouse, Mary Margaret Whipple, served in the state senate and Arlington County board and other positions over the years.

[00:07:20] So anyway, we are sad for his passing, but also celebrate a life very well lived. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. many of us benefit every day from the work that he did and getting the press clippings first thing in the morning now has become a natural thing so I appreciate you mentioning Tom anyone else who would like to be recognized seeing and hearing no one if all are in the auditorium and the board is able to rise please rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of

[00:07:52] I pledge allegiance 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.

[00:08:33] And we're going to begin our presentations today representing all of our Fairfax County Public Schools Fall Athletics Champions.

[00:08:50] And as usual, we have a long list of champions, which is fantastic. Before we begin today's presentations, we ask that all the teams and individuals first, if you could stay in your seats for a moment, the board is going to come down in front of the dais down here, and we're going to take a picture with you all in the background, and we're going to do that so we can capture all of you in the room at the same time, and as we go through the presentations, if any of you and your team or families who are here need to leave after you're part of the program, you're going to be able to leave.

[00:09:24] We're not going to make everybody wait to take a group picture at the end. And so if we could pause for a moment, and if the board could come down, down in front, down here where OPA is, and then we're going to take a picture with you all in the backdrop.

[00:09:41] Thank you all for doing that.

[00:11:31] And we tried this giant selfie last time we had our high school groups in here. And so you are the second time in Fairfax County history that we've taken a giant selfie in this auditorium. And so well done, all of you. We we are now going to recognize our state championship teams and individuals.

[00:11:53] But before we do that, with us, I know, is Superintendent Dr. Reed. Dr. Reed, if you want to come down and share a few words before we move forward with the formal recognition. Podium is fine. Yep. Sure. So grateful for the support of our county board of supervisors.

[00:12:14] I think there's a great deal of learning that happens both inside the classroom and outside the classroom, evidenced by the hard work and the dedication and the commitment that our student-athletes, our coaches, and our families make to the programs here.

[00:12:30] And I know there's an expectation for world-class athletic experiences for each and every one of our student-athletes. I appreciate the commitment on the Board of Supervisors to support adding new sports as we've added this year with boys volleyball, which has been incredible.

[00:12:47] Our McLean boys team got very close, and we're starting girls wrestling this winter. And it's just been very exciting, as well as our middle school cross-country and track. And we feel like the more broadly our programs are supported, we know it's going to lead to better experiences at high school as well.

[00:13:03] So it's also my distinct pleasure to note that I actually watched the Langley girls play our Chantilly girls in the state championship. It was an amazing volleyball match. Went five sets all the way down to the wire. It was some of the best volleyball I've ever seen, and I've watched a lot of volleyball.

[00:13:21] So I know all our champions have worked hard. Cheer is so important in managing our crowds and really getting our players moving on. And I know we have golf and other sports, and I know it's bad to start with a list because I won't finish it. But, anyway, I just was present personally and just want to say the level of excellence is amazing, and thank you for your support.

[00:13:40] And thanks, student-athletes, staff, and families. It matters. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Reed. Thank you very much, Dr. Reed. And the folks that we're going to honor today, I'm going to list them all out in order so that you know where you are in the order, and then we're going to recognize each of them individually.

[00:14:01] But the entire list is the Langley High School Saxons Golf Team, Langley High School Girls Volleyball Team, Robinson Secondary School Rams Cheerleading Team, Robinson Secondary School Girls Cross Country Team, Tristan Thurnison from Chantilly High School Boys Cross Country Champion, and Owen Love from Edison High School Golf Individual Champion.

[00:14:27] And we are going to begin first today with Supervisor Bierman, who has a recognition for the Langley High School Saxons golf team. And if Coach Dwayne Bean is here, if you could come on down, and if anyone who is here with you for this recognition, they can come on down as well and join you at the podium right here in front of me.

[00:14:48] And while you are coming down, and while you all are coming down to be recognized. I'll start down that end and make sure that our hand will shift on.

[00:15:05] Start that end, go all the way down to the end. While you are coming down to be recognized, I am going to recognize Supervisor Behrman for a motion. Thank you. I am going to read a resolution. I'm going to read a resolution.

[00:15:21] Whereas the Langley High School Saxons golf team demonstrated exceptional skill and determination by securing the Virginia High School League VHSL Class 6 state championship with a team score of 303, surpassing defending champion Robinson Rams, who scored 308.

[00:15:39] And whereas this victory marks Langley's eighth state title in nine years, not bad, folks, and the 12th in the program's history, setting a VHSL record. And whereas individual performances were outstanding, notably sophomore Sophie Cao, who shot a one under 71 to finish third, and senior Sarah Wang, who shot a 75 to play six, both contributing significantly to the team's success, and whereas the Saxons' resilience and commitment were evident as they overcame the previous year's third-place finish, which, if you're counting, means that they'd won seven in a row before that, using it as motivation to reclaim the state title under the leadership of first-year coach Dwayne Bean,

[00:16:18] and whereas the Langley High School golf team's achievements have brought pride and recognition to their school and community, exemplifying the values of hard work, sportsmanship, and excellence, Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Langley High School golf team is hereby recognized and commended for their outstanding accomplishments and championship victory.

[00:16:36] I'm happy to second that motion. I'm happy to I'm happy to second that motion, along with Supervisor Palchuk, discussion, Supervisor Bierman. And they brought the trophies. I think this one speaks for itself, folks.

[00:16:55] Great job. Thank you very much. And I, too, want to congratulate the folks here from the golf team, also all the parents and the coaches and the other folks who helped make you successful. And some of us around this dais play golf, but we're not golfers.

[00:17:11] You are golfers. So well done. Well done representing Fairfax County to the highest standards. We appreciate that. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And as I mentioned, we have Coach Bean here with us.

[00:17:28] If you'd like to share a few words, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. I appreciate it. First, on behalf of the team and I, we'd like to thank the board for this invite. We're truly humbled and honored by this. We appreciate it. This is my third year coaching golf at Langley. I coached the girls team for the first two years. This is my first year with the co-ed team, taking over for the world-renowned Coach Alberg, who retired after 27 years.

[00:17:51] And, you know, I'll crack a little joke here. I think the postseason for co-ed golf is something I never experienced before, and I told this to the team. I think they added 10 years onto my life with all the stress during the postseason. But it all worked out, and I think this team that you're looking at right here is a family. I mean, that was one of my main rules this year for the team, is that we all take care of each other, pick each other up when we're down, and we celebrate all the good times.

[00:18:13] Excuse me. And then the last thing I'll say is, you know, last year, as you mentioned, was the first time in seven years that we lost. We lost the state title, and we used a key word this year, which was redemption. And the team bought into that mentality and bought into that word. And we achieved what we needed to. We gave the seniors a great parting gift on their way out the door.

[00:18:30] For most of them, this is their third title in four years. And I can't thank this team enough. I can only do so much, but they're the ones out there on the golf course, swinging the club and scoring the way they need to. So congrats to the team, and thank you once again for inviting us. Thank you very much. Congratulations. And I think with that, we're ready for a photo with the team.

[00:18:53] So if you all could come forward, come all the way up here to me, and then face the audience, and any of the supervisors who represent the school would join me for a photo. Hey, quick thing, shorter people in the front, taller people off to the sides.

[00:19:10] Next up is the Langley High School girls volleyball team,

[00:20:34] and if they could come on down along with Coach Susan Shiflett, if you could come on down, we're going to do the exact same thing we did with the last one. And so in a moment, I'd ask the coach to share a few words with us, But in the meantime, I am going to recognize Supervisor Bierman for a motion.

[00:20:52] Thank you. Whereas the Langley High School girls volleyball team clinched the Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship on November 23rd at the Segal Center in Richmond, and whereas the Saxons triumphed over the Chantilly Chargers in a thrilling five-set match, securing their fourth state title in program history, and whereas this victory marks Langley's second consecutive state championship, underscoring the team's sustained excellence and dedication, And whereas the Saxons concluded the season with an impressive 28-2 record, demonstrating exceptional skill, teamwork, and perseverance throughout the year.

[00:21:29] And whereas head coach Susan Shifflett, who has led the program since its inception in 1999, has been instrumental in guiding the team to multiple state titles and fostering a culture of success. And whereas the players' commitment to excellence, both on and off the court, has brought pride and recognition to Langley High School and the broader community, now, therefore, be it resolved that the Langley High School girls volleyball team is hereby recognized and commended for its outstanding achievements and championship victory.

[00:21:59] And I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palchik. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Bierman. So you all, I hope that you recognize that your school board member, Robin Lady, spent many, many years at Chantilly High School.

[00:22:15] And you beat him in the state championship. So you guys got bragging rights. You got to give her a hard time about that. But congratulations. One of four schools to have won consecutive titles in Class 6 in VHSL for volleyball.

[00:22:32] Just wonderful job all around. And thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman, Supervisor Palczyk. I just want to add that probably because Vice Chair Gross is no longer here, I think most of us take for granted now women's sports and girls' sports and how important it is both for you and your success, your well-roundedness, your ability to learn how to work as a team, but also as role models for the next generation and just how incredible it is to see these young women leading both in the classroom and on the field.

[00:23:06] So I want to thank you all for the commitment, for the many, many hours you spend outside of school working on this, but especially, as the chairman always says, to your coaches, to your parents, to your principals, and to the whole community that helped you get to where you are, and congratulations.

[00:23:23] We're excited to see you here. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. I'll also add my congratulations. Supervisor Bierman mentioned Chantilly, and in the previous resolution, he mentioned Robinson, teams that had been beat. We don't do that, Jimmy. We love all of our teams. Some of them are here. No, but in all seriousness, we are so proud of all of our Fairfax County public schools, and particularly what you've achieved here at Langley. I have a niece who plays volleyball at West Potomac, mentioning other schools, and I know how many hours she spends working on this,

[00:24:02] and it is amazing to watch our high school volleyball teams play. I know the boys have just gotten started. But to watch the girls play is amazing. And we're really proud of what you've done and how you've represented Fairfax County throughout your journey. So with that, Supervisor I just want to quickly note that we love mentioning when we've got two Fairfax teams in the championship. So we do. That's an exception. That's an exception. Yes. Very good. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that

[00:24:37] motion carries. Congratulations. And with us, of course, is Coach Shiflett. We would welcome you to say a few words on behalf of the team. And I'd like to thank you guys for having us. It is an honor to be here and to be supported by everybody here. These girls have done, I'm going to get emotional, an incredible job this year going back to back. We lost, you know, half our team last year and the kids that stepped up to fill in, put in the time and the work in the off season to come back and and really help to build us up and to make happen what happened this year more importantly

[00:25:15] as a group they have a 4.1 gpa average they're just incredible and i'm just really proud to be your coach so thank you and thank you coach reed wherever you are did she leave but thank you coach reed for supporting us as well dr reed to the rest of you thank you thank you very much um and We love to see that emotion, because it's clear you're an amazing coach and leader for these girls, too.

[00:25:47] So congratulations to all of you, to your families, as was mentioned, the coaches, the administrators at your school that helped make all this happen. This is a celebration of all of that. And with that, I think we are ready to – we already voted. So with that, I think we're ready for a photo.

[00:26:05] So if you all could come forward. And, again, those supervisors who represent Langley could join me for the photo.

[00:27:22] Next up, we have a recognition for Robinson Secondary School Rams cheerleading team. And if they could come on down, if they could come on down, including Coach Jocelyn Baptiste.

[00:27:41] And while they are doing that, I am going to recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Robinson Secondary School Rams cheerleading team demonstrated exceptional athleticism and spirit by winning the 2024 Virginia High School League Class 6A State Cheerleading Championship, cementing their status as a powerhouse in competitive cheerleading, and whereas the Rams delivered a flawless performance in the championship, exemplifying precision, creativity, and teamwork under pressure, and earning high scores from judges for their technical skills and innovative routines,

[00:28:20] and whereas the cheerleading program at Robinson Secondary School has a longstanding tradition of excellence with the 2024 championship adding to a legacy of district, regional, and state-level successes, and whereas the Robinson cheerleaders dedicated countless hours to practice, conditioning, and perfecting their craft, displaying remarkable commitment, and embodying the values of discipline, resilience, and school pride, and whereas the team's accomplishments have brought immense pride to the Robinson community, inspiring their peers and setting a high standard for sportsmanship and performance,

[00:28:58] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Robinson Secondary School cheerleading team is hereby recognized and commended for their outstanding achievements and championship victory. So moved. I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Herity. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[00:29:14] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations. An incredible accomplishment. You know, cheerleading is one of those sports that is getting more recognition but still doesn't get the recognition that it deserves. There are more than 3 million kids who participate in cheerleading across the country.

[00:29:30] It was recently recognized by the International Olympic Committee, but unfortunately wasn't one of the sports added to the Olympics in 2024, but we know that that day is coming. It takes incredible commitment and discipline and athleticism, and you all demonstrated all of that through winning this championship.

[00:29:48] So congratulations. You've made us all proud. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Let me also congratulate all of you. I mentioned earlier my niece.

[00:30:04] I'll mention my daughter's on a high school dance team. And so I go to a lot of football games, a lot of basketball games, and watch a lot of cheer. And you guys do an amazing job inspiring the crowd, inspiring the athletes, but most importantly, bringing joy and celebration to your school.

[00:30:21] You represent it so well. And honestly, if you watch these cheer teams, you'll notice what athleticism, training, coordination goes into everything you do. It's amazing. And Supervisor Palchuk properly mentioned girls and advances in girls' sports earlier.

[00:30:39] I want to also recognize the two young men who are here who are part of the cheer team as well. And I mention that because they are essential to the cheer operations. And sometimes they're overlooked or people don't think they're necessary.

[00:30:57] But I will say it is great to see you young men doing that, being involved in your school and making it clear to all the boys in the school that cheer is an awesome thing to be engaged in and to be supportive of in your school community.

[00:31:13] So I want to particularly recognize the two of you and the entire team because to get the achievement that you got took a lot of work of a lot of people. So, again, well done representing Fairfax County Public Schools. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[00:31:28] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And with us, as I mentioned, is Coach Jocelyn Baptiste. Welcome. The floor is yours. First off, we just want to say thank you to the board for inviting us here. What an honor to be here. So thank you so much.

[00:31:44] And congrats to all the athletes who made it here today. I have been coaching Robinson Cheer since 2003. So it's been a while and we have been fortunate enough, or should I say they have worked hard enough to be successful many, many years.

[00:32:00] We have many district titles, many region titles, and I've been to states many times. But I just want to say congratulations to them for making history because though we've been in the top four at states really off and on for the last 10 years, we have never won until this year. So this is Robinson Cheer's first state title.

[00:32:17] So congratulations to them for the fun we've done. And just to finish it off, I hope, and I think they know how proud I am of every single one of them, and I hope that they see all of the hard work.

[00:32:32] We have 6 a.m. practices during the week at times, early mornings, late nights, continuing to work together as a team, just seeing that that hard work and all of that dedication can actually pay off. And more importantly, I hope that they are proud of themselves for pulling this off because they're the ones who did the work.

[00:32:48] So thank you again. Thank you very much, and congratulations to all of you. And with that, we are ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward and face the audience and anyone who represents Robinson can join me for the photo.

[00:33:04] And next, we have a resolution for the Robinson Secondary School girls cross-country team.

[00:34:22] And those who are here from the girls cross-country team, including Coach Nicholas Reed, if you're here, if you could come on down. This time, I will once again recognize Supervisor Walkinshaw for a motion.

[00:34:43] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas the Robinson Secondary School Rams girls cross country team demonstrated exceptional performance by securing the Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship on November 16th at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg.

[00:34:59] And whereas the championship was determined by a tiebreaker with Robinson and another school that we all love, West Springfield High School, each earning 57 points. And Robinson's sixth runner, Madison Coutinho, placing 36 in team scoring, surpassing West Springfield's sixth runner, thereby clenching the title.

[00:35:22] So this really came down to the wire. And whereas sophomore Karina Bird led the Rams with a third place finish, followed by Ariana Lopez in ninth, Petra Grundle in tenth, Alexandra Bird in 14th, and Charlotte Movsesian in 31st, showcasing the team's depth and talent.

[00:35:39] And whereas the team's victory was a culmination of a successful season, having previously won district and regional championships, consistently outperforming strong competitors, and whereas the Robinson girls cross-country team's dedication, teamwork, and excellence have brought pride to their school and community, serving as an inspiration to student-athletes across Fairfax County, Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Robinson Secondary School girls cross-country team is hereby recognized and commended for their outstanding achievements and championship victory.

[00:36:14] So moved. I'm happy to second that motion, along with Supervisor Herity. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Congratulations. A really incredible accomplishment cross-country takes. Following up on the chairman's comments earlier, for those of us who run but aren't runners, I have a lot of respect for what you all do and the commitment and dedication and grit that it takes to succeed in this sport.

[00:36:46] So congratulations. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw, Supervisor Herity. Yeah, and I can't let the whole West Springfield thing go. But anyway, congratulations as a Spartan. That's what, you know, open, honest competition is all about. And I'm proud to be a Bruins supporter and been a Bruin booster for many years.

[00:37:05] But congratulations on your state. championship, but also congratulations on the great showing at Nationals, where you went to the Nike regional cross-country high school meet and faced some tough competition, but a fifth place is nothing to be ashamed of there. That's a lot of good competition at those regional Nike meets, so congratulations on your great season. It'll be something that'll be with you for a long time, and congrats. Thank you, Supervisor Herity, and I too will congratulate all of you and Coach Reed for the work you do. Appreciate the Robinson cheer team staying to make sure they were here for

[00:37:42] you to be recognized as well. But as Supervisor Walkinshaw mentioned, I mean, I'll name them. It's Supervisor Lusk, Walkinshaw, myself, and Supervisor Stork, who claim to be, claim to run but are not runners. We sometimes race each other. I did a turkey trot the other day. We can announce the times. I did a turkey trot and got spanked by a bunch of cross-country kids in high school.

[00:38:06] But in all seriousness, it takes a lot of work and dedication. And what I love about it is so often what's seen as an individual sport turns in really into a team sport that inspires your whole team. And what you do definitely drives the success of each member of your team, what you do individually.

[00:38:26] And so respect that. And as Supervisor Herity said, you all have done some amazing things, amazing feats in multiple venues. But most importantly, we're proud of how you've represented Fairfax County Public Schools. So congratulations to all of you, your parents, coaches, and all those folks who are part of your success story.

[00:38:45] With that, I think we're ready to vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Coach Reed, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. First off, thank you, the board of supervisors, for having us here.

[00:39:03] it's a great honor to be here to be honest you know this was a full year in the making last year we finished you know second place at states so all spring and winter throughout track all these girls were out there working hard so it wasn't just a culmination of the fall season it was really all winter and spring leading up to it out of all of our meets we only had two meets where we didn't you know call it a loss technically we finished third place and second place but the rest we won bringing our first district title since 2008 our first regional title since 99 and then our first state title since 2001 so an awesome season and i'm super proud of all these girls out

[00:39:41] here for all the work they put in and as i always tell people you know i can write the training plan but they got to carry it out and put out there on saturdays and at all the races so you know super proud of them and excited for those seasons to come so thank you all thank you very much thank you very much, Coach Reed. And with that, we're ready for a photo. If you all could come forward

[00:40:05] and those who represent Robinson could join me. Next up, we have two certificates to present that

[00:41:11] recognize the individual fall champion athletes. And first, Supervisor Herity will read the certificate recognizing Tristan Thurnison from Chantilly High School. And then after that, we will do Owen Love from Edison High School. And so if Tristan is here and anyone else who's here with him. I see him. Come on down. And while you're on your way down, I know Coach Trammell is here as well. I will recognize Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have a certificate of recognition to move. It is presented to Tristan Thurneeson of Chantilly High School for his

[00:41:49] outstanding achievement in winning the Virginia High School League Classics Boys Cross Country State Championship, completing a remarkable postseason sweep with district, regional, and state titles. So moved. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Smith and myself. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Herdy. I just want to congratulate Tristan and Coach Trammell and the entire Chargers team because they were there to support you, I'm sure, all the way through this. But you had quite a year, to say the least, winning Concord District

[00:42:22] 6D North Region and the state championship. And congrats also on your postseason run in the at Nike Southeast and Southeast Regional Cross Country High School meet where you ended up at 12th. And again, a lot of competition from across the Southeast at that. So that speaks volumes to your training and work ethic. Congrats also on the scholarship, the running scholarship to Syracuse. Good luck up there with the orange. I'm sure Coach Trammell and the entire school takes pride in all your success. And thank you for representing Fairfax County so well.

[00:42:59] Thank you, Supervisor Herity, Supervisor Storch. As someone, as we've been talking, as someone who runs but not a runner, I do have to ask, what was your winning time at the state? 1552.

[00:43:16] 1552? Wow. Oh, my goodness. Awesome. Thank you. Don't attempt that, Supervisor Storch. I'm doing well. It's not happening. Well done. Well, congratulations, Tristan. And again, as Supervisor Herity said, amazing story.

[00:43:32] Congratulations on your college scholarship. That is fantastic. We'll continue to keep an eye on you at Syracuse, but you've inspired a lot of folks, and we're all very proud of you and the way you've represented FCPS, so well done. Thank you. With that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[00:43:50] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and as I mentioned, we have Tristan here as well as his coach, Annie Trammell. Welcome. The floor is yours. Great. Thank you. Coach Trammell is not able to be here today, so I'm his stand-in.

[00:44:09] I'm the Director of Student Activities at Chantilly High School, Brendan Shapiro. It's my honor to be here. There really isn't a lot that Tristan hasn't done as a cross-country runner. He's won countless invitationals. He was last year's state runner-up. This year he was the individual district, region, and state champion, and he led his team to a region championship.

[00:44:30] These are all great accomplishments. Really impressive feats, but nothing more impressive than the character he's shown all year. He is a tremendous advocate for his teammates and his coaches. And my favorite memory of Tristan came after the regional championship meet.

[00:44:47] It was very hot that day. It was about 80 degrees. As we've covered, Tristan won the race. And a full five minutes after the race, there were still lots of runners coming through. And we talk about athletes who pick up their teammates figuratively.

[00:45:03] He was doing it literally picking people up off the ground, not just his teammates, but his fellow runners from other schools picking kids up after the finish line, physically pulling them off the ground and congratulating them on the work that they had done. He's a kid of tremendous character, and it's my honor to congratulate him today.

[00:45:23] Thank you very much. Fantastic. Well said, and Mr. Shapiro, thank you for joining us and the work that you do. I know balancing all of the needs of our student athletes is a tough job, and you clearly do it well.

[00:45:41] So thank you for being here this morning. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward, and anyone who represents this school is welcome to join me for a photo.

[00:46:54] And next up, we have a certificate recognizing Owen Love from Edison High School. There he is. Owen, if you could come on down. Coach Scott Rasick is here as well. And while you are making your way down, I should point out we we recognize the golf team earlier today.

[00:47:15] But coming down before us now is the golfer of all golfers, the golfing stud of Fairfax County. With that being said, I will recognize Supervisor Lusk for a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. So I will read the certificate of recognition, which will be presented to Owen Love from Edison High School for winning his second consecutive Virginia High School League Class 6 state championship with a thrilling playoff of victory, becoming the first repeat champion

[00:47:49] at the Virginia High School School League's highest classification since 1964. So an amazing accomplishment. So let me just note that Owen is a sophomore golfer.

[00:48:09] He shot a two-under par round, 70, when he won his individual championship outright with a birdie putt. So I want to acknowledge that as well and then just make the point that we really appreciate your tenacity and your skill at golf.

[00:48:28] For some of us, Mr. Chairman will probably note this as well. He says I'm not really a runner. I'm definitely, definitely not a golfer. So when I go out, I'm going out only on best balls. But you, mister, you, mister, are the epitome of a golfer.

[00:48:45] And I just want to acknowledge and thank you for what you've done. And congratulations. Yes. And I'm happy to second that motion. Further discussion. Let me just add, I wasn't kidding when I said this. This is the golfing stud of Fairfax County coming down.

[00:49:01] I mean, it is amazing. What is shocking to me is when I learned he's a sophomore. We learned last year when he won that he was a freshman. And so you've got a lot of years of success still ahead of you. And, you know, that round of 70 that was mentioned, there are some on this dais that have a 70, but it's at the end of the ninth hole, not at the end of 18 holes.

[00:49:24] But seriously, we're so proud of you and the inspiration that you've brought to the community, especially the Edison community. We watch you, we read about you in the paper, and we wish you great, great success moving forward. It's a tough act next year to try to compete again for that, but you've already proven that you can do it again.

[00:49:45] And so we're really proud of all your success. And Coach, the work that you put in to all of these kids is really appreciated, as well as all the work you do in the school and the classroom as well. And so this is a great celebration. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[00:50:04] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And again, Coach is here with us. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Please let me take this opportunity to thank the Board of Supervisors for this honor. On behalf of Owen and our Director of Student Activities, Greg Dombrowski.

[00:50:23] As we mentioned, there is nothing. I've been fortunate enough to have been involved in a lot of athletic activities in my life, coaching and playing. But there is nothing like playoff golf as a coach to watch and have your stomach churn as you're watching and largely be helpless.

[00:50:42] You can't really be out there and giving him advice and whatnot. So incredibly churning in this particular case. It was a very cold day out in Leesburg and Lansdowne out there. The individual went out early, and so he finished early.

[00:50:59] We had lunch, and we had to wait around for hours to see if he would be the winner or if he'd have to play in a playoff, and that's how that played off. And the young lady that he played from Robinson, Raquel Walsh, who is an incredible golfer, and it was just on the second playoff hole.

[00:51:19] As a matter of fact, the state officials were just trying to figure out what to do if there was a third playoff hole because they had never really seen, and had really gone that far. So it was just an incredible moment, totally gut-churning. And certainly, so I want to thank certainly Owen for the opportunity to work with him.

[00:51:38] His parents, a lot of elite golfers, as you may or may not know, do online schools so they can play golf year-round. But Owen's parents are committed to Fairfax County Public Schools and having a quote-unquote normal high school career.

[00:51:55] So I thank them for that opportunity. it's been a great ride and only a sophomore. We'll see. Hopefully, we'll be back there. Very good. Excellent. Well, congratulations again to you. With that, I think we're ready

[00:52:13] for a photo. If you all could come forward and Supervisor Lusk will join me. Right. What a great

[00:53:21] way to start our morning, celebrating our young athletes and their schools, just always refreshing. Next up on the board's agenda is board appointments to citizen, boards, authorities, commissions and advisory groups and at this time um i will look to supervisor smith for a motion i move approval of the appointments to boards authorities and commissions for the final copy december 3 2024. and the chair will second that motion along with supervisor palchick is there any uh nominations that the board would like to pull for a separate vote seeing and hearing none all

[00:53:56] those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries And we next have a presentation by Kate Hanley, chairman of the Electoral Board regarding election year 2024.

[00:54:13] And for those of you watching, this has become an annual tradition where we get statistics and information from our elections office and our elections team on the last election, any of the challenges or things that can be improved upon.

[00:54:29] But most importantly, it's also an opportunity for us to recognize all the great work of all the election staff, the volunteers, and all the folks who do the work to make sure we have smooth elections here in Fairfax County, which we once again did.

[00:54:47] And with that, I will turn the microphone over to Kate Hanley, chairman of the Electoral Board, among other things. Thank you. I'm raising this. My vision's bad enough that if I don't get it up here real high, I can't see what I'm reading. That's too high.

[00:55:03] Good morning. Beth is handing out the slides so that you can see them up close and personally. And let me start by introducing Todd Strelow, who is not only the creator of the slides but runs the machine this morning.

[00:55:20] He's behind me, and thank you, Todd. Let's see if we can start. Well, I'll wait until Beth gets them handed out.

[00:55:30] Okay. Are we plugged in? We're warming up. As I walked in, I believe you were discussing Tom Whipple this morning, and I just as an aside want you all to know that in the redistricting of 1991, which some of us on the board remember, he was the one that did a lot of the designing of the districts.

[00:56:07] and so we appreciate tom for many reasons he had all the data good morning let's see the opening slide well maybe we'll see the opening slide well i'm waiting to see the opening slide i would tell you that there would be more of us with you this morning but right now there is a recount going on

[00:56:45] um so most of the office much of the office is over at the courthouse um we have some people back up there I believe from the election office all of you all stand up and wave that are here

[00:56:58] and coming in that are remaining it disappeared again well I have a copy so let's just start with you all as we go along let me get mine back in order here and we'll see what we can do

[00:57:36] that's one thing about elections you have to be able to figure out what to do when something goes wrong. He'll catch up. In our four-year cycle, let me start by saying in our four-year cycle every year in Virginia, this year, the presidential year, is our biggest, our World Cup year, and this November election is our Super Bowl. There have been three elections this year in Fairfax County. First, the presidential primary on March 5th. Actually, a primary in both parties

[00:58:14] is two elections at once at the same time in all 264 precincts. Then in June, primaries for the United States Senate and the House of Representatives were held. Again, in all 264 precincts for the Senate and the 10th and 11th congressional districts for the House.

[00:58:35] Those were the playoffs. And I want to be sure we mention the coaching team who I was going to introduce, the registrar, Eric Spicer, Cheryl Jones, Chief Deputy Registrar, Court Whitehouse, our IT manager, Ravi Udeshi, the election manager, and electoral board members Chris Hensel and Jeff Shapiro, couldn't be with us today. And of course, our clerk to the board, Beth Methfessel, who handed your slides out.

[00:59:04] The first slide is election numbers by the category. It looks like this. And you all can read those numbers. These are the summary statistics. As you can see, this chart shows summaries of the last four years, and this one is on the top row. In 2024, 243,334 people voted on Election Day, not the highest on this chart. However, 239,326 voted at the

[00:59:39] early voting sites. That is a record. Voting by mail was lower this year than in 2020 when that was the method of choice during the pandemic. Voting by Dropbox that you see there is really a return piece of voting by mail. Those are voters who ask for a mail-in ballot to receive a ballot by mail, but prefer the Dropbox as a method of returning their voted ballot to take a chance, and they prefer that, to taking a chance with the U.S. mail since there's a

[01:00:15] deadline involved. A while back, there was a study of how younger people vote, and it was discovered that a barrier to voting by mail for them was knowing how and where to buy a stamp. Sean Stewart and his teams organized and managed the absentee by mail and the pre-processing of return mail ballots as well as provisional the provisional cap there were a lot of different tasks going on at the same time checking in return mail and drop box ballots opening extracting scanning curing lots of different teams at lots

[01:00:54] of different times in the process the most dramatic change on this chart is the number of accepted provisional ballots there'll be more about that later next is the voter turnout slide and I call this one sort of the jagged edge of our issue here the turnout slide that's this one are we on oh there it is okay and I can see it too the turnout slide the turnout this year as calculated by the Virginia Department of Elections was 72% down from 2020's 79%

[01:01:33] While the number of active voters is lower than four years ago, our total voter numbers, including inactive voters, is now 821,347, higher than the 787 to 14 in 2020.

[01:01:53] We think that is because during the pandemic, a lot of people actually moved and are still on the inactive list. This chart reminds us, as it goes up and down, that every year is a different kind of election, but the presidential year is the highest turnout, followed by the upcoming gubernatorial election.

[01:02:18] To keep in the sports spirit, to quote an old Washington football coach, the future is now, or rather, next November. This is our annual early voting slide. As noted earlier, 239,326 voters voted early, 53,569 here at the government center alone.

[01:02:46] That's larger than a number of localities in Virginia. The top three sites on the list opened on September 20, the day required by law to have ballots printed and mailed out to those who have requested an absentee ballot, and those also on the permanent absentee list. Starting 45 days before the election, voters must also be able to vote a ballot at the office of the registrar, which is the office here in the government center. The ballot mail out and availability requirement is a Virginia code requirement. And I want to take a little minute

[01:03:23] here, Supervisor Stork, to point out that I agree with you that we need to do some differentiation between government center so that you and Supervisor Alcorn don't have people coming at the wrong times. Everybody thinks their own government center is the only government center, and so we'll correct that.

[01:03:43] The other 13 opened on October 17th and ended on Saturday, November 2nd. As you note once again, West Springfield and McLean were the leaders of the group, but Franconia and Mason took third and fourth this year with Burke Center Library falling to fifth from third last year. I want you to know that the playoff committee keeps track of the rankings.

[01:04:13] Florence Brown and Bill Turley assembled an early voting team of election officers and rovers that were efficient, knowledgeable, accurate, and cheerful. There were no issues the team could not handle quickly with the knowledgeable assistance of IT, including the day when the electricity went out here in the government center. Everything ran on batteries for a bit.

[01:04:38] Voters kept right on voting. Lines did not go out the front door. In almost every early voting site I visited, and I visited all of them, someone took me aside to say how much they appreciated the organization and the team.

[01:04:54] The election really can't go on without Cord Whitehouse and his IT team. They create the ballot and test it so that the machines can read it correctly, all according to the Virginia Department of Election guidelines. They make sure the poll pads work correctly.

[01:05:10] The election is not finished until they've reported all the results data to the Virginia Department of Elections and posted it on our Fairfax County website on election night. Even then, their tests aren't done. The next slide is the provisional slide.

[01:05:29] This one's pretty dramatic. I'm making a mess here. This was the first presidential election where voter registration and voting a provisional ballot on the same day was available. That's known as SDR to us, same-day registration. The office expected about 10,000 of them. There may have even been an office

[01:05:57] pool, but nobody expected 16,153 to come in, 14,246 same-day registration provisionals, and 1,907 regular ones. As you see there, on the recommendation of the registrar, the electoral Board accepted 13,822 provisionals and 1,871 regular provisionals for a total of 15,643.

[01:06:33] Again, larger than some of the jurisdictions in Virginia. That is an amazing number. It's also an amazing acceptance number. Completing research on that many registrations quickly and then processing the provisional ballots was an enormous task that requires accuracy and alacrity.

[01:06:55] The registrar needs that information to recommend action to the Electoral Board for action and time for the final abstracts to be submitted. Thank you all for your help in getting the state legislature last session to extend the deadline by three days.

[01:07:12] We would never have made the old deadline. We made this one, but it took everyone working every day after the election, including the weekend and Veterans Day, to get that task done by November 15th. So thank you. We and all the other offices in the state appreciate it.

[01:07:31] Bushra Ardalan and her team answered questions from voters before the election, processed registration, and researched provisionals. They were extremely organized and diligent, and they were cheerful about it. Election day was exceptionally smooth.

[01:07:48] We didn't get as many calls as we thought, and I suspect you all didn't get as many calls as you thought you might. Thanks to the organization of Ravi Udeshi, election manager, Gretchen Coleman, election officer manager, Sean Rogers, training operation manager, and the entire group of those who recruit and assign officers, work with the rovers, do election officer training, and answer a million questions on election day, not to mention organizing the canvas afterwards.

[01:08:18] Now I want you to turn to the training slide. We don't talk about this very much, but training is required for election officers. But in Fairfax County, as you can see there, we go beyond the requirements.

[01:08:35] This chart shows all training opportunities, both required and additional voluntary ones, that occur in the period before the election. As you can see, REOs take advantage of those opportunities, and there are various ways.

[01:08:50] They come in person, they can do Zoom webinars, or they can do on-demand. So it has expanded considerably, and the efforts the office has made to do that show in the operations at the satellites and on election days.

[01:09:10] If you'll now turn to the election day polling place slide. I think that's the next one. There it is. More statistics. the numbers are great. As you can see by the numbers, it takes facility, what it takes in facilities, personnel and equipment for election day and for early voting. And for election day, it's enormous. First, I'd like you to note so that we can thank FCPS. We use 123 elementary schools, 17 middle schools, three secondary schools, and 17 high schools and seven administrative

[01:09:47] buildings our county buildings and thanks thanks to fcps but also thanks to the park authority we use park authority facilities community centers thanks to ncs senior centers a fire station and animal shelter gmu and the vdot headquarters so we make use of everything we possibly can we also have 29 private facilities and you see there that we must co-locate precincts in 33 locations. That means we have two separate precincts in the building: 30 in

[01:10:23] schools, two in churches, and one in a community center. That's very difficult sometimes in some of our elementary schools, because since students don't drive yet, there's often not enough parking there if the students are in school or if the parents are coming there, because when we have two precincts worth of workers. And this year, there were anywhere from 10 to 15 workers. And if you have two precincts, you've got that many cars for workers. And then there are people that work outside and all those other things. So parking is an issue. But we appreciate Fairfax County

[01:11:01] Public Schools as well. And you see the early voting locations. You know those because many of them are in your offices and so thank you for that um up in election officers for election day it was 3,700 election officers as you recall last year i think mr chairman you mentioned that you discovered it was 3,277 total workers for the whole election the presidential election requires more workers because there are more people coming to the polls um rovers 38 we have 20 rover uh 30

[01:11:38] Rover Routes. Rovers are not a singing group, but a group of people that help us do almost everything. These rovers go around on election day to replace equipment, to answer questions, to do all kinds of things. But they also help in various ways, preparing, training, working with the machinery, the L&A testing, all kinds of things that they do for us at

[01:12:08] times of year they need it and we need it and we appreciate that. Now let's turn. There are a lot of materials by the way and manuals and instructions and scissors and pens and folders that have to go to each of the 264 precincts. Many of those things change every year because of rules and regulations so they have to be changed as well. Kay Garrison and her team acquire, edit, produce all of the things that go in the chief's bag and it really is a bag it's a roller suitcase the officers need

[01:12:47] tape extension cords maps everything you can think of it all goes out before the day or so before the election and it all comes back on election night and you can come up sometime and by the next week you wouldn't know anything had gone the operation to deliver all this equipment to precincts before the election day and bring it back afterwards is a big one. Tyrone Allen and his group, including Rovers, are really operating a giant moving company. Thank you to his team as well as Fairfax County Public Schools moving team and the county DPMM for delivering the voting machines to all

[01:13:27] those locations and picking them back up and putting them back afterwards. His group also organizes the election night return materials and if you want to see an amazing line of traffic come some night here after the election and watch them all line up and bring stuff back and thank you also to the clerk of the court it couldn't be done without those partners 264 precincts at 231 locations require a large complicated deployment of people and equipment

[01:14:00] After redistricting in 2021, as you recall, Fairfax County added 17 precincts, primarily because of the way the redistricting lines were drawn. And during that process, in some places, we were able and you were able to address the size of some of our bigger precincts.

[01:14:21] Just this year, you approved consolidating two precincts into one based on information brought to us by the chief election officer of that precinct. However, many of our very small precincts, and we have about 10 that are under 1,000, cannot be consolidated because of the lines of a congressional district, the Senate, the House, or the magisterial district.

[01:14:49] And you now have to have everybody in the precinct have the same ballot. we don't have split precincts anymore. Look at the slide of the precinct highlighting the large precincts in the fast-growing areas. This is an amazing slide. There's difficult news and there's good news. There are now six precincts with over 5,000 active voters and another 17 with 5,000 total voters, which includes inactive voters. This slide shows the location of 13 of them.

[01:15:27] The top three on that list have, on the list, have over 5,000 active voters. So you see there, Coates, Marshall, and McGarrity, all three have over 5,000 active voters. Our largest precinct, Coates has 6,221 active voters and 7,248 total voters. According to Virginia Code, if more than 4,000 voters vote in a precinct on a presidential election day, the governing body must be notified.

[01:16:07] This year, two precincts had over 4,000 voters in this election. However, because many voted early, there were not 4,000 voters in the precinct on election day in the polling place, so this isn't that notice. It is, however, it is noticed that there are many precincts that are growing rapidly and are outgrowing their locations. By the next presidential election, areas particularly in Tyson's Corner and in Reston, Herndon, and along the Dulles Toll Road, in Merrifield and around

[01:16:44] Huntington have precincts that are already large and are increasing dramatically in residential development. There are other locations, too, in the county where there are large precincts. There are several requirements a voting location must meet: ADA requirements, a large enough room with enough electrical outlets, and enough space for check-in tables, voting tables, polling machines, and enough parking to reserve spaces for voters and provide for curbside voting.

[01:17:19] It's getting more and more difficult to find those locations in areas where they are needed. That was the difficult news. Now for the good news. As this slide shows, the policies that this Board of Supervisors has followed for about 35 years of supporting mass transit and locating density including residential density around it are working if you look on that slide you see the cluster out in the western part of the Dulles corridor you

[01:17:54] see McGarrity you see all of those that are marked around the various metro lines but you also see two precincts about around the VRE lines so it your system works in those areas and in high density areas also like Bailey's Crossroads, and other areas. As part of the development or redevelopment process, please consider requiring the inclusion of a large enough community room that can be used as a polling

[01:18:28] place. I've been told that Arlington has such a provision. Fairfax County could have one too. The second thing, in the largest precincts, a substantial number of voters voted early.

[01:18:44] Early voting is helping to reduce the pressure to increase the number of precincts. You've just seen the already extensive operation to provision 264 precincts for one day.

[01:19:02] Three, the large precincts that have locations that meet the requirements are great locations. Schools, particularly high schools, are excellent locations. They have gyms, cafeterias, and parking, and they meet ADA requirements, again, thanks to FCPS.

[01:19:22] The next slide, the high school page program. This is not a new program, but it has grown exponentially in recent years. The number of pages and number of participating schools was the largest ever.

[01:19:38] Online registration and online qualification has spurred the expansion. You see there that they're required to get 100%. They may take it several times, and many of our students took it several times before they qualified, but they are very useful to have.

[01:19:57] They enjoy it, and the voters enjoy it because they can do things at the polls that need to be done, like directing lines and all kinds of things. Next slide. This is part of the outreach slide.

[01:20:13] We have the yellow sample ballot that we send out every year that people come with to the polls clutching so they know not only where to go and when to go there, but also who's on the ballot. Again, we didn't have the problem this year that we've had last of not having D's and R's.

[01:20:33] This is an important thing for early voters to have as well so that they know when those times are. The other part there is the vote we had online this year, the voter outreach, so that prospective voters could see line length.

[01:20:54] Now, most times for our line length, we're pretty short, but they could check them, and people actually did. Next slide. Special thanks to Director Tony Castrulli of the Office of Public Affairs, who's behind me. He has been standing behind us a lot this year.

[01:21:12] and his staff, Greg Lacameli, I may butcher that, Greg, I'm sorry, and Don Nieders of the Office of Public Affairs. They worked well with the office to be sure that information and distribution was accurate and timely, as well as having teams at several polling places to meet with official visitors from all over the world.

[01:21:34] You see on this slide the result of those extensive efforts to keep Fairfax County public informed. And we also want to thank you for the slide. This is, they really, lots of people look their things, their information up.

[01:21:51] As you know, putting on an election takes a lot of help from the entire county. Special thanks to the clerk of the court, Chris Falcon, and his crew for their help with the election, with the RLA, the audit that happened the week after the election in the courthouse, And the special election recount, and it's not a special election, the recount that's going on now at the courthouse for the Herndon Town Council.

[01:22:18] And that's where most everyone is today. While I mentioned that many, many of the agencies that have been indispensable for a successful election, there are many more. From the county attorney's office, Marty Desjardins and Dan Robinson answered a lot of questions thanks to them.

[01:22:37] The thank you list is long. To DIT and Kim Satterwhite, to HR for help in bringing on lots of people, to the Department of Emergency Management, to the Fairfax Police Department and Fire Department, to the security team, and of course to the county executive and his team of deputies, thank you.

[01:22:58] Saving the best for last, of course, thanks to you, the Board of Supervisors, for providing the resources, the space in your offices, the promulgation of information in your newsletters, so the citizens of Fairfax County can participate in elections that are safe, secure, accessible, and accurate.

[01:23:22] Thank you for what you do. I'll answer questions if I can. Thank you, Kate. Outstanding report and statistics and numbers as always. We appreciate and we do this during board meetings so that board members can ask questions, but we also do it during board meetings because we want to recognize the amazing people that you mentioned in your presentation for the work that they've done.

[01:23:46] And I'm not going to name them like you just did, because I don't want to get in trouble and forget someone. And I say that because I hope what people have gathered from watching this is that this is a whole Team Fairfax effort.

[01:24:03] And you just heard Kate mention a number of the agencies, people involved. This organization during elections, especially presidential elections, is a different organization than during normal times. And I do want to thank all the people who go the extra mile to make this happen and being in this building and being able to go out and visit the early voting locations, a bunch of them across the county, but in particular, the three earliest of the earliest locations.

[01:24:32] I was just amazed at how smooth the operations were and having talked to several of the voters there, their appreciation for how easy it was. I mean, they had braced themselves to come and spend an hour here, and they were in and out in five or ten minutes, and they were tremendously appreciative of that.

[01:24:50] And I point that out because I do think the future is in early voting, and the numbers show that here. I mean, if you look at that chart, you know, we had less than a third in 2020 of people voting early, and when you look at what just happened this year, we had almost half of the people voting early.

[01:25:09] And so I think to the points you made about thinking about our early voting locations, potential expansions of those, relieving pressure from some of the precincts on Election Day. And most importantly, if you went to one of those and you had a good experience, that's how you're going to vote in the future.

[01:25:26] And so having talked to the folks who went through it this year, there is no doubt in my mind they would prefer to do that every year moving forward. And I think that's a testament to all the great work that was done by you, your team, and the folks who made that early voting effort so successful.

[01:25:44] And I know it's a lot of work for the elections, folks. It's one thing to have one big day, Election Day. It's another to have big day, Election Day, starting in September and pretty much running all the way through and after, still at it, after Election Day.

[01:26:00] And so the early voting piece is really phenomenal. The only other thing I want to comment on, and then I have a question, is the wait times that were on the web page were a tremendously positive addition this year. And I think one of the reasons that's so important is because I think we all were looking at slide six, which had the total number of voters by location.

[01:26:23] And one of the challenges we have at some of these locations, and I know it from having seen it firsthand, is instinctively people go to some of these a lot more frequently than others. And one of the benefits of the wait time is knowing that there are other options not far from where you are where you can go vote.

[01:26:43] And I know I steered close to my own house. Supervisor Luss will appreciate this. I steered a ton of people away from the Franconia Government Center down to the Lorton Community Center and told them, you can go down there and vote and get back in way less time.

[01:26:59] You can probably vote there before it takes you the time to find a parking place at Franconia. And it's really only a few miles down the road. And so I think as we look to try to equalize these numbers, being able to show those wait times on there is a huge positive step forward for making people think about the other locations and the time it might take them to vote.

[01:27:20] And I think it's particularly important as more people are choosing to vote early. And so much appreciated. The only question I have is I think, you know, obviously the voter rolls purge that was done by the governor leading up to the election, very close to the election, concerned a lot of folks, in particular reading a horror story involving two Fairfax County people.

[01:27:45] One at Franconia, who was a longtime voter and someone who was shocked to find out that they weren't on the voter list. And then the 18-year-old student at George Mason University, who was on CNN, talking about how they could not vote, and they clearly were registered voters.

[01:28:05] And so I guess my question is a hard question maybe to answer, but looking at the provisional ballot numbers, Do we have any idea how many of those were people who were purged from the voting records at the last minute leading up to the election?

[01:28:21] And is there any way to determine that? And what was the last part? And is there any way to determine that? No. We, the electoral board, don't see that by name. We see that by number. And we think that is the most incredibly fair way to do that, and not everyone does.

[01:28:44] So should someone discover that that's a provisional, but I don't really like them. Their dog runs in my yard. I won't accept that vote. We don't do that. No, we don't keep records that way. But we did everything we could to be sure that everyone was researched.

[01:29:05] And if they came back on the rolls, they were noted that way. Okay. And I asked that question because I knew the answer, but not a lot of people do. Thanks. Not a lot of people do. And I was approached by folks very concerned that Fairfax County took these people they read about in the paper or read about on CNN off the voter rolls.

[01:29:29] And I had to tell them, no, that's not what we do, and explain to them the process. And so those two stories were well documented in national news media and got a lot of attention and involved two people here registered to vote in Fairfax County.

[01:29:46] And I think that's why it set off the alarm bells that it sent. But it was an unfortunate thing for many reasons, not the least of which is the added confusion for all the people who were trying to work and process and update the poll books.

[01:30:02] And then, of course, the people who absolutely were legal registered voters having to go through what they had to go through to make sure that their ballot could be counted. And so I bring it up as just another example of the real-world challenges that are faced when these things happen, not just by the voters, but all the people working to run the voting system.

[01:30:24] Other questions or comments? I'm going to start on my left, and we'll work our way right. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just start. where you were referencing the Fraconia Governmental Center. And I will note that we do have challenges there, particularly around the parking.

[01:30:42] And I want to thank Kate and the Electoral Board for the work they did to try to resolve some of that as it related to trying to change the ingress and egress with cones and have better control. But I want to make another statement, which I think I'm most excited about, which is when the new government center opens this summer, we'll be ready for the next election.

[01:31:05] The next election will not be in our old facility, so we should be fine on both parking and then just managing the lines within the space. At least November, right? If there's elections in the spring. We hope so. I meant after the summer.

[01:31:21] There are time frames required for us to be sure that we can tell the citizenry where the election is going to be. So you keep us posted on when it's the minute it opens. I think we actually got into the Wharton Center almost even before it opened.

[01:31:38] It was the first time we got in there. But let us know so that we can meet. We look forward to using that new location. You all will need to set in an ordinance. And you know it takes some time to do that. So let us know immediately so that we can get all that done in advance.

[01:31:59] Thank you. We will definitely do that. All right. Other questions or comments? Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. First of all, I just want to echo the thank yous.

[01:32:15] I know to you, to your staff, to everyone who works on Election Day, they don't skip be even when they have turnover or as we had recently a death very much appreciate we vote almost non-stop here in Virginia and your staff is incredible I had back to slide for just a couple of this is the election numbers by category the election numbers by category okay try me again go ahead okay thank you so first of all looking at at those numbers and I've heard anecdotally

[01:32:52] how helpful it's been that there's for mail-in that so many people are able to just get on the automatic list and then even if they decide not to they can put it in the Dropbox I guess it's a question for you is there something we can do more to help people understand that that's an option I think it's still new to a lot of people especially our seniors that they know that a Dropbox is an option or the permanent absentee absentee yes we do let people know that the permanent absentee list is an interesting complication because people get on it one year and then the next year they say I didn't ask for this

[01:33:30] ballot and so we explained that it is the permanent absentee list but yes we let them know and those on the original day that the mail out goes out the permanent absentee list automatically gets a ballot okay that's helpful yeah They also have to request, by the way, notify which party if there is an election with a party designation.

[01:33:55] And every now and then somebody tells us, no, they didn't do that. So it is a complicated list to manage, but it is very helpful for those that want to be sure that they, well, who always want to vote absentee by mail. Absolutely.

[01:34:10] Well, thank you. If you can help us with that message, because while some people might be confused, others I've heard really appreciate not even having to think about it and knowing that they're on the list. So I love that and seeing that number grow. And the other thing, I just want to thank you and your staff. I know you mentioned that there's some confusion about the different government centers with the satellites.

[01:34:30] I know at least in our community center, it was helpful because people often come early knowing that it's a regular early voting site. And once they see early voting opens, they come out. And I know this year, at least, there was signage. I don't know if we have that everywhere, just to make sure people are aware, helping us push.

[01:34:49] There's so many different opening dates at this point. Your location, of course, is one of those that, like this location, that is also a precinct on Election Day. And that requires a certain amount of signage to be sure that people know on Election Day they can't come from outside of here.

[01:35:09] this is one of the various very largest precincts on election day anyway but has plenty of parking and so it's it's fairly complicated and if there's any signage you think we can add to to help we will very much appreciate it and a final shout out to the wait times those are agreed incredibly helpful when I ran across them so thank you for that work good supervisor Alcorn thank you first of all congratulations I think you know everybody this is this is all those

[01:35:42] people I just watched yeah remarkably smoothly I think particularly with the early voting this year went very smoothly you know the wait times were we're way down so I think all in all very successful I did want to just touch on something you mentioned in terms of precincts and our faster-growing parts of the county particularly transit oriented areas you know and poking around a little bit it looks like in Arlington there are at least a couple of locations that are on the first floor they're common areas of residential

[01:36:21] buildings and I think that would potentially qualify at least in the spirit of during our land use process the residential development criteria public facilities, not permanent public facilities, but there would be more temporary uses, public facility uses.

[01:36:41] I guess my question is the parking tends to be more limited in those places. So would this be a situation where these might be newer or emerging precincts where, frankly, the lines are drawn that more people would be expected to walk to vote?

[01:37:01] Yes, we do have some requirements for being able to have a curbside voting, so there needs to be some access there. The parking, if it's available, needs to be within a certain amount of walking distance.

[01:37:17] A building, for example, that you and I are both familiar with, the one I live in, in the hot precinct that voted the most highest absentee in the common, probably in the commonwealth, but in the county.

[01:37:36] We have, for example, enough parking in the back, but we don't have a room inside. So we have enough parking. We have a drive-up. We have all of that, but we don't have the room inside. The other situation in Bailey's, where we have one precinct that is entirely, and we have one in the rotunda already, where it's one precinct entirely within the building.

[01:38:04] And so we do some of that. I think Huntington Montebello is going to be one of the things that we need to look at. But the challenge is that we have to have boundaries that we can identify for the precinct.

[01:38:23] And we've talked a lot over the years about Kate's moat, that if you ever see me out digging a moat around Montebello so that I can have something to identify on the map. But I think we might have figured that out in a way to do that, because you have to have an identifiable line on the map to create a precinct.

[01:38:42] So that's kind of a challenge as well. But I think there are opportunities to address the parking, all those issues. But it's complicated. Okay, well, just very quickly, I think one of the things that would be helpful, and perhaps we can talk about this internally, is during the development review process, when there's a potential voting location to have basically elections folks take a look at that and basically opine whether or not it could be appropriate or if there might, with some small tweaks, might be appropriate as a voting location.

[01:39:17] One of the things that Supervisor Palchak knows, we have five precincts serving Tysons already, one of which is in Hunter Mill, and I believe it is going to have a room ultimately in that part of it where they can vote. But the parking is difficult.

[01:39:33] Right now we're using the park, a building that you all own, which is wonderful because the building is just wide open inside. The inside's almost bigger than the parking lot. There are a lot of people that walk into those. I think the other part of Tyson's votes in a room that is a county community room, and I think that may be coming to an end in the future.

[01:39:55] The room is the total size of maybe that little corner over there, so we had to split it. We also managed to split a number of precincts around the Vienna Metro Station. You don't see the Vienna Metro Station on your map much because redistricting required us to split a bunch of those precincts already.

[01:40:20] So it's complicated, and I think the citizens are going to need you to kind of focus on that. As Supervisor Bierman knows, having the largest precinct in the county, that is in the school currently.

[01:40:38] One of the options, of course, is to split it within the school, but that really doesn't help too much. It's an elementary school, so we'll be talking to you about what do we do now? What do you do now? Kate, something I think that would be helpful to all of us along the lines of what Supervisor Alcorn is mentioning is if there's somewhat of a cheat sheet of the attributes needed as we meet with people going through the process.

[01:41:04] I mean, you know, an example of where we accidentally benefited was Greenspring, and that's in a community, private community, gated, but every single eligible voter lives within the gates. And so one of the challenges that we need to understand with the community rooms is the availability not just of parking but accessible, free parking that's, you know, people can get to.

[01:41:29] I mean, there's a lot of different things that go into this, and as we see in a lot of the transit-oriented development, a lot of times there's not enough places for people who don't reside in that building to be able to come and utilize, including parking. And so one of the things I think that would be helpful for us is where you see pressure points as we're seeing transit-oriented development is for us to have just a high level.

[01:41:52] These are some basic attributes that are needed so that we can be on the lookout as they come through the process. The other thing, we've focused, and I think the transit access is noticeable, but there are also areas in the county where if there are developing detached communities, not detached from everything else, single family detached of some kind, or a community that's going to have its own community center, if its community center could be meeting the requirements.

[01:42:25] People ask us, why don't you use neighborhood community centers? Most of them do not meet all the ADA requirements. And so we can't. And so if they were required to do that, that would help.

[01:42:41] And I know that, and I know, I don't mean to interrupt, but I know, because this is a very complicated, we could spend the rest of the day on this, but what would be helpful for us, and we know you go out and investigate these and make sure to a T they meet the criteria necessary for access. among other things. But just at a high level, what we don't want to do is if we can make a tweak going through the development process and say things like, hey, you need more public parking because this might be a potential site in the future for a voting location and implement a community room with accessible, available, free public parking adjacent to it. If those are the kind of challenges that we're running into, how can we help address those through the process

[01:43:21] would be useful. We will be happy to provide you with all those instances, situations. Thank you. Thank you all. I want to make sure, Supervisor Stork, did you have any questions or comments yet? Oh, okay. Well, first off, thank you, Kate, for mentioning the issue, the challenges that we have with our early voting site. And truly, and this is not an exaggeration, the thousands of people that get out of their car.

[01:43:52] You know, I see somebody getting a walker out of the trunk, and you see somebody coming over, helping them with their walker, and you see them coming in the door. It takes them a good five minutes to get in the door, and then they realize the sign that we put in front that says does not open until 1 o'clock, whatever, that they get up there and they realize that they can't vote that day.

[01:44:12] And so it is a real issue, and I know that we can do better, and I know you addressed that up front. And I would just ask if you would want to at least share that information with us. You know, ahead of time, we'd be happy to give you feedback on it. I get what the correction needs to be, and we'll share it with you and Supervisor Alcorn.

[01:44:33] Yes, we will. Well, it's been years of this challenge, and I know the police department feel the same way because they get the same questions as well. But you have a fantastic staff that's worked that precinct and early voting precinct for a long time. They do a great job of, you know, accommodating folks.

[01:44:50] The numbers of early voting individuals has just skyrocketed. We can see that. It's almost half and half. I see that. I think we all see that trend continuing, particularly with other states who have gone total mail-in voting. You know you can see that opportunity is there.

[01:45:08] So I wanted to specifically thank the electoral board, yourself, and your team for their fantastic job, their excellent work, the smooth operations that they've had. And I also want to thank our state legislators because it was essentially four years ago that they said we can do better.

[01:45:25] We can open up this voting process. We can ensure that more people have the opportunity to vote. And the trend lines that you showed us in your graph are clearly identified how much. I mean, particularly in the local election, which all of us, I think, especially tune into, It's been a 50% increase in voting in the local, kind of the slowest election year there is.

[01:45:50] And so we recognize all that and want to continue to ask you to kind of focus on some of those other elements that can make this a smoother process for all of us. Appreciate it. Thank you. Supervisor Herity. Yeah, let me start by saying thanks for a presidential year.

[01:46:05] I thought it went exceptionally smooth. An observation, which was kind of interesting, just like traffic, It used to be early voting was like 4.30 to 6 o'clock was when it was busy. At least at West Springfield, that moved up to like 1 to 2 to 3.

[01:46:22] And it used to be able to count on rush hour traffic, not being in the middle of the day. You can't do that anymore. But the same thing happened with voting, which was kind of different. Again, just an observation. I think it was handled well. The biggest concern we typically have at the government centers is the same one we all do.

[01:46:42] Our PCAs get tired of saying you can't vote yet because they're usually the first person in the door. I want to thank you for the yellow signs that kind of announced that. And unfortunately, you can't make people read the signs, but they're there.

[01:46:59] And anything else that you can do to help there. But I do appreciate you taking the effort because I know it's been a process and we can continually improve that. but I think we're always going to have people showing up at the second sets too soon and too early.

[01:47:15] The only kind of suggestion for improvement that we got a few comments about was the bond mailing came in after pretty far into early voting. We don't do the bond mailing. Okay. We got it late, too.

[01:47:32] We don't, that is, of course, we can't, we'd like to do the early voting mailing a little earlier, but we have to wait until we get the ballot. And because that's the point, the bond mailing doesn't come out of our office.

[01:47:50] So that's just something we, I think, need to work on because I did hear a few things on that. But that was the kind of area for improvement. It probably wasn't fatal because the language is all on the bond. And it's just helpful when voters get that ahead of time. So I appreciate it. By the way, I want to, on behalf of the voters, thank your office for their parking lot.

[01:48:12] Parking lots, getting parking lots cleared. And all of you were a great help. But Springfield's parking lot this year was just so much better. Everything that didn't belong there wasn't there. And that made a big difference. Parking lots seem to be one of those places where people leave things.

[01:48:31] when they don't want to use them. And thank you as well for the Mason clearance. Very good. Same time next year. Thank you very much. Thank you. And I know we're already behind schedule, but I would like the folks who are here from your team to come down for a photo because, you know, I think, and we might not normally do this, but with all that was leading up to this election, In particular, the focus unfairly on election workers just trying to do their jobs and the intensity of that and the concern that people had.

[01:49:09] These folks who work our elections day in and day out are community heroes. And we should recognize them, knowing that a lot of them are not here. But if the ones who are here could come down, we would love to take a photo with them. Okay, come on down.

[01:49:25] I think it's everybody here. You have to take the picture.

[01:49:31] Thank you again for that presentation, Chairman of the Electoral Board, Kate Hanley.

[01:51:55] And next up, we have board adoption of the 2025 Legislative Program for the Virginia General Assembly, approval of the county's 119th Congressional Federal Legislative Strategies and Principles. And before I turn it over to staff, if they have anything they'd like to say to kick off our discussion, I will turn to the chair of our Legislative Committee, Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[01:52:18] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I will try to do this quickly because we're behind schedule. My voice might not make it through. But today, the board is adopting our state and federal legislative agendas for 2025. For state legislation, we're adopting our 2025 legislative program. And for federal legislation, we're adopting recommended strategies and principles for the 119th Congress.

[01:52:41] Each of these items were discussed at this fall's legislative committee meetings most recently on November 26th. As we've discussed at those meetings, our fundamental priorities remain the same. Although the state has recently reported a projected surplus, we know that there cannot truly be a state surplus until the state has fully met its funding commitment to core services, including shared state and local services, after years of underfunding.

[01:53:13] The Commonwealth must find ways to increase investments in K-12 education, human services, and other essential local programs and services. As in previous years, this year's program features state support for education as a top priority and urges the state to fully meet its responsibility to adequately fund K-12 education.

[01:53:34] A watershed report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commissioner J. Lark in 2023 outlined both the inadequacy of state funding and the substantial flaws in current state funding formulas. The findings of that report are striking.

[01:53:52] Virginia school divisions receive less K-12 funding per pupil than the 50-state average and the regional average, which equates to approximately $1,900 per pupil in state underfunding of a Commonwealth student. Virginia schools receive less state funding than most neighboring states, including West Virginia and Kentucky.

[01:54:16] In FY 2025, Fairfax County provided $14,223 per pupil, while the state provided just $5,484 per pupil. The state's standards of quality formula dramatically underestimates the actual cost of public education.

[01:54:37] That formula provided $6.6 billion less than what was spent by local school divisions in FY 2021. The formula does not adequately account for higher-need students using a methodology for at-risk students that underestimates the impact of large numbers of students in poverty and schools with a high concentration of poverty.

[01:55:00] The formula fails to account for local labor costs, including competitive salaries required in high costs of living regions like our own. Progress must be made in the upcoming General Assembly session on this issue.

[01:55:19] Our teachers, our schools, our kids cannot wait any longer for the Commonwealth of Virginia to fulfill its commitment to fund its share of education. This county, local taxpayers, and this board fully fund, more than fully fund, our local share of K-12 education.

[01:55:41] And Richmond has failed for decades to do that. We know it. Now is the time for action. Our Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Regional Transportation Funding Priority Statement encourages the General Assembly to fully restore the $102 million in funding to the NVTA that was diverted in 2018.

[01:56:02] This will ensure that transportation projects continue to advance in northern Virginia after decades of state underfunding of transportation. We also encourage the General Assembly to ensure sufficient funding for transportation needs, including new projects, state road maintenance, continued state assistance for local and regional transit systems, and retaining the additional funding provided by the 2024 General Assembly to address some of WMATA's shortfall in both FY25 and 26.

[01:56:32] The Commonwealth must continue working with local and regional partners to provide dedicated and sustainable funding for WMATA without diverting resources from other transportation needs in Northern Virginia and the Commonwealth. We discussed a few additional changes at the November 26th Legislative Committee meeting, which have been incorporated into the draft program and highlighted in yellow.

[01:56:57] We've also added fact sheets on the budget, transportation, and human services. There are two initiatives included in the program this year. The first seeks to add street takeovers and stunt driving to reckless driving infractions. These activities typically involve careless or uncontrolled behavior on roads and in parking lots as groups of individuals meet to engage in illegal and dangerous driving maneuvers, including racing and perilous vehicle actions designed to attract attention.

[01:57:29] This has become a growing national problem in recent years, And the frequency of these events has increased throughout Fairfax County and the National Capital Region, creating an unsafe environment for the community. Our initiative seeks to provide localities with additional tools to combat these behaviors, addressing public safety impacts as they occur while discouraging future events.

[01:57:52] And I'll note that we had a very productive meeting with respect to this legislation yesterday. Our second initiative seeks to allow Fairfax County to implement a vehicle exhaust noise pilot program. Roadway safety is an important part of everyday life as people use our roads and sidewalks to get to work, school, shopping, and home.

[01:58:12] And one aspect of Roadway Safeway that has received attention in recent years relates to modified or aftermarket mufflers on vehicles. Modified mufflers are aftermarket exhaust systems that replace the original muffler on a vehicle with a more aggressive, louder-sounding muffler.

[01:58:29] Modifying the car's exhaust to make it louder than the original muffler is illegal in most states, including Virginia. But enforcement is a challenge. Fortunately, new technologies are rapidly advancing, creating tools that address this issue. Several localities across the United States and internationally have deployed acoustic devices that use microphones to detect loud, sustained vehicle noise exceeding a certain decibel level.

[01:58:58] These devices can be placed adjacent to a roadway and are activated when a microphone picks up sound from a vehicle exceeding the noise limit. As this technology is new and has not yet been implemented in Virginia, a limited local pilot program could provide informative, revealing information, revealing benefits to traffic safety and quality of life.

[01:59:22] Second, the board today is also considering our federal legislative strategy for the 119th Congress. As the board is aware, the political and fiscal landscape in Congress has been volatile, and we are likely to see continued uncertainty in the future as the Trump administration returns.

[01:59:42] The recent presidential election signals potentially sweeping changes affecting the relationship between the county and the federal government, as well as challenges for a wide variety of federal policy issues related to Fairfax County priorities. Given the policy priorities of the previous Trump administration combined with proposals the president-elect espoused during the November 2024 election, there are likely to be many impacts that are negative.

[02:00:10] We will proactively and strongly advocate for county priorities and services. And I just want to be clear that plans to slash or relocate federal employees are a direct attack on Virginia and a direct attack on Fairfax County and the people that we represent.

[02:00:29] Threats of, quote, mass deportation threaten our local economy and threaten our successful efforts to make sure that Fairfax continues to be the safest large jurisdiction in the nation. Fairfax County continues to pursue a strategic approach to federal funding opportunities with a focus on economic development, transportation, and protecting the social safety net.

[02:00:52] We will continue to advocate for the relocation of federal facilities to the county and actively work to protect existing federal investments in the county, particularly our military installations, civilian federal workforce, and federal contractors, which are so vital to our local economy.

[02:01:11] At our most recent legislative committee meeting, we discussed a number of changes and additions to the federal program, which have been incorporated into the draft strategies and principles. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I want to make sure I take the opportunity to thank our legislative staff, Claudia Arco, Jennifer Van E., Ariel McAloon, Noel Dominguez, Kristen Kanasky, Alexa Tellez-Mancy, and Megan Park.

[02:01:36] And the legislative staff have done incredible work helping us to develop the programs this year. I'll also note that, you know, this effort, the legislative program effort, is really a whole of government effort. So every agency has been involved, every board authority and commission has been involved providing input, and a lot of people have put in a lot of work to ensure we have the information we've needed to develop the program.

[02:02:02] So I want to thank everybody that contributed, including each of you who participated so actively in our legislative committee meetings. With that, Mr. Chairman, I move that the board adopt the 2025 legislative program. I also move that the board adopt the recommended strategies and principles for the 119th Congress.

[02:02:20] I'm happy to second that motion along with a lot of folks. Discussion on the motion? Any further discussion, Supervisor Walkinshaw? Just very briefly, just want to remind everyone that our work session with the General Assembly will be here on December 10th.

[02:02:36] The reception will begin at 3 o'clock in the conference room reception area, and the work session will begin at 3.30. The 2025 General Assembly session begins Wednesday, January 8, 2025, and our first legislative committee meeting during the session will be Friday, January 17 at 4 p.m. in Conference Room 11.

[02:02:59] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinschell. Supervisor Smith. I want to thank my colleagues and staff for their work on this. And in the federal program on page 16, I just have to read this sentence out loud, and I appreciate my colleagues that brought up the ALICE, the Asset Limited Income Constraint Employed ALICE Population.

[02:03:19] It says, additionally, 76% of those experienced food insecurity were employed, and 20% of households earning the regional median income of $120,000 experienced food insecurity, highlighting the particular challenges facing high-cost living regions.

[02:03:37] And I just think that's information average people in our community don't understand, and I think that's powerful language, so thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Further discussion? Supervisor Beerman. I want to thank you for your addition also in the federal package on page 19 regarding education.

[02:03:58] We've repeatedly put numbers on state underfunding of our schools out of JLARC. We can all, by rote memory, talk about $1,900 per pupil, or over $500 million, or if $1,900 per pupil were applied to 180,000 students, that would be $360 million.

[02:04:17] But it's also nice to have a number here, which is pointing out that FCPS projects that IDEA funding for fiscal year 2025 will be $41 million, which is well below the full funding amount of 40%, which was promised when this was put in, which would provide an additional 127.9 million to FCPS for fiscal year 2025 that's funding for our special education students that we're not getting that would be extremely helpful in a school system with with more than 20,000 almost 30,000 special needs

[02:04:53] students thank you thank you supervisor Beerman and let me just point out a couple things first this will be the 16th legislative package I voted on as a as a county supervisor, and it is the most important one ever.

[02:05:10] You know, this is a lot like budget, where you can maybe find a sentence here or one policy in there you don't agree with and use that as an excuse to vote no. But what is very clear this year, two very clear things. One, we just had a budget meeting last week where we just heard a number of statistics from our legislative chair, but one of the things we heard from our budget office is that if the state fulfilled the JLARC recommendations, that they transferred to us the money that they owed us based on their own standards, that the average taxpayer in Fairfax

[02:05:50] County would see an over $1,000 reduction in their real estate taxes. If you care about the real estate tax burden on people in Fairfax County, you can't not care about this issue and you can't not support what this legislative package says. This is a moment in time where you stand up not only for public education, but you stand up for the taxpayers in Fairfax County who are dealing with the burden of the state underfunding public education. If nothing else was in this package, that would be enough to stand up and fight for, even though there are a lot of other

[02:06:28] things in here that speak to the values of Fairfax County. But that is a fundamental financial issue in this package that our taxpayers need if we want to seriously talk about real estate tax relief. And then secondly, the federal package, this is by far the most important one. Do you stand up and fight for federal workers who are dedicated public employees, who are sophisticated in their field, and who have the experience to do their job without political harassment?

[02:07:01] Do you stand up for our office community and commercial development and the thousands of private contractors who benefit from their relationship with the federal government or not? A big driver of our economy as well.

[02:07:17] This is the most important legislative package this board has seen since I've been on the board for those two reasons alone. And I need to emphasize those two things because sometimes we can get lost in the weeds of all the things in here. But if you're unconvinced, read the federal section that has all the statistics about federal contracts and federal contractors in the private sector who could be completely upended.

[02:07:44] Read the statistics and the number of federal employees who call Fairfax County home who are public servants and go to work every day out of patriotism and sophistication. And read the challenges we're facing with our budget and any budget story, and you will know why it is so important to fight for public education funding.

[02:08:03] if you're going to be real about real estate tax relief in Fairfax County. And so I appreciate the work, as Supervisor Walkinshaw said, of the entire organization to pull together these statistics, put together this package, appreciate the testimony that we heard from some of our residents at the last meeting, and most importantly, thank our legislative staff and Supervisor Walkinshaw.

[02:08:27] Having chaired this committee for a lot of years, I know how much work it is to get to this point. And I also know that this is the starting point of a lot more work that's going to go into the General Assembly session when we send our team to Richmond to fight for us and to fight for the financial well-being of the residents of Fairfax County.

[02:08:46] And so thank you all for your work on that. With that, you've heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Parity, nay. Any abstentions? And that motion passes nine to one.

[02:09:04] And Supervisor Walkinshaw has already announced the next upcoming meetings. And so with that, again, thank you to our team. Good luck in Richmond, and we soon will be seeing you every Friday. Next, we will move on to board matters. And as usual, these have been compiled digitally.

[02:09:21] We'll go alphabetical by district, following myself and Chairman Smith. And I am going to turn the gavel over to Vice Chairman Smith so that I can read the following board matters. First is, I move to approve without objection the proclamation requested here, which is a proclamation to recognize January as Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month.

[02:09:45] Without objection, it is so ordered. Thank you. My next board matter is done jointly with Supervisor Bierman, the chair of our Transportation Committee. And this is to recognize the Best Workplaces for Commuters Awards in 2024 and 2025. Our Fairfax County Department of Transportation, FCDOT, commuter services team continues to collaborate with the University of South Florida Center for Urban Transportation Research to identify Fairfax County employers who are potential candidates for the nationally acclaimed Best Workplaces for Commuters designation.

[02:10:19] The BWC program aims to motivate Fairfax County employers to offer transportation alternatives to single-occupant vehicle commuting, such as ride-sharing, transit, biking, walking, teleworking, and other transportation demand management strategies to improve mobility and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region.

[02:10:39] I'm pleased to announce that 10 new Fairfax County employers have qualified for the 2024-25 BWC designation, which brings the total number of employers holding this designation in Fairfax County to 151. The green commuting programs implemented by these employers promote environmental stewardship, advance sustainability, and reduce traffic congestion in our county and region, thus improving the quality of life for all residents and businesses of Fairfax County.

[02:11:10] Fairfax County Commuter Services continues to work with each of these Fairfax County businesses and organizations to implement the full range of commuter and trip production programs which comprise the characteristics of the best workplaces for commuters program. These efforts help Fairfax County attract and retain a quality workforce and further position our employers as national leaders in green commuting. Therefore, I move that the county executive through the FCDOT staff be directed to invite this year's recipients of the best workplaces for commuters awards at the Board of Supervisors meeting in February 2025 to formally receive their awards.

[02:11:47] I'll second that. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? That motion carries, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Next is formation of partnership with Yongin Republic of Korea.

[02:12:04] In October of this year, I received a letter from Lee Sang-il, the mayor of Yongin Special City Republic of Korea, seeking to establish a formal relationship with Fairfax County based on business, academic, and tourism exchanges. Subsequently, officials from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, FCEDA, visited Yongin and believe a relationship with Yongin would offer great economic development opportunities for the county.

[02:12:31] Yongin, located in the greater Seoul area, is a global leader in semiconductor technology. It is a city rich in high-tech startups looking to have a presence in the United States market, particularly in the industry areas of AI, space commercialization, and quantum computing, all things we've heard about significantly from our EDA.

[02:12:53] Major Korean tech companies like Samsung and SK Hynix have a significant presence in Yongin, demonstrating the national appeal of the city to the technology industry. To continue to elevate our global competitiveness in these high-growth technology sectors, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct the county executive to use the attached proposal prepared by Yongin and work with the mayor and their team, as well as our Fairfax County EDA and our Office of the County Attorney, visit Fairfax and other community stakeholders to prepare a partnership agreement that recognizes the mutual benefits to Fairfax County and

[02:13:31] Yongin, and I further move that the board authorize me to sign on behalf of the board a partnership agreement incorporating the terms of the attached proposal. A signing ceremony may take place during the mayor of Yongin's visit to Fairfax County in mid-January of 2025.

[02:13:47] And I have attached the letter I've received and the proposal. And as you can see, there is no fiscal impact of doing this, but is an important exchange for us in furthering the economic success goals of the EDA and these emerging industries.

[02:14:03] I'll second that along with Supervisor Beerman. Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? That motion carries, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chairman Smith. And then finally, I have another joint board matter with Jimmy Beerman, Dranesville District Supervisor, honoring the town of Herndon, Mayor Sheila Olam.

[02:14:22] Earlier this year, a town of Herndon, Mayor Sheila Olam announced that she would not seek re-election in November since joining the Herndon Town Council in 2010 and serving as mayor since 2019. Mayor Olam has been a tireless advocate for her community, providing exceptional leadership and strengthening the partnership between Herndon and Fairfax County. Our board collaborates closely with the town on various initiatives and this partnership has been significantly enhanced by Mayor Olam's leadership. Her dedication as both mayor and a compassionate neighbor has positively impacted the entire Fairfax County community. Therefore, we request

[02:14:57] that the office of public affairs prepare a resolution honoring mayor olum for years of service to be presented at a future board of supervisors meeting in january or february of 2025. without objection it is so ordered thank you very much uh vice chair smith and that is the end of my board matters uh and next up is you vice chairman smith thank you on april 11 2023 the the Board of Supervisors authorized the consideration of a plan amendment for Tax Map Parcel 33-2 Double Circle 1-1 as part of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Work Program.

[02:15:35] The site is currently planned for high-quality, campus-style office and industrial flex use up to a maximum intensity of 0.35 FAR. Staff was directed to consider warehouse or surface parking for vehicle storage up to 0.35 FAR, with specific considerations to include the delineation and preservation of the Cobrun Environmental Quality Corridor, stormwater improvements, and viable inter-parcel access.

[02:16:04] The property is currently vacant and is subject to a concurrent rezoning RZ2020-SU-005. During review of the zoning application, the applicant identified additional uses, such as new vehicle storage, vehicle storage yard, storage yard, and/or contractor's office and shop for consideration, which would provide increased flexibility while continuing to limit impacts on the existing sensitive environmental resources on the site.

[02:16:30] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to expand the uses under consideration for Plan Amendment 2023-3-4-UP to include a new vehicle storage, storage yard storage yard and a contractor's office and shop up to 10 000 square feet of gross floor area with continued consideration of environmental constraints storm water improvements and viable intercrossal access this motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation on these applications by the board it does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinance regulations or adopted standards this action in no way

[02:17:09] prejudices the substantive review of the applications heard the motion it's been seconded by a supervisor Palchuk supervisor Beerman any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries supervisor Smith thank you thank you very much supervisor Walkinshaw thank you mr. chairman I have two board matters the first is a joint board matter with you with supervisor Smith and with Supervisor Palchuk regarding limitation on retailers selling tobacco and nicotine vapor products. Mr. Chairman, during the 2024 General Assembly session, the Board of Supervisors

[02:17:48] Legislative Committee discussed and took positions on several pieces of legislation related to restrictions on the sale of tobacco products and or nicotine alternatives, such as nicotine vapor products. According to the 2023 Fairfax County Youth Survey, 9.2% of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reported vaping in their lifetime, and 4.5% reported smoking cigarettes.

[02:18:14] I should note those numbers are slightly down, so we are making a little bit of progress, but still higher than they should be. Youth access to tobacco products presents a serious threat to public health. Fairfax County and Fairfax County Public Schools have a number of initiatives to reduce vape and cigarette usage among our youth, including vape-free Fairfax and FCPS's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs program.

[02:18:39] The General Assembly passed HB 947, which was signed into law on April 5, 2024, amending the Code of Virginia by adding Section 15.2-912.4. The new law provides localities with the option to prohibit any new retail operation that primarily sells tobacco products, nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products, or hemp products intended for smoking from locating within 1 000 feet of a public private or parochial school or a child daycare center businesses of this type that were in operation

[02:19:19] before july 1st 2024 may continue in existing locations implementing this new authority would require a county code amendment mr chairman i move that the board of supervisors direct staff I have to review this new authority and return to the Land Use Policy Committee with options to regulate the retail sale of tobacco products, nicotine vapor products, alternative nicotine products or hemp products intended for smoking, an enforcement strategy, and a timeline for implementation.

[02:19:51] So moved. You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that along with Supervisor Smith and Palchuk. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We've already done a fair amount of work behind the scenes on this. Obviously, I think we all agree that we want to keep these products away from our schools and away from our kids.

[02:20:12] It is important that we analyze this and take a hard look at it. I certainly acknowledge that there may be complications in terms of enforcement that I haven't considered, but I'm hopeful that we will be able to move forward.

[02:20:29] There is at least one other jurisdiction in the region that is moving forward. I'll note it is a very small jurisdiction, so that implementation issues for us are going to be more complex, but I look forward to seeing staff's analysis, and I appreciate Supervisor Smith's agreeing to include it on a future Land Use Policy Committee agenda.

[02:20:49] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. And as we're seeing the numbers go down, we still have to be vigilant in this area. And again, this is a tool the General Assembly gave us, That we can take advantage of I would just reiterate that this is prohibiting any new retail operations And so one of the challenges with enforcement is we will undoubtedly get calls about existing retail sales Which the General Assembly has not given us the authority to be able to deal with and so it's one of the many implementation Complications that we'll have to deal with as we move forward Supervisor Palachuk

[02:21:24] Thank You mr. Chairman, and thank you so much Supervisor Walken Shaw for including me in this So to that comment that the chairman just said, maybe while we're going through this process, I know we keep trying to push out the code compliance abilities, whether it's signage or others for existing locations, which our community, I think, still maybe would appreciate some more education.

[02:21:49] So I think as we're doing this work, as it becomes more public, if we could work with OPA or code compliance to help push out those avenues as well. we will do that but of course we have to get the code amendment approved first so we don't want to be doing that before the board acts on it but absolutely through that process yeah exactly supervisor Behrman just a quick question what was the one jurisdiction that you said was Alexandria City okay any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion

[02:22:26] please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final board matter is a motion to authorize consideration of a plan amendment for Route 29 from Germantown Road to Buckley's Gate Drive and Summit Drive. Mr. Chairman, on October 5th, 2021, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Route 29 corridor study. The Route 29 corridor study spans approximately 2.9 miles from Germantown Road and Rust Road at the City of Fairfax Line to Buckley's Gate Drive and Summit Drive near the

[02:23:02] Fairfax County Parkway. The purpose of the study was to reassess the recommendations in the comprehensive plan, which currently include three grade-separated interchanges at Legato Road, Monument Drive, and Waples Mill Road slash Shirley Gate Road, and to evaluate active transportation facilities. The study took into consideration the long-term needs of the corridor and explored multimodal context-sensitive solutions that serve all users and modes of transportation. The study evaluated at-grade intersection improvements along the Route 29

[02:23:37] corridor that would allow for removal of the three planned grade-separated interchanges from the comprehensive plan. This would create a multimodal, context-sensitive place that provides a safer and more walkable environment consistent with what the community envisions for this area.

[02:23:53] The study found that at-grade solutions at the intersections, including signal timing and turn lane improvements would improve the traffic flow through the corridor and be significantly less impactful to the community than grade-separated interchanges. I should add, they're also obviously much less expensive. To create a balanced set of recommendations for all users, the study also factored in pedestrian and bicycle comfort and safety improvements along the corridor, including the use of existing service drives for bicycling where vehicle volumes and speeds will be low.

[02:24:27] More than 350 people participated in two public meetings. I was happy to be able to join both of those in two surveys that were conducted earlier this year to gather thoughts and comments from users of the Route 29 corridor. Those who took part included residents, representatives of homeowners associations and civic associations, and businesses that are proximate to the corridor.

[02:24:52] The suggested improvements have taken into consideration their feedback, which emphasized the need for continuous and safe sidewalks and shared use paths for pedestrians and bicycles and support for more context-sensitive at-grade solutions in lieu of the interchanges.

[02:25:09] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors endorse the findings and recommendations of the Route 29 corridor study and direct staff to consider a comprehensive plan amendment for the Route 29 corridor from Germantown Road or Rust Road to Buckley's Gate Drive and Summit Drive with alternative transportation recommendations that would be more compatible with the current vision for the Fairfax Center area and with recent developments.

[02:25:33] So moved. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Beerman. Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Obviously, this is a planned amendment that would come back to us. I will say we had a really robust engagement from the community at the first meeting.

[02:25:51] You know, I shared my perspective that this corridor right now is a little bit of a mess. And the folks certainly who live there in the neighborhoods that I represent feel that way. It is very difficult. It's difficult to walk, bike, and drive right now in this corridor. You have sidewalks that stop and start.

[02:26:09] You have service drives that stop and start. You have poorly designed intersections. And one of the things I was pleased that we learned through the study is that we can get very significant improvements in traffic flow by making at-grade improvements to the intersections.

[02:26:27] Just to give one example, at 29 and Shirley Gate, Waples Mill on the other side, the left turn onto Route 29, in 2045, if we do nothing, it'll be a five-minute delay there.

[02:26:43] This at-grade improvement will reduce that from a five-minute delay to a one-minute delay. without an interchange that would disrupt our future development and economic development of the corridor there. I'll also note, you know, I spent a lot of time and went back and looked at the studies from the Shirley Gate extension. And, you know, we are close, I hope, to starting construction of that Shirley Gate extension, which will extend Shirley Gate from Braddock Road to the Parkway, a really important project for the Springfield District and Braddock District and the county. That intersection there at Braddock and Shirley Gate is projected to have

[02:27:19] 50,000 to 55,000 vehicle trips per day. We're not building an interchange there. We're building an improved at-grade intersection, and the comp plan doesn't show an interchange there. The intersection of Route 29 and Waples Mill, Shirley Gate on the other side, is only projected to see 34,400 daily vehicles. So less traffic volume at the Route 29 Shirleygate intersection than at the Braddock Shirleygate intersection. So from my perspective, an interchange at that intersection, which will

[02:27:54] have lower traffic volumes than Braddock and Shirleygate, doesn't make sense. This is the entrance, the gateway to Fairfax Center, which I really believe is going to be is one of Fairfax County's next great places. And in order to attract the kind of economic development and business growth that we want to see. We've got to have a solid plan for this to be walkable, bikeable, a context-sensitive way, and I think this plan will get us there. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:28:22] Thank you very much. Supervisor Walkinshaw, any further discussion? Supervisor Herdy. Yes, and I clearly support the recommendations for the pedestrian improvements. Removing the interchanges at 29's intersection with Legata Road and Monument Drive and Village Drive, I think, to me all make sense as the proposals to these improvements appear to alleviate both the delays and safety concerns. And as I've shared with your office, Supervisor Waukesha, I can't support the removal of the plan interchange for Shirley Gate and 29. On one hand, we get a lot of short-term

[02:28:58] improvements, but I think in the long term, there's still a lot to be determined with what happens with shirley gate so i my my preference clearly would be to leave it on um and we'll have more discussion on this as we move forward with the comprehensive plan amendment supervisor walkin joe i guess my question supervisor harry are you will you advocate to add an interchange to the comprehensive plan for braddock and shirley gate because there will be more traffic volume there yeah if we study that i would i would absolutely take a look at that but well you did we did study in 2017 and said an accurate intersection is more than sufficient, even with the higher

[02:29:37] traffic. We now have a lot of growth on the north end of that, as you just talked about, further down Waples Mill Road, there's a lot of growth. So I think it may be time to revisit that. And if you want to broaden that and re-look at that interchange, I'd be happy to do that.

[02:29:52] All right. Thanks. Thank you. Okay. I will support the motion as well. Look forward to, you know, more discussion on this, but I will just say that it's hard to reconcile a concern for pedestrian activity and not recognize that the most hostile environment you can build for pedestrians is an interchange.

[02:30:14] I mean, that's obvious to anyone who has, you know, seen what happens with pedestrian activity. And equally important, we know we have so many unmet needs in the way of transportation that I'd be hard-pressed in serving on the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and looking at the numbers, some that were just referenced.

[02:30:33] We'd be hard-pressed to get NVTA money for this and to have this compete. And so I think then it's left to Fairfax County dollars that I think part of this analysis for us is not only an exercise in planning and making sure that we're providing opportunities for all multimodal transportation, also protecting the communities around there and the potential development opportunities that this footprint would dramatically shape or change, But also important just to be, you know, smart and understand how the money here is going to work and how this project is going to compete with a lot of other projects across the county.

[02:31:11] And the difference in cost between an interchange and an accurate improvement is something that I hope we spent a lot of time talking about as well as a part of the comprehensive plan when it comes forward. With that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[02:31:26] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries 9 to 1. Supervisor Walkinshaw. That's it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Two board matters. The first board matter is an expedited board date and concurrent processing for Potomac School, SEA 85-D-097-06.

[02:31:53] The Potomac School, located at 1301 Potomac School Road, has filed an amendment to their existing special exception, SEA 85-D-097-06. sea 85-d-097-05 the amendment seeks to relocate temporary modular classrooms and to permit increased square footage for the trailers uh then that shown on the approved special exception plat the applicant has worked diligently with staff and the application is scheduled for public hearing before the planning commission on february 26 2025. given the absence of any significant

[02:32:28] concerns the applicant has requested expedited processing to establish a board of supervisors public hearing date for application for the applications and concurrent site plan processing therefore mr chairman i move that the board authorize an expedited board date for sea 85-d-097-06 and schedule a public hearing before the board of supervisors for the first hearing date in march 2025. Secondly, I move the Board of Supervisors authorize concurrent site plan processing

[02:32:59] for SEA 85-D-097-06. This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way. This action in no way prejudices the substantive review of the application.

[02:33:23] I'm happy to second that motion. Is there any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My second board matter is the 100th anniversary of Scouting America's BSA Troop 128.

[02:33:42] This year marks the 100th anniversary of Scouting America's BSA Troop 128, the very first Boy Scout troop in McLean, Virginia. Established in 1924, Troop 128 began under the sponsorship of the Lions Club with just 10 to 12 boys.

[02:33:59] Today, the troop has over 70 boys and girls across two units and is sponsored by St. John's Episcopal Church. Over the past century, Troop 128 has produced more than 180 Eagle Scouts, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to developing leadership and character in young people.

[02:34:16] Troop 128 has remained active in summer camp programs and participates in the National Boy Scouts of America, BSA, High Adventure Program, with trips to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, Florida Sea Base in the Florida Keys, and Northern Tier Adventure Base in Minnesota, as well as international adventures in Iceland and more.

[02:34:38] Troop 128 will commemorate its 100th anniversary with a special centennial court of honor and celebration at St. John's Episcopal Church on December 9th, 2024, where past and current members will gather to reflect on the troop's rich legacy. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask that the board direct staff to prepare a resolution to recognize the 100th anniversary of Troop 128 to be presented at the December 9th, 2024 celebration.

[02:35:03] I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palczyk. Discussion on the motion. It's going to be a fun celebration. It will be. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Supervisor Beerman.

[02:35:19] No more board matters. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one board matter joint with you. Mr. Chairman, TrailsForYouth.org was established in 2002 by Patrick and Julie Childers to educate children in Greater Springfield about biking and to create opportunities for them to experience nature the organization has a stated mission to prioritize serving at-risk youth after over 20 years trails for youth announced that they would be closing at the end of this year i cannot overstate what this organization has

[02:35:55] meant to over 50 000 young people who have participated in their programs and the impact they have made in our community countless children received the opportunity to learn How to mountain bike, go camping, how to kayak, fish, and solely because Trails for Youth provided these experiences for them.

[02:36:14] I had the opportunity to work very closely with them over the years as they advocated for and directly contributed to improvements in our parks. Even as they closed their doors, they have made arrangements to distribute approximately $200,000 to other like-minded organizations to continue giving kids in the area opportunities to ride their bikes and expand their horizons.

[02:36:36] patrick julie and the other staff for trails for youth.org over the years were committed to giving back to the springfield community and their presence will be greatly missed i and chairman mckay move that the county executive direct the appropriate staff to prepare a resolution recognizing trails for youth.org for their incredible work inside or outside of the boardroom i'm happy to second that motion is there any discussion on the motion i just want to Thank you, Supervisor Lust, for bringing this forward.

[02:37:07] I look forward to joining you. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lust? No more items. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn? No board matters. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn.

[02:37:24] Supervisor Jimenez? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one board matter and one quick announcement. Mr. Chairman, the summer of 1975 was a period of immense change in our community. It was at that time, the weeks following the fall of Saigon in April, that thousands of Vietnamese refugees came to northern Virginia in search of a new life.

[02:37:42] In particular, folks settled into communities in Arlington County, the city of Falls Church, and of course, Fairfax County. Over the years, these Vietnamese immigrants developed extensive thriving businesses in neighborhoods that contributed to the cultural vibrancy that makes Fairfax County a proud majority-minority locality.

[02:38:02] In particular, the Eden Center has been a hub for Vietnamese beauty, culture, and heritage located on Wilson Boulevard. In the city of Falls Church, this spot has long represented a kind of home away from home for folks who made this area their home. To recognize its members and their generations of contributions to our area, the Vietnamese community has long advocated for the renaming of that stretch of Wilson Boulevard.

[02:38:27] Mr. Chairman, I'm excited to share that the City of Falls Church and the Virginia Department of Transportation work extensively with the community to do just that. Early next year, I'll be joining my counterparts from the City Council of Falls Church for a ceremonial renaming of the 6,600 and 6,700 blocks of Wilson Boulevard to Saigon Boulevard.

[02:38:47] While this particular stretch of Wilson Boulevard isn't located in Mason District, it's truly been a beacon of hope for so many of our residents with ties to Vietnam. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, I ask that staff prepare a resolution recognizing the efforts of the local Vietnamese community to be presented outside the boardroom.

[02:39:05] I'm happy to second that motion. 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. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:39:21] I would like to take this moment to recognize and congratulate Mrs. Mary Lee Despirito on receiving her 2024 Governor's Volunteerism and Community Service Award from Governor Youngkin. Mary Lee has coordinated the Annandale Christian Community for Actions, ACCA, furniture program, which she has always managed for decades, along with her husband, Don, who passed away earlier this year.

[02:39:46] Since spearheading the expansion of this program, ACCA's Furniture Ministry has provided essential furniture and household items to over 24,000 individuals through more than 12,000 deliveries. However, her volunteerism and compassion for her community doesn't stop there as Mary Lee has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and at the Bailey's Shelter in Mason District. Mary Lee is a fierce advocate for her neighbors and anyone who has met her knows this within minutes of speaking to her. Again, I want to congratulate Mary Lee on this more deserve recognition and thank her for her committed work and contributions in

[02:40:25] Mason District. Congratulations and thank you Supervisor Jimenez for that announcement. Next up is Supervisor Stork. Thank you Mr. Chairman I have no written I have just two verbal ones I want to mention first and foremost I want to thank County staff for something I think it's an incredible resource for us the Fairfax County Pulse it's an economic really report that's provided And it shows what I think we all have a good sense of, which is our unemployment rate still remains very low.

[02:40:58] Our employment, we still have more than 50,000 job openings in Fairbanks County. So we still have a huge amount of opportunity for people to come join us. We also recognize that our housing is still the focus of this board, and we know the focus for anyone moving into our area.

[02:41:13] So I know we're going to address a couple of those things in our administrative approvals today, at least to try to address that for folks who may not have housing. But those are just things that I particularly want to urge everybody to take a look at because it just reminds everybody how strong our economy is.

[02:41:30] I think we all recognize the concerns that we have, particularly with the changes that are being suggested with respect to federal employees and federal workers and even some of our federal contractors. I think we're going to have to keep a close eye on that and recognize that those could be serious risks to our community.

[02:41:50] And the last item I have is just that tomorrow, Wednesday, we have our open house, our annual open house, holiday open house from 530 to 730. Please join us at the Mount Vernon Government Center. We welcome everybody to stop by. County Executive, I know you come down here a fair amount, but if you're in the neighborhood, I'd love to see.

[02:42:10] Thank you. Thank you very much, Supervisor Stork. and Supervisor Pouchek. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have one written board matter and then one announcement as well. First of all, I want to thank all my colleagues and yourself for joining on this board matter, proclaiming January 21, 2025 as National Day of Racial Healing in Fairfax County.

[02:42:35] I also very much want to thank Neighborhood and Community Services and NOAA for their support on this. Members of the board, the National Day of Racial Healing commemorated annually since 2017 is part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation TRHT efforts to restore individuals and communities to wholeness by repairing the damages caused by racism.

[02:42:58] It facilitates trust, builds authentic relationships, and bridges the divides that lead to racial equity in communities, organizations, and systems. It is a time to acknowledge our shared values and inspire collective action to create a more equitable world.

[02:43:16] Last year, the board recognized the partnership between Neighborhood and Community Services, NCS, and Northern Virginia Community College, NOVA, in their efforts to promote racial healing and upward mobility in pursuit of a more equitable, just, and inclusive community.

[02:43:32] In the summer of 2024, NOVA and NCS collaborated to offer the NOVA Connect, cultivating opportunities for networking, nurturing, education, and community togetherness program, with the overall goal of introducing minority adult learners to a greater range of life and work experiences by offering higher educational spaces that might be provided at traditional age college campuses. This program allows students to achieve higher education by removing barriers such as isolation from socioeconomic opportunities, food insecurity, affordable housing, proximity to

[02:44:09] colleges, and concentrated poverty. This partnership will continue to offer community programs and staff development opportunities in TRHT to engage communities across the county in healing circles, career development, and social networking. NCS has also included age-appropriate activities into their programs at community, adult day health, senior, teen center, and SAC centers countywide, encouraging participants to find psychologically safe spaces for healing and addressing harm. Efforts are underway to develop an action plan for 2025 to commemorate the day

[02:44:48] and activate programs that continue to promote truth, racial healing, and transformation. NOVA and the Department of Emergency Management and Security, DEMS, will host a series of events on the week of January 20, 2025. Activities kick off on January 21, where Inclusive Engagement Targeted Interventions, or IETI. Staff will support NCS teams and partners in providing resources and activities for implementation across the county. On January 22nd, NOVA's Truth and Racial

[02:45:21] Healing Transformation Center, TRHTC, a lot of acronyms, will host a webinar featuring a panel discussion on racial healing topics. The week concludes with a National Day of Service on January 25th, where registered youth will engage in breakout sessions facilitated by NOVAR TRHTC and IETI staff, followed by assembling 1,000 emergency preparedness kits for DEMS.

[02:45:48] Looking ahead, NCS and TRHTC will host a spring training for staff and community partners on facilitating healing circles, safe spaces for fostering connection and shared humanity through storytelling. Therefore, we move without objection that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a proclamation to be presented in the boardroom designated January 21, 2025, as a day of racial healing in Fairfax County.

[02:46:18] Supervisor Palczyk, would you consider that in or out of the boardroom, depending? I just am looking at all these dates, and there might be a chance. I think last year we went to NOVA, and I don't know if any of these other dates might be a great opportunity for us to present it there, too. I'm comfortable with that.

[02:46:35] I think my staff has reached out to OPA and NCS, but happy to coordinate as appropriate. Just that we have the flexibility to do what makes most sense to you. I'm happy to take that friendly amendment. Okay, excellent. And I'm happy to second the motion along with it looks like it will pass.

[02:46:52] Everyone on the board is supporting this. Thank you all for the speedy reply. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Again, thank you to my team, and especially for all the staff who've been working on this since the inaugural year and our kickoff at NOVA last year.

[02:47:15] My other is just an announcement for my office's New Year reception. It will be in the New Year. It is scheduled for January 23rd from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Jim Scott Community Center. Full fire to come, but this year we will be honoring and focusing on Lunar New Year, as it will be happening during Lunar New Year.

[02:47:40] And right now we're working to partner with some of our students and our seniors, as it is one of the highlights of being in the community center is having all of the ages there together. So invite all of you to join us. We will have the more formal invitation out soon. And with that, wishing everyone a happy and restful, joyful, and safe new year.

[02:48:02] Thank you. Thank you very much, Supervisor Pouchek. And next up is Supervisor Herdy. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have three. The first one's on assisting residents with active land use case information. On October 23rd, a constituent contacted my office regarding a yellow public hearing notice sign on Fairfax Station Road.

[02:48:23] Due to the traffic and design of the road, she was unable to stop and read it. She tried to research it later that day based on the address and finally contacted my office when she couldn't find any information online. When contacting my office, she explained that she was unable to navigate our website and maps to find the project in question.

[02:48:42] Upon our investigation and from conversations with both our IT and zoning staff, finding this information is a complicated process of searching maps or in-process cases and often uses language and layers not known to the general public. The purpose of the yellow signs, of course, is to alert the public of an upcoming zoning change so that they can be aware of and have the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed change.

[02:49:07] Her feedback was that there should be at least information on what that yellow signs are and a method to follow them online. I agree and spoke with Bozoni and IT staff to see what could be done. staff was very responsive and will be updating the county website to help direct constituents to the appropriate pages when looking up yellow signs in public hearings this is a short-term solution while they work on a longer- term strategy moving forward that would include providing instructions for residents on how to use planning and zoning map viewer to find more information about a project including the staff report during our discussions

[02:49:43] I also raised the frustration shared by staff and others including myself using land use system of having to have the exact abbreviation spelling and abbreviations and street names this is a common barrier for staff and residents seeking information on a specific site staff have agreed to look into solutions that will make the system more user-friendly for both staff and other users therefore madam chairman I want to thank staff especially Tracy Strunk and Greg Scott for their leadership in addressing the issue for residents without objection I move that when available the office of public affairs affairs and board offices board offices share the information share the

[02:50:22] changes on the platform and newsletters to inform the public further move to add an agenda item to an upcoming IT committee meeting to address changes being made to make our land use system more friendly for staff users and residents including updating our system to accept more iterations of street addresses when searching our systems and that's without objection without without objection it is so ordered that it was an announcement but I see okay without objection it is so ordered let me make sure supervisor Alcorn did you have a question on it I just I just wanted to say you know thank you for

[02:51:02] bringing this up we have a complicated land use system and anything we can do to make the public information easier to access is good so thank you all right without objection that is so ordered supervisor here I'll summarize the next one since I know we're behind since this is to jointly with Chairman McKay and Supervisor Alcorn to recognize the retirement of director of IT Greg Scott since joining the county as a contractor in 1993 the IT director Greg Scott will have served County for over 30 years when he retires in early 2025 he served Fairfax County in multiple capacities including various roles in

[02:51:39] in both DIT and Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the board direct staff to prepare a resolution recognizing the retirement of Greg Scott and thank him for his over 30 years of service to Fairfax County to be presented inside or outside the boardroom.

[02:51:58] And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Herdy. The next one is recognizing January 2025 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Fairfax County. Human trafficking, as we know, is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world. The Department of Homeland Security defines trafficking as involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.

[02:52:22] Each January, we recognize National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and the sobering reality that even as we work hard to end this crime, many continue to suffer horrible treatment at the will of traffickers. As stated by the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking, traffickers do not necessarily target people.

[02:52:42] They target vulnerabilities. Traffickers exploit those vulnerabilities through force, manipulation, and coercion. Methods of manipulation can include confiscating and withholding identification, debt bondage, and other threats.

[02:52:58] Contrary to popular misconceptions and media depictions of human trafficking, labor, and sex trafficking, they can take place without the movement of people. They exploit victims within their home neighborhood or in state. Coercion is the key indicator of trafficking, not movement.

[02:53:17] They can take place even with the initial or ongoing consent of the victim. Due to the traumatic effects of traffickers, force, coercion, and manipulation of victims' willingness to perform service does not negate their exploitation.

[02:53:34] Often trafficking victims do not see themselves as trafficked, although they may acknowledge abuse. Human traffic data is historically incomplete because of underreporting and difficulty identifying victims. Each trafficking situation can look different, making it difficult to identify.

[02:53:54] Trafficking can take many forms, including sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, and forced labor. In March 2020, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my motion to form an interdepartmental workgroup to focus on the issue of the over 80 illicit massage businesses in Fairfax County.

[02:54:12] These businesses operate in plain sight among legitimate businesses and make up one of the largest, most networked markets in the United States sex trafficking industry. In its 2023 annual report, Department of Homeland Security referenced development of a supervised machine learning model to analyze online advertisements and other information and public census data to help uncover connections between IMBs through online networks linked to transnational criminal organizations.

[02:54:44] As directed by my 2020 board matter, staff have been reviewing our massage ordinance and identifying recommendations that would make it more robust, creating a non-permissive environment for illegitimate massage businesses while not placing unnecessary burdens on legitimate massage businesses.

[02:55:02] Staff have shared that the draft massage ordinance changes should be coming back to the board in early 2025. While the county and our nonprofit partners work tirelessly to support victims and bring traffickers to justice, residents play a critical role in the fight to end human trafficking.

[02:55:19] Our Domestic and Sexual Violence Services team suggests that residents focus on helping those around them who are vulnerable, since traffickers target the most vulnerable residents, can help prevent trafficking by helping others who have recently been displaced, experiencing family turmoil or have financial insecurity.

[02:55:40] If you are in immediate danger or you see somebody who is, certainly call 911. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the county executive have staff prepare a proclamation recognizing January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Fairfax County and recognizing the tireless efforts of our staff and county partners who have worked to raise awareness, aid survivors, and bring traffickers to justice.

[02:56:06] This proclamation will be presented to the county's domestic and sexual violence services team at the board's January 14, 2025 meeting. So moved. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[02:56:24] Yes, question, Supervisor Palcic. Mr. Cameron, no, a comment. I guess, and I appreciate you bringing this forward and recognizing DSVS for the work. I was hoping we can open it a little more broadly. I believe there are a few other agencies such as Consumer Affairs and police and others who've been supporting this work.

[02:56:42] Certainly. We can bring the whole team because it is a team. Right, it is a team. Obviously, the ordinance. And when we talk about the interdepartmental team, maybe we can bring the entire team that kind of got together to help fight this police fire. It's amazing the role fire has.

[02:56:59] Health Department. We'll work on that. Code compliance. Excellent. Thank you. Okay. And was that all, Supervisor Heritage? That's it, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Okay. We are now going to move on to our county executive items. Supervisor, I'm sorry, Vice Chairman Smith, do you have a motion for admin items 1 through 11?

[02:57:18] I move approval of admin items 1 through 11. I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk. Are there any items board members would like pulled for a separate vote or for a question? Supervisor Herity. Administrative 5 for a separate vote. The screen is not looking here.

[02:57:40] Administrative item number five is authorization of conveyance of real property at $39.97 Fair Ridge Drive from the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority to the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia. In the Sully District, first, let me have Supervisor Smith make a motion.

[02:57:59] Now, we're voting on it. There's been a request to vote on this separately. I move approval of Admin Item 5, Conveyance of Real Property at 3997 Fair Ridge Drive from the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority to the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia.

[02:58:15] And I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Lusk and Supervisor Palczyk. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Herity. And I know our shelters are oversubscribed, but do we have staff to answer questions?

[02:58:51] I'm looking for four different numbers. what how many on the wait list for shelters and how many of those are in hotels and then same same question for families I mean I want to separated by families supervisor herity Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development I do not have that information with me but certainly can provide it here shortly okay do we so I know the board item says the hotel currently has 94 units how many units is going to have after we do the

[02:59:29] renovations Supervisor Herity we will be we anticipate replacing the existing capacity at the Embry Rucker shelter on site at at the Fairridge Drive property that is approximately 40 beds we are also as as you're aware looking at increasing some of the capacity there including addressing potentially uses

[03:00:01] related to domestic violence so 40 units of family sheltering that are coming over from Ember from the Rucker and then you're gonna add so we're going from 94 to 40 units initially here yes that's correct but over time we anticipate that that there will be additional unit that there will be additional use related to domestic violence and some increase in capacity for the shelter but we don't

[03:00:38] know what that is yet supervisor the we can we are current we're currently in design on some of those efforts and as of right now we are looking at we're looking at in a short-term opening here in April of the replacement units and some of the additional capacity and I'll turn my colleague Bree Fuller from the

[03:01:09] office the county executive for further comment we can certainly provide further information here going forward I'm just gonna make a couple I I know our shelters are over subscribed and we need to work on shelter space I don't disagree with that but you know this is a property we significantly overpaid for 20% more than the appraised value 300% more than the assessed value or we're

[03:01:45] reducing the cast capacity from 94 units to who knows how many units I thought it was 50 but I now it's 40 but maybe some additional capacity probably one of the biggest issues that I have here is we have a public meeting on this 2020 2232 that where we're scheduled to hear from the public on this and it's scheduled for five days before six days before Christmas December 19th I I understand the desire to kind of expedite this and get this in place but

[03:02:21] I'm at a public hearing on the 19th of December doesn't make a lot of sense I and I have issues we don't know exactly what we're trying to approve yet it sounds like because I didn't hear the answer so I'm I'm not going to be supporting this one other comments supervisor let me start with Supervisor Smith this is in her district right I would like staff to address some of the comments about us purchasing the property but this property the board purchase because of the location of the property it is a great location to have

[03:03:00] a shelter we have a need for the shelter grocery shopping is close by bus service is close by employment is close by we need to serve the public and we need to serve them in a timely matter manner and so if staff could provide any of the information about the board purchasing the property you know and I do have to say the work of government goes on we have a diverse community that celebrates many religions that it is really important that we move forward with this project that is vital to our community Thank You Supervisor Smith I

[03:03:40] would just say we often say time is money in the development business and I know I'll be working on December 19th and I think probably the rest of us will be too I would just also add that you know not only did we acquire this property, but it was a strategic acquisition. This building's vacant. It's going to be a blight.

[03:03:57] It's actually causing problems in the community and can solve some larger community problems. And in the equity impact is a reminder that Fairfax County right now rents, as was said, scattered site hotel rooms and apartments to meet the demand for emergency housing. And not only are those not good living environments for the people that we're serving, but it's not fiscally responsible for us to continue to be doing that as well. Supervisor Alcorn.

[03:04:22] Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I completely agree with everything you just said. This is for families. I mean, these are families that need a place to stay. And for us to try to slow it down for whatever reason is something I certainly would not support.

[03:04:42] So I enthusiastically support this. Frankly, this is past time that we move forward with this project. This is not expediting this project. This is a very important project for families that need shelter.

[03:04:59] Thank you. Supervisor Palchik. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And as chair of our housing committee, I just want, first of all, to thank the staff for the work that's gone into this. It would have been nice to do it before December 19th. But as is shared here, the current goal is for the intended operation to begin in the spring of 2025, coinciding with closure of the winter-only hypothermia shelters owned by the county.

[03:05:25] We know that we have those long-term needs, and that's why this is a great investment for long-term housing, especially if it's going to be able to house our domestic violence shelters, especially close to transportation, public safety, and other utilities, services.

[03:05:44] But I think what's really important to me is that even through some challenges, we have been able to move forward. And I think conveyance of the shelter, we know that we, many of us, have fears of what happens when our hypothermia shelters close, especially knowing that the weather might still not be better and what happens to our families who, as Supervisor Alcorn said, are often separated due to the shelter capacity and the needs of families and the lack thereof.

[03:06:14] So yes, it's not going to be perfect, Supervisor Herity, but I think absolutely the way we're able to tap into the short-term immediate needs, moving through the process to align with the closing of the hypothermia shelters, and then being able to move forward with the next steps and the investments to this property that's both empty and also was shared at a prime and very central location with a lot of need and a lot of access to amenity.

[03:06:42] So I will, you know, disagree with my colleague and thank the staff who have worked on this and happy to support it. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. Any other discussion? Let me just wrap up and also thank the staff because this is a strategic opportunity.

[03:06:58] We talk about government being strategic. This is an opportunity to take a vacant building and turn it into a much-needed community resource. And as was mentioned by several others, this is an emergency family shelter

[03:07:10] For people who are experiencing homelessness, to protect people from hypothermia, this is fundamental, basic government service to the most vulnerable people in our community that we are far behind in terms of being able to do in a sophisticated, organized way that this application does and actually will lead to long-term county savings as opposed to wasting that money on hotel rooms and substandard living conditions, which is what we do now when families need emergency shelter.

[03:07:40] So I say this because I don't want our staff deterred. This was the right thing to bring to the board, the right strategic opportunity to solve a lot of problems in a fiscally responsible way. And it's the type of thing we encourage our staff to be looking at all the time.

[03:07:55] And this is a classic example of that. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries, and that brings us to our action items.

[03:08:12] And let me... Mr. Chair. We did not vote on the other ones. That's right. So let's vote on the remaining admin items. That was moved by Supervisor Smith, seconded by me. All those in favor of that motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[03:08:28] Any abstentions? And, of course, that was all the admin items except for admin 5 that had been previously voted on. We now are going to move to action items. Action 1 is the sale of general obligation public improvement bonds and public improvement refunding bonds.

[03:08:44] Supervisor Smith. I move the county executive's recommendation. Chair will 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 opposed?

[03:09:00] Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action 2, authorization to execute a standard project agreement with the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority for the implementation of the Rolling Road widening project in Braddock, Franconia, and Springfield District. Supervisor Beerman.

[03:09:17] I move approval of action item number 2, consistent with the county executive's recommendation. Second. For the motion, it's been multiply seconded. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[03:09:32] And that motion carries. And that is the end of action items. We do have two information items today, which the board does not vote on But this is an opportunity if the board has any questions Information item number one is presentation of the fiscal year FY 2024 annual comprehensive financial report ACFR and popular annual financial report PA FR and let me ask if there are any questions from board members not seeing any Excellent job. I would encourage everyone to read these not just because popular is in the name

[03:10:09] But because they are very very well done and and I think the lack of questions is a tribute to the great staff work That's done. So thank you information item number two update to Tyson's public facilities and cash Contribution amount in the Providence and hunter mill districts. Are there any questions? Okay?

[03:10:31] I am not seeing and hearing any. Well done. With that, before I turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion to take us into closed session, let me ask the county attorney how long we need for closed session. Mr. Chairman, I estimate one hour. One hour. And our first public hearing is at 3.30, which will mean the board will report back at 2.30. And so we will be prepared for closed session at 2.30 and to begin public hearings at 3.30 should the motion that Supervisor Smith has passed.

[03:11:07] Supervisor Smith. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors recess and go into closed session for discussion and consideration of matters enumerated in Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711 and listed in the attached agenda for this meeting. And in addition, one is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A, 7 and 8, claim presented to the county regarding the death of timothy johnson on february 22 2023 number two legal aspects of firearm buyback programs and legal analysis of foia and the public meetings calendar

[03:11:41] all is permitted by virginia code section 2.2 dash 3711 a8 i'm happy to second that motion is there 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 passes the board will recess

[03:12:01] and report to closed session exactly at 2:30 p.m. and the board is back from a

[03:22:16] short recess and closed session and at this time I am going to recognize Supervisor Smith for 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. Heard the motion it's been seconded by

[03:22:52] Supervisor Palchuk. Is there 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 do have a number of motions coming out of closed session. First, Supervisor Smith. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize settlement of its claims against Coxcom LLC doing business as Cox Communications for underpayment of amounts due to the party's franchise agreement, according to the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session. You've heard the motion. Second.

[03:23:28] And there's a second by Supervisor Lusk. 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 Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Sherman. Mr. Sherman, I move the Board of Supervisors deny the settlement demand of the administrator of the estate of Timothy Johnson according to the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session. And I'm happy to second that motion. 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

[03:24:07] believe that's the end of our motions from closed session. Verifying that. Very good. At this time, we will move into our afternoon public hearings. And just as a reminder, individuals wishing to provide testimony have a number of options. They can testify here in person or they can provide testimony by phone or by YouTube video. At the designated point in the public hearing, I will call for any speakers from the speakers list or they will either and they will either come forward or 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 on the matter to come down to the podium

[03:24:43] or to call in at 703-324-1020. 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. For public hearing 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 being said, I'm going to call our first public hearing, which is a public

[03:25:08] hearing on PCA 91-W-023-004, CDPA 91-W-023, RZPA 2022-PR-00152, Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County in the Providence District. And could we have the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit?

[03:25:36] Good afternoon. My name is Kimberly Callahan with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, and I reaffirm the affidavit dated November 13, 2024. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm Daniel Creed with the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant, the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, seeks to amend proffers and the conceptual development plan for RZ-91-W-023 to permit the redevelopment

[03:26:14] of the judicial complex for public uses, including the phased development of up to four office towers. The 48.2-acre subject site is zoned PDC and located in the Providence District, south of Main Street, and west of Cambridge Road.

[03:26:30] The site is developed with several public uses, including the Fairfax County Circuit Court, General District Court, Adult Detention Center, Juvenile Detention Center, and the historic courthouse. The existing development includes approximately 1.4 million square feet, including nine buildings and two parking garages. The applicant seeks a proper condition amendment and a conceptual development plan amendment on the entire 48.2 acre judicial center complex to permit the phased redevelopment of the campus including the construction of up to four new office buildings totaling 686,000 square feet and a 10,000 square foot

[03:27:07] addition to the historic courthouse. With the existing development to remain, the overall development will include approximately 2 million square feet for an overall floor area ratio of 0.98. The PCA CDPA implements the recent master plan completed by the applicant and the recently adopted comprehensive plan amendment for the judicial complex. Both of these plans include the provision of affordable housing at the Burkholder site on the west side of the campus.

[03:27:34] Redevelopment of the Burkholder site is not proposed at this time and may be proposed with a future application. The final build-out includes a network of park space throughout the site including the historic courthouse grounds, the central green, and the promenade. The ultimate grid of streets will be completed around proposed buildings 2, 3, and 4 and the proposed park spaces. Of note, the Planning Commission approved FDPA 91-W-023 on October 23rd, 2024, which included the same site area as the PCA and CDPA but contained details only for Phase 1. The applicant has committed to a phasing plan which envisions the order of

[03:28:14] development and the interim conditions associated with each phase. Subsequent phases will require the approval of an FDPA. Phase one is on the former site of the Massey building directly north of the existing judicial center and includes a proposed 176,000 square feet building up to 90 feet in height. This building will contain a combination of public and office uses including the police evidence and storage facility. The applicant has set up the development pattern with this phase as this phase will shift the main entrance north to align with the city of Fairfax's future South Street extension and it will convert the existing one-way loop into a two-way grid of streets and provide two

[03:28:54] permanent park spaces the courthouse plaza and the courthouse fields this completes my presentation I'm happy to answer any questions thank you thank you very much are there any questions of staff yes Supervisor Palachuk thank you Mr. Chairman thank you and I just want to confirm before we move forward more for the public while this is a large site that we know well.

[03:29:16] Can you explain which phases are actually being depicted and planned at this point? Sorry, new development? So the most immediate development will be phase one, which is the building directly across from the existing courthouse. The remainder of the phases are shown on the plan and kind of those conditions at each phase.

[03:29:38] But with each new phase, the applicant will come back in and amend the development plan provide the additional details similar to the level of detail provided for building one with this application. Thank you. Are there any further questions? Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. Just a quick question. I know the Planning Commission has been doing a lot of work on placemaking and had looked at streetlights and the streetlight plan. Is this going to be an opportunity to pilot the streetlight network? I know that there had been some discussion of that.

[03:30:11] Yeah, and I'll let the applicant add more detail on that, but we did request that they use the Metroscape light fixture throughout the campus as a pilot program to look at using this light throughout the county, and I can let the applicant speak about the procurement side of that.

[03:30:29] Thank you. Okay. No other questions of staff? At this time, we'd recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation. Good afternoon. Again, my name is Kimberly Callahan, and I'm a project coordinator with the Building Design and Construction Division.

[03:30:49] and i'm representing dpwes as the applicant's agent for the zoning application first i'd like to thank daniel creed and kathy lewis for their assistance and guidance in processing this application and presenting the application details in january 2021 fairfax county dpwes completed a master plan for the 48 acre judicial complex the previous master planning effort was completed in 2002 but the recent demolition of the massey building provided the opportunity for the county to reevaluate the site and plan for a more efficient use of board-owned property over

[03:31:26] the next 20 plus years a significant amount of stakeholder and community engagement was was performed during the master plan and entitlement process central to the stakeholder engagement process was the land use development team this was a 13-member group of county and city leadership and the membership of membership of that team is listed to the right of the table this group met 11 times during the master plan process and were key to gaining feedback from their agencies and played a large role in helping to guide the direction of the master plan this is

[03:32:02] the final master plan showing the proposed grid of streets open spaces and new buildings shown with the green tops as they are integrated in with the existing facilities this was our starting point for the entitlement process of which the first step is the comprehensive plan amendment the compre the plan amendment was approved on june 11 2024 and allows for an additional 700 000 square feet of programming on the site and up to 300 multifamily dwelling units with supporting child care.

[03:32:31] It also calls for the preservation of historic structures, including the historic courthouse, historic jail, and legato school. Concurrent with the plan amendment process, the county team prepared a conceptual development plan shown here. Other than a few modifications, this design is consistent with the framework laid out in the master plan and is in alignment with the approved comprehensive plan amendment. One of the more enthusiastically supported changes to the complex is the replacement of the one-way loop road with the two-way grid of streets.

[03:33:01] The new South Street, which is the new entrance to the complex from Chain Bridge Road, was located to align with the city's future South Street extension on the other side of Chain Bridge Road and ties in to existing Page Avenue, just west of the Garage B entrance, creating a primary east-west travelway throughout the complex.

[03:33:19] We have also added a new future connector road between the adult and juvenile detention centers. This was not part of the master plan, but was added during the zoning review process as a way to provide additional future access to and from the site. The existing buildings to remain include the adult and juvenile detention centers, the courthouse, historic courthouse, public parking garage B, and for this application, the Burkholder building.

[03:33:45] The master plan recommended locating affordable housing on the Burkholder site, and affordable housing was also included in the comprehensive plan amendment, but was not included in this application due to the limited design information available. Once housing and community development is ready to proceed, they will submit a separate zoning application to address the building design, access points, and infrastructure improvements required for the affordable housing development.

[03:34:11] Proposed Building 1 is currently under design and is included in the final development plan associated with this application. Building 1 is the key first step to future redevelopment of the entire complex because it provides a new location for the police evidence storage facility, as well as spaces for agencies currently located in the Burkholder Building, Courthouse, and Historic Courthouse, freeing up additional areas of the site for redevelopment.

[03:34:36] Adjacent to Building 1 is Building 4, which will house the Diversion and Community Reentry Center, or the DCRC. The mission of the DCRC is to divert individuals from incarceration, support those re-entering the community from jail, and provide resources that lead to long-term stability and success.

[03:34:55] Building 4 was specifically located adjacent to the Adult Detention Center in Building 1 so that individuals exiting the judicial system would have efficient and convenient access to the necessary and required services. Buildings 2 and 3, located on the north end of the site, are envisioned to provide space for future office and public uses.

[03:35:16] Redevelopment of the judicial complex is a long-term endeavor and will be completed in multiple phases. DPWES has funding for the full design of Phase 1, which includes construction of Building 1 and the associated infrastructure. The next identified priority is Phase 2, which includes capital renewal of the historic courthouse and historic courthouse grounds, including the relocation of the Legato School and pedestrian improvements along Chain Bridge Road and Main Street.

[03:35:43] After Phase 2, the next priority is still to be determined. The final development plan associated with this application includes the Phase 1 improvements as shown here, including the construction of Building 1 and the construction of the first section of South Street between Chainbridge Road and Massey Drive, which also includes installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of South Street and Chainbridge.

[03:36:08] We will eliminate the one-way loop and start implementation of the grid of streets by re-striping Page Avenue and Massey Drive for two-way traffic. West Street will be extended to include the drop-off area in front of the courthouse in Building 1. Existing Massey Drive adjacent to the existing staff parking garage will remain.

[03:36:30] However, public access will be restricted below South Street. We are also providing several open space areas and improved pedestrian pathways. The courthouse plaza between Building 1 and the existing courthouse is also a green roof over top of the lower level of Building 1.

[03:36:47] And the courthouse fields, shown at the number 11, provide seating and pathways for passive recreation, but is also home to the geothermal well field for Building 1. Building 1 has 11 different using agencies, including nonprofits and county agencies that provide court-supportive services.

[03:37:05] It also will house the police and fire evidence storage, incubator space for the DCRC, a security command center for the entire complex, a mail room to serve both Building 1 and the courthouse, and the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office and circuit court file storage, both of which are being relocated from the existing courthouse and leased spaces.

[03:37:26] Building 1 is seen as an extension of the courthouse and is connected to the courthouse on level B1 for staff only. There's also one level of underground parking for staff, and we are targeting LEED Gold and Net Zero. Some of the more notable sustainable features include geothermal wells, rooftop PVs, EV charging stations, and a green roof.

[03:37:49] This is a bird's eye view of Building 1 and the courthouse at the intersection of South and West Street, as if you were hovering above the historic courthouse. Here you can see the relationship between the existing courthouse and Building 1, with the courthouse plaza in between. And you can also see the extension of West Street in the circular drop-off area, as well as the new South Street with frontage along Building 1.

[03:38:12] This shows the glass front entrance, the main entrance to Building 1 at the corner of South and West. And you can also see the PV panels on the roof of Building 1, and the geothermal wells are located to the left of West Street in the courthouse field's open space.

[03:38:31] Here's just a couple views of Building 1. The top image is the elevation of the building along South Street, demonstrating the topography change as you move from east to west along the site. The image on the bottom left depicts the staff and police evidence storage entrance, showing the restricted access point at Massey Drive.

[03:38:50] And the bottom right image is of the Building 1 service area. This view demonstrates how the courthouse plaza sits on top of the lower level of Building 1. In closing, DPWES believes that we have designed a comprehensive 20-plus year roadmap for redevelopment of the judicial complex that provides a more user-friendly transportation and pedestrian network, as well as an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing campus that will benefit Fairfax County.

[03:39:16] I respectfully request your approval of this application. Thank you for your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of the applicant? Supervisor Paljig. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. and thank you Kim. Callahan I was hoping you could share with us a little bit what I appreciate that and the application is that you you have delineated both the interim as well as the the final plans for all of these I know you can't go through all of it but if you could share with us a couple of the highlights from

[03:39:53] the open spaces to some of the connectivity some of the highlights maybe that we'll see in the interim phase going a lot of it will be in the in the final phase sure sure the the the image that is shown on the screen here is the is the phase one so that's our first phase that's what we have the the funding for and we're we're currently going through the design process i think some of the major elements here is the the courthouse fields which is number 11 and that is an open space that also has the the geothermal wells and we have boulder seating and some pathways and i'm just going to switch

[03:40:29] here so you can see if you look at the top right image you can see kind of a view of what that courthouse fields would would look like with the the accessible parking in front and then on the left hand side of that image is a bioretention facility to treat to treat stormwater one of the other special open spaces is this courthouse fields it's the bottom left image on the screen and that's located between the existing courthouse and building one and that's

[03:40:59] It serves double duty as a green roof over top of the lowest level of building one, but it also provides an area of respite, a place for people to relax, have their lunch, and maybe a stressful environment and see some trees and nature. So that's a very wonderful feature.

[03:41:16] And then the other feature that we're starting with this phase one is if you see running adjacent to West Street, you have that really large bricked area. It's called the Promenade, and that's a 15-foot-wide pedestrian way that takes you from the existing courthouse entrance.

[03:41:39] And it'll eventually, in future phases, lead all the way up to Main Street. So if you're standing at the corner of Main and West, you could see all the way down to the entrance of the existing courthouse. But we're just doing the first section of it. And then as we go back to the CDPA, you'll notice it kind of runs parallel to West Street, the entire promenade right there adjacent to Building 2 all the way up to Main Street.

[03:42:10] Excellent. Thank you. and I appreciate it. Personally, I think even that interim phase is much better than the current situation. Speaking of placemaking, my other question, I can't remember if it was in here, is I know I had some questions about ensuring that the farmer's market that's held there still has that ability to stay during the phasing and the construction.

[03:42:30] Sure. During the first phase, we're not really impacting that parking lot, but the city is aware that eventually that parking lot will be impacted. And when we went through the master plan, And the idea is that the farmer's market could even move to that 15-foot-wide prom on it.

[03:42:45] It was designed to accommodate future farmer's markets. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. And the drawings look great. I think this is going to be a big improvement and do a lot of positive things.

[03:43:01] On the streetlights, the metroscape, are we going to be using that? Yes, it was included in our zoning application, and we have agreed to use that not only as our basis of design, but we are doing the paperwork to do sole source procurement so that we can make sure that this is a pilot project to use that light fixture.

[03:43:19] Fantastic. I look forward to seeing that pilot project light up one day. That's a really bad pun, but yes. All right. Thank you very much. Any other questions of the applicant? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I do not have any speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[03:43:40] This is a public hearing. there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject this is a public public hearing anyone who would like to speak seeing and hearing no one let me ask if we have any callers no callers I assume the applicant waves rebuttal closing comments and a recommendation from county staff on October 23rd 2024 the Planning Commission recommended approval of the subject applications and the requested loading modification that concurs with these recommendations thank Thank you. Thank you very much. Last check, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing

[03:44:19] none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I read the motion, first, I want to thank all of the county staff on both sides of the aisle. So very much to Daniel and Kathy and the entire team on DPD for, we've been at this for a few years now, and you've been at it longer, excellent work. And to Kim and the team at DPWS, the applicants, I agree with Supervisor Alcorn that this really is, I think, an incredible improvement for the community and for the people who live there. And then a final gratitude, I see

[03:44:58] some of the members of the groups that will that reside here will continue to reside here, over 11 groups, very much appreciate from Diversion First and the courts and all the others I won't try to name all 11 who've been involved in this long process and the outreach I think it's been an incredible and as you can see today no speakers I think that you've done an incredible job with your outreach and with navigating 11 and more very strong opinions about what's necessary and how to keep everything safe um so to that let me just go ahead and read I have three motions number one I move that the Board of Supervisors

[03:45:37] approve pca-91-w-023-004 subject to the executed proffers dated october 22nd 2024 i further move that the board of supervisors approve cdpa-91-w-023 and finally i move that the board of supervisors modify the loading requirements for building one from two required loading spaces to one loading space i'm happy to second that along with supervisor alcorn

[03:46:15] if there's no further discussion uh before we vote let me just echo what what supervisor uh palchak said uh to thank the staff i mean this has been a huge team effort i do really appreciate the page that was up there about the process we've been through i feel like we've been at this forever we really have almost been at this forever but do want to thank you for your due due diligence and in particular coordination with Fairfax City because we have a big team and a lot of different departments here but it's at a different level when you're also coordinating with a totally different jurisdiction as we do so well with Fairfax City this was another example of that so thank you all for

[03:46:53] that I did want to add one additional thing and because so many of the applicant representatives are here I know with my staff and we all you know know, the courthouse is everybody's courthouse and everybody's location. And I think the work you've put in from what was mentioned, the placemaking to the thoughtful phasing, everything on the green side, Mr. Bierman will be happy, I believe, with the geothermal wells, the photovoltaic cells, the EV charging stations, the green roof. And I'm very excited that

[03:47:30] there is a beautiful and useful pedestrian bicycle safety and I think those of us who had to take that loop are very appreciative that that one-way loop that starts you out on one end and drops you off at the other is going to be a little bit more welcoming to the community and to the members who choose to or have to come to the courthouse every day so just a huge thank you I I think this is a great effort.

[03:47:58] Our transportation planners, everyone involved, I think this is a wonderful outcome and a huge improvement, even with just this phase one. And looking forward, hopefully we'll all be here for the next 20 years of phasing as well. Thank you. Now, let's make sure we have the votes.

[03:48:15] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries with Supervisor Herity being absent. So thank you all very much. We are now going to move on to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing on AFR 2024-SP-00003, Popes Head Local Agricultural and Forestry District Renewal in the Springfield District.

[03:48:42] And once they are ready, if we could please have staff begin their presentation.

[03:49:12] Mr. Chairman, my name is Natalie DeGraff. I'm with the Department of Planning and Development.

[03:49:32] This application requests to renew the Pope's Head Local Agricultural and Forrestal District for an eight-year term. The 31-acre property is located on Fairfax Station Road in the Springfield District and was originally established in 1984. The property is zoned residential conservation and in the Water Supply Protection Overlay District, it is planned for low-density residential uses and private open space.

[03:49:57] Approximately 11 acres is fenced in pasture and 20 acres is forested or undeveloped. The remaining one acre is devoted to residential use. The southern portion of the property slopes steeply towards the tributary of Popeshead Creek that traverses the site. It is part of the Popeshead Creek watershed and contains sensitive environmental features.

[03:50:18] A soil and water quality conservation plan was prepared by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. Critical recommendations include nutrient management as well as erosion control. The area forester inspected the property and drafted an addendum to the previous forest management plan.

[03:50:36] Recommendations include site monitoring and removal of invasive species and continued deer management or to provide planting of conifer species to provide some cover and help control the spread of invasives. The proposed district renewal satisfies the applicable group A criteria and three of the applicable criteria in group B and meets the minimum district acreage and other requirements of the code.

[03:51:03] Should it be renewed, it would be expected to meet all other ordinance provisions. Thank you, and I'd be happy to answer your questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? The applicant is welcome to share a few thoughts, but not required.

[03:51:24] Yes. In the 1950s, my father, Court Robert Matouche, and Gifford Hampshire shared an extra long aluminum ladder so they didn't have to buy one, both of them.

[03:51:40] So when one of them wanted the ladder, say if Gifford wanted it, my father would load it somehow onto the top of his Jeep, Willie's Jeep, World War II surplus, and chug on over to Newman Road where the Hampshires lived.

[03:52:02] Well, my father died before we had the first downzoning approval, but I think a recent story will tell you a little bit about how things are now. Richard and I offered a friend that he should come over and help us chop some firewood and we would share it because we had a lot of trees down in the Direcco last summer, so we have big chunks of wood along the driveway.

[03:52:35] so this friend said sure and he called a week later and he said can i come over and get some firewood today and i said well we're not going to be here to chop the wood oh don't you have a pile of split wood ready for me to take some no no i said the idea was we would chop it together and this is interesting in light of what someone on the planning commission said a couple of weeks ago, which was get your neighbors involved in clearing up the invasive species.

[03:53:15] And to some degree that works, but not always. We do not chop firewood for anybody else, okay? Thank you. Thank you very much. I can't imagine this is the case, but let me ask if there are any questions of staff or the applicant.

[03:53:32] And there is not. This is a public hearing, and I have no one who has signed up in advance to testify. is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this matter this is a public hearing anyone who would like to testify seeing and hearing no one let me ask the clerk I'm sorry you're wanting to testify on this matter okay uh-huh let me ask the clerk if we have any callers there are no callers soon the applicant waives rebuttal closing comments and a recommendation from county staff so the Planning Commission and the agricultural and forestal

[03:54:09] district Advisory Committee recommended approval of the application and staff concurs with this recommendation thank you thank you very much last check questions from board members seeing and hearing none I will now close the public hearing and recognize supervisor Herity for a motion yes mr. chairman first I want to say thank you for keeping this property in an agriculture and forestal district I'd ask you to state for your a state for the record your acceptance of the ordinance provisions dated November 6 2024 yes I do all right thank you very

[03:54:46] much. Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors approve AFR 2024-SP-00003 and amend Appendix F of the County Code to renew the Popeshead local agricultural and forestal district subject to the ordinance provisions dated November 6, 2024, which were contained in the staff report. So moved. And then Chair will second that along with Supervisor Palachuk. Any discussion on the motion?

[03:55:15] Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you very much. Thank you. And next, we have a public hearing on AFR 83-D-006-05, Cajol Company Local Agricultural and Forestry District Renewal in the Drainsville District. And as soon as they are ready, we would welcome a staff presentation.

[03:55:47] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is William Nance. I'm the Department of Planning and Development. This application requests to renew the Cajolco Local Agricultural and Forestville District for an eight-year term.

[03:56:10] The 57-acre property is located on Arnon Chapel Road in the Drainsville District and was originally established in 1983. The property is zoned residential estate and is planned for low-density residential uses. Approximately 52 acres is used for agriculture, while the rest is devoted to residential use.

[03:56:30] The site is in the Mine Run Branch watershed and contains a farm pond. No sensitive environmental features exist on the property. A soil and water quality conservation plan was prepared by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.

[03:56:47] Critical recommendations include erosion control, integrated pest management, and nutrient management. The area forester also inspected the property and noted there are limited forest resources on the site. Therefore, no forest management plan was provided. However, the area forester provided a few recommendations, including invasive species management.

[03:57:07] The proposed district renewal satisfies the applicable Group A criteria and two of the applicable criteria in Group B, and meets the minimum district acreage and other requirements of the code. Should it be renewed, it would be expected to meet all other ordinance provisions. Thank you.

[03:57:24] Thank you very much. This time again, it's not required, but if the applicant wants to share anything, you may do so. Excellent. Thank you very much. any questions of staff seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing and I have no one who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject this is a public hearing anyone who would like to testify seeing and hearing no one let me ask if we have anyone who's called in no callers no one has called the applicant

[03:58:01] waves rebuttal closing comments on a recommendation from County staff the Planning Commission and Agricultural and Forestall District Advisory Committee recommended approval of the application subject to the proposed ordinance provisions. Staff concurs with this recommendation. That concludes my presentation, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Behrman for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, county staff, for your work on this. Thank you. I request that the applicants state on the record their acceptance of the ordinance provisions

[03:58:37] dated November 6, 2024. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve AFR-83-D-006-05 and amend Appendix F of the County Code to renew the Cajole Company Local Agricultural and Forestry District subject to the ordinance provisions dated November 6, 2024.

[03:59:06] And the Chair will second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion? Any 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. Thank you. Next, we have a public hearing on proposed amendments to Chapter 115, Local Agricultural and Forestral Districts of the Code of the County of Fairfax, Virginia, County Code.

[03:59:34] And as soon as staff is ready, we would welcome a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Sophia Fisher with the Department of Planning and Development, and I'm joined by Sherry Mack from OCA.

[03:59:55] Chapter 115, Local Agricultural and Forestal Districts of the County Code, was originally adopted on May 9, 1983, and was amended on July 31, 1995 to reduce the minimum district size from 25 to 20 acres, among other changes.

[04:00:15] The program helps to protect close to 30,000 acres of significant open space, agricultural land, and environmentally sensitive areas. A recent review of Chapter 115 identified that the term freeholder is used to define property, ownership, and by extension membership on the Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee, or AFDAC.

[04:00:41] The term landowner is also defined in Chapter 115. The One Fairfax policy commits Fairfax County to a more inclusive future, which also means being intentional about the words that are used to guide the policy of the county. The term freeholder is a colonial-era term used to refer to a person who owned an estate of land free of debt in a time before property ownership was available to women or people of color.

[04:01:09] This language is easily modernized with the term landowner to better reflect the values of the county and is consistent with the language used in the Code of Virginia, Title 15.2, Chapter 44, Agricultural and Forestal Districts Act.

[04:01:28] Proposed amendment would also update the notification requirements and includes other minor editorial corrections. The proposed changes include deleting the term freeholder, amending public notice requirements to be consistent with the Code of Virginia, and typographical and editorial clarifications.

[04:01:49] Staff reviewed this with the Agricultural and Forestal District Advisory Committee, and they were supportive of the proposed changes. This concludes my presentation, and I'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any questions of staff? Okay. Seeing none, this is a public hearing. We don't have anyone signed up. Is there anyone in the auditorium that would like to speak?

[04:02:13] Seeing no one, I'll ask the clerk. Is there anyone in the auditorium? Do we have anyone? No callers. Okay. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt the amendment to Chapter 115 of the Fairfax County Code as described in Attachment 1 of the staff report. Thank you.

[04:02:38] Thank you very much. Final call. Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to do a little background and then make my motion. Agricultural and forestal districts help to protect close to 3,000 acres of significant open space, agricultural land, and environmentally sensitive areas in Fairfax County.

[04:03:07] Chapter 115 of the County Code governs local agricultural and forestal districts. It was adopted on May 9, 1983, with one revision in July 1995. The term freeholder is outdated and inconsistent with the One Fairfax policy, which commits Fairfax County to a more inclusive future, to include being intentional about the words that are used to guide the policy of the county.

[04:03:29] This language is easily modernized with the term landowner to better reflect the values of the county and is consistent with the language used in the Code of Virginia. Additional changes will also align our code with the Code of Virginia regarding the public notice requirements and allow for other typographical and editorial edits.

[04:03:48] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the amendment to Chapter 115, Local Agricultural and Forestal Districts of the County Code, as found in Attachment 1 of the Staff Report, dated October 1, 2024. We'll second that motion. Discussion on the motion.

[04:04:04] Just supervisor Smith. I just want to thank Sophia for all her work on this and and her great support of the A&F district committee Thank you. Any further discussions seeing and hearing none was in favor of the motion. Please say aye I any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries. Thank you very much. Next. We have a public hearing on a proposed I'm sorry. It's not yet 4:30. Oh, it's the next one 4:30. Oh, it is. We've got ten minutes This never happens All right. We will take a brief 10-minute recess.

[04:04:40] Are we officially at 4.30?

[04:13:43] 4.31. Okay. So I am now going to call the next public hearing, which is a public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance amendment regarding contractors' office and shop, construction vehicles and equipment, and storage yards. And at this time, we would welcome a staff presentation.

[04:14:01] Good afternoon. My name is Austin Gastrell with the Department of Planning and Development, and I'm joined today by the Zoning Administrator, Leslie Johnson, Bill Malin, the Assistant Zoning Administrator, Deputy Zoning Administrator Sarah Morgan, as well as Paul Emrick from the County Attorney's Office. We're here this afternoon to give you a presentation on a proposed zoning ordinance amendment related to contractors, office and shop, construction vehicles and equipment, and storage yard. This topic was listed as a priority one item on the 2022-2023 Zoning Ordinance Work Program in response to a

[04:14:35] follow-on motion which was approved in conjunction with the adoption of ZMOD in 2021. The board's follow-on motion and the zoning ordinance work program item directed staff to review our ordinance standards related to the storage of construction vehicles and equipment and determine where regulatory flexibility could be added for the use contractor's office and shop. Proposals that are the subject of this presentation and the staff report which was published on October 9th are the product of outreach to industry and residents of our community, and as well in collaboration with county agencies involved in the implementation and enforcement of the zoning ordinance.

[04:15:11] So on the screen in front of you is the definition of contractor's office and shop. So contractor's office and shop is a rather broad definition, and it covers many of your trades. These are groups that may be working on your home, providing services to a business, and And it includes groups such as HVAC technicians, electricians, plumbers, and this also includes general contractors.

[04:15:37] And as well, the use itself, it includes groups such as arborists, so people who might be coming to your property to cut down trees, prune trees, and landscape companies, people who might be coming into service our land around our homes and businesses. And right now the use is currently permitted by right in the C8, I3, I4, I5, and I6 district and in the PTC district when shown on a final development plan.

[04:16:03] So this amendment really looks at kind of the overall impact of the existing provisions to the contractor's office and shop use. And what we found is that in the C8, I3, and I4 district currently, some of the constraints dealt with storage.

[04:16:20] It dealt with storage of equipment and materials. It dealt with storage and parking of construction equipment or vehicles. And right now, the zoning ordinance in the C8, I3, and I4 districts limits the amount of outdoor storage accessory to a contractor's office and shop to 500 square feet. This outdoor storage must be screened from view from other properties, as well as the loading areas must be screened.

[04:16:42] And as mentioned, there's no outdoor storage or parking of construction vehicles and equipment currently permitted in the C8, I3, and I4 district. And this also includes vehicles used for transporting construction equipment and materials, as well as similar vehicles that are called out, your solid waste collection vehicles, dump trucks, cement mixers, tractor trailers, et cetera.

[04:17:02] And this was a point that during our outreach, we heard continuously from industry was in need of flexibility for being able to store not only the materials, but also equipment and vehicles on sites. And so the proposed changes of the zoning ordinance amendment really break down into kind of three categories.

[04:17:19] We've got definitions and regulations related to vehicles and equipment. We've got outdoor storage accessory. We also have storage yards is a different use. And so with vehicles and equipment, we're looking to create two new definitions in the zoning ordinance that make distinctions between what we are calling light and heavy vehicles and equipment.

[04:17:38] The zoning ordinance does not currently define what construction vehicles and equipment are, but it does regulate them. And so the intent of this provision and these new definitions is to provide objective definitions so people can understand what we mean by our ordinance and understand what can and can't be kept certain locations.

[04:17:56] We're also looking to allow heavy vehicles and equipment to be kept in the I-3 and I-4 industrial districts. So these are our traditional construction equipment, traditional construction vehicles, as well as vehicles that exceed the standards for light. They're currently not allowed in the industrial districts, and we feel that the I-3 and I-4 district is an appropriate place to keep those types of vehicles and equipment.

[04:18:17] We're also looking to continue the prohibition of keeping of heavy vehicles and equipment in the C-8 Highway Commercial District, unless otherwise approved through a special exception process. So one of the things that we're proposing with the zoning ordinance amendment is the ability for a contractor's office and shop to apply for a special exception to keep limited or certain types of heavy vehicles and equipment on a commercial property that likely are integral to their use. That would allow a user or a contractor's office and shop to continue using a property without maybe having either to move outside of the county to a different location or ferry back and forth from a satellite storage area when they are servicing their clients.

[04:18:54] We're also looking to define commercial equipment. The zoning ordinance defines commercial vehicles, but it does not define commercial equipment. And lastly, I'll take the time to note that this zoning ordinance amendment does not change the type size characteristics of commercial vehicles that are permitted to be kept in the residential districts. This really is looking at the commercial and the industrial districts. So on light vehicles and equipment, so these are our vehicles and equipment we commonly see in association with a contractor's office and shop, so your contractor vans, trucks, as well as equipment, because contractors, as we found through our outreach, need often certain things like skid steers or trenching devices, and the definitions that we

[04:19:34] settled on deal with characteristics that are, again, objective, so length, gross vehicle weight rating, height, number of axles, and rated operating capacity, and these are very important because it allows for an end user, let it be either a business owner or let it be someone who's enforcing the zoning ordinance, to make a determination on whether a vehicle meets this definition by the characteristics of that vehicle or the equipment itself. Rated operating capacity is also important because again this deals with equipment and so rated operating capacity is a industry standard that deals with equipment and how much a certain piece of equipment can pick up. So heavy vehicles

[04:20:11] and equipment which would be considered now we would call it mainly construction vehicles and equipment is anything that exceeds those light standards and so if it exceeds let's just say a vehicle exceeds the length standard, but it still is within the weight standard for a light vehicle. It would be considered heavy because it exceeds any one of the light standards. This definition also calls out dump trucks, solid waste collection vehicles, cement mixer trucks, and then tow and recovery vehicles to codify that those are still considered heavy vehicles and equipment.

[04:20:42] So some of the proposed changes that deal with accessory outdoor storage. With our outreach, know the need to have that on-site storage was really heard from the industry and so what we're proposing is to allow for a thousand square feet of buy right accessory outdoor storage for a contractor's office and shop in the c8 district as well as a special exception option to allow for an increased amount of outdoor storage in that c8 district in the i3 and i4 district we're proposing 2 000 square feet of buy right accessory outdoor storage and we would be restricting this outdoor storage areas from the front yard. We'd also be allowing storage yards as a principal use

[04:21:21] limited to 10,000 square feet by right in the I-3 and I-4 districts while establishing a special exception process that would permit larger storage yards in these I-3 and I-4 districts. As part of our outreach, contractors within the county expressed concern that a lot of our contractors don't have offices. They have their truck, they have their equipment. That is their office. And their need is a place to keep vehicles and equipment. And I won't say that this is going to fix some of the commercial vehicle parking problems we have within the county, but it allows for more options for people to legally keep vehicles and equipment that is closer to end

[04:21:56] users. Both the accessory outdoor storage areas that are accessory to a contractor's office and shop and a standalone storage yard, as proposed, would be required to be screened by a solid fencer wall of at least six feet in height. This slide shows kind of a comparison of what we're talking about of what's currently permitted by right and what we're proposing in the C8 district, 500 square feet is about three and a half parking spaces just for a visual representation. We're proposing a thousand square feet of by right outdoor storage. And the I3 and I4 districts or industrial districts, we're proposing up to 2,000 square feet of permitted by right outdoor storage accessory to a contractor's office and shop. And again, both of these would

[04:22:34] be without site plan approval. They fall under the threshold of what would require a minor site plan or site plan. And then lastly, this is a comparison, just a visualization to show what we're talking about a 10,000 square foot limited storage yard. So an area that we permitted by right in the I-3 and I-4 district to keep vehicles and equipment with a special exception option to increase above that 10,000 square feet. So in closing, staff believes that the proposed zoning ordinance amendment allows for measured regulatory flexibility for contractors who provide important services to residents and business owners within our county. Additionally, implementing objective provisions that increase readability benefits our community, industry, and county agencies that

[04:23:13] administer the zoning ordinance. On October 30th, this presentation was given to the Planning Commission, and the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of this zoning ordinance amendment. I'd like to thank everyone for your time and attention to this matter today, and staff is available for any questions you may have. Thank you very much for that presentation and your work on this. Are there any questions of staff? Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. Ah, questions. Supervisor Stork. I'm just curious if we've received any feedback from the community areas that are likely to be impacted by this?

[04:23:50] I mean, objections or concerns or heightened interests? So as part of our outreach, specifically this year, I'll highlight that this amendment goes back to 2021. And we initially started outreach to our contractor, the industry, and to speak to contractors to figure out what were the things that were impacting contractors.

[04:24:13] And then this year, the outreach that we targeted was not only just overall community outreach, but was targeted to different supervisor districts or magisterial districts that had high concentrations of C8, I3, and I4 district. And so specifically, we met with community groups in the Mount Vernon district as well as industry groups in that district.

[04:24:32] And some of the concerns that may have been brought up dealt with things like, let's just say setbacks, so how far something could be from a property line. Well, the proposal that we currently have to have equipment kept in a C8 district behind a six-foot-tall fence also meets the other standards in the zoning ordinance for buffering.

[04:24:50] And so we find that kind of the provisions that we have proposed allow for keeping of those vehicles and equipment, but also allow for that transitional area and protection from those residences. Great. Thank you very much. All right. Any other questions of staff?

[04:25:08] Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I have nobody who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter. However, this is a public hearing. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? Anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? Seeing and hearing no one, let me verify we have no callers.

[04:25:25] No callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. The staff concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation to approve the proposed zoning ordinance amendment with the text shown in the October 9th staff report, effective the day following adoption.

[04:25:43] Excellent. Thank you very much. Last check. 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 move that the board adopt the proposed zoning ordinance amendment for accessible part... Wrong one. We're on contractors' offices. She's trying to get me ahead of schedule again.

[04:26:03] This is what happens when you do two in a row, I guess. Sorry about that. I think I messed it up by mistake. Okay, I am on a roll here.

[04:26:18] Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board adopt the proposed zoning ordinance amendment related to contractors' office and shop, construction vehicles and equipment, and storage yards with the staff recommended options as set forth in the staff report dated October 9, 2024, and that the amendment become effective at 12.01 a.m. the day following board adoption. And the chair will second that motion along with Supervisor Lusk. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Smith. I want to thank Austin and the whole crew of staff here that have worked on this. I think this is a perfect example of when we're working on the zoning ordinance and

[04:26:53] we hear concerns, the staff reaches out, they do the research, and they find a solution. It is important to our community that these businesses can still stay in the county and I know it took a lot of work to get to the decision of how do we define vehicles and how do we do that I think staff came up with a great solution for us and I appreciate all your work and outreach that you did thank you thank you very much further discussion supervisor Alcorn yeah I'm just going to pile on a little bit this was really good work also the outreach to the community and And, you know, many of us that do have areas in our districts that have issues with commercial

[04:27:30] parking, this is a really good step that actually acknowledges these folks do need a place to park and some of the other changes. It's very worthwhile. So thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[04:27:47] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Again, thank you all. Appreciate it. Our final public hearing before public comment is a public hearing on proposed zoning ordinance amendment to Article 6, Parking and Loading, for addition of minimum accessible parking requirements.

[04:28:07] And at this time, we would welcome a staff presentation. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Michael Davis. I'm the Parking Program Manager with Land Development Services. I have with me today Bill Maland, Leslie Johnson, Austin Gastrell, the cast that continues with me in all my parking endeavors, as well as Hayden Cotting from the county attorney's office.

[04:28:38] So we are here today to talk about accessible parking, particularly an amendment to the county zoning ordinance that stems from conversations that we had with the board when we adopted the parking reimagined changes, the overall changes to the zoning ordinance for parking.

[04:28:59] And as part of that, there was a discussion about accessible parking and the amount of accessible parking that would be provided with those changes to the zoning ordinance. So staff had done a great deal of research associated with that, did site surveys, did some counts at about 130 individual sites and over 650 time points in the winter and spring of this year.

[04:29:33] We also, as part of that survey, took a look at capacity and saw that in most cases there was capacity available with the sites that were surveyed.

[04:29:48] And the surveyed sites included the higher parking demand sites, such as retail, restaurants, office buildings, and so forth. So with that information, we did find that in 92% of the cases or the sites that we were surveying and the time points we were looking at, that there were spaces available for accessible parking.

[04:30:11] So we wanted to kind of do that surveying to verify that the existing accessible parking supply was adequate for most cases. Also, as part of that survey, we were looking at display on vehicles, accessible parking display, either the hang tag or license plates to see, while it wasn't part of our assigned effort to look at accessible parking supply, did want to verify that how much potential violations we had out there.

[04:30:46] And in that regard, it was less than 10% of the vehicles that were surveyed did not have a hang tag showing or a license plate. And those surveys were completed late in the spring of this year. The other thing that we did is we put together a community survey.

[04:31:04] We worked with the Disability Services Board and with Family Services to put together a very comprehensive survey targeted to those who either have used or were currently using accessible parking to get some feedback from that element of the community on how they felt accessible parking was working, any sort of pitfalls that they might have seen, as well as any behavioral elements that we could capture,

[04:31:39] such as online ordering rather than going to a store and trying to find a parking space, and whether or not people were changing their behaviors to ensure that accessible parking would be available for them when they visited the location.

[04:31:55] So that was a lot of useful information that jibed with where we were heading on a recommendation for this amendment. And we did that survey also in the spring of this year. It was an online survey, and we had over 350 responses to that survey.

[04:32:16] And they also had the ability to make comments, which were very helpful for us in moving forward. So with that, we have proposed a recommendation for changes to accessible parking.

[04:32:32] Currently, accessible parking is regulated through the International Building Code and the State Building Code. And there is a chart in those documents that guide the number of spaces that are to be provided on a ratio.

[04:32:48] What we are proposing is to have the county's zoning ordinance have that chart and have a higher threshold for accessible parking than the current state construction standard.

[04:33:02] There are some other elements to accessible parking that we're continuing to look at, I'll note, that would require a PFM amendment potentially, and we are aligning ourselves with coming to the board next year, hopefully with the PFM amendment, and that would be related to design of the accessible space and information that's provided at the accessible space.

[04:33:30] One of the frequent comments that we were getting and also what we were seeing in the site surveys was that drivers were parking on the loading areas for wheelchair accessible vehicles. They were either encroaching on them or they were parking over that area.

[04:33:49] And that is something that is enforceable legally, but we also want to try to have people recognize that that area is set aside for vehicle loading and not parking.

[04:34:04] So there could be some additional signage or pavement markings that would be part of the PFM proposal coming forward. So just briefly with this chart, it's just really just to demonstrate that there's a lower threshold for accessible parking in the county's proposed amendment that has a baseline ratio of 1 to 15, but then modifies as you go through the chart. And just to provide a quick

[04:34:38] example of one of the uses that would be having the most impactful change with regard to accessible parking is that we change the base requirement for a restaurant in the zoning ordinance, the newly adopted zoning ordinance parking requirements.

[04:34:57] And if that were, if we didn't make the change to the accessible parking ratio, there'd be a lower amount of accessible parking, either the same or lower going forward. So the one to 15 ratio that we're proposing corrects that to provide at least as many, if not more, accessible spaces depending on the size of the restaurant.

[04:35:21] So just briefly, we've met all the goals that we set out to put together in the project timeline, and here we are today with a recommendation from the Planning Commission, a unanimous approval to recommend to the board that we proceed with this amendment to the ordinance.

[04:35:44] And with that, my presentation is complete, and if you all have any questions, ready to answer them. Excellent. Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there any questions of staff at this time? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing.

[04:36:03] I do have one speaker who has signed up to testify in advance and has submitted video testimony. Can we play Mr. Simon's video? I'm Chair of the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board. I thank you for the opportunity to speak today by video, and I apologize for not being able to attend in person.

[04:36:24] I will keep this succinct. This video testimony is in support of the proposed parking amendment. Preserving the supply of accessible parking in Fairfax County is critical to ensuring that residents with disabilities continue to enjoy equal and equitable access to all the opportunities that our county has to offer.

[04:36:45] Parking reimagined, which is now the county standard for future development and redevelopment, will in some instances reduce the amount of accessible parking that will be available, and the proposed amendment rectifies this. So again, thank you for your consideration and support of the proposed parking amendment, which corrects this issue.

[04:37:07] Thank you very much. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? Seeing and hearing no one, let me see if we have callers. No callers. No callers.

[04:37:23] Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Just want to note that what is being proposed here today is an innovative approach to addressing accessible parking with the changes to the parking ordinance. Nationally, a lot of jurisdictions are reducing their amount of required parking, but that required parking is based on the number of spaces provided, and most communities don't make the adjustment to ensure that accessible parking is provided at a higher rate.

[04:37:58] So what we're doing today is really kind of on the cutting edge with regard to what other jurisdictions nationally are doing. And with that, staff recommends approval of this proposal. Thank you very much. Are there any questions from the board?

[04:38:16] Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Who has the right motion? Mr. Chairman, I move that the board adopt the proposed zoning ordinance amendment for accessible parking as set forth in the staff report dated October 2, 2024, with the following minor edit to fix a typographical error.

[04:38:36] Subsection 6100.4.E.2 in parens should read, Table 6100.5 applies to a site plan, minor site plan, or redesignation plan accepted after effective date of the zoning ordinance amendment for a new parking lot, parking structure, or modified number of parking spaces in an existing parking lot.

[04:38:59] I further move that the amendment become effective at 12.01 a.m. December 4, 2024. I heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded. Discussion on the motion? Supervisor Smith. This is another great example where we heard from the community. The chairman heard first. Staff did their research.

[04:39:17] They reached out to the community. Mike, I appreciate all your comments about us being at the forefront of this issue. And I thank you and your team for all the work that you did on this. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. We thank the parking crew that's here.

[04:39:33] But in particular, I also want to thank David Simon, whose testimony we just saw a moment ago, because I can't take credit for catching this. It was Mr. Simon and the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board that brought this to our attention and worked with us throughout the process to come up with a manageable and workable solution.

[04:39:54] And so I really want to thank him for the amount of time and effort that he and the Disability Services Board Put into this important work because it matters and and certainly appreciate all the staff's work as well with that All those in favor of the motion, please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries Thank you all very much. And that brings us to our last item on our agenda, which is public comment And I just want to remind Some folks about the rules for public comment before we begin the board will hear public comment on any issue

[04:40:33] except issues under litigation, issues that have been scheduled for a public hearing before the board, and personnel matters and or comments regarding specific individuals. Speakers must register in advance, and each speaker is given three minutes for their 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. Disrupted behavior will not be tolerated if disruption occurs i will call for a recess the board will exit and will request staff to come in

[04:41:09] to determine how we can quickly resolve the issue this would not be a good use of anyone's time and is not expected i will now call the first public comment speaker again that i have on my list and that is rob minnick testifying as an individual has submitted video testimony i'm in recovery from a gambling addiction when i was 18 years old i started doing daily fantasy sports with the popular operators and within just a couple of weeks i found myself addicted to gambling i moved into regular sports betting and it became a compulsion such that i went into debt six different

[04:41:47] times over the course of six years to the point that i had to get a second job just to pay it off i was in college i went to georgetown university but i really didn't pay very much attention because every single day i was constantly stressed where would i get money to bet how can i make it back what's my next opportunity to gamble on it consumed me to the point where i didn't accomplish anything during the time that i was gambling so i'm sending in this message today to voice my opinion that gambling is a dangerous and addictive product naturally i didn't believe that at first i thought that i would come out on top that i would find the big win and the industry told me

[04:42:24] me that that would be the case the honest truth is not everyone that gambles does get addicted to it but anyone can and i did and i'm someone that didn't seem like i should get addicted to anything i was doing well in school i was pursuing a good career path everything seemed fine but gambling got its hooks in me and i was instantly transported into a world where all i cared about was that next bet and that can happen to anyone could happen to your daughter your son your niece your nephew could happen to you. It doesn't matter what your age is. Gambling addiction doesn't discriminate.

[04:42:58] And because we're seeing an increase in the amount of gambling, but not really an increase in the amount of resources to help, what's going to happen is if more people gamble, more people are going to feel isolated, alone, and not know where to turn to get help for a gambling addiction. And even if they did, only 10% of the people that have a gambling addiction actually seek help for it.

[04:43:18] The other 90% are suffering in silence. This is the hidden addiction. You might not be able to tell who's struggling, but there's millions of people across the country right now that really regret making that first bet. I'm here to share my story that things can go bad. It doesn't matter who you are.

[04:43:35] That doesn't mean it'll go bad for everyone, but you're opening up a whole can of worms if you're allowing more people to start gambling in an industry that preys upon those who have gambling addictions. Upwards of 86% of sports betting profits from one UK study were said to have come from 5% of the players, the gambling addicts.

[04:43:54] Imagine if it was your family that was going to be at risk. Would you want that? Well, you don't have to imagine. It's reality. If gambling is legalized, more people will suffer. The mechanisms aren't in place to help people to the point that we're able to handle a massive influx of people that have a gambling addiction.

[04:44:13] It's very dangerous. The resources are not well known. and the dangers absolutely outweigh the positives. Thank you for taking the time to hear my opinion on this issue, and I hope that the right decision is made, keeping in mind the public health of those who might be at risk.

[04:44:30] Thank you. And speaker number two is Connie Hartke, to be followed by Lynn Molston and Elizabeth Norris. If I've called your name, please come down close so you're ready to provide testimony. We are on speaker number two. Ms. Hartke, welcome.

[04:44:45] Thank you. Hi, I'm Connie Hartke, 2201 Quartermaster Lane, Reston. It's not only citizens like me who are deeply concerned that a casino in Tyson's is just plain wrong. Some of the earliest tech innovators who helped make Tyson's what it is today also feel this way.

[04:45:06] I have been permitted to quote them publicly but not state their names. You have their names in emails they sent, both from the local resident who helped build the worldwide headquarters for AOL operations in Fairfax County and from the co-founder of Perot Systems. They said this about the plan to build a casino in Tysons, and I quote, we ended up hiring thousands of software engineers, programmers, network operations professionals, and built the worldwide headquarters for AOL operations in Tysons Corner,

[04:45:45] and then eventually expanded to Ruston, Virginia. Most of our team relocated to Fairfax County from other parts of the United States, all looking to join a fast-growing, high-tech company in a family-forward community. We were very successful, paid our team members with salary and stock options, and the state of Virginia collected billions of dollars in tax revenue from the capital gains of AOLers cashing in those stock options. AOL would never have

[04:46:18] selected Tyson's Corner, rest in or anywhere near a casino to build our company. So the idea of a casino increasing tax revenues for the state or the county, just looking around, for the state or the county is misguided when you realize how much revenue would be lost from the companies that flee Fairfax County. Network and systems engineers, software developers all earn a lot more than blackjack dealers and coupures, the people behind the dealers. Quoting from the second

[04:46:56] correspondence, as a co-founder of Perot Systems, along with Ross Perot Sr., we established our first headquarters on Spring Hill Road in Tysons. Working for Ross Perot for nearly 40 years, I learned that business and life in general had to be conducted in the absolute center of the ethical playing field, not alongside lines. Clearly, this proposal, offered up by a representative of another distant district, does not pass that test. Neither does his relationship with developers who would

[04:47:34] profit from such an arrangement. And finally, the business model of casinos and all that they encompass is clearly out of bounds for Tysons. Ross Perot would have never funded a startup in the shadow of a casino. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number three is Lynn Molston, to be followed by Elizabeth Norse, and speaker number five, Sarah Ibrahim. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. We are on speaker number three. Welcome. Thank you, Chairman McKay, Supervisor

[04:48:09] Alcorn, and Board of Supervisors. I want to say good afternoon. It is still afternoon. But before I provide my comments, let me wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. Mine would be much better and happier if I were not here testifying again before you regarding the impact of a casino to Fairfax County. You know as well as I do that we did not ask for this. We did not ask for a

[04:48:46] casino in Fairfax County, the process in which this misplaced casino idea is completely backwards. The way that bills are supposed to happen is that it comes from the citizens and it goes to our elected officials whom we trust with our votes and we trust you to represent us.

[04:49:12] This new bill, if it follows the path of SB 675, will again be out of order. You know, we have a saying in the South.

[04:49:27] I think many of you all are familiar with it, and it's an accurate descriptor of this situation. This is the tail wagging the dog. All year, you've heard members and supporters of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition testify and provide public comment regarding the detrimental effects that a casino would have on Fairfax County, her businesses, and society.

[04:49:54] All year, you've heard the facts regarding the perils that casinos bring to communities, the detriment to small businesses, increases in crime, and the societal costs. You've heard from respected leaders, such as former Congressman Frank Wolfe, former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, and Bishop Burbage.

[04:50:24] Yet many of you won't come out publicly against this idea. We greatly appreciate those of you who have issued public statements in opposition. But if those of you who remain silent won't carry our voice forward in public, please do all you can to work behind the scenes to stop this bad idea.

[04:50:53] If Senator Marsden follows through with the promise and we are faced with a referendum, it will tear our county apart. We will have the uninformed voting for and the informed voting against.

[04:51:13] In fact, the cost of bringing a referendum to a vote would be a waste of taxpayer dollars. I, along with supporters of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition, are going to keep coming back and coming back and coming back until a casino in Fairfax County is removed from any legislation.

[04:51:36] Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Speaker number four is Elizabeth Norse, to be followed by Sarah Ibrahim and Jason Zibel. We are now on speaker number four. Welcome. Hi. So my name is Elizabeth Norse.

[04:51:58] I'm a local small business owner in Fairfax County. I've been running my own businesses for over 10 years now. And I have a lot of experience working with county officials on lots of different things in lots of different parts of your organization. I recently had a really difficult experience with one of the departments, and I'm not here to rain on anybody or make anybody's life difficult.

[04:52:23] But what was difficult for me as a business owner and a resident was there was no easy way for me to give feedback about what happened. And there's been no easy way for me to give feedback when somebody does a great job either, which has happened with people that work in Fairfax County. My background, I'm actually, historically, before I started my own businesses, I worked at Long and Foster in the headquarters in Chantilly.

[04:52:45] And I ran marketing for them, vice president of marketing, and I actually implemented their customer satisfaction process for all their agents and customers across the entire company and their employees as well. So I'm speaking about something I've actually implemented before in my past life before I decided to start my own companies.

[04:53:05] I run Prohood Cleaning Service. That's a commercial cleaning business that's located in Arreston. And you can see here on my slide, we have customer accountability all the time, right? You can see my Google reviews. I'm sure you make a lot of your decisions based on Google reviews.

[04:53:20] But when a person who's a constituent here is dealing with the county and a government official here, we have no easy way to tell you what's happening. It doesn't have to be public, but these are examples of actual email footers I've gotten from individuals in all of my work working with the county over the last few years.

[04:53:42] Some of them have contact information, some of them don't. Some of them have a department link, some don't. Some will actually have quick links. A lot of times the links don't work. Sometimes they don't even have a phone number for the department. You can see here, yours is actually on the top right.

[04:53:58] The Office of the Clerk or Board of Supervisors just has a phone number. There's no other information about quick links, easy to find anything, sources that could be useful for a constituent or a business owner to move through your system. For me personally, it's kind of interesting because I'm licensed actually in six different states across the United States.

[04:54:22] I've worked in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., currently getting my license in Arizona, Nevada. I have Colorado and Tennessee. So I have familiarity working with many different governments. And the best one, honestly, hats off to Tennessee. They do a really good job. And this is what their email footer looks like. When you talk to somebody in their Department of Commerce and Insurance, they actually have quick links to their Instagram, their Facebook. Sorry. Anyway, On the last slide, it just shows you what made their email good, what it made it useful, and for you all to get more feedback in the future.

[04:55:01] I think this would be a great thing to implement across the county. And I actually put all the pros of why it's an easy win for you all politically on the back. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much for bringing this forward, for taking the time to do this. And we all have your handout so we can get to the last page, but really appreciate this.

[04:55:20] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number five is Sarah Ibrahim, to be followed by Jason Zibel and Elizabeth Rydels. Welcome. Hello, again. My name is Sarah.

[04:55:37] It's been six months since I last spoke, as per the rules, and as I promised, we've come to every meeting since and will continue to attend every meeting. We've tried to appeal to your empathy for the Palestinian people and the Fairfax residents who have suffered loss from the ongoing genocide. Your continued silence on the issue has only strengthened our resolve to spread awareness ourselves.

[04:55:57] Today, I will focus on the use of taxpayer dollars in support of the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, or VIAB, and its impact on our community. VIAB has been instrumental in promoting Israeli businesses in Virginia, including Israel Aerospace Industries North America, an Israeli-owned defense contractor operating here in Fairfax County.

[04:56:16] This organization benefits from VIAB's taxpayer-funded support, despite its ties to military technologies used in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians. By funding VIAB, Fairfax County is complicit in genocide. Does the funding reflect our local priorities? Fairfax County is grappling with pressing challenges such as affordable housing shortages, underfunded schools, and transportation issues.

[04:56:38] Every dollar funneled to VIAB is a dollar diverted from addressing these urgent needs. However, we also see a need to reassess where financial aid and legal protection is going here. Attending these meetings every month means I have witness funds given to those with higher income levels and security, while residents living in trailer homes beg to avoid displacement.

[04:56:57] Finally, there is a lack of transparency and accountability. What are the tangible benefits of these investments for Fairfax County residents? How do these partnerships reflect our values as a community supposedly committed to equity and human rights? I urge this board to support divesting from Viab and Israel as a whole and start reallocating these funds to address the critical needs of Fairfax County residents.

[04:57:17] Stop funding Israel. Stop funding Israeli businesses. Fund our local communities and address the needs of your constituent. We'll continue to grow our membership and come every meeting. See you next month. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number six is Jason Zibel, to be followed by Elizabeth Rydels and Garrick White. Welcome.

[04:57:40] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My name is Jason Zibel, and I'm a resident of Super Rosa Herides District. And I have a sophomore daughter at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science Technology in Supervisor Jimenez's district.

[04:57:57] And although TJ has students from all of your districts, so this kind of, you know, affects everybody. And I want to talk about an issue that actually affects all the FCPS schools. We actually have, there's an unintended tax, I believe unintended, that affects the tax on students in a number of extracurricular organizations.

[04:58:17] So the basic info, we have a truck or a large vehicle within the band at TJ, but any student organization that moves large equipment has to have some way to move it around. If it's not rented, those vehicles are owned by a 501c3 not-for-profit organization like a booster organization for the school.

[04:58:38] I want to thank Supervisor Walkinshaw's office of staff for helping me do a little research and apply initially for the tax relief for this, but was denied. And so, therefore, the personal property tax in these vehicles has to be shouldered by the booster organizations within the schools.

[04:58:57] So we'd like the Board of Supervisors to help us get relief for these organizations when these vehicles are used entirely for school activities. Before our band had a truck, we rented trucks, and this was a challenge.

[04:59:14] This was expensive. Frequently, the trucks were poor quality. In fact, over time, the quality has been going down in rented trucks. I don't know if anyone's rented a truck recently. But also several times we showed up, and they just said, oh, we're sorry. I know we have a reservation, but there's no trucks for you today.

[04:59:29] Now, being a band, and the band director is here, Mr. C. Ballard, he can testify that this is really a hard thing when you're supposed to get to a competition and oh, by the way, there's no truck. So we conducted a fundraising campaign multi-year, and we actually were able to buy a truck. And this is in large part to the generosity of the family of one of our alumni who unfortunately passed from cancer. And so there was a donation.

[04:59:57] We put this together. We got our truck. And then we got a personal property tax bill for almost $6,000 for the truck. The impact of that is that that fee has to be paid by the students. So in 2024, instead of buying three mellophones, we paid personal property tax.

[05:00:15] We know that, you know, funding for band programs is a challenge within the Board of Supervisors. But having this on top of that really doesn't help. And that is basically, moving forward, that's a tax that's going to have to be passed on to the families of the band students.

[05:00:31] This also applies for the crew. The crew trailers a lot, you know, doesn't cost as much, so they have a smaller impact. but it still is an impact that I don't believe should be shouldered by a school, right? And so my request for you is that we would like the Board of Supervisors to add an exemption to the personal property tax or work with us to amend the code so there's an exemption.

[05:00:52] If it's a vehicle that's used entirely for school activities, then we believe it should be exempt from paying personal property tax. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Zybel. I appreciate your testimony bringing this to our attention. And I would just point out that Jay Doshi, who's head of our tax administration department, is right behind you.

[05:01:13] And I know he'd be willing to sit down and talk you through some potential options here to the challenge. But he was aware of your testimony and wanted to make sure he could be here to hear it and to work directly with you as well. So thank you very much. Thank you. And our next speaker, speaker number seven, is Elizabeth Rydels, to be followed by Garrick White, Simone White, and Amelia Meldrum.

[05:01:40] Welcome, speaker number seven, Ms. Rydels. Hello, I'm Elizabeth Rydels. So, in November of last year, Gaza's largest medical complex, Al-Shifa Hospital, was besieged by Israeli forces for the first time.

[05:01:59] Over the next two weeks, over 400 Palestinians were killed, including medical staff, patients, and newborn babies. Israel justified this by falsely claiming that Hamas had a command center there, but no evidence was found to support that. I was absolutely horrified, and I thought, surely this can't be allowed to happen and it must stop now.

[05:02:20] But it has been allowed to happen and hasn't stopped. Since then, almost all of Gaza's hospitals have been destroyed or besieged. Schools, homes, mosques, universities, and refugee camps have also all been subject to bombing and besieging. Aid workers and journalists have been targeted.

[05:02:39] Dr. Ahmed Al-Kalout, head of the intensive care unit of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was just killed by an Israeli drone strike on November 29th amid the ongoing siege of northern Gaza since mid-October. Israel has committed far too many atrocities against the people of Palestine to mention in my three minutes here.

[05:02:57] So in July of this year, 45 American doctors and health care workers wrote a letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris, in which they detail the horrors they saw while treating people in Gaza. Among several alarming points, this quote stood out to me.

[05:03:16] Every single signatory to this letter treated children in Gaza who suffered violence that must have been deliberately directed at them. Specifically, every one of us on a daily basis treated preteen children who were shot in the head, end quote. According to a report released by a UN special committee just a few weeks ago, Israel's methods of warfare in Gaza are consistent with genocide.

[05:03:41] On November 20th of this year, 19 senators, including Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, voted to block the sale of weapons to Israel. The following day, the International Criminal Court officially issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yauf Gallant for committing, quote, the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, and for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population, end quote.

[05:04:17] So it has been clear for months that Israel is committing genocide, and we can and must do everything in our power to stop it. So I am appalled that my tax dollars are funding the ever-growing list of crimes against the Palestinian people, and I am disappointed that you have failed to take action thus far.

[05:04:36] Since Fairfax County is home to and invested in several Israeli tech companies that are complicit in the genocide, such as Israel Aerospace Industries, you are contributing to the normalization of the genocide and even actively supporting it. It is imperative that we stop this normalization and support for these crimes against humanity, not just for Palestine, but for the whole world.

[05:04:58] That starts with passing a ceasefire resolution and divesting from Israel, just as Fairfax County divested from apartheid South Africa in 1990. I very much look forward to an end to your continued silence and inaction, because it is long past due. Thank you. Good evening.

[05:05:28] Over the last few months, you've heard speakers tell you that the scale of death and destruction in Gaza is unimaginable, that international law has been blatantly disregarded, that starvation, disease, and displacement have all been weaponized and used to harm innocents, And that our government has not only allowed Israel to create this human rights catastrophe, but that we have put in most of the bill.

[05:05:52] You've also heard arguments that a call for a ceasefire, even at the county level, matters. That we have the option to join the 100 plus other communities in the United States that have made that call. My request tonight, however, is an introspective one. I would like you all to reflect on the principles that guide your particular life.

[05:06:12] And I'll begin by sharing some of my principles and why they have led me here today to ask you to make a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. My principles tell me that all human life is of equal value, with no exceptions. My personal religious values as a Christian tell me to love my neighbor as myself, and that to be a good Samaritan is to give mercy and aid to my neighbor whenever they are in need, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or religion.

[05:06:39] My principles tell me that as a U.S. citizen, I have a duty to my country to speak up when it falls short of its own laws by providing military support to a country that is impeding humanitarian aid. As a citizen of the world, I must also speak up when my country and my county say nothing in the face of blatant violations of international law.

[05:07:00] If you and I share some of these principles, as I believe we do, please ask yourself why they have led you to remain largely silent, but why they brought me here to speak the truth that we all know. That the people of Gaza do not deserve annihilation because of the actions of a few.

[05:07:19] That they do not deserve to live under an occupation that treats them as animals. and that they have the same basic human rights as every other person on the planet, and that without a ceasefire, these inalienable rights will continue to be violated. All I request tonight is that you ask yourself if you are living your life and using the responsibility of your position in a way that is consistent with your own principles.

[05:07:45] If calling for a cessation of violence is at odds with your values, are they values that you want to have? Are you willing to be consistent with what your own sense of morality tells you, Or can you live with your silence, sending the crystal clear message that you believe the people of Gaza deserve to be treated as less than human beings?

[05:08:03] Thank you for your time. Thank you. Speaker number nine is Simone White. And our final speaker will be Amelia Meldrum. Is Amelia here? Okay, great. Welcome, speaker number nine, Ms. White. Hi, I'm here today to urge you to call for a permanent ceasefire resolution in Gaza and divest from funding Israel's genocidal campaign in Palestine.

[05:08:28] As a Northern Virginia resident who has lived here most of my life, I see more clearly today than I ever have before. The willful complicity and deep-rooted systems of violence that not only hits the homes and bodies of civilians in Gaza, but has hit home for me my whole life.

[05:08:46] Systemic racial inequality isn't only a symptom of the evil presence in this world, but a specifically designed mechanism to keep those in power more powerful, and the minority and indigenous people under its heel. But I don't have to speak in generalities of the discrimination in our state's political and criminal justice system. It speaks for itself. The same corrupt system that supports weapons manufacturers in Northern Virginia, such as Elbit Systems and the Israel Aerospace Industries, turns a blind eye to the suffering and human rights violations within our

[05:09:21] state prisons. To the extent that several black inmates were tortured to the point of setting themselves on fire to escape the insufferable conditions at Virginia's Red Onion State Prison this September. The human rights abuses are nothing new and have been documented at this prison since the late 90s. So today, as the Palestinian Christian minister, Dr. Munther Isaac, said, I must speak truth to power. Simply and plainly, killing children is always and will always be wrong. And it is wrong when it's justified using Virginia tax-paying dollars.

[05:09:54] I ask you today to uphold the creed written into the Declaration of Independence that states all men are created equal and have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So I ask you, if you believe that individuals incarcerated by our state are created equal, if the civilian men, women, and thousands of infants slaughtered in Palestine with our tax dollars are created equal, and when it comes to Palestine and how this is a local issue, you ask, I argue that Palestine encompasses all local issues.

[05:10:28] including affordable housing, health care, and higher education. Instead of funding these issues, our taxes shamefully go to killing children in Gaza and in solitary confinement prisons with inhumane conditions. Under this system, prisoners are forced to self-immolate and to escape the cruelty of their condition, and every hour, six children are slaughtered in Gaza.

[05:10:49] I argue that the issue of injustice anywhere is an issue of injustice everywhere, including here in Fairfax County. In addition to calling for a long-overdue ceasefire resolution and divestment from genocide, I urge you to uphold human rights from Virginia to Palestine, and not to just hear from us as your constituents, but to act, to do what is right.

[05:11:14] Thank you. Thank you. And our final speaker is Amelia Meldrum. Welcome. Hi, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Amelia. I'm a bartender at Lost Dog Cafe.

[05:11:31] and I'd like to ask you to oppose the proposed tax on prepared foods here in Fairfax. I'm here to share how the tax increase on food will impact me personally and the community that I serve. As someone in the service industry, my income depends on people dining out.

[05:11:47] But the reality is, many Americans and many customers are already cutting back. According to a Veracast survey, 67% of Americans say rising costs are making restaurant dining too expensive, and 68% are choosing to eat at home instead. This trend is already hurting our local restaurants, and by extension, workers like me who rely on tips to make ends meet.

[05:12:09] This tax increase would only worsen the situation. Restaurant menu prices have already risen 27% since 2019, just to maintain the industry's razor-thin profit margin. As the National Restaurant Association has reported, a new tax will drive even more customers away, Reducing foot traffic and hurting not just business owners, but workers like me, who are just trying to pay rent and keep food on the table.

[05:12:38] The impact on lower-income residents will be particularly harsh. According to USDA data, households in the lower-income bracket spend over 31% of their income on food, compared to just 8% for higher-income households. This means that any additional tax will disproportionately burden those who are already struggling to afford basic necessities.

[05:13:00] Let's not forget the ripple effects. Fewer people dining out means less revenue for restaurants, less work for employees, fewer tips in my pocket. It also means a shrinking tax base, which could undermine the very goals this policy is meant to achieve. If people stop eating out, this tax will fail to generate the revenue expected, leaving us all worse off. We're already in a tough spot. Disposable incomes are barely growing, inflation is still high, and office occupancy in our area remains low, according to recent industry analysis. Adding a food tax on top of these challenges will hurt local businesses,

[05:13:38] reduce job opportunities, and unfairly burden our most vulnerable neighbors. I urge you to reconsider this tax increase. Instead, let's focus on solutions that support our community, foster economic recovery, and help working families thrive. Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony. And with that, that brings us to the end of public comment and the end of our meeting on December 3rd, 2024. And with that, the board is adjourned.

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