Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 7h 1m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/3639
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 2026-10-30. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:10] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our board meeting of January 14, 2025. We are going to begin this morning's meeting, as we always do, with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. And before those are able to rise for that, I'm going to recognize my colleagues for anyone they'd like to keep in our thoughts and prayers.

[00:00:32] And I apologize ahead of time. I have a pretty long list. The board has been out for a little while. So if we could just have a little patience here this morning as we get through these, that would be appreciated. I do need to mention a few folks that we've lost since we last met.

[00:00:48] I want to start with George Alloway. George was the husband of Leanne, father of David, grandfather of Eleonora, was an Army veteran, a 20-year airline pilot, a 20-year federal government employee and community leader who passed away in November at the age of 83.

[00:01:07] And those of us from the Franconi area, of course, know George really well from his many, many years of service on the Virginia Hills Civic Association, including all the work that he did on transportation matters to improve pedestrian and transportation safety in and around his community.

[00:01:27] In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made in George's honor to the Wounded Warriors Foundation. And if we could keep the alloways in our thoughts and prayers, that would be appreciated. Secondly, I want to mention that we lost Suk Kim.

[00:01:46] Suk Kim was a county resident. Many folks may have heard about Suk Kim because of the news that traveled very quickly about his loss. He was an animal rescuer who died when the plane he was piloting crashed on November 24th.

[00:02:01] He was on a mission carrying three dogs from Maryland to upstate New York. Two of those dogs did survive the crash. Sadly, Souk did not. He began flying during the pandemic and turned his passion for animals into a rescue operation, working with a nonprofit to rehome dogs.

[00:02:20] Souk was a champion for others, a friend to all, and a deeply loved member of his family. He loved to cook, was an avid baseball fan, and above all, he loved his family with all of his being. His spirit, generous heart, endless capacity will be profoundly missed by his wife Anna, their children, his mother and extended family, as well as all those involved in his animal rescue operations.

[00:02:47] We also lost Pat McDonald. And those of us who have been around for a while, I see some people who are acknowledging that, knew Pat. Pat passed away on November 7th of 2024. He began working in Fairfax County in 1967 as a budget analyst and quickly rose through the ranks to become the deputy county executive of budget and planning in 1976 at the age of 34. Under his tenure, Pat supervised the creation, installation, and operation of the financial management and administrative structure that resulted in the county obtaining its AAA bond rating

[00:03:25] in 1975. A huge feat, especially at that time. We are all grateful for the financial legacy that Pat created, which remains the backbone of our current strong fiscal position here in Fairfax County. And our condolences go to his wife, Ann, and to the rest of his family.

[00:03:43] And, you know, Pat was one of those people who we all knew, but I don't think many people in the county knew the profound long-term effect he has had and the benefits that we enjoy today because of his great work with the county staff and with the budget.

[00:04:01] Next, I want to mention Susan Jonas. Susan passed away on December 31st, surrounded by family. After her first diagnosis of cancer in 1991, Susan decided to stay home to raise her family full-time. In doing that, she became a community volunteer, taught English as a second language, and worked in several different libraries, including the Folger Shakespeare Library.

[00:04:24] She served on the boards of New Hope Housing, which is near and dear to us in Fairfax County, and the Davidson College Alumni Association. Her favorite volunteer activity was serving at the Burgundy Farm Country Day School, where her children went to school for 16 years, and her daughter Emily is now a school teacher.

[00:04:44] She served on the board of trustees at Burgundy as well as president of the board from 1997 to 2001. Susan loved being the kinkeeper of the family, working to keep multiple generations spread across many states connected. Susan also had wonderful friends, many of whom she made while her children were little and stayed close to them for the remainder of her life.

[00:05:06] And Susan had a profound effect not only at New Hope in the southeastern end of the county, but certainly at the Burgundy Farm Country Day School. So if we could keep her family in our thoughts and prayers. And then finally, I want to mention, I think it'd be hard for us not to mention, that we sadly just recognize the four-year anniversary of the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

[00:05:30] And I bring this up because I remember shortly after that happened, we at the board here honoring the service of Brian Sicknick, who was a Fairfax County resident. a Capitol Police officer who lost his life as a result of the Capitol insurrection.

[00:05:48] And I was going through the post-obituary section, and I caught a tribute that his family put in the Washington Post. It was very short but powerful, and I want to read it. You gave your life courageously defending our democracy.

[00:06:04] The sacrifice of you and your fellow Capitol and Metro officers and the pain of your loved ones has been ignored by a nation without conscience. The rest of us honor you, and I am glad to be one of those people who falls in the rest of you category, who honor Brian Sicknick for his service and the U.S. Capitol Police, who will never forget what happened here very close to home during the insurrection.

[00:06:33] And I would also mention this has another tie to Fairfax County because, of course, many of us know well chief manger of the US Capitol Police was a former chief of police for a long time here in Fairfax County and I can tell you the profound effect of that day on the US Capitol Police and on our country can never be forgotten and we never forget and we absolutely honor the service of our own county resident police officer Brian Sicknick and with that I'd be happy to to recognize any of my other colleagues.

[00:07:07] Let me start on this side first. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for sharing those words, and Happy New Year to all. I want to share words. Our thoughts and prayers go to the family of Chief Alan Caldwell, 89, who was at the Dunloring Volunteer Fire Department for many years, so he was a resident of the Drainsville District.

[00:07:31] He passed away at his home in Fairfax County on January 3rd. Originally from California, Alan began his government relations career in 1962 at Del Monte Corporation, later heading its Washington, D.C. office, before becoming the director of government relations for RJR Nabisco in 1979.

[00:07:53] After retiring, he joined the International Association of Fire Chiefs, serving as government relations director from 1996 to 2005 and senior advisor until 2012. Allen was a passionate advocate for the fire service and played a key role in securing the fire and safer acts, improving EMS and hazmat management, and advancing public safety communications through FirstNet.

[00:08:19] In 2005, he received the Mason Langford Fire Service Leadership Award for his contributions. A dedicated member of the Dunloring Volunteer Fire Department for 50 years, He held roles including fire chief, president, and board member, while also teaching at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy and serving on the Fairfax County Volunteer Fire Commission.

[00:08:42] Beyond his fire service, he contributed to public safety as part of the McLean Citizens Association and is survived by his wife, Louise. There are two children, and arrangements are forthcoming. I also want to very much thank Chief Stokes, Dunloring, whose words are shared here today and who continues to support all of his members and the community in the greater Dunloring area.

[00:09:08] Thank you, Supervisor Pouchek. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for bringing up Pat McDonald. I think many of us who've been around a while recognize his contributions to part of county government that is really known for its excellence.

[00:09:26] You know, and not just here in the region, but nationally and internationally. And Pat was a big part of building that tradition. So, you know, that is a loss to the county. I do have an announcement, though.

[00:09:44] I'm sad to report that James Wesley Jones IV passed away last month. Jim is how we knew him, and his wife, Susie, moved to Reston in 1973. Jim grew up in Texarkana, Texas, where the realities of segregation in the civil rights movement truly shaped him.

[00:10:05] Jim earned his Juris Doctorate from NYU Law School, where he was awarded the Root-Tilden Scholarship that specifically focuses on using the law to achieve social justice. Early in his career, he represented large nonprofits in major financing and development projects, including the Foreign Foundation and PBS, allowing him to exercise his commitment to using the law in public service.

[00:10:29] A dedicated community leader, Jim served on the boards for non-profit, health care, arts, and other organizations. In Reston, for example, he was a member of the TEFRA Contemporary Art Institute's Board of Directors for 10 years. He also served on the boards for other locally-based organizations, including Children's National Medical Center and the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation.

[00:10:52] Along with his wife Susie, Jim was remarkably active in their church, St. Anne's Episcopal in Reston. He served multiple terms as senior warden on the church's vestry, and he helped transform a vacant lot into the thriving parish today. He even filled in as the church's pianist until they could hire a professional organist.

[00:11:13] For those of us who knew Jim, a celebration of his life will be held on March 15th at 11 a.m. at St. Anne's. And in lieu of flowers, his family encourages donation to the Pro Bono Institute, St. Anne's, and nonprofit Cornerstones. He'll be deeply missed by me and everyone else whose lives he touched.

[00:11:31] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And like so many of the others were names that we're hearing, their deep commitment to public service, and they're frankly the super volunteers that they really have been in our community. I wanted to acknowledge Irene Schubert's passing on November 24th.

[00:11:51] Irene worked at the Library of Congress for decades and maybe more importantly was a resident of the Mount Vernon district. And when she retired, turned that effort and that energy into grassroots support of democratic efforts, as well as performed more than 2,000 hours of volunteer service at the Mount Vernon estate, mostly in the library.

[00:12:11] Anybody who's been to the library, and I know most of us have for our retreat, knows how beautiful that is. and really the amount of scholarship and efforts that really are key parts of the Presidential Library that we get to enjoy today. So thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Supervisor Herity.

[00:12:26] Yeah, I just want to thank you for recognizing Pat McDonald and the incredible contributions that he has made. I remember Pat and his work with my dad on the board. And actually, in the words of my dad, McDonald's views on fiscal affairs had a tremendous credibility with the board, said board chairman.

[00:12:47] John F. Herity when a lot of other jurisdictions are playing fiscal games it's essential to have someone as credible as Pat to point out what is fiscally responsible and what he did to get us the AAA bond rating or they did together get us a AAA bond rating was pretty incredible I found one of the more interesting things looking back at that time we had 1500 employees and 13 agencies so it was it was clearly clearly a different day when it comes to the size of the federal government but he he certainly was incredible and not only was he a great County executive he was a Vietnam Army veteran who earned

[00:13:27] the bronze star Vietnam campaign medal and a national defense medal so quite an individual went on to work with the Smithsonian Institute and did great things even afterwards let's hope we keep him in our thoughts and prayers Thank you, Supervisor Herdy. Others who would like to be recognized? Supervisor Watkinshaw.

[00:13:45] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm sad to share the passing of Chris Unger. Chris was the primary conservator of the Friends of Akatink Creek and a dedicated environmentalist in the county. I'm sure you knew Chris. Any of us who have been involved in Lake Akatink issues or Akatink Creek issues over the years had the opportunity, I'm sure, to meet Chris, usually knee-deep in the muck, doing cleanups

[00:14:17] and caring for our natural environment. There was a really beautiful series of tributes posted online about Chris, and I did just want to share a couple of them. The first is from Brian Campbell, who represents the Braddock District on Equac and also is the founder of the Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley. Chris was directly responsible for helping me define and direct my passion for environmental stewardship and getting involved in changing policy. I remember meeting him for the first time at an Earth Day event at Northern Virginia Community College a

[00:14:52] decade ago. He was warm, inviting, and had a peaceful joy about him, and that really defines Chris. He did have a peaceful joy. As I worked with him that day, students of all ages would come up to him to say hi and update him on something they had seen or did in a stream or forest. He listened intently and enthusiastically to each of them and offered great praise at the end of their story for their efforts. Watching that interaction, I was convinced I wanted to emulate it and was encouraged to focus my energy into my local watershed. When Friends of Long Branch Stream Valley was created, I would consult with Chris for advice, which he seemed to always

[00:15:29] respond with, follow the energy. That's good advice for all of us. I'm glad my last words to him before leaving were expressing how I will be forever grateful for his mentorship and partnership through the years and that I will continue to stay committed to the work we had started. Renee Grebe, who we all know from Nature Forward, said that Chris was a fierce advocate with a big heart. I'll never forget what he told me when I asked him early on what he saw as the best solution for Lake Akatink. He said, I just want people to talk. And we tried to follow that

[00:16:02] advice and continue to with respect to Lake Akatink. I spent quite a few hours 10, 15 years ago with Chris doing cleanups in and around Lake Akatink. And he was one of those people who is truly in touch with nature. Not in touch with nature like every once in a while he would go out on a hike and enjoy going on a hike.

[00:16:24] He was really in touch with nature. He could do bird calls for all the different species of birds in our region, and when he did, they would flock to him. He was really an incredible person.

[00:16:42] He had left the area a few years ago, but he made a tremendous difference and left a powerful legacy while he was here. So I just ask that we keep Chris's family and friends in our thoughts today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Anyone else who would like to be recognized, seeing and hearing no one before, those are able to rise.

[00:17:02] If we could also be remiss to not point out that I think we're all thinking about those who are suffering in California as a result of the wildfires. And several of us on the board, a handful of us, last week were at the graduation for our latest recruits in our Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

[00:17:22] And Chief Butler, in his comments, reminded those in the audience that we have a connection through some of the chiefs out there. Our chief has a connection with the chiefs in California and is in regular communication with them. But the amount and magnitude of this disaster is like none we've ever seen before.

[00:17:43] And it's going to be many, many decades for those folks in California to be able to recover. And I think just a friendly reminder for us how important our first responders are all the time, but certainly in moments of crisis, and that Chief Butler and our Fire and Rescue Department does such an amazing job.

[00:18:02] But this has profoundly affected them intellectually and mentally as well. And so if we could keep all of our first responders and our thoughts and prayers, and in particular our neighbors and friends in California who are dealing with this immense challenge that they are facing.

[00:18:18] And with that, for all who are able to, if you could rise for a moment of silence, to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Please face the flag.

[00:18:53] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[00:19:15] And we are going to begin our presentations. We have five this morning. For each presentation, I'll announce the presentation or proclamation and invite our speakers down to the podium in front of me.

[00:19:32] We'll then read the proclamation, and after each one of them and our speakers' remarks, we'll pose for a photo from the dais. I'm going to read these in the order that I have them. We'll try to get through them as quickly as we can this morning. First is a proclamation to designate January 21st, 2025 as a day of racial healing in Fairfax County.

[00:19:53] And this was requested by myself, Supervisor Alcorn, Bierman, Herity, Jimenez, Lusk, Palchik, Smith, Stork, and Walkinshaw. I think it's probably going to pass. Our speaker today is Lloyd Tucker, who is the Director of Neighborhood and Community Services, who I see.

[00:20:13] If you can come on down. And anyone who's here with you for this presentation is welcome to join you at this time as well. And while you all are making your way down, I am going to recognize Supervisor Paucik to read the proclamation. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

[00:20:29] It is truly a difficult but also a delight to be here presenting this proclamation today with Director Lloyd Tucker and his team. And while she's not here this morning, I know I've especially appreciated the work that Mr. Tucker and Ms. Cole have done to help us understand the past of our park authority and our community centers and how to create a better future for our county.

[00:20:56] So I will read the proclamation. Whereas the National Day of Racial Healing, observed annually since 2017, is a vital component of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Initiative, which aims to repair the damages caused by racism, promote trust, and create connections for a more equitable society.

[00:21:18] And whereas Fairfax County is committed to racial healing through partnerships, including those with neighborhood and community services and the Northern Virginia Community College, helping minority adult learners access higher education by addressing socioeconomic isolation and food insecurity.

[00:21:38] And whereas NCS incorporates age-appropriate racial healing activities across county programs, offering safe spaces for healing and addressing harm. And whereas in 2025, Fairfax County will hold a week of events in recognition of National Day of Racial Healing, including community activities on January 21st, a webinar on racial healing on January 22nd, and a National Day of Service on January 25th, where volunteers will put together emergency preparedness kits for the Department of Emergency Management and Security.

[00:22:13] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim January 21, 2025 as a day of racial healing in Fairfax County and calls upon all residents to participate in programs and activities that reflect our shared humanity and join ongoing efforts to create a more equitable and inclusive community for everyone.

[00:22:40] I'm happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Palchik. I will let Anna. We have Northern Virginia Community College, which hosted our event last year, Lloyd Tucker here at Neighborhood Community Services. And what I appreciate about this newer initiative is that it's really focused on understanding the past and the past harms, but really looking at the future and creating that more inclusive community.

[00:23:08] for me it's everywhere from engaging our community whether it's on a land use or transportation issue all the way to every form of government and supporting our communities I also would be remiss if I didn't recognize a lot of teams but especially Ramona Carroll who I've known for many years and is NCS is equity lead and has been a mentor to me as we do this work forward so thank you to all of you and thank you very much to Lloyd and to Northern Virginia for your work.

[00:23:38] Thank you, Supervisor Pounchik. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just note that I appreciate the the goals that we have around helping to improve the quality of life for individuals and specifically those who have, and I think this is the right word, who have suffered because of racial inequities that have occurred in this country.

[00:24:07] And I think it's important for us to have these conversations and to think about how we can support the growth of opportunities for all of those who are here in this community. And I'm just encouraged that we have dialogue and discussions like this, but I'm also encouraged by the young members of our community who I think really epitomized this in a way that I know the future is going to be better in many ways than it is today.

[00:24:43] And I just want to make one last point. And I know there's a lot of fear and a lot of concern that's been expressed by a number of folks because of points that have been made by the current administration that's coming in.

[00:24:58] And I just think, you know, we've got to do our part to ensure that that fear and the response of this county is in support of all the residents that are here, regardless of their race, nationality, religious background.

[00:25:19] We are going to be supporting them and doing what's right. So I just wanted to make that point and appreciate this board matter. And I think this is a very important initiative in helping us to get to the place of racial healing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:25:34] Thank you, Supervisor Lusk. And let me also thank those who are here. I remember being at Northern Virginia Community College last year. It was a powerful event, a room full of folks. And I'm not sure why Ramona was surprised to be singled out because she shouldn't be.

[00:25:51] But your work, the work of NCS, Lloyd, what you all do at NCS in terms of providing access for so many of our young people that Supervisor Lush just mentioned is really powerful stuff. I do want to mention, though, in light of what Supervisor Lush just said, is that this is a moment for us to, I think, reflect on the power and importance of our One Fairfax policy in Fairfax County because elected officials and administrations come and go.

[00:26:21] but we have a policy in this county that overrides all of that that says we are going to look at equity and opportunity and everything that we do and make sure that the most vulnerable members of our community have access and so much of this is about access and so while we are proclaiming January 21 2025 is a day of racial healing in Fairfax County we know that the work we do is 365 days a year not one day but every day to address this long-standing issue and to do it in a comprehensive equity focused way that all residents of Fairfax County

[00:26:59] can can benefit from with that I think we're ready for a vote all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries and we have with us mr. Lloyd Tucker welcome the floor is yours Thank you. Good morning, Chairman McKay, Board of Supervisors. Thank you for having us this morning.

[00:27:24] Good morning. I'm Lloyd Tucker, the director of the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. And I'm proud to be here with you all to accept the board's proclamation declaring today as a day of racial healing in Fairfax County. I would like to thank, first and foremost, Dr. Ricks from Northern Virginia Community College, as well as Supervisor Dahlia Palchuk for introducing this proclamation and, of course, the entire Board of Supervisors for its support.

[00:27:55] This special day is part of a national initiative, the National Day of Racial Healing, where we are honored to partner with Northern Virginia Community College's Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, or the TRHTC, to bring attention to our local commitment to promote racial healing, transform communities and build social capital.

[00:28:22] Systemic racism in our institutions and communities remain a challenge, but NCS and the rest of our partner agencies in the county resolve to finding solutions with partners such as Northern Virginia Community College.

[00:28:39] NCS is unequivocally committed to equity through Fairfax County's one Fairfax policy and through our own mission, vision, and values. It is our mission to partner with communities, families, and individuals to provide opportunities to access a continuum of resources and to promote equity and create outcomes for people of all ages and abilities.

[00:29:06] Our standing partnership with Northern Virginia Community College seeks to collectively impact the racial healing and trust building we need to achieve transformational changes in policies and practices. Partnering with Northern Virginia Community College shows the commitment to both our organizations to the National Day of Racial Healing.

[00:29:27] NOVA's mission aligns seamlessly with the goals of the National Day of Racial Healing. To restore individuals and communities to wholeness by addressing the harm caused by systemic racism and a false hierarchy of human values. In 2024, Northern Virginia Community College and Neighborhood and Community Services collaborated to offer the Nova Connect, which is our 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.

[00:30:06] This partnership will continue to offer community programs that transform lives and promote racial healing. We hope all will continue, excuse me, all will join us next week. As Supervisor Powcheck mentioned, we have several activities planned to support reflection and discussion and recognition of our National Day of Racial Healing.

[00:30:29] On Tuesday, January 21st, NCS's Inclusive Engagement and Targeted Intervention Division staff will support NCS teams and partners in providing resources and activities across the county. On January 22nd, the TRHTC will host a webinar featuring a panel discussion on racial healing topics.

[00:30:52] The week concludes on January 25th with a National Day of Service where registered youth will engage in breakout sessions facilitated by NOVA and the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformational Center and NCS's inclusive engagement and targeted intervention staff, followed by assembling 1,000 emergency prepared kits.

[00:31:15] Thank you so much to the Department of the Emergency Management and Security for co-hosting upcoming events with us. And thank you to our staff, leadership at NCS, and all in attendance today. Together, we can make strides towards equity and racial healing.

[00:31:32] Thank you. Thank you very much, Lloyd. Thank you for what you and your teams do every day. As I mentioned, this is not a one-day thing, but an everyday activity in Fairfax County, and we appreciate that. I think with that, we're ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward and face the audience, Supervisor Palczyk and I will join you, and if the board could rise.

[00:32:32] And next, we have a proclamation to designate and recognize January 27, 2025, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Fairfax County.

[00:33:37] And this was requested by myself and by Supervisor Palczyk. And I am going to turn to Supervisor Palczyk. Our speaker today is Irvin Verconia from the JCRC and a second-generation Holocaust survivor, among all the many things that Irvin is involved in.

[00:33:56] If you could come down and if anyone is here with you, they are welcome to come down and join you and encouraged to come down and join you as well. And at this time, I am going to turn to Supervisor Paucek to read the proclamation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll read it and then follow my remarks.

[00:34:12] But I just want to thank everyone I've known, I think since I was seven, for being here today. Whereas January 27, 2025, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

[00:34:32] And whereas on May 26, 2016, 31 member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, including the United States, adopted a non-binding definition of anti-Semitism to help identify and address this ongoing threat.

[00:34:49] And whereas teen patients often feel uncomfortable and cancer, oh, there's a mistake here, I thought. Whereas, I will skip to the next one, anti-Semitic attacks are an affront to the humanity of all people.

[00:35:04] And we must always take time to remember the millions of men, women, and children who were killed simply because of their beliefs and heritage. And whereas on this anniversary, Fairfax County reaffirms its commitment to combating the global rise in anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim January 27, 2025 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Fairfax County,

[00:35:39] and urges all residents to honor the memories of those killed during the Holocaust, to reject and condemn anti-Semitism and hatred, and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect for all.

[00:35:56] Second. I'll be happy to second that motion along with several of my colleagues. Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize. We will get the correct printed version. It's good to see so many familiar faces today, to know that we are in a community where people don't often realize.

[00:36:19] Those of us who, like Irv and I and some others, were maybe born in other countries and have immigrated to the United States. My family, like many who escaped in the pogroms before the Holocaust, went to South America, to Argentina.

[00:36:36] Other families who escaped before or during the Holocaust, if they were able, and are now across the globe, in South America and Central America and Africa and Asia, and many are now immigrants here, part of our pluralistic society and the diversity within our Jewish community.

[00:36:58] And those of us who have lost, who have faced loss or suffered following those moments, I know for me, in 2015, I took my mom back to Vilna, or Vilnius, Lithuania, back where her mother was born and escaped as a teenager to relearn the Yiddish of her childhood.

[00:37:24] And as we walked into the very small Jewish museum, we're looking through, and there we saw all of a sudden my grandmother's face with her Jewish teacher's seminary class right there in a country where about 98% to 99% of the Jewish community was killed.

[00:37:45] And so something that's been very hard to understand and to discuss growing up here in a community where you really are very diverse and assumptions are often made. And so I just want to thank you, Irv.

[00:38:01] I want to thank so many friends, JCRC, some new friends to our community, some who've been here a long time, for continuing and ensuring that we honor the Holocaust Remembrance Day. We have one coming up in May as well, and that we continue to make sure that the history is shared, that the stories are shared, especially, as you know, as we've lost at this point so many of the survivors as they have aged here or across the globe.

[00:38:35] So I just want to thank you, thank the chairman for bringing this forward, and look forward to continuing to work together to improve who we are as a human race and as a community, supporting those who are here and abroad.

[00:38:51] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Palachek. And let me add, I want to recognize an individual, Michelle Margosis, because we said those who have been around for a while will remember, the very first time we did this in Fairfax County was not that long ago. And we did it because Michelle Margosis, who was a resident at Greenspring in Springfield, brought it to our attention that we should do something locally to recognize all who had been lost. He was a Holocaust survivor himself, is no longer with us, but I know is looking down

[00:39:29] Happily today that we continue once a year to make it a point to recognize this and to, you know, keep in mind our history. Because so many times we lose the details of our history. And when we do that, we put ourselves in a position of making the same mistakes again.

[00:39:51] And clearly, if we forget what happened in the Holocaust, not only we do all those who lost their lives a disservice, But we also forget that the discriminatory actions that were taken still take place across the world and in our own community here.

[00:40:09] And it's a moment for us to stand up and defend all people, regardless of what they believe or where they came from, that we defend all of those people in Fairfax County. And this is more important probably this year than any year, given all the challenges that people of our Jewish faith and those who are suffering in Gaza are dealing with on a daily basis, that, you know, our hearts and prayers are with all of those affected.

[00:40:38] And some are affected far more than others, given the ties they have and family members and people who, you know, are part of their extended family overseas. And so this is an important thing we do every year. I thank Irv and the folks who came here this morning to make sure that we continue to recognize this on an annual basis.

[00:41:00] And I want to thank Michelle for being bold enough to come forward and say, hey, this is something we should do. And we've been doing it every year since as a result of that. So I just want to mention that. Finally, Supervisor Herdy. Yes, and I echo the sentiments on Michelle.

[00:41:16] Thank him. I'm glad he brought that forward. I think it's as important that we make sure the next generation doesn't forget. And I know in November, Supervisor Alcorn and I both attended JCRC's town hall meeting on anti-Semitism.

[00:41:33] And something that stood out to me were the comments centered on how often we forget history or the brutality of certain events. There's so much going on in the world today, and if we aren't careful, history will repeat itself. I know the chairman and I, as well as I'm sure others, both read names each year of the victims of the Holocaust.

[00:41:53] But there's so much more power in not just the names, but in the horrific stories. Night, Mouse, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, all of those and more capture how this degree of trauma can haunt generations. I commend the work of organizations like JCRC who advocate for the victims, their families, and for better outcomes.

[00:42:17] The Holocaust also comes with stories of hope from the work of good people, and it's fitting that the International Holocaust Remembrance Day was chosen also to recognize the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. I know there's advocacy at the state level to do a better job of educating our youth on this topic and prevent the growth of anti-Semitism, especially in our school system, and I think we've got a lot of work to do there and a lot to focus on.

[00:42:45] And so I hope we can get some of these books back into curriculums and make sure that not just this generation doesn't forget, but the next generation doesn't forget as well. And with that, I think we're ready for a vote.

[00:43:02] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And Irv, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. On behalf of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, thank you to the Honorable Jeff McKay and Dalia Palchik and members of the County Board of Supervisors in proclaiming January 27th as International Holocaust from Urban State.

[00:43:29] I am the son of Holocaust survivors and the grandson of grandparents who were murdered at Auschwitz. My family was deemed an enemy of Germany to be exterminated as farmers may exterminate pests and insects. Antisemitism, though, did not die with the war.

[00:43:44] Upon his return from a labor camp to his hometown in Eastern Hungary, my father sought to reclaim his family's home, but the non-Jewish Hungarians who had taken it over told him, no way, it's ours, and further blamed him and the Jews for the war. My father recognized the threat to Jews did not end with the end of World War II, and so he disguised his identity, changing his name from Weiss, a very common Jewish name, to Barconi, which I was born with a few years later in Hungary.

[00:44:14] In 1956, during the Hungarian Revolution, when I was five years old, my parents decided to escape westward at the anti-Semitism that still existed in Hungary. Anti-Semitism remains a force in our country today, subjecting Jews to hate speech, physical threats, and worse, whether living in Charlottesville and hearing the shouts of Jews will not replace us, or hearing hate speech on the campus of George Mason, or facing swastikas carved into lockers at Lake Braddock Secondary.

[00:44:42] On the evening of Monday, January 27th, George Mason students will commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a program at Merton Hall. We hope that some of you may be able to join us. But these students and the rest of the nearly 180,000 residents of Fairfax County who are Jewish are clear-eyed about the fight to end anti-Semitism, which you so eloquently mentioned.

[00:45:05] If you tuned in to Cox Cable Channel 10, free public access this past Sunday morning, 11 AM, you would have heard Ken Maricord of Reston, Virginia, deny the Holocaust. And he stated, much eyewitness testimony about Nazi atrocities against Jews and others is demonstrably false, he said. And it appears that all such eyewitness testimonies about the homicidal Nazi gas chambers is false. So this is not ancient history, but words referenced by Mr. Maricord of Reston, Virginia, this past Sunday, the 12th of January. JCRC, again, thanks to board and Supervisor

[00:45:41] Palchek, who is a member along with me of Congregation Obam Tikva in the Mantua neighborhood. As she stated, she came to the U.S. also as a Jewish immigrant with a family as I did, finding success and freedom in our wonderful country as did my family. So please make sure that our children, and in my case, my grandchildren, will remain free to honor and remember those who perished during the Holocaust. Thank you. Thank you very much, Irv. Powerful comments, and we appreciate all the work that you do in our community. With that, I think we're ready for a photo, and if you all could come forward and face the audience, and Supervisor

[00:46:16] Palchuk and I will join you for a photo, the board could rise. And next we have a

[00:47:58] proclamation to designate January 19th through 25th, 2025, as Teen Cancer Awareness Week in Fairfax County, and this was requested by myself and Supervisor Smith. Our speaker today is Sharon Ferrara from the Bite Me Cancer Foundation, and others who are here are welcome to join her as well, and at this time, I'd recognize Supervisor Smith for proclamation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whereas cancer remains one of the leading causes of death among children and teenagers, greatly impacting young individuals and their families in our community and across the nation, and whereas every year in the United

[00:48:37] States, more than 17,000 children under 20 are diagnosed with cancer, and the American Cancer Society reports that one in 285 children will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 20, resulting in 42 new cases each day.

[00:48:54] And whereas teen patients often feel uncomfortable in cancer treatment facilities designed for either children or adults, and many teenage cancer survivors also experience anxiety and learning difficulties as they struggle to readjust to school and social life.

[00:49:10] And whereas approximately 85% of children and adolescents with cancer survive, two out of three survivors will experience at least one chronic health challenge in the future. And whereas only about 22% of teenagers, ages 15 through 19, are being treated in hospitals that participate in clinical trials versus 90% of children under 15 years old.

[00:49:35] And whereas the third week of January is designated as Teen Cancer Awareness Week by the U.S. Congress to raise public awareness of the unique struggles faced by teenagers with cancer, which is key to helping them battle this disease.

[00:49:50] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim January 19-25, 2025, as Teen Cancer Awareness Week in Fairfax County, and urges all residents to increase their awareness about teenage cancer, including research, early detection, causes, and effective treatments.

[00:50:16] I so move. I need to second that motion, along with several others. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Ferrara's dealt with this with their daughter, Nikki, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, and she started the Bite Me Cancer Foundation, which is really an important organization that reaches out and provides packets to teenagers in hospitals.

[00:50:40] They do fundraisers to support that work. And I think it helps everybody in the community. You know, Nikki tried to fight this head-on and create this organization to help others. And then you bring this issue to us so we can share it with the rest of the community.

[00:50:56] And I know Nikki's doing well, and with your support and the community's support, it's really important. So thank you for being here today and helping us share this message with the community. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

[00:51:12] I'm grateful to the board for bringing attention to this very important issue. Teen cancer often sidelines our youth from school, sports, and other important life experiences. When one teen is diagnosed, the impact ripples out to their family, their friends, and to the broader community.

[00:51:30] In the Franconia District, I have had the pleasure of working with a very brave teen cancer survivor who draws on her own experience to make the fight against cancer a little more manageable. Meg Gallagher was diagnosed with cancer as a teen while undergoing treatment.

[00:51:47] she began organizing toy drives to support other young people fighting cancer. I've had the privilege of joining Meg at one of her Meg's Give Back Distributions events that's held at Inova Hospital. I'm happy to report, just like Nikki, that Meg is cancer-free, but her work to bring comfort to children and teens fighting cancer continues.

[00:52:09] And as a community and as a board, we can all be a little more like Meg, working together to bring awareness to teen cancer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. - Thank you, Supervisor Lusk, and I too want to thank the Bite Me Cancer Foundation. We have so many groups in this county that do such important work, but this one in particular is critical because too many people don't think about cancer and the way it affects our young people.

[00:52:37] They falsely many times think this is something that most likely people develop later in life or it's because of their habits, their health habits, or other things, and that couldn't be further from the truth as the statistics here show. And so what this is about, besides providing support for people who are dealing with cancer with their children, is to raise awareness, to focus on early detection and things that should be happening in our medical facilities, to think about effective treatments and how children respond to things differently than adults do.

[00:53:13] But most importantly, to improve research on this. I don't think a lot of attention, sadly, not enough attention has been given to this specific subset of our population and how it affects them. And so what Vitamin Cancer Foundation is doing is doing all of those things, providing the support, raising awareness, and hopefully moving the needle in research and other things that can be done to improve the lives of people who are dealing with this.

[00:53:41] But most importantly, I think helping with the early detection, because we know that the early detection is a key to one's success rate in responding to treatment. And so I want to thank you for all you're doing, and thank Supervisor Smith for first bringing this forward and continuing to make sure this is one of those things, in addition to others this morning, that we stay focused on every year.

[00:54:04] With that, I think we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? any abstentions. And that motion carries. And Sharon Ferraro, who is with Bite Me Cancer Foundation, is here. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. It's good to see many of you again.

[00:54:22] I'm here with my husband, Michael, who many of you know, who is Nikki's dad and chair of our board. And I wanted to highlight our newest board member, Christine Kress, who unfortunately has lost her daughter to cancer 10 years ago at the age of 13. So she knows this situation well. The Bite Me Cancer Foundation was founded in 2010 by our daughter Nikki, who was diagnosed at 17 with a rare form of thyroid cancer while a junior at Chantilly High School. She experienced many challenges as a teen with cancer, including being bullied, along with falling through the cracks between the younger pediatric support and the adult services. She was also in the planning stages for college

[00:55:02] applications, and we didn't even know if she would be alive to graduate high school. Inspired by her challenges, she started the foundation just five months later after her diagnosis to support teen cancer patients because she realized they deserved more attention. These patients better understand the seriousness of their disease than younger children, which causes them additional heartache and stress. This is not the time to fall through the cracks. These teenagers are juggling school, activities, sports, learning how to drive, along with the juggling of treatments and scans and labs and other medical situations.

[00:55:43] She created the teen support bag filled with items specifically for teenagers to help them feel less alone and to receive items they could truly use and appreciate. We've received feedback from teens, parents, and hospital staff that these bags also improve patients' outlooks and encourage the teenagers to open up.

[00:56:03] We're proud to say we have over 13,000 teenage patients across all 50 states and D.C. who have received our bags so far through our growing network of hospitals, which currently stands around 210. We are proud that the Commonwealth of Virginia officially recognizes Teen Cancer Awareness Week each year, a designation that we initiated in 2013, which became official in 2014 by Governor McAuliffe.

[00:56:32] We are very grateful that you also recognize Teen Cancer Awareness Week every year and honor the Foundation with this proclamation. Within the foundation's first goal to support teenagers' cancer through our Teen Support Bag program, the foundation also provides dinners to Inova Children's Hospital.

[00:56:51] And we also provide free and fun events for teenagers and their families and friends to help them feel less alone and more normal. Currently, we have a Dave and Busters of Fairfax partnership, so we're running events there, and we have one coming up on June 25th. Our second goal is also to raise funds and directly fund research for thyroid cancer, since that's what Nikki has.

[00:57:15] And there aren't really many treatments available. And we are lucky to have already funded 10 grants, and we hope to have another one later this year. So we thank you greatly for your support in recognizing Teen Cancer Awareness Week and our mission at the Foundation.

[00:57:32] Thank you. Thank you very much. And thank you to Nikki for all of her work on this. None of us would be here talking about this if it weren't for her. So thank you. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. And if you all could come forward and face the audience and Supervisor Smith and I will join you.

[00:57:50] And next, we have a proclamation to recognize January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Fairfax County.

[00:59:03] And this was requested by myself and Supervisor Herity. Our speaker today is Stacey Zibel, Program Manager, Prevention, Education and Coordination, Domestic and Sexual Violence Services. And I know a number of folks are here with you, and I'm glad to see they're coming on down.

[00:59:21] If anyone else is here for this, you're welcome to join them as well. And at this time, I'm going to turn to Supervisor Herdy to read the proclamation. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have a proclamation to move. Whereas human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world, involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit individuals for labor or commercial sex, And whereas trafficking data is historically underreported due to the intensely manipulative and deceptive nature of the crime, which often causes victims to not self-identify or report

[00:59:57] their situation, and whereas Fairfax County is committed to combating human trafficking by working with nonprofits, law enforcement, and community organizations to support the unique needs of survivors, bring traffickers to justice, and raise awareness.

[01:00:14] And whereas in March 2020, the Board of Supervisors established an in-departmental work group to tackle the issue of the over 80 suspected illicit massage businesses in Fairfax County considered to be a key component of sex trafficking industry in the United States, and whereas the National Human Trafficking Awareness Month honors the resilience of survivors and the commitment of those working to eliminate this crime, now therefore be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim January 2025 as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in Fairfax County

[01:00:51] and urges all residents to educate themselves, support efforts to prevent trafficking, and assist survivors as we work together to create a community that is free from exploitation and harm. So moved. I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Palchik.

[01:01:08] Discussion on the motion. Supervisor Herdy. Yes, I want to start by thanking you, Stacey, and your team for the work that you do to end human trafficking and for the close partnerships you keep with other county agencies and community organizations engaged in the same fight. Special thank you to our police department and the victim services section that work to bring together to bring traffickers to justice and serve the needs of the victims.

[01:01:32] We know the needs of human trafficking victims are very unique, even different than victims of domestic violence. I'm grateful to your team for its dedication to overcoming those unique challenges for the trafficking survivors in Fairfax County.

[01:01:48] In addition to serving the needs of survivors and connecting them with community partners, thank you for what you do to raise awareness about human trafficking, both publicly and internally. Even though the nature of human trafficking is covert, we've seen examples of how through awareness and breadth of services that the county provides, Our employees have been able to identify the signs of trafficking in our community.

[01:02:12] That was the case with illicit massage businesses. In 2020, the board approved my motion to form the interagency task force that will work together to address IMBs with information collected across multiple agencies. The collaboration of this group has been ongoing, including working on a draft to strengthen our massage ordinance.

[01:02:34] I've been told that the proposed changes should be coming back to the board for discussion early this year. I want to thank its staff in advance for their work on that and for all they do across the breadth of this issue. Elicit massage business is one of the most prevalent forms of human trafficking across the United States, but it doesn't have to be in Fairfax County.

[01:02:54] With the help of our community partners, we need to continue the work to bring traffickers to justice and serve the needs of victims. Again, Stacey, thank you and everything you do not only to work on the IMB issue, to work on the other horrible crimes that are committed, but to raise awareness so that we can identify and help more victims.

[01:03:14] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. Supervisor Palczyk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to Stacey for the whole team-- well, representation of the very large team for being here. As you know, in your community, have their boots on the ground and understanding, supporting Through domestic violence, the needs, but also through our victims and also our county and community services.

[01:03:43] I also very much want to thank, so on the county, Department of Family Services, and Neighborhood and Community Services, but also know that we have many of our nonprofits who are out there every day going out and understanding what are the current biggest concerns and issues that are causing violence and trafficking or other issues that are impacting our community.

[01:04:13] I know it changes constantly. I know that having those close partnerships with our community, those trusted relationships with our community, for our community members, especially for victims to feel safe, that they will have a trusted partner, which sadly these days, often just hearing the word government, that trust is difficult to build.

[01:04:38] So we know that by those in the community, both in our departments but in our nonprofits, who are out there, who have built that trust, who continue to build the trust, who work with our families, who work with our youth, who work with the adults, our faith leaders, and all in the community to be those trusted liaisons and to ensure that victims feel more comfortable coming forward, that they are receiving the services that they need, that they ask for, and that we as a county are able to provide that support.

[01:05:14] Funding your services, funding our victim services, and funding the nonprofits who are partners in this work. So I just want to thank all of you. I won't try to name the groups I see before me, but especially a huge thank you to Stacey, as well as to Keisha, our new head of domestic violence work, and to our outgoing head, who is now the chief equity officer, Tony, who I believe is here in spirit, if not in person. So thank you again for everything you do and for continuing this challenging fight on behalf of the county.

[01:05:52] Thank you, Supervisor Palchuk. And let me also thank everyone who's here, including Chief Davis, who's up there with us in the auditorium. The really important role that our police department plays in this is critical with all of the other agencies that are here.

[01:06:07] And I think, you know, this is a moment I know one of the major concerns that many folks have in these circles is that many of these victims are not in this country legally and are afraid to approach government and to approach law enforcement.

[01:06:24] And that's why we're so worried right now at this moment about the future and making sure that we have a trust policy in Fairfax County that yields us being the safest jurisdiction of our size in the United States of America. And a large part of that is because all people are comfortable talking to our police department and getting out of a cycle of human trafficking.

[01:06:48] And if they're not comfortable talking to our police department, they're not going to get out of this cycle. If they're not comfortable going to other county agencies or government officials for support and help, it's going to be that much more difficult to get out of this cycle. And I think that's a real fear that exists right now at this moment in time in our country's history.

[01:07:09] Secondly, I recently met with one of the advocacy groups who work in this space, They reminded me that one of the biggest challenges of getting out of this, besides having the courage to come forward, is the lack of emergency shelter and support for victims.

[01:07:26] And we have an item later on the agenda today. And I was going to save this for our next presentation to provide additional services to people who are homeless, but also to victims of domestic violence, and looking at the opportunity to provide additional shelter support for victims of human trafficking.

[01:07:45] And we could talk all we want about how we solve this problem, but if people are afraid to talk to the police or other county agencies and we do not have the shelter support for them, they will not come forward and we will not make a dent in these numbers.

[01:08:01] And so I think this is a really meaningful time to be having this conversation today and actions we can even take today to help address this issue a little bit later on this afternoon. And so this work continues, and we would not be successful here in the county if it weren't for all of these partnerships that I mentioned.

[01:08:22] With that, we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries, and we are pleased to have with us Stacy, who's the program manager. Welcome, and welcome to all of you for being here this morning.

[01:08:39] The floor is yours. Thank you, Chairman McKay. Thank you, Supervisor Herity, and thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. We are grateful to the Board of Supervisors for recognizing the important issue of human trafficking, and I am incredibly honored to receive the proclamation on behalf of the Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, and other dedicated colleagues throughout Fairfax County agencies, community-based organizations, and champions in the field.

[01:09:08] The proclamation is not just a symbol of recognition, but a testament to the collective efforts of many. It's a tribute to the survivors whose courage and resilience inspires us. It's a salute to the law enforcement officers, social workers, health care professionals, and advocates who work tirelessly on the front lines.

[01:09:28] It's a recognition of the educators, the community leaders, and volunteers who raise awareness and provide much-needed support to those who need it. According to the U.S. Department of State, in 2024, an estimated 27 million people around the world were exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex.

[01:09:47] Here in Fairfax and beyond, survivors include parents trying to make ends meet for their families, kids yearning for love and acceptance, and people working hard to change their lives for the better who fall into a trap of deception and manipulation. Some of them never knew what they were experiencing was actually a crime. Traffickers use insidious acts like misinformation, technological manipulation, deprivation, and dehumanization to exert power over people.

[01:10:22] Victims are forced to work in various industries from restaurants and agriculture to domestic servitude. However, these methods pale in comparison to the collective power we wield when we work together. By raising awareness, fostering empathy, and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, we can dismantle the structures that allow human trafficking to thrive. The county, in collaboration with our dedicated partners, is committed to supporting survivors, seeking justice, and providing awareness and training. In fact, This January, we are partnering on the Fairfax County Annual Human Trafficking Training,

[01:10:59] which will take place right here at the Government Center on January 30th at 1 p.m. And while January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, this crime happens year-round, as do the efforts to combat it. Help raise awareness by requesting a training session.

[01:11:15] Save the hotline number in your phone if you don't have it already, 703-360-7273. And that's for anyone experiencing violence. To the survivors, we hear you, we see you, and we stand with you. Your strength and bravery are the foundation of our fight, and your stories compel us to act, to advocate, and to strive for a world where freedom and justice prevail.

[01:11:40] At Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, our vision encompasses a strong, equitable, and resilient Fairfax County, a community where safety, opportunity, and a sense of belonging are accessible to all. We are so grateful to everyone here today and to all community members who share this mission and work toward making it a reality.

[01:12:01] Thank you. Thank you very much, Stacey. Thank you for your words and the work that all of you do in our community. It is seen and appreciated. With that, I think we're ready for a photo. If you could all come forward and face the audience, Supervisor Herity and I will join you, and the board can rise.

[01:13:33] No, you're into the dog.

[01:14:25] I didn't even see the dog. And finally this morning, we have a proclamation to recognize Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Fairfax County. And with us today, and this was requested by myself, Supervisor Lusk, and Supervisor Palchek.

[01:14:45] And with us today, of course, is the former mayor of the city of Fairfax and chair of the Fairfax County Continuum of Care Board. And that is David Meyer. And I know others are here with him. If you all could please come on down to the podium. And while you are making your way down, I am going to recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion.

[01:15:05] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And as you and I discussed, we're starting the year off with some very difficult proclamations. But I think the highlight is seeing all the care and the unity and the diversity of everyone supporting our community.

[01:15:21] So that's where I'm taking my solace while we read all these very difficult proclamations today. I really want to thank all of you. Whereas during the holiday season, many families in Fairfax County and nationwide gather their loved ones to celebrate, yet some community members face food insecurity and homelessness.

[01:15:43] And whereas despite Fairfax County's prosperity, the 2024 Hunger Report shows a food insecurity rate of 27%, with approximately 309,000 residents experiencing food insecurity. And whereas Fairfax County also faces series of homelessness challenges, with the 2024 point-in-time count showing a 23% increase in individuals since the COVID-19 pandemic.

[01:16:10] And whereas addressing food and housing insecurity requires a compassionate and collaborative approach involving the efforts of government agencies, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and individuals. And whereas initiatives like the Stuff the Bus campaign exemplify Fairfax County's commitment to addressing food insecurity by collecting and distributing essential supplies to those in need while fostering a culture of generosity and collaboration.

[01:16:41] And whereas the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness designate the week before Thanksgiving as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week to highlight these issues and inspire action.

[01:16:57] Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, on behalf of all Fairfax County residents, does hereby proclaim the week of November 17 to 23, 2024, I know we're a little belated, as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Fairfax County and encourages all residents to participate in activities that raise awareness, support those in need, and promote long-term solutions to food and housing insecurity.

[01:17:25] I'm happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll be very brief because many of you have been here since we started this morning. I know we're a little bit delayed this year, but I think it's a good time to celebrate the great work that you and your organizations have done, that our county partners, our communities, our business community, those who are really invested in ensuring that we address the needs.

[01:17:52] We talk about the wealth in this area and the growth in this area, but we know very, very much every day that we have families, working families, retirees, and others who are struggling to survive.

[01:18:08] The report we received on the basic income pilot showed that of those, ALA's population, those who are asset limited and income constrained, most of their expenses are going to housing and then child care.

[01:18:26] And those costs, we know, continue to rise for all families, for all of those who are at different levels of income or have different needs. And finally, I think the biggest thing I've learned doing this work is that when things are going well, they're going well for everyone.

[01:18:44] When it's broken for a family, for a community, it's broken differently for every single person, for every different community. And that's why the approach that we take as a coordinated community to help understand what our members need, what each person needs, to hear them first, to understand what they're asking for, and to ensure that we continue to improve and our partners improve the way we provide that support, that short-term, but also that long-term investment in ensuring an equitable community where everyone can not just live but can thrive here as a member of our county.

[01:19:21] So I want to thank all of you, and it's especially very good to see Mayor Meyer back here and always doing the work, whether officially or unofficially. I think the best possible chair of that committee, Mr. Chairman.

[01:19:37] So thank you for being here this morning. Thank you, Supervisor Palachek, Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you all. I mean, so many of the faces that I know, and I know many that I don't know, you're there because you deeply care.

[01:19:54] But more importantly, you know that it isn't enough to have kind of high ideals of what we want and an importance of making a difference, you know, the only way to make a difference is to be there. And that's why I know that you're here today, whether it's human trafficking or domestic violence, or it's just mental health or substance abuse, or just folks down on their luck, right?

[01:20:18] We know that we're the safety net. We all are the safety net. And that comes with not only our personal commitments, but also comes with our financial commitments. And every single one of you here has done just that. I know as a board, we also recognize that we have to put our money where our mouth is.

[01:20:34] And this is something that we all care very much about. We know the difference that you all make for us. It's critical. I know that we don't do enough still. I think we all can recognize that we don't have enough. Frankly, housing, homelessness is still, emergency housing is still inadequate for our needs.

[01:20:51] we know we still have food insecurity issues which the reports that go along with what our board matter was today I mean this board issue today was those are all key parts of it but again we can all do something we can all make some difference and I thank you all for doing that we have I know a couple of stuff the bus events that are coming up in it I'm gonna mention two of them I know supervisor loss can I share one on Richmond highway it's actually at the giant but that's that is clearly one of them that's coming up on saturday february 1st from

[01:21:26] from i'm sorry february 8th excuse me at the giant from 10 to 3 there's one before that at the leadles at liberty which is in lorton area from 10 to 3 those are two huge opportunities for people to come make a difference donate money or food they're both welcome and again the the shelter folks, whether it's the folks who are at Rising Hope and Reverend Cameron Wilds who's opened up his church and opened up his facility to make a difference, but even the work that's done consistently by New Hope and at the Kennedy Shelter, those are all huge parts of really how we take care of each other.

[01:22:05] So thank you very much for helping all of us and being part of the team that helps us take care of each other. Thank you. Supervisor Herity. Yes, I want to start by thanking all the organizations here for your partnerships because the county can't do it alone.

[01:22:23] And whether it's WF, Western Fairfax Christian Ministry, ECHO, I'm going to mention the two that I know I'm going to make one. I don't know if I'm going to make the second one, but on January 18th at Huntsman, there's a stuff to bust from 10 to 3.

[01:22:38] On the 25th in Clifton, the Clifton Giant, both of those are at Giant. There'll be another one from 10 to 3. But, Mr. Mayor, the creative thing that you did with City Jobs, I want to certainly thank you for that.

[01:22:55] We've then taken and rolled into Stream Shield, Operation Stream Shield, to give people the dignity of work and the opportunity to move on. And that, again, doesn't happen without the partnership of many of you in this room. So I want to thank you for the partnership that you have with us to take care of those that are in need.

[01:23:16] Lamb Center I should have referenced certainly for the for the great work that they do as well but thank you again for everything you do to help those that are less fortunate in Fairfax thank you Supervisor Harrity and before I turn to Supervisor Lusk I should mention the stuff the bus events are all over the county and I would encourage people to go online and look for that list of events and I know that OPA always does an outstanding job making sure we message this out to the whole community so that we don't have people in one end of the the county, driving all the way to the other end of the county to make a donation.

[01:23:49] They're near you. They're in your community on purpose, and I know OPA will do a great job messaging that out. Supervisor Lusk. Yeah, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I'll just say I'm very appreciative of this proclamation, and I'll start by saying that when I think about hunger and I see the Capital Area Food Bank and their hunger report and acknowledging that as we look at the incomes above $100,000 per year you're seeing an increase in those who are food insecure and that's telling us this is not just at the lower incomes it's moving into the upper incomes as well so

[01:24:28] clearly this is a problem that needs pretty significant attention appreciate all those that are here as well and thank you for your support of of our communities and I think about echo I think about United community and others that are so engaged in trying to solve this problem but I think I hope that folks who are hearing this and seeing this here on Channel 16 they'll think about making a contribution to our nonprofits and ensuring that they do have food to provide to the very residents who are in need and we have

[01:25:06] seen even when we did a food distribution in my district at the end of the year we had a thousand boxes they went in basically an hour I mean at each of our locations and it was just surprising how quickly and how many people showed up to take advantage of that so it definitely shows that there's a need and then the second point on the homelessness awareness it's so cold outside and tell you i worry about the folks that are not sheltered right now and i hope if anyone is listening here as well if you see someone that you think might be in jeopardy please make sure you

[01:25:43] let us know about that the county does have a hypothermia program and we're working with a number of churches and others to help support that so there's a place where we can get people inside so they're not out in the freezing cold because that is not the place they should be so again just just want to acknowledge the work that's being done to support both homelessness and food is so, so important. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Lusk, and thank you, Mayor Meyer, for agreeing on this new role. It's so important, and certainly thank all of our partner agencies that are here.

[01:26:19] I won't even try to name some of them because we'll get in trouble, and there's a lot of not here who do this work in the community, too, and we wouldn't be able to serve nearly as many folks or be as sophisticated in our service delivery if it weren't for not only our county employees, but most importantly, our network of non-profit organizations in the county that also provide comfort for people seeking services that are outside of a government environment, and I think sometimes we forget that huge utility of our non-profits, and And I want to thank Tom Barnett, you, and all the work that you're doing as well,

[01:26:57] internal to the county, because this is an issue that cannot be solved by one group, cannot be solved by government alone, and I think all of you recognize and realize that. And I want to highlight something that Supervisor Lusk mentioned, which is the hunger issue in particular.

[01:27:16] I mean, this is a proclamation about hunger and homelessness awareness week, And we know a lot of structures that are in place to deal with both of these, but it kind of came to a head for me at the end of last week because a reporter asked me what made me most upset about schools being closed for another week as a parent.

[01:27:36] And I said, well, besides the fact that my kids are driving us crazy after winter break and we need to get them back in school, I said I will seriously for a moment tell you what concerns me the most about winter break and then a whole other week out of school.

[01:27:51] is there were a lot of kids in Fairfax County that weren't getting healthy meals as a result of that. And we forget so much of the outstanding work that's done by FCPS. But one of the fundamentals is, and this was alive and well during COVID, is that for many of our young people, that is where they are getting the meals that they need to be successful in school and to deal with a lot of other challenges that them and their families and parents might be facing. And so So, you know, I think we've kind of come full circle in thinking about some issues.

[01:28:26] And when schools are closed, I'm thinking about how our young people are going to eat as much as I'm thinking about how VDOT is or is not doing a good job plowing roads. But, you know, this is an important time for us to do this recognition also because of the cold issue that Supervisor Luss mentioned.

[01:28:45] And when we were talking about our snow event, we were messaging out and working with OPA and some of the others, messaging out our concerns not only about the snow but the frigid temperatures that followed after that week and the combination of those and the high risk for hypothermia and what to do in those instances.

[01:29:06] And so we had to continually tell folks, if you see someone you think is suffering from hypothermia, They may not know it, but you should be calling the non-emergency number of the police department so that we can get somebody out there to talk to them and to make sure that if they are suffering from hypothermia that they know what resources are available to them, both emergency and longer term resources that are available to them. And we're in a period here now where probably for the next couple months we're going to be dealing with these temperatures. And the hypothermia shelters are wonderful. Our faith-based and non-profits who help us run those throughout the county

[01:29:43] do a wonderful job, but not everyone will go into one of those shelters. And so it's up to us when we see people out there on the street to be aware of that and to message what can be done about it. And so thank you all for the work that you do, and we recognize this as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. But like many of the other proclamations today, we certainly focus on this issue year round, not just during one week and with our great network here. With that, I think we're ready for a vote. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any

[01:30:20] abstentions? That motion carries. And Mr. Mayor, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here. And I want to thank all the persons who are before you this morning for the hard work they do every day.

[01:30:39] Last week when the storm hit on Monday, I woke up at 2.30 in the morning and the wind chills were in the single digits and it was snowing sideways. I looked out the window and I thought, who is out there unsheltered right now?

[01:30:57] I don't know who they are. I don't know where they are. My experience tells me that at least one person, it's one person too many. And I said a prayer that I hope that they would make it through the night and that we have no deaths regarding hypothermia.

[01:31:18] I was in a meeting last night at my church in Fairfax United Methodist, and we are planning to host over 50 people for one week in the first week of March to provide them shelter every night, breakfast and dinner, and a community of supporting people to engage with them for that week through facets and the work never never stops and that's not a lament but a a call to to action I want to thank Chairman McKay and all of the

[01:31:55] supervisors for your support of this proclamation and the affirmation for those persons who are facing the daily challenge of finding a safe sheltered place to live and finding reliable sources of healthy food to eat our Our county schools have expanded their mission over the last decade to provide food for thousands of students.

[01:32:18] And this remarkable effort is possible because of countless volunteers who support our educators and our students. We live in a place of amazing abundance. Our county has many remarkable neighborhoods of quality homes, safe streets, access to superior schools and libraries, recreation facilities, effective public transit, and good grocery stores.

[01:32:45] And many of these amenities are because of the hard work that you do. But for many among us, these amenities that are all around us and are so close and yet are so far away. In late 2023, Chairman McKay called and asked me to reconstitute the county's Continuum of Care Board.

[01:33:09] And this board, all of you, endorsed that initiative. The county residents that each of you have appointed to the COC, along with representatives from numerous nonprofit organizations in the county, have been working diligently in the past year to assess the scope and the variation of the challenge of homelessness.

[01:33:31] We are exploring both short-term and longer-term possibilities to provide shelter and permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing homelessness. The COC members greatly appreciate the support that you have given this effort.

[01:33:48] Finding effective solutions for housing on sheltered persons is one of the most vexing and challenging, complex challenges for any local government. The COC will be preparing some bold and creative proposals in the coming months that will hold a great promise to help the many persons in need of shelter.

[01:34:09] This is both a promise and a heads-up. Some of the recent actions taken by this board have shown great foresight and deep commitment to helping families and individuals in need of housing, and we all thank you.

[01:34:26] Additionally, I want to express our committee's appreciation also for the support that we are receiving from your county staff. Specifically, Tom Fleetwood, Tom Barnett, Steve Knippler, and Megan Haney have made our work so much more effective.

[01:34:43] Their commitment and their professionalism have allowed the COC to move forward in translating our ideas into exciting and creative alternatives that we will consider bringing forth to the county leadership. We thank you again for the partnership.

[01:35:01] We are confident that working together, we can make a substantive difference in the lives of the least among us. Thank you. Thank you very much, David, and we are looking forward to the COC recommendations. We're on notice, but we're also looking forward to it because, you know, I think a lot of communities, every community grapples with this to a certain extent.

[01:35:24] But we in Fairfax, you know, don't just grapple with it. We want to be innovative. We want to be forward thinking. We want to be collaborative with all of our nonprofit partner agencies. But we also want to be comprehensive, and we want to lift people out of homelessness.

[01:35:41] And we want to not just provide initial one meal or shelter, but how do we think about this systemically and long term? And so for that reason, we're looking forward to the recommendations of the group and the many talented people who serve on it. And again, thank you for dedicating your personal time to this cause.

[01:36:01] With that, I think we're ready for a photo. And if all of you could come forward and Supervisor Palchuk and I will join you, the board would rise.

[01:36:10] And next up this morning, we have the presentation of the Don Smith Award.

[01:37:53] And we have with us Norman Hall, who is the chairman of the Employee Advisory Council. Norm, who is here. And Norm is going to run us through the program. welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. Good morning, Chair McCabe, Vice Chair Smith, Board of Supervisors. My name is Norm Hall, and it is my great honor to appear before you as the chair of the Fairfax County Employees Advisory Council. The rest of the council, for the most part, is here today to celebrate this year's Don Smith Award winner, nominees, and nominators.

[01:38:30] The Employees Advisory Council was established in 1957 and since then has served to make sure that the high standards for service by Fairfax County employees in the county merit system, more than 16,000 of us, are present in the working relationships we have with each other, our supervisors, and the community at large. Over this next year, the EACB will be working to make sure that our general county employees understand choices we have about collective bargaining through nonpartisan education. We will also strive to make sure that the county's budget

[01:39:07] choices will consider what it takes to recruit and maintain top-notch workers. In this, we will work with labor groups and individual workers whether or not they choose to align with unions. Now, every year we sponsor the Don Smith Awards to recognize those county employees whose efforts to make workplaces better go far above and beyond the tasks that their positions call for.

[01:39:35] These are not achievement awards earned through job performance. These are accomplishments of leaders whose good deeds caught the attention of many of their co-workers. There were 15 nominations, all of whom were invited to join us today, either at our reception before the meeting or now for your meeting. If you're a nominee, could you stand if you're here? Okay, and honorable mentions were

[01:40:10] awarded to two nominees. Y'all can come down if you're in that list. Christine Mahoney works in the office to prevent and end homelessness in the Department of Housing and Community Development. Her presence enlivens office staff and Fairfax Continuum of Care partners. She is known for helping the helpers, those who provide services to individuals at risk or experiencing homelessness.

[01:40:39] She connects with everybody in her orbit, including those experiencing homelessness. She has volunteered for the hypothermia prevention program and boosts morale through attention to details shared by co-workers about their professional and personal lives.

[01:40:55] Word has it that her top banana trophies awarded to those going above and beyond to support team-wide continuum of care trainings are among the most coveted in the heart of Fairfax County. I echo the words shared by her nominator. Chris deserves to be acknowledged for her outstanding achievement, dedication, and service to housing and community development, the office to prevent and end homelessness, and the entire homeless services and housing system. Her selflessness,

[01:41:25] compassion and dedication go above and beyond. Okay. Second Lieutenant David Montgomery has led the McLean District Station Day's A patrol squad from the front for more than five years. Lieutenant

[01:42:04] Montgomery has a reputation for being approachable on a personal level in ways that support open public and private dialogue with officers with varying levels of experience. What stands out with this nomination is a consistently positive approach that sometimes turns a moment of confusion into a teaching opportunity. What may seem like routine to many, the roll call remarks that are made to start their shifts are seen by many under Lieutenant Montgomery's command as valuable words of wisdom. This award honors the commitment he gives to making sure that all of those he leads

[01:42:44] know that they are valuable and will continue to be supported as they provide their services in uniform, not just during their shift, but in the future as they accrue experiences in serving as Fairfax County police officers and perhaps through promotions and advances that they earn as a result. In short, he sets a high mark for leadership that they can follow no matter how

[01:43:08] much tenure they have earned. Lieutenant Montgomery. Our Don Smith runners-up will each receive $250 as part of today's recognition. Now it's time to salute this year's winner of the Don Smith award. Christopher King is the natural resources manager at Huntley Meadows Park.

[01:43:40] In that capacity, he manages the park's wetland and natural habitats to preserve rare species and make sure the park itself is a top-notch educational and recreational resource for the DMV region. What made Chris's nomination stand out during our deliberations were the words that described his key role in fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among staff members.

[01:44:06] During his breaks, he demonstrated initiative in setting up daily walks and jogs, matching staff needs for exercise with stress reduction and promotion of connection beyond the perimeters of Huntley Meadows. In his words, co-workers participate in Walktober and Go Gold challenges that are team-based fitness events which encourage employees to stay active and engage with one another. Testimony reveals that his efforts assist new as well as longer-term employees and staff have gone on to be part of a swamp squad who go beyond the Walktober and Go Gold challenges

[01:44:44] to participate in the annual Beaver Boogie 5K at another local park. Chris's efforts are said to have fostered a supportive atmosphere where employees can connect, stay active, and work together outside of their regular roles.

[01:44:59] I want to congratulate all of our leaders and Chris. And thank you, Chairman McKay, for the opportunity to present these winners.

[01:45:19] Thank you, Norm, and I think we're going to do a photo. I just want everyone watching to know the fact that Huntley Meadows Park is the chairman's favorite park in Fairfax County played no role in influencing the decision, the great decision made by the EAC in recognizing all of our folks.

[01:45:38] And I do want to congratulate all those who were nominated as well because just some really outstanding work from our county employees. And lastly, thank you, Norm, and the EAC for doing this every year and for all the advocacy and work that you do. And I think we want to take a group photo, so perhaps if our award winners and folks from the EAC could come here in front of the dais, the board could rise for a photo.

[01:46:02] And family members, too.

[01:46:47] Next up, we have board organization and appointments of board members to various regional and internal boards and authorities and committees and selection of the vice chair.

[01:47:41] And we are going to do two votes. One, we have circulated, and everyone should have a copy of the proposed slate for 2025. Has that not been circulated? Okay, but everyone has received it and reviewed it.

[01:48:00] No, this was the slate for board committees. There's no real changes to it, but that should have been circulated out. Only thing I noticed, the call I didn't see before. Okay. Well, we're going to have to circle back to this then because I was told that this had been circulated to the whole board.

[01:48:24] The list had been populated with names. I believe it's the chairman staff who circulates that. Okay. Well, we'll wait on the chairman staff to circulate that then. In the meantime, there are two actions that have to be taken. One is a vote on that slate, and the second is a vote to redesignate the vice chair of the Board of Supervisors.

[01:48:47] And I think on the second one, we'll go ahead and move forward with that part. Let me ask if we have a motion, Supervisor Stork. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman. I move that we nominate Kathy Smith as the vice chair of the board for the 25th year.

[01:49:02] I'm happy to second that with a lot of other folks. I don't think this is going to be a close vote, But I do want to take a moment to thank Kathy for her service over the past year and to strongly support the re-designation, the re-election, I should say, of Supervisor Kathy Smith as vice chair.

[01:49:20] She's run a vigorous campaign to secure that, and we ought to acknowledge that. Any further discussion on the motion? All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries.

[01:49:37] Congratulations once again to Vice Chairman Kathy Smith, and I will turn to Vice Chairman Kathy Smith to make a motion on the rest of the board organization elements as soon as a copy of that is circulated. And with that, we are going to move on to board appointments to boards, authorities, and commissions and advisory groups.

[01:49:57] And let me ask Supervisor Smith if she has a motion. I move approval of the final copy dated January 14, 2025 of appointments for Boards, authorities, and commissions. I'm happy to second that, and that copy should be at everyone's place with the highlighted portion that these are encompassing vacancies projected through January 31st of 2025.

[01:50:20] Is there any discussion, any items Board members would like to vote on separately? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And we are going to move on to board matters. And again, these, as we always do now, have been compiled digitally. We'll go alphabetically in order by district, following myself and Vice Chairman Smith. And I have two board matters.

[01:50:49] First, I move without objection the proclamation requests that are listed in this document to be presented inside or outside of the boardroom as appropriate, and that is a proclamation to recognize Black History Month in February, to recognize Stella Cook for her years of service on EQAC, and to recognize George Lamb for his years of service on EQAC. And I move that without objection. Without objection, so ordered. Secondly, I have a board matter to recognize Bishop Byerton High School's 60th anniversary. Bishop Byerton High School is a Catholic preparatory The institution located in Alexandria, Virginia, the city of Alexandria, is a Silesian community of learning.

[01:51:29] The school is dedicated to the educational and personal development of young men and women, encouraging them to advance always in scholarship, service, and community. Since its founding in 1964, Bishop Byerton has built a proud tradition of academic excellence. In 2024, the school celebrated its 60th anniversary.

[01:51:48] While Bishop Hireton is most certainly not situated geographically in Fairfax County, many of its students and alumni and faculty reside here in Fairfax County, and the school donates many, many service hours and provides financial support to charities that serve Fairfax County.

[01:52:06] Therefore, in recognition of its 60 years of service to Northern Virginia and Fairfax County residents, I move the Office of Public Affairs prepare a resolution to recognize Bishop Hireton High School for its 60th anniversary to be presented outside of the boardroom at a future date. I'll second that motion. Any discussion?

[01:52:23] I will just disclose that I am an alum. I'm an alum of FCPS and an alum of Bishop Ireton High School, and this was brought forward to my attention. And the head of school is a very well-known constituent of mine in Fairfax County, and her father, Bob Faherty, has been a longtime service member on the Human Services Council and some other places, but you will find alumni of this high school throughout Fairfax County doing good things, and I particularly want to thank the school for all of their work with our community-based nonprofits.

[01:53:00] We had a lot of them here this morning, but they recognize that most of their student body comes from Fairfax County and make sure that they keep us in mind. And so thank you for your support of that. All those in favor of the motion, say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed?

[01:53:15] Any abstentions? motion carries. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith. And I have one last thing I want to mention verbally. The board will remember before the break that I brought forward a board matter to sign an agreement with Yongin Special City, Korea, and that was in October of last year after I received a letter from Lee Sang-il, the mayor of Yongin Special City, Republic of Korea, asking that we establish a formal relationship with Fairfax County based on business, academic, and tourism exchanges.

[01:53:49] And yesterday, and we know this is important to do this yesterday, on Korean American Day, I had the pleasure of joining our county executive, Brian Hill, Victor Hoskins from the EDA, and Mayor Lee, who was in town, and a delegation from Yongin City to sign formally an agreement, a friendship agreement with them, and that took place yesterday.

[01:54:11] So I want to thank the mayor, certainly for being in town to do this. But what was striking in the conversation is if you looked at a lot of the numerics of this jurisdiction and ours, and you stacked them next to each other, they're almost identical in terms of population size, economic success, focus on future technology.

[01:54:35] And they have major partners in the business industry that are working closely with the EDA. I know with Victor Hoskins there yesterday, he was introduced to the head of Samsung who has a major facility in this Yongin special city in Korea.

[01:54:53] And so we made some connections already that I think will be important to the economic success and future of Fairfax County. So I want to thank Brian Hill and Victor Hoskins for joining me and importantly, the delegation from Yongin special city yesterday. and you'll be hearing more about this new partnership in the future.

[01:55:11] But I thought it was very symbolic that we were able to sign this agreement on Korean American Day, which is a really important day for all the folks in Fairfax County who have special ties to Korea. And so I just wanted to make that announcement.

[01:55:27] And with that, next up on board matters is Supervisor Smith. No board matters. Thank you very much. Supervisor Smith, Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. that Bishop Hyrton, that was the 60th anniversary of the founding of the school, not your matriculation.

[01:55:44] Not even close. I mean, that was obvious, right? I didn't have any typos in that. It was obvious. I was not in the first class. In the proclamation. I have just two board matters, Mr. Chairman. The first is a joint board matter with you, a motion to authorize the county's participation in the mayor's monarch pledge program.

[01:56:06] Mr. Chairman, the monarch butterfly is an iconic North American species whose multi-generational migration and metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly have captured the imagination of millions. Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus first categorized and named the monarch butterfly in Europe in 1758, and the species was later discovered by Russian explorers in the western United States in 1816.

[01:56:33] As we now know, North America supports two different migrating populations of monarchs, the western and the eastern populations. Over the last 30 years, these populations have experienced significant declines. While the eastern monarch population has fallen by as much as 90%, less than 1% of the western monarch population remains today.

[01:56:57] Monarch scientists attribute the population decline to degradation and loss of summer breeding habitat in the United States and loss of winter habitat in south-central Mexico and coastal California. In an effort to engage cities, towns, counties, and communities in the restoration of monarch butterfly populations, the National Wildlife Federation established the Mayor's Monarch Pledge Program in 2015.

[01:57:24] This program lays out a series of actions that can be taken by municipalities to improve habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Since its founding, more than 600 mayors and heads of local governments have taken the pledge, and it's time for Fairfax County to join these communities.

[01:57:44] Based on the actions of our county agencies, the Park Authority, and schools are already taking to support native pollinators, Fairfax County meets the requirements of the program and may even qualify for the Leadership Circle. Our current actions include increasing no-mow zones on Park Authority lands and restoring old pasture land and turf areas to native meadow habitats, coordinating between DPWES and Fairfax County Public Schools to plant and maintain pollinator gardens at 31 schools and give students the opportunity to plant and maintain native milkweed and other pollinator-friendly buildings.

[01:58:23] native nectar plants, displaying educational signage at pollinator habitats located on school and other county properties to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, hosting seed libraries at county libraries, giving residents access to native plant seeds, installing pollinator gardens at county properties, including libraries and right here at this government center, participating in Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA program, increasing the percentage of native plants, shrubs, and trees that must be used in city landscapes, and most recently launching an

[01:58:59] invasive species removal program to protect tree canopy and support the re-establishment of native habitat. With each of these steps, the county is making a big difference for the monarch, butterfly, and other pollinators, while creating habitats that every community, including historically marginalized communities, can enjoy. With these actions, the county is well positioned to join the National Wildlife Foundation's Mayor's Monarch Pledge Program and its leadership circle.

[01:59:26] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the chairman to sign the Mayor's Monarch Pledge and direct the county executive to annually update the county's status on the National Wildlife Federation website. I also move that the Office of Public Affairs be directed to publicize the county's pledge to encourage residents to support native pollinators and help the monarch butterfly prosper again in Fairfax County.

[01:59:50] So moved. In that motion, along with Supervisor Stork, any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Walkinschek. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And we have, to credit for this, students at Terrace Center Elementary School. And I visited them last year along with school board member Sizemore Heiser, and they have been engaged in a Monarch Butterfly project.

[02:00:16] And I thought I was going there to congratulate them on their project, take a look at this pledge, maybe take a picture and call it a day. Turned out, Mr. Chairman, that they had a pop quiz for me, which I didn't know they still did in schools.

[02:00:33] But hundreds of kids were there, and they pledged me on the Monarch, or quizzed me on the Monarch Butterfly, and I had not done my homework, Mr. Chairman. But I want to just share the questions they ask and see, you know, we have nine of the brightest minds in Fairfax County.

[02:00:52] Plus me here. The first question, Mr. Chairman, is how can you tell the difference between a male or female monarch butterfly? What we really want to know, Supervisor Walkinshaw, is what your answer was that day.

[02:01:09] My answer was hem, haw, and mumble. The correct answer is male monarch butterflies have black spots on their wings. You can tell the difference. I'll give Supervisor Palchuk credit for that. The second question is, what do the monarch caterpillars eat?

[02:01:29] What do monarch caterpillars eat? Milkweed. Okay, Supervisor Palcic would have done better than me at this credit. Milkweed. All right, final question. What does the monarch caterpillar form before it becomes a butterfly? So it's not a cocoon, I heard.

[02:01:50] I heard it's incorrect, the book I read every day, but is it called a cocoon or is it called something else? So I said cocoon, which is the common term. However, the second graders at Terra Center corrected me loudly and informed me that it's called a chrysalis.

[02:02:07] Chrysalis. So the students at Terra Center Elementary School, Supervisor Palczyk did very well on this quiz. She got at least two out of three. I got zero out of three. But I learned a lot from the students, and I think their work has inspired us to take this pledge.

[02:02:28] The good news is we're already doing a lot in Fairfax County to protect monarchs and other pollinators, but there's even more we can do, and this is going to help us spread the word throughout the community about steps that people can take to engage in this effort. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:02:43] I'll have to get you. Mantua Elementary Eco Club has a shirt that says, Got Milkweed. Oh, good. Okay. All right. I need a little competition with Harrison. I want to see you wearing that. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be very brief. this is great I have we have monarch butterflies in our backyard in our garden so whenever we see those we know not only that it's a beautiful time of year but our kids get to enjoy that and we get to enjoy the monarch butterfly so it's this is fantastic thank you and so you clearly knew the answers to these questions of course we're asked supervisor stork I want to also identify

[02:03:20] the county is we've been leaders in this in general more than a decade ago we We set up native plantings, and we really put an emphasis on that. And then about five or six years ago, we recommitted ourselves to that. So we, in our new developments, particularly at the Mount Vernon Government Center, and I'm sure it'll be true at our other government centers as we do new plantings and developments, we are planting native species, we're doing native gardens, and we are supporting not only monobartiflies but a lot of other species and insects that need our help.

[02:03:49] So great. Thank you for bringing this forward. And I am certain Supervisor Walkinshaw mentioned that to these young people in his defense, that while we might not have known the answers to those questions, we are doing great things. But it is an important message to spread.

[02:04:05] And I do think, you know, thankfully you were quizzed on this and were able to bring this item forward because I think it is a recognition of a lot of the things that we already have in place, but then also some things we need to do better on and can do more on. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[02:04:23] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion passes with Supervisor Harry absent. Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final board matter is a motion to accept the 2024 Annual Report on the Environment.

[02:04:38] I'm pleased to share that the Environmental Quality Advisory Council or EQAC has completed the 2024 Annual Report on the Environment. This comprehensive report, required by EQUAC's charter, details the state of Fairfax County's environment and provides insights into the current environmental conditions in the county.

[02:04:57] It also provides an assessment of the effectiveness of current county policies and programs and offers recommendations for future actions to enhance our environmental stewardship of the county's natural resources. The report covers topics such as land use, transportation, waste management, parks, and ecological resources, and climate and energy, among others.

[02:05:16] It highlights environmental actions taken by Fairfax County public schools in some areas and describes areas needing additional attention. The executive summary of the report emphasizes key recommendations for policy adjustments, funding priorities, and new initiatives to address emerging environmental challenges countywide.

[02:05:36] Mr. Chairman, I think I'll ask without objection that the Board of Supervisors formally accept the 2024 Annual Report on the Environment from EQUAC and recommend that the Board refer this report to the Environmental Committee for detailed review and consideration of the recommendations outlined.

[02:05:53] And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Walkenjohn. That's it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Next up is Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My first board matter is a recognition of the 50th anniversary of the McLean Community Center.

[02:06:10] This year marks the 50th anniversary of the McLean Community Center, or the MCC. The MCC was built and funded by residents of the small District 1A, Drainsville, through a real estate tax surcharge. An 11-member governing board, elected by the citizens of the district and appointed by the Board of Supervisors, oversees the MCC's budget and operations.

[02:06:32] MCC offers a broad variety of activities for all ages, including classes, lectures, study tours, camps, art exhibits, theater performances, and specialty shows. MCC also sponsors many community events, such as Fiesta del Sol, Spring Fest, McLean Day, Fourth of July Fireworks, and the McLean 5K.

[02:06:51] MCC facilities include the 383-seat Alden Theater, the McLean Project for the Arts Galleries, the Susan B. Duval Art Studio, meeting and conference rooms, and a rehearsal studio, a multi-purpose classroom, and a catering kitchen.

[02:07:08] MCC also operates the award-winning Old Firehouse Center that provides a safe atmosphere for 5th to 9th grade students to try new activities and develop social skills. MCC has planned an exciting slate of celebrations to commemorate its 50th anniversary, including a history talk, tree planting, public art installation, a community mural dedication, and a community celebration on October 18, 2025.

[02:07:33] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to prepare a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the McLean Community Center to be presented out of the boardroom on a future date. 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 Beerman. Thank you. My second board matter is recognition of John C. Ulfelder.

[02:08:02] John C. Oldfelder was nominated by Supervisor Faust and appointed to the Planning Commission by the Board of Supervisors in December 2013 to represent the Drainsville District and served in this role through December 2024. During his time as the Drainsville Planning Commissioner, Mr. Ohlfelder became a certified Planning Commissioner, serving as the Planning Commission's Vice Chairman in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and serving as the Planning Commission's Parliamentarium in 2023 and 2024.

[02:08:35] Mr. Ohlfelder also held the position of Chair of the Land Use Process Committee since 2020 and Chair of the Parks Committee in 2017, 2018, and 2019. While on the Planning Commission, Mr. Ulfelder provided his time and expertise towards crafting a new and modernized zoning ordinance, updating the comprehensive plan for downtown McLean, reimagining the area around the West Falls Church Transit Station area, and developing guidelines for the development around the Innovation Station Metro in Herndon.

[02:09:03] Mr. Oldfelder has also been active with a number of local community groups and non-profit organizations, including the Great Falls Citizens Association, the Audubon Naturalist Society of the Mid-Atlantic, the McLean Project for the Arts, the McLean Orchestra, the Innova Health System Foundation, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Foundation, the Virginia Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and the Board of Trustees of WTA.

[02:09:28] And sometimes he sleeps, apparently. I am grateful for Mr. Oldfelder's contributions to Fairfax County. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask that the board direct staff to prepare a resolution to recognize John C. Oldfelder for his significant contributions to the community to be presented in or out of the boardroom as appropriate.

[02:09:48] I'm happy to second that, along with a lot of my colleagues here. Discussion on the motion, Supervisor Beerman? I will just briefly say that John is just a wonderful person. He is always trying to be helpful. He is smart.

[02:10:03] He is kind. He looks out for people. I am a new supervisor. He came in. He talked me through things. We worked together. He was excellent. So thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:10:19] My time on the Planning Commission did not overlap with John's, but I do know John. I've worked with him off and on over the years. He's not only a great guy, and he's not only done all these things for the community and for the environment that Supervisor Bierman mentioned.

[02:10:37] He's also kind of a walking history book of the northern half of Fairfax County. And his family's role in the development of Tyson's Corner, that really, I encourage any of us who haven't had a chance to talk with him about some of that.

[02:10:56] He is truly an amazing person and has amazing stories and history. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn, and I want to thank Jimmy for recognizing him as well. You know, I think to a person, people on the Planning Commission have only said great things about working with him, and that's not always the easiest thing to achieve.

[02:11:17] And I guess, you know, one of the things that I've learned today is all these other organizations that he was involved in. I mean, you know, you would think being on the Planning Commission is enough for normal people, but John was not normal, and that was a good thing because he did so many things for our community and served in so many different ways that certainly very supportive of the board matter, and thank you, Supervisor Beerman, for recognizing him.

[02:11:44] Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I did have the pleasure of serving with Mr. Oldfelder on the Planning Commission for many years. He was extremely well-respected. He was always and is a person that we look at for information, for guidance. As you mentioned, Mr. Chairman, for history, there's no one better than Mr.

[02:12:03] Oldfelder, and I'd like to thank him for his time, his service, his dedication to Fairfax County, the hard work he put in, the long hours. I'd like to also thank his wife, who many times was with him in the auditorium or in the back. So thank you to that family.

[02:12:18] Thank you to Mr. Oldfelder for your time, your service. And thank you, Supervisor, for bringing this up. Thank you. Thank you very much. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions?

[02:12:34] That motion carries. Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My third board matter is a joint board matter with the entirety of the board. When it went to press yesterday, we still need one more name, but I can assure you that the entire board has joined with me in this board matter, which is on VDOT snow preparation and execution.

[02:12:53] And I will read the board matter, and then I'll have some comments, obviously. Early in the new year, local weather forecasts began predicting that northern Virginia and the rest of the DMV region was likely to be hit by a snowstorm on the morning of Monday, January 6, 2025, and that we could see 4 to 11 inches of snow or more in Fairfax County.

[02:13:15] The forecast was accurate, shocking everyone. That's a joke. Didn't shock everyone. And Fairfax County was blanketed by 5 to 9 inches of snow. Nearly all of Fairfax County's roads are operated and maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, VDOT, and snow removal in the county is handled by VDOT.

[02:13:34] According to VDOT, after a storm of 6 inches or more ends, they aim to have cleared the roads within 72 hours. VDOT's standard for clearing side streets as opposed to main roads is not to clear down to the pavement curb to curb, but rather to ensure that the roads are passable, which means an 8 to 10 foot path for emergency vehicle access.

[02:13:56] Further, VDOT alerts that roads will be drivable with extreme caution, but the road will be snowpacked, crews will sand hills, curves, and intersections to help with traction. VDOT further provides a website, vdotplows.org, where individuals can allegedly track the movements of VDOT crews and see what neighborhoods have been plowed.

[02:14:15] More than 72 hours after the storm ended on January 6th, numerous side streaks in the county were not passable, but instead dead caked in ice. The VDOT website frequently provided inaccurate information to residents and county staff alike, and efforts to get VDOT to return to certain neighborhood streets repeatedly failed.

[02:14:35] Main roads were adequately clouded. Planning, execution, and communication fell far short of the service level that our residents demand and deserve, especially given the volume of snow that fell. While VDOT is ultimately responsible for snow removal, the Board of Supervisors understands that it is our job to ensure that our residents are safe and access to their homes, neighborhoods, and services.

[02:14:58] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct the county executive, with the support of staff, to request that VDOT provide a full after-action assessment of what went wrong, focused both on planning before the snow and execution after it fell, including information about how VDOT refuted the performance of its contractors and confirmed that roads were adequately plowed and treated, Provide the Board of Supervisors with an assessment of any additional measures VDOT will implement to improve service in future snow events.

[02:15:31] Provide the Board of Supervisors with any considerations related to lobbying the Commonwealth for change, including whether the Board of Supervisors needs to formally request an update to VDOT's passable definition, and invite VDOT to a future Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee meeting to discuss snow removal.

[02:15:49] I second that motion. Is there a discussion on the motion? And we don't want to do the meeting here. I think this is a request for, you know, more information, have that conversation in a transportation committee meeting. I will just say, first of all, thanks, Supervisor Bierman, for bringing this forward.

[02:16:08] And I want to start by saying that the removal worked and worked really well in a lot of the county. And in other areas, it just did not work at all. And I think a lot of that is a factor of the many different contractors and the work that they do in the county.

[02:16:24] And so it's been a while since we've had a large snow. In the past, we've had a lot of meetings and discussions after these with VDOT and other officials. And it makes sense always whenever we have a big snow event like this to have this type of dialogue and conversation with VDOT.

[02:16:41] And so there will be a lot of opportunities to respond to what VDOT gives back to us and to be able to have these conversations in the Transportation Committee as the motion directs. And so I'm a strong supporter of this, and thank you, Supervisor Beerman, for bringing it forward.

[02:16:58] Supervisor Beerman. So there are a lot of things about growing old that aren't fun. You know, your knees start to ache, your back hurts, it's harder to stay up late. but arguably the worst thing about growing up and growing old is realizing that snow days are actually terrible. They're awful. We don't like snow days. And in this case, we had a lot of them.

[02:17:22] We lost four days of school. We lost a little bit more on what was a sizable but not huge storm. And I think what was frustrating, at least in my office, and I know that this is true for certain other members of the board is that while you are absolutely correct chairman mckay there were streets that were really really well well uh um done i live right off 123 123 was looking good allowed me to get to work uh the side streets there was just a huge level of variability and when we contacted vdot about some of these side streets you would get a huge level of

[02:18:02] variability in the information that came back to us. And in truth, I think probably a huge level of variability in the information that VDOT's own contractors were providing to VDOT. That to me is the biggest concern here. VDOT needs its contractors to be providing it with accurate information so that it knows what streets need to go back to. We would get information saying things like, oh yeah, no, no, we've hit that. Look, I have a cul-de-sac in my neighborhood. My neighbor called me up. I walked down. VDOT said a plow had been there. You didn't have to be a member of CSI or something to

[02:18:38] see that there were no tracks except for the one person who'd driven their Audi in and out of their car. So, you know, out of there. So, Supervisor Beerman, I don't want to cut you off, but we got a lot to do today. I understand. And I don't want to have this meeting here. I understand we got a lot to do. Because I think each of us would need 30 minutes to tell our stories. And I want to make sure that's not what the meeting becomes. So let me ask you if you can just wrap that thought up. I will gladly wrap it up. I am looking forward to an after-action report, and I'm looking forward to working with VDOT to make sure that our next snow event goes better than this one went. Thank you. Thank you

[02:19:16] very much. Supervisor Walkinshaw. And thank you, Supervisor Bierman, for bringing this forward, and I apologize for the last-minute suggestion because you did share this in advance, but I thought of it this morning. You know, one thing we might want to consider is inviting FCPS to be in that meeting as well, because I want to be sure that FCPS and VDOT are coordinating to the greatest extent possible. Obviously, FCPS, you know, has expressed the rationale for the prolonged disclosure with respect to walkers and bus stops not being cleared. And I think we should try to

[02:19:56] dig in and see whether there's an opportunity to get the two of them talking to each other and working with one another in the next storm. I'll accept that friendly amendment. Yeah, we will accept that friendly amendment. I would just say that with regard to FCPS, the conversation might extend beyond the VDOT issues because, frankly, I still sit here shocked as to why we didn't go to virtual learning.

[02:20:21] We've invested a lot of resources and money into that program, and other jurisdictions went to virtual learning. And I'd like an explanation as to why we didn't. But I do think there are issues directly related to VDOT and their performance that affect schools as well.

[02:20:37] And so, you know, I think to a person you would talk to, they'd have a different opinion about what the school's announcement was. No matter what they do, about half of the people support it and half of the people don't. It happens every time. But there are larger questions when there is an event like this that extends over multiple days.

[02:20:53] What can we be doing to keep our kids engaged and learning when they're not in school? And I think that's a conversation we can have as a part of this as well, maybe certainly not in the Transportation Committee, but with our school partners. Supervisor Jimenez. We'll be super brief, and we have a long day in front of us.

[02:21:09] But Supervisor Beerman, thank you for this. The roads were not safe. They were not adequately treated. Our residents here in Mason District did not feel safe. I got so many emails of folks who couldn't get out, folks who were sliding around.

[02:21:25] The roads weren't treated. And I think the 2025 is a good year to start something really, really good. It's called communication. And if we can just get some of these folks, VDOT, for example, to have better communication, not only with the residents but with the offices, the supervisors' offices, that's going to go a long way.

[02:21:45] communication let's try to really work on that in 2025 thank you any other very brief comments about this supervisor heritage real brief and to go to your don't like snow days anymore when you become a supervisor you like don't like snow days because you realize the maintenance budget also pays for paving and all that other kind of stuff sort of yeah it's so I want to thank DPW for doing a great job I think our facilities look good I was I was actually in my office Monday and everything was plowed and everything was good so they know they figured out how to do it want to echo the chairman's comments on the contractors really depended on what contract you had and unfortunately from

[02:22:25] my conversations with some of those contractors a lot of them got out of the business because there hadn't been snow in a while and it's an investment to get into the business I don't know how to fix that but that's one of the big reasons and I was going to bring up schools so thank you supervisor Walkinshaw and I think I like what the governor I think of West Virginia said a a couple of years ago. Give them a snow day or two, but, you know, when we get to three or four days, we've got to get them back to learning. Especially when they've been off for an extended period leading up to that. In essence, it turned into three weeks, and that's a long time. That's a struggle for our parents, but it's also a struggle for our teachers and kids to get back

[02:23:05] on track. Supervisor Stork. I do want to thank VDOT. The call we had on Saturday, I know a couple of my colleagues around it as well really was helpful they should have done it sooner I think that's the only comment I would have but but they had their their leadership there and they were listening and I think we all made good points but obviously communication is the key to this whole process and we're looking for better in the future thank you and I think too you know in short to wrap it up the inconsistencies for what the challenge was I mean as I made my way all over the county I can tell you there were roads right next to other roads and some were completely clear to the pavement and others look like they hadn't even been touched, including some major arterials.

[02:23:44] I mean, Telegraph Road, as an example, was still covered with snow while South Van Dorn was peeled down to the pavement. And so that tells you that there's a huge delta in the way those were treated and the way the contractors ran them. And so the inconsistency, I think, is the biggest challenge.

[02:24:01] And I think Supervisor Beerman's right. It was really profound in some of the neighborhoods. But it was also noticeable on some of the other major arterials as well. And so I think this is a good opportunity to have those conversations and see what can be done to be improved.

[02:24:17] I will end by saying I emphasize this on every news interview that I did, and I feel like it's finally resonating with people that we do not own and maintain these roads or run the snow removal program. And so as we looked at chatter among the residents and some of the things we've heard from folks, at least there's starting to be an acknowledgment that this is a VDOT responsibility and not a Fairfax County responsibility.

[02:24:42] We will interfere and advocate on behalf of communities whenever we can, but we are not running the snow removal process on VDOT streets. That is run specifically by the state and a state responsibility. As was mentioned, we do for our county facilities, and our folks did an amazing job working throughout the night, throughout the days, to make sure that our county facilities were plowed and taken care of.

[02:25:07] And that is a county DPWS responsibility, but not our VDOT roads. And then lastly, it's always a great opportunity for people in the community to understand the difference between a VDOT road and one owned by a homeowners association. Again, roads that we do not maintain, we do not remove snow on.

[02:25:26] And so it's confusing for a lot of folks because they just assume their county government does this. But we do not do that in Fairfax County. And this is an important opportunity for us to continue to remind folks of that, that this is outside of our direct responsibility as a board of supervisors.

[02:25:41] It doesn't mean we don't have opinions and doesn't mean we won't have conversations on ways to improve, which is what this board matter is intended to do. With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you for that.

[02:25:57] Supervisor Beerman. No further board matters. Thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor Beerman, Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Community Risk Reduction Week is January 20th through 2025 through January 26th, 2025.

[02:26:16] The goal of the community risk reduction is to reduce the occurrence and impact of emergency events for both community members and emergency responders. Investing in CRR efforts can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of emergencies, ultimately saving more lives, preserving resources, and instilling confidence in our collective efforts.

[02:26:39] Fairfax County completed the CRR plan in late 2024. The focus now is to raise awareness to risks internally and locally and to work collaboratively with other agencies and partners to reduce those risks. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move the Board of Supervisors designate January 20-25 through January 26-25 as the Community Risk Reduction Week in Fairfax County.

[02:27:07] In addition, I move the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation to be presented to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, either within or outside the boardroom. So moved. I'll second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Hearing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye.

[02:27:25] Aye. Anyone opposed? Any abstention? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Okay, thank you, Madam Vice Chairman. Madam Vice Chairman, as the board is aware, pet ownership can be a real enhancement to the quality of life for people of all walks of life in our community.

[02:27:43] For many, the comfort and companionship that pets provide is irreplaceable. One barrier to pet ownership identified by our animal shelter personnel is the pet policy of some of our multifamily rental housing communities.

[02:27:59] Unfortunately, these policies can result in owners having to give up their pets, sometimes even at the animal shelter. According to the Pet Inclusive Housing Initiatives 2021 Pet Inclusive Housing Report, the scarcity of pet inclusive rental housing continues to be a barrier for pet owners throughout the United States.

[02:28:21] More than two-thirds of U.S. households own at least one pet. Among residents, however, 72% report that pet-friendly housing is hard to find. Despite the high volume of residents seeking homes that accept pets, many rental properties are not fully pet-inclusive and prevent or significantly restrict residents from keeping pets in their rental properties.

[02:28:49] This scarcity is particularly acute for lower-income pet owners. animal shelter professionals believe there is a significant knowledge gap between the pet friendly policies among our multi-family property owners and operators similarly similarly our professional staff from the Department of Housing Community Development concur with this assessment I believe is a county's is in that county's interest to promote the benefits of pet ownership and keep as many animals as is practical out of our animal shelter

[02:29:23] system. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the board direct the county executive to convene an informational roundtable for industry groups such as the apartment and office building owners association and our leading affordable and market rate landlords such as the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority to learn more from our animal shelter professionals about the benefits of pet friendly housing policies. So moved Mr. Chairman. I'm happy to second this discussion on the motion. I'm just say this will sound familiar to a lot of board members because

[02:29:59] we did have this conversation before and I think it makes sense to have the round table. I'll say I spoke with I was at the pet shelter staff and friends volunteer holiday party and spoke with a lot of people about this who have some ideas of what should be done. I wasn't aware of the board matter coming forward, but we should make sure that as a part of the round table, we're including the folks from the animal shelter as well as the friends of the animal shelter who are really involved in this as well. Sure. Happy to do that. And I'll just say, Mr. Chairman,

[02:30:35] the one thing that really got to me was the fact that there were a number of seniors who were having to make some pretty difficult decisions about moving into particular properties because they did not have pet friendly policies and many of them have to give up their pets and these are their companions so for me i think this is kind of imperative that we at least start some effort to try to address that separation of pets and owners and just appreciate that we've had conversations with the department of housing and others about this and that this to the point you made as well will uh include um any recommendations that you have as well mr chairman so thank you

[02:31:13] you very much excellent thank you very much all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries supervisor Lusk okay thank you mr. chairman next as we welcome the new year I'd like to announce that my office in the Franconia district will be hosting our annual open house on Saturday February 8th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the event will take place at the Franconia governmental center this event will be be special as it is the last open house that we will be hosting at our new and

[02:31:51] our current facility before our relocation to our new building occurs later this year I would like to invite all Franconia district residents to attend light refreshments will be provided for people to enjoy residents will have an opportunity to speak with my staff myself as well as the Franconia and Mount Vernon district police commanders will be in attendance they will be able to also enjoy the Franconia Museum and the Springfield Arts Guild exhibit which will be on display at the Franconia governmental center from

[02:32:30] February to April we will also be collecting food donations to take to the stuff the bus event that was mentioned earlier by Supervisor Stewart which will be held later that same day. So we are encouraging residents to bring non-perishable items to donate to the event as well. This invitation is of course open to all of my colleagues here at the board and we've included a flyer which is attached for the announcement and other details and look forward

[02:33:03] to seeing many of you there. So thank you Mr. Chairman. Thank you Supervisor Lusk. And then last item mr. chairman's I just wanted to provide an update on the food distributions that we held in December I mean a little reference to it earlier when we were talking about the capital area food bank study so mr. chairman I'm pleased to report that the Franconia district food distribution that was held on December 14th and also on December 15th was a success these distributions

[02:33:39] were held at four different locations throughout the Franconia district. The four venues were the High Bay Valley Community Center, the Jerry Highland Governmental Center, the Springfield Resource Center, and St. Mark's Lutheran Church. In total there were a thousand boxes of food that were handed out to residents in need. Each box contained nutritious meals to help families during the holiday season our staff as my staff expected to distribute 1,000 boxes over several hours at each location but what we ended up seeing was that the demand

[02:34:19] was so high that most of the locations ran out of food within one hour so all 1,000 boxes were given out in just four hours averaging 250 boxes per hour or four boxes per minute so it's become clear that there are residents in our community who are severely in need they have food insecurity and as we heard earlier 27% of Fairfax County residents are also food insecure as noted by the capital area food banks hunger report so this time I want to recognize all of the

[02:34:56] people and agencies who made this event a success first I'd like to acknowledge acknowledge Gaddafi Ishmael of the Loon Corp, who provide the financial assistance to make these distributions possible. He was a pivotal partner to fund the operation, oversee various logistics, and appeared at the distributions to ensure everything went smoothly. We also want to recognize School Board Member Marcia St. John Cunning, the Neighborhood and Community Services, United Community as well as staff from another a number of other areas including the community emergency response team Fairfax County Police

[02:35:35] Department and then volunteers who braved what I would say is a pretty cold a couple of days to make the distributions both safe and successful so with that mr. chairman I will conclude my board matters thank you very much thank you very much supervisor Alcorn thank you mr. chairman I have four bad board matters. All good, not bad, board matters. The last one was distributed to the board members just this morning, but I'll go quickly. The first one relates to the Crescent Apartments in Lake Ann. Preserving and increasing the supply of affordable housing continues to be a high

[02:36:12] priority in Fairfax County. In March of 2023, the Board of Supervisors doubled its strategic goal to provide a minimum of 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2034. The Department of Housing and Community Development continues to actively investigate the feasibility of development of affordable housing on board-owned sites within all magisterial districts.

[02:36:35] Through the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act, publicly owned land in Fairfax County has been successfully leveraged through partnership with private development and use of resources like low-income housing tax credits to efficiently and effectively produce affordable housing units in a cost-effective manner.

[02:36:55] As you are aware, the Board owns approximately 16.49 acres, or close to 16.5, acres of land in the Hunter Mill District known as the Crescent Property. described as tax map parcels 0172-16-0001A and 0172-14010002G.

[02:37:21] Occupying the northeast portion of the Lake Ann Village Center in Reston, the Crescent is within walking distance of bus stops, retail, offices, health care, and is convenient access to vital services, including schools, parks, transit routes, and recreational amenities consistent with the board's equity goals as described in our one Fairfax policy. As the board will recall recall when Fairfax County purchased the Crescent in 2006 the goals were to preserve and expand affordable housing and to contribute to the population growth to further the revitalization of Lake Anne. The residential units at the Crescent are now nearly

[02:37:58] 60 years old and in need of renovation or replacement. The adopted comprehensive plan guidance supports additional density on the Crescent property, thereby creating an opportunity to replace the 181 existing homes by leveraging development of additional new affordable and market residential units. The economic visioning study for the Lake Ann Village Center is complete and the anticipated redevelopment of the Crescent property will be complementary to the revitalization and economic development needs of this historic heart of Reston. In short, it is now time to move

[02:38:32] forward realizing the future of the crescent therefore mr chairman i move that the board direct staff to initiate steps to formally authorize and schedule a public hearing to consider conveyance of approximately 16.49 acres of the board-owned crescent property located at the tax map parcels i described earlier to the fairfax county redevelopment and housing authority for the The development of affordable housing, complementary market rate housing, and associated uses consistent with the Lake Ann Economic Visioning Study, subject to the stipulations that, one, in

[02:39:08] the event that the FCRHA no longer pursues the project, the FCRHA will transfer ownership of the property back to the board, and two, the FCRHA will provide the county with access to and use of the site until such time as development activities begin.

[02:39:24] I further move that the board direct HCD staff to conduct outreach with one, the existing residents of the Crescent property to inform them about the redevelopment and receive their feedback about the community's needs relative to the replacement of their existing affordable homes.

[02:39:40] And two, the broader community and the county to understand additional opportunities and challenges that should be considered in the context of a redevelopment. so moved you've heard the motion I'm happy to second that motion along with I'm sorry who was it supervisor Lusk any discussion on the motion supervisor Alcorn yeah just very briefly I think my motion and introduction said almost all of it but this has been something has been a lot of community discussion about a decade ago the community updated the lake and comprehensive plan section

[02:40:15] including this property, so it's time. And I do look forward to working with HCD and FCRHA to make this happen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn, if there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[02:40:34] Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. Next, recognition of the 50th anniversary of Vienna Youth Soccer. So Vienna Youth Soccer is one of the largest youth soccer clubs in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. Today, it serves more than 3,500 players annually, providing more than 200,000 hours of service in the field every year. This nonprofit focuses on fostering a deep sense of community through its programming, offering recreational, developmental, and travel soccer, as well as camps and clinics. Since its inception way back in 1975,

[02:41:13] This remarkable organization has served 50,000 members directly through its programs, engaged more than 200,000 individuals in the community, and played over 100 seasons of soccer. That's a lot of soccer. The group has also donated over $2 million to the community through scholarships and facilities development, following through on one of its founding tenets that all should have the opportunity to play.

[02:41:35] On January 17th, Vienna Youth Soccer will celebrate... Wait a minute, what date is this? Yes, that is still in the future. On January 17th, Vienna Youth Soccer will celebrate its 50th anniversary, a milestone for this beloved youth sports organization that aims to instill a lifelong love of soccer by members of the Vienna community.

[02:41:56] So, Mr. Chairman, I would ask without objection that a resolution be prepared to celebrate Vienna Youth Soccer's 50th anniversary to present it out of the board. And without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. recognition of Colonel Jörg Dronia, better known as the German Armed Forces Command, the Federal Republic of Germany's Liaison Office for Defense Material USA slash Canada, is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The command represents the interest of the German Armed Forces and promotes transatlantic cooperation between Germany, the U.S., and Canada. While the command's mission focuses on military cooperation, they are also a valuable member of our community in Reston.

[02:42:36] They have performed community service, donated money to local nonprofits, and forged cultural understanding and enrichment through its always popular German Christmas market, among other activities. For example, last spring, the command helped the nonprofit Food for Neighbors sort nearly 3,400 pounds of donations for needy students at Herndon Middle School.

[02:42:56] And the command donated more than $5,000 to the nonprofit using money raised from the Christmas market. During the past five years, Colonel Dronia has been the group's commander, and he will be retiring and returning to Germany this spring. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I would ask without objection that a resolution be prepared to recognize Colonel Dronia and the German Armed Forces Command's contributions to our community to present it out of the boardroom on March 27th.

[02:43:21] And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. My last board matter, Mr. Chairman, Silverstone Reston Owner, LLC, also known as the applicant, is the owner of approximately 22.49 acres west of Leesburg Pike and identified in the Fairfax County tax assessment records as tax map parcel 12-3, double circle 1004, known as the subject property.

[02:43:47] The subject property is zoned to the R1 district and was previously improved with a single family dwelling that has since been removed. On February 2, 2016, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved SC 2015-HM-013, permitting a medical care facility on the subject property in conformance with 29 development conditions.

[02:44:09] The approved medical care facility has not been constructed. The applicant purchased the subject property several years ago and is processing a rezoning from the R1 district to the planned continuing care facility or PCC district to permit independent living units in addition to the approved medical care facility. This proposal will establish a full continuum of senior residential housing and will feature a range of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and amenities. A single building continues to be proposed with minor site and building modifications.

[02:44:42] On December 11, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning application and approved FTP 2024-HM-00009. The applicant is eager to begin the permitting process and is a request of consideration of concurrent and simultaneous processing.

[02:44:59] Therefore, I move that the Board authorize concurrent and simultaneous processing of a site plan in conjunction with RZ 2024-HM-00009 and note that this motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the board on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards.

[02:45:23] I'm happy to second that motion. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Alcorn. That is all. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Alcorn.

[02:45:38] Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two board matters and one announcement. Mr. Chairman of the Board, Approval Supervisor Lusk and I are requesting a waiver of the application fees for permits associated with the flea markets conducted by the Springfield Franconia host Lion Club Charities, Inc., Alexandria Asian American Lions Club, and the Springfield Global Lions Club.

[02:46:05] The board has approved waiver requests for the Lions Club annually since 1994, and these three clubs have collaborated again to submit a joint waiver fee for 2025. The flea markets will be held at the Backlick Road VRE station parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays from March to November 2025. All net proceeds generated by the flea market are returned to the community. The Lions Club provides a portion of the funds generated by the flea market to charitable organizations

[02:46:38] including Conino, Echo, Second Story, Juvenile Diabetes Association Foundation, Fighting Blindness, the Virginia Lions Eye Institution Foundation, and local food banks. They also work to provide community members in need with eye exams, eyeglasses, and hearing aids through direct contributions and by partnering with the Northern Virginia Eyeglass Recycling Center, VLEIF, and my eye doctor.

[02:47:08] The Springfield-Franconia host Lions Club Charities, Inc., Alexandria Asian American Lions Club, and the Springfield Global Lions Club respectfully request that the board support their fee waiver application for 2025 and share their appreciation to our continued support.

[02:47:25] Mr. Chairman and Supervisor Lusk and I move that the board waiver the application fee for permits associated with the Springfield-Franconia I host Lions Club Charities, Inc., Alexandria Asian American Lions Club, and the Springfield Global Lions Club fee flea markets for 2025.

[02:47:41] You've heard the motion. It's been multiply seconded, an annual event that we do this. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Jimenez. Mr. Chair, my second board matter is co-sponsored with Supervisor Lusk and Supervisor Palchuk.

[02:48:02] Mr. Chairman, in November of last year, the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services began its leaf collection service for the 2024-2025 season. By the end of December 2024, DPWES had made tremendous progress with the amount of leaves collected.

[02:48:19] This totaled 4,761 tons of leaves, which equate to 2,030 total truckloads or an average of 46 loads per day. It is clear that staff who implement this service have been working diligently to collect leaves from our community.

[02:48:37] That said, there are areas in which we could improve. In the Mason District, residents were told to put their leaves out in early November and in some instances were not serviced until months later, I being one of them. This creates a number of challenges, primarily around safety in neighborhoods, where there are no sidewalks and more generally setting expectations of when residents can anticipate their leaves to be collected.

[02:49:03] Many of our residents who are seniors often pay for a company to blow their leaves to the road for the collection, and given the delay, some have had to pay for this service multiple times. I would like to note that DPWS leadership staff and the county executive, Mr. Hill, have been responsive and worked with my office to ensure we are sharing accurate and timely information with residents as much as possible.

[02:49:28] Staff have also updated the vacuum leaf collection website with more granular information to provide a street-by-street listing with dates of expected services. These were necessary and significant improvements in communicating with our community. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, while improvements have been made, I am requesting that DPWES development a communication and implementation program for the 2025-2026 relief collection program to include a public information session held at the Mason Government Center for staff to present the after-action report to the 2024-2025 season and what changes to the program are being implemented as a result.

[02:50:07] I further request that the virtual meeting be held for all county residents who receive this service so that they are afforded the same opportunity as Mason residents. You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that. Along with Supervisor Lusk, is there any further discussion?

[02:50:26] Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate Supervisor Jimenez bringing this forward. I was not able to provide any recommendations or changes before signing on. Happy to support it. I think just a couple of things is making sure, as you know, I know you have quite a bit.

[02:50:48] So does Providence District. So if we could just work collaboratively with the Department of Public Works to figure out the best way to communicate forward. I also very much appreciate that we've gone to the internet because the QR codes make it easier for people to follow along.

[02:51:06] Many of my neighborhoods, including mine, did not have the sign sending people there. So I think if we can just look at together what worked and how to make improvements and how to continue to engage and support alternatives as well for residents looking at help with composting and other ways to try to reduce the environmental impacts as well thank you supervisor Lusk okay I also want to thank supervisor Menez for bringing this forward and just wanted to establish that I joined the board matter because we've got a number of vacuum leaf collection issues in the Frank County district and I think we've been somewhat impacted as well I know our residents

[02:51:46] have been very patient with us over the last few years as we've worked through what I know is a very challenging task I've had the opportunity to discuss this issue also with the director of Public Works and feel comfortable that everyone involved understands that we have some things that we can do better I want to acknowledge to the staff have made changes in their communication strategies and on the Fairfax County website residents can sign up for email updates on their vacuum leaf collection areas they've also been some other significant changes to the collection schedule on the website which are there

[02:52:23] to make things easier and clearer I think it's still important that we additionally update the residents on vacuum leaf collection areas before next season so through these proposed meetings that supervisor Jimenez is putting forward it this is going to be a valuable way to express to the residents what we've learned from this after-action report and what things we're going to be doing different and I just think it's also important for us to you know do everything we can and share with residents what we plan to do differently to try to prevent these delays and problems again and share what we have learned from this most recent season so again thank you supervisor

[02:53:02] amenities for bringing this forward and this item will definitely have my support thank you supervisor Lusk mine as well I think for our viewing public it's a really important to mention that a very, very small portion of the county has this service.

[02:53:18] So if you're sitting there at home wondering why you haven't heard about this or why the county is not collecting your leaves, the vast majority of people who live in this county do not have this service. And so it is a very small fraction of the county that we're talking about that are in these districts that they pay for this service by being part of that district and go through a Process to to be to be in that district and I think it's just important to acknowledge that for folks watching who might not understand how these are structured so With that all those in favor of the motion, please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries Supervisor Jimenez

[02:53:57] Thank you, mr. Chairman and just to follow up with Supervisor Palachuk Yes I look forward to working with you on this and any other supervisors who are impacted by the leaf collection And just real quick, I want to say thanks to our director of Public Works and our county exec for picking up the phone and being there.

[02:54:16] We know what the issues are, we know what the problems are, and we're going to resolve them by next year. So thank you for having that open line of communication, as stressed earlier. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to take this moment to recognize and thank Mr. Ron Kendall for his service on the Fairfax County Park Authority Board.

[02:54:31] Ron served on the FCPA for a number of years and found his time equally fun as it was engaging with highlights of his time on the board, including opening up Hog Park, connecting with residents during the summer concert series, which he loved, and, of course, working with staff and volunteers who make the park system possible.

[02:54:51] Additionally, Ron was an excellent resource on all park issues related as I navigated my first year in office. Again, I would like to thank Mr. Kendall for his service to our community and as a steward of our park system. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I am done for the day.

[02:55:07] Thank you very much, Supervisor Jimenez. And next up is Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And first, this time of year, our office puts out an advisor that really summarizes the past year, not only the things that we got done, but some of the things that we hope to do in the future year.

[02:55:26] And then, so I send this out so every household gets this. I think it's an opportunity, again, for them to see what we're all doing and why we're doing it, which is to follow through on the community's commitments to, frankly, get things done and have a better Mount Vernon District.

[02:55:42] A key part of that is the Mount Vernon District Town Meeting. It's our 38th annual town meeting. It was started by Jerry Highland. Most of you have met or know Jerry, and Jerry in particular has had some health struggles recently. So if you haven't had a chance to chat with him, he would love to chat with you.

[02:55:59] And please let us know. Contact our office. We'll be happy to connect you with him. But, again, this is a tradition that goes back to 1998. We hold it at the Mount Vernon High School. This year we're starting the meeting a little bit later. The exhibit hall is going to open up at 830, and then we'll start the full program at 10 o'clock.

[02:56:16] There's a virtual tour, which is a key part of summarizing what's happened over the past year. And it's, I think, the most, I guess, focused item on the agenda. Usually we, and maybe just importantly, we have some key conversations with our elected leaders, including the chairman, as well as our illustrious and greatly appreciate his kind of executive's work and continued support of the district and his attendance.

[02:56:40] And we always get a few tough questions, but in general, it's just an opportunity to engage. And then we also have our Mount Vernon District School Board member, Mateo Dunn, will be there representing as well. We have a special note this year, which we are going to be announcing the new name, logo, and frankly, identity of the original Mount Vernon High School.

[02:56:58] The county is committed to really this whole facility, redoing it and creating it and making it a true hub of the community. So if you want to know what the new name is going to be and kind of how it's going to fit in with really all the other things that are happening, please join us on that day. In addition, we have a Kid Biz Young Entrepreneurs Expo, which is right on site.

[02:57:17] We have the Mount Vernon High School String Quartet, as well as the Mount Vernon Marine Corps JORTC Color Guard. So please join us for that. And, again, it's February 8th, Super Bowl, Saturday, from actually 830 to 1230.

[02:57:33] And, Mr. Chairman, I ask with unanimous consent that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to advertise the town meeting on its various communications platforms. Without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Stork. And this is the flyer for it, so folks, get a chance to look at that.

[02:57:50] Please do. The next item we have is one that's, I know I've been working on it, and my community's been working on it for more than a year, and I particularly thank Supervisor Bierman for his engagement, involvement, and our work together, this infill development improvements.

[02:58:07] The county strategic plan identifies adequate quality, quantity, and availability of housing and the need to protect and preserve existing neighborhoods along with environmental resources as a key indicator of the housing and neighborhood livability outcome. The need for additional housing, the increased value of land, and the aging housing stock resulted in the redevelopment of single-family homes in Fairfax County.

[02:58:27] Each year, the county reviews approximately 650 permits for the development of individual single-family homes, which is typically referred to as infill development. Infill development sometimes generates community concerns, among which are tree loss, whether the homes are appropriately mitigating stormwater runoff and the changing nature of neighborhoods.

[02:58:47] These concerns can arise when a single-family home is simply replaced with another single-family home or when houses are built on lots platted prior to the adoption of the county's first zoning ordinance in 1941 that are substandard as to lot area and lot width based on today's regulations.

[02:59:06] In the latter instance, sometimes a home that was on more than one substandard lot is torn down and replaced with a home on each of the platted lots, which could be two or three different homes on the same former, same lot. Toward that end, the Mount Vernon District Infield Development Task Force, comprised of residents, development industry professionals, and elected representatives, met with the support of county staff, considered the current infill development review process and potential opportunities for modifications.

[02:59:33] Some of the ideas of that infill development task force are already being implemented, such as a recommendation that tree condition assessments for infill projects be conducted by certified operas using the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisals Condition Analysis, and others are still being responded to and evaluated by staff. The Fairfax County Tree Commission also expressed the desire for additional considerations to tree preservation on infill lots in its last and its most recent annual report. The zoning administrator has proposed conditions, consideration of revisions to building height calculations as part of the Zoning Ordinance Amendment Work Program, Tier 2, Item 3, as well as to address, in part,

[03:00:13] concerns with neighborhood compatibility. Recently, Land Development Services released a technical bulletin on localized flooding mitigation policy for residential infill development, focusing requirements for development, including infill development to manage increases and runoff.

[03:00:28] To address other issues that have been raised, we move that the Board of Supervisors direct the staff from LDS and the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services DPWES to assess the effectiveness of the localized flooding mitigation policy for residential infill development and report once sufficient data has been collected but no later than 2026 on the effectiveness of this policy in regulating stormwater runoff from residential infill development projects. Next, direct LDS staff to support the tree commission in an effort to engage the development community on potential policy modifications that could lead to developments

[03:01:04] that preserve and protect more mature trees on individual lots. I request that the Tree Commission present its findings to the Board of Supervisors in the fall of 2025. Additionally, direct LDS staff to draft a voluntary Good Neighbor Practices Guide aimed at improving relations with neighbors during the development of infill lots and report its work at a 2025 Land Use Policy Committee meeting.

[03:01:29] We recommend staff considering some of the resources provided to residents of Arlington, such as their information on protecting your trees with your neighbors and developing their lot. We further move that the Board of Supervisors direct LDS to report to the Board of Supervisors in 2025 as to whether there are any additions to the Fairfax County tree ordinance or amendments to LDS policy based on regional or national best practices that should be modified with or without requesting additional power from the General Assembly.

[03:01:59] and whether as-built survey submissions should be required for single-family infill development grading permits to ensure that approved plans are correctly implemented. So I move. You've heard the motion and the second from Supervisor Beerman.

[03:02:18] Is there any further discussion? This is pretty detailed, but is there any further discussion, Supervisor Stork? I'll make a couple comments, and one is that, first off, thank you, Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. we spent a lot of time on I know we've talked to many of our colleagues about it I'm sure that there'll be more conversations as we go forward but I wanted to thank everybody for their involvement and helping to shape and frankly support a greater of Harris County and field development improvement opportunities and I specifically have to thank Nick Reinhardt on my staff who was my land use liaison who who chaired the the very diverse group we had of residents and neighbors and developers and engineers and state delegates it

[03:02:56] senator etc that are part of that so thank you thank you Supervisor Herity you want to go to the second or I'm gonna go this way because it looks like a lot of people want to comment I'm gonna be real quick I'm gonna support this item I just and I don't need a friendly amendment but I worry about adding requirements in their impact on the timeline and the affordability housing as long as we're taking a look at that as a part of it I know there are a lot of concerns here but we clearly concur with that as part of our conversation with the task force as well as Susan Rearman and Supervisor Smith and others Supervisor Alcorn thank you I I would hope that the Planning Commission would have an

[03:03:35] opportunity to weigh in on some of the things that are relevant related to them is that is that your understanding in this because they've worked on some of these issues so if that's friendly just to have the Planning Commission be part of some of these reviews so thank you okay any others I'm gonna give the last word to Supervisor Behrman thank you so I I get complaints all the time about infill development and I I have to explain to people that when it comes to what people are doing on their individual lots the county's power is at

[03:04:14] its absolute lowest that being said what this excuse me what this board matter seeks to do is to gather information and I think one of the key aspects of this Board Matter is actually asking and engaging the development community about what might be more incentivizing to either preserve or protect more trees, to make sure stormwater runoff is better, also to have better relations with the neighbors. I love to tell people this story. I was

[03:04:50] knocking on doors in a neighborhood where, frankly, every fourth house was an infill development. I got to one lot and there were X's on all the trees, except somehow in the middle of the lot, kind of like where the podium is right now, they had preserved just a beautiful big tree.

[03:05:08] And you know what? The developer was going to come in. They were going to put a big, nice house on that lot, probably make a lot of money. But the neighbors probably would be a little bit happier to have that tree there and it would work out well. So the question was, how do we incentivize a little bit more of that?

[03:05:24] I have also gotten lots of complaints or concerns with people who feel like when developers do come in and they're working on a house, the relationships with the neighbors are not going well. So I actually found a great website with Arlington.

[03:05:40] So the question, again, and I want to triple circle voluntary there. We are not looking to make things excessively difficult, but we're just trying to improve these relations. Because also, I think unfortunately with certain individuals, they go from being annoyed about that house that was three doors down to them to telling me that I can't work on redevelopment of downtown McLean, which is like a totally different thing.

[03:06:05] It's like, well, I don't like developers, so doing something new in downtown McLean, which actually is going to help the community quite a bit, I don't like that either because I don't like that class of people. So if we can improve upon these instances, I think it's going to help us overall.

[03:06:22] It's going to help us add to our stock of housing overall, and I think it's going to be something that our community will be happy with. So thank you, Supervisor Stork, and thank you to the comments of the other members of the board. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman, and more to come on this.

[03:06:38] In addition to thanking the two makers of the motion, I'll thank Barbara Byron of my office, who was heavily involved in the process, and also, of course, Supervisor Smith, who chairs our land use process committee, and we look forward to more conversations on this.

[03:06:56] With that, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm going to summarize the next item. It's recognition of Gunston Hall Executive Director Scott Stroh, who's dedicated leadership for 11 years at Gunston Hall.

[03:07:13] It's made a huge difference. Gunston Hall, for those of you who may not be as familiar, George Mason's house has really undergone major restoration and major improvements over the last decade, and Scott Stroh really has led that process. And additionally, there's some upcoming major projects, including reconstruction of slave quarters and a new visitor center that are being funded by the state.

[03:07:33] It's a state organization and a state hall that's preserved, and Scott really has led that process. But more locally, I wanted to also identify that he's chaired the Child Care Advisory Committee. He also chaired the Fevers County 250th Commission, was very involved at the state level.

[03:07:52] And for me, he was a core member of our tourism task force, which started somewhere eight years ago, and he was coolly involved with helping to form Potomac Banks. And then I finally want to say his involvement with the Gunston Hall community and Mason Neck was an essential part of really all that he's done, really connecting the community to him and the Gunston Hall as well.

[03:08:16] And his chair of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce is really where I first got to know Scott well, and he was very involved with that for a long, long time. So therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask with unanimous consent that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation to be presented to Scott Stroh inside or outside the boardroom for as many contributions and achievements that have had a lasting, positive impact on Gunston Hall, the historical site's community, the Mount Vernon District, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[03:08:44] And without objection, that is so ordered. Scott is amazing. I look forward to formally recognizing him. Supervisor Stork. And, Mr. Chairman, the last item I passed out today, and I wanted to – it was really important that we be on record I think, frankly, on an annual basis at least, and hopefully more often than that, about really the vibrant economy that we have here in Fairbanks County, obviously Virginia, and the national level as well.

[03:09:13] So if you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and read this and then talk just briefly about a couple of items. Fairbanks County is a key economic hub in northern Virginia, experiencing stable growth throughout 2024, benefiting from our strategic location near Washington, D.C., diverse economy and highly skilled workforce.

[03:09:28] Key drivers of the local economy include technology, defense contracting, government services, health care, and professional services. Fairfax County's gross domestic product grew 3% to 4% in 2024 alone, reflecting continued expansion in our knowledge-based sectors. Employment in Fairfax County remained strong, with the unemployment rate staring near historical lows at around 2.7%.

[03:09:49] Our housing market and home prices grew modestly as inventories remained tight, and demand for office space continued to be impacted by hybrid and remote works trends. It continued to be a major hub for cybersecurity firms and tech startups, and these sectors saw continued investment in innovation and expansion.

[03:10:07] Hospitality remained strong, and retail in the county is showing signs of greater recovery. Virginia's economy in 2024 mirrored national trends, but it was also bolstered by its large federal presence, strategic infrastructure, and growing tech sectors. Virginia's real gross domestic product grew by approximately 2.7 percent in 2024, slightly above the national average.

[03:10:29] And frankly, the coffers of the state reflect the $2 billion-plus money that they've gotten in over what they projected. Overall, the U.S. economy in 2024 navigated a complex miss of challenges, opportunities influenced by higher interest rates, inflationary pressures, and evolving consumer behavior.

[03:10:46] The U.S. economy, though, however, grew by an estimated 2.1 percent in 2024 with economic expansion driven by consumer spending, business investment, and continued strength in services sectors. The national unemployment rate remains low at around 3.5%. As the close of 2024, our economy reigns very strong.

[03:11:04] The new year will bring challenges for FedEx County, but our highly skilled and adaptable workforce and our commitment to fostering growth in emerging industries will help us navigate uncertainties, ensuring that we remain a key economic driver in the region, Virginia, and beyond. Most of the statistics and data that we've mentioned can be found in the Department of Management and Budgets Monthly Economic Indicators Report and the the Economic Development Authorities online report So this is one of them which is the the Fairfax County's Economic Indicators Report And we also have the Economic Department of Economic Development Authorities online report the Fairfax County Pulse These are great resources

[03:11:42] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, we move that the Board of the Board Direct the Office of Public Affairs work with the Economic Development Authority and the Department of Management and Budget to educate and promote these reports to our residents and businesses for their use and greater understanding of our economy. Without objection, that is so ordered.

[03:12:00] So, yes, Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, just very quickly, thank you for bringing this up. You know, I read about some of the statements that are made by public officials at other levels of government, and I'm like, what are they smoking? You know, I mean, do they understand what's going on here?

[03:12:16] I realize we have challenges, and the future is uncertain in some ways, but come on. We've got a good thing going here. So anyway, thank you for bringing this forward. I will double down on that and just mention that the greatest risk to everything you just read, and everybody knows it, is what is being proposed to be done with federal spending.

[03:12:37] And all the things you just mentioned are tied to that. And so we're going to be very engaged in this over the next couple of years because this is a direct affront to the economy of Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, the DMV, and it drives state revenues dramatically.

[03:12:55] And so make no mistake about it, we did this in our legislative package, talking about impact to our defense contractors, the IT folks that come here because of that, the federal employees that live in Fairfax County that are a vital part of our economy, and the Northern Virginia regional commission has some staggering statistics about the economic benefits of federal spending specifically to the commonwealth of virginia no state in the country benefits more from that only one state in the country benefits more from that and that's california secondly

[03:13:31] is virginia no other two states those are number one and number two and so this is an a for the The next couple of years, we're going to be spending a lot of time in EAC as a board focusing on this and fighting for our economy here in Fairfax County.

[03:13:49] That's literally what's at stake. And I can't think of a bigger threat to our economic success in my lifetime than what is being talked about across the river right now. And so it's important to remind people of those statistics. But to Supervisor Alcorn's point, it's very important to remind some of the people who should know better and should understand what drives our economy here and should be a fierce protector and fighter for those things that make everything else in our economy work here and so we're going to be spending a lot of time in that space over the next couple of years so thank you for that thank you thank you mr. chairman for being a part of that and just we clearly are an

[03:14:28] abundant thriving area and nobody should ever say otherwise but people do and our challenge is how do we manage that and how do we ensure that we keep the successes that we've had for the many decades prior to this going forward for many more decades. So thank you very much. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just two verbal announcements and then one board matter because he's been waiting so patiently. I will start off introducing the newest member of our team, Matthew Savage. Matt, if he stands up, you probably won't see my head

[03:15:01] anymore. Matt is a lifelong resident of Providence District. He's a graduate of George C. Marshall High School and Northern Virginia Community College. He's completed the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and is currently studying public administration at George Mason University.

[03:15:20] With experience in Virginia politics, he has worked for Senator Tim Kaine and school board member Carl Frisch. He's also served on the Young Adult Leadership Council for the National Center for Learning Disabilities advocating for greater inclusion and support for the one in five people in our community with learning disabilities. He will be supporting outreach, communications, and I assume other areas in my office. Those of you who had the opportunity to meet Matt, a young but very talented and really hard worker who probably knows the Providence District streets and

[03:15:55] residents even better than I do, will have a battle at it. But we are really, really delighted and joining our office of a lot of lifelong learners. About more than half our office now, I believe, is taking additional classes outside of work. So a big welcome to Matt.

[03:16:10] We're so excited to have him join us. Round of applause for Matt, please. I know. It's nerve-wracking to be back here for the first time. So with that, not that it's a competition, but a thank you to everyone who has supported our winter gear drive this year.

[03:16:30] It was really incredible. Our conference room was filled about five times. We received over 1,900 quotes with a lot of support from partners, including the Chairman's Office, Supervisor Lust's Office, Celebrate Fairfax, the Tyson's Community Alliance, Mosaic, the Jim Scott Community Center, the Dunloring Volunteer Fire Station, Miller Heights, and the Greater Oakton Community Association.

[03:16:56] I hope I didn't miss some. It really has grown to a great event. And the recipients this year, because we had so many coats, we had many recipients, including Second Story that provided coats throughout Fairfax County, Fairfax Fish, the community for helping others, and the Lamb Center, whose director was here with us this morning.

[03:17:16] So thank you to A Whole Got Involved, happy to keep growing it, and any other offices who want to join us this next year. I think we've gotten down to how to collect, sort, and count the codes. It's become an art, and especially thank you to Anne and everyone in my office who's been leading that effort.

[03:17:35] And then finally, because I needed a happy thing for this morning after all of those kind of sad opening recognitions, So delighted and thrilled to invite all of you, our community members, to the inaugural Providence District Lunar New Year Open House.

[03:17:53] We decided to combine our open house with Lunar New Year this year. It's going to be on Thursday, January 23rd from 5.30 to 7 p.m. at the Jim Scott Community Center, 3001 Vaden Drive. It's a joyous event. We'll honor the cultural heritage of many of our Asian communities.

[03:18:11] I know Supervisor Alcorn has already confirmed. Unfortunately, it's hard to find scheduling, so I know several of you, including the chairman, will still be at VACO. I'll be coming back up in time for this, and school board will be in a meeting. So, well, it's always hard, but we'll try again next year.

[03:18:27] We do have an exciting lineup of interactive and family-friendly activities planned, including musical performances by the Harmonic Solidarity Quartet. We saw them at the park. Any of you who made it to the holiday market, a wonderful group of young, talented musicians.

[03:18:43] And Sassy, a vibrant group of five of our talented members right at the Jim Scott Community Center Senior Program. We get to hear them every week, and I hope you'll join us to hear them live. We'll also provide traditional cuisine, an art showcase, fortune cards, and custom Chinese calligraphy activity.

[03:19:04] Two different ones, as well as a giveaway. We're really excited for this event. I hope you can join us for this wonderful opportunity to connect, to learn about the Lunar New Year traditions, and to welcome in a prosperous new year.

[03:19:19] You can find more information and register for the event on my website, fairfaxcounty.gov/providence or on the untached flyer, just so we make sure we've got enough food and activities for everyone. And therefore, I move without objection that the Office of Public Affairs publicized this events on the appropriate channels, and I invite my colleagues and community members to join me at the Providence District Lunar New Year Open House. And with that, that is all, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Last is Supervisor

[03:19:54] Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I have two. The first ones to recognize Northern Virginia Chamber's 100th anniversary. Mr. Chairman, the Northern Virginia Chamber is celebrating their century of service in 2025. In 1925, under its founding name as the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, NBC began as a business advocate for infrastructure development and, believe it or not, the dairy industry.

[03:20:20] They have since grown into the largest and most influential chamber in the greater Washington region, accounting for 46% of the region's economy, 6% of the nation's GDP, hosting 40 of the greater Washington's 64 Fortune 500 companies, and ranking as the 13th largest US economy.

[03:20:38] Under NBC's leadership, Fairfax County evolved from a sleepy bedroom community into an economic powerhouse. They have had a key hand in various projects across the region, including the growth of Metro, the establishment of Dulles Airport, the expansion of George Mason University, promoting multiple school and housing affordability investments, launching a public water supply campaign the 1977 drought and leading the effort to implement technology initiatives in both private and public sectors much of the success of Fairfax County is experience would not have occurred without their advocacy mr. chairman I

[03:21:15] ask without objection staff prepare a resolution to recognize NBC's hundredth anniversary for its contributions to Fairfax County to be presented outside the boardroom and I'll do the same disclaimer you did for Bishop fireton I've been a former officer, executive committee member, and board member of the chamber and got their leadership award, and I will make sure everybody knows when this will be presented because I know there are a lot of chamber supporters at the dais.

[03:21:42] Thank you very much, and without objection, that is so ordered. Supervisor Herdy. Yes, the next one is to announce the 2025 Fairfax County Teen Job Fair. Mr. Chairman, for the past eight years, my office in Fairfax County Public Schools have co-hosted very successful teen job fairs and career building workshops along with businesses and community organizations, including our local chambers of commerce. These events focus on students and young job seekers looking for a variety of employment opportunities, including full-time, after-school, seasonal positions, internship opportunities, and volunteer positions.

[03:22:18] These fairs have provided thousands of teen-agers the opportunity to get in front of employers and for our employers to find talented Fairfax County students to fill their positions. Even during the pandemic, we were able to host two virtual job fairs. Last year, we had over 1,500 students and roughly 100 businesses participated.

[03:22:39] I'm excited to team up with Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County Times, Neighborhood and Community Services, as well as local chambers and organizations bring our community to Fairfax County Teen Job Fairs and Career Building Workshops once again. The fairs will run Saturday, March 8th, and Saturday, March 15th.

[03:22:58] The fairs will be open to all teens in Fairfax County looking for employment, volunteer opportunities, or tips on building their resume. Free table space will be provided for registered businesses and organizations to advertise their available positions. We will also host resume and career building sessions with our Chamber of Commerce and NCS partners.

[03:23:18] Beginning today, January 14th, both students and employers may register by visiting the following link, which is www.fairfaxcounty.gov slash Springfield slash Teen Job Fairs. First, jobs are important, and these events help connect teens with employers and prepare our youth for the workforce.

[03:23:40] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, and I didn't give the locations, but the 8th will be at West Springfield High School from 11 to 1. The 15th will be at Chantilly High School from 11 to 1. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask without objection that the Office of Public Affairs help publicize the 2025 Fairfax County Teen Job and Opportunity Affairs. Without objection, it is so ordered. Supervisor Herdy. Mr. Chairman, that's all I have.

[03:24:06] Thank you. Thank you very much. And before we move into the county executive's items, we're going to turn back real quickly to the board organization and appointments of board members to various regional and internal boards and committees. We did already select the vice chair, but we do need to have a motion made has been recirculated a document that shows all the appointments as i mentioned before there are very few tweaks i would also add that on january 8th all of your offices

[03:24:39] did get an email from clayton and my staff indicating that the only tweaks were to cog appointments and the only other tweak was to appoint Supervisor Beerman as the county's alternate to the VRE board consistent with his NVTC appointment and then finally I would just say that there is one correction that needs to be made in the document and that is under the phase two Dulles Rail Transportation Improvement District Commission for some reason there is supervisor Palchek is

[03:25:16] listed and that should not be supervisor pal check that should be supervisor Kathy Smith and that is the phase two Dulles rail transportation improvement district Commission and then the only other change and that was referenced in the cog document but is not in our document yet has not been updated yet but it is in what was emailed around to the board members and that is supervisor Palczyk replacing Supervisor Lusk on the COG Human Services Policy Committee which is consistent with the email that was sent out to board members on

[03:25:53] Wednesday January 8th and so everyone should now as I mentioned earlier have a copy and I am going to turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion I move approval of board appointments to various regional and internal boards and committees with the with the two tweaks yes with the changes named by the chairman okay that's been moved and seconded by myself and Supervisor Palczyk any discussion on the motion Supervisor Stork thank you mr. chairman the name of the Economic Advisory Commission that's listed in here is is

[03:26:30] now the Commission for just want to make sure that correction is noted okay we We'll make sure that correction is noted, and the clerk has put together the list of these. My office has populated the names, and so we'll make sure we make that change to the actual title that was just mentioned for next time.

[03:26:53] Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. So just all good, just for the board's overall awareness, the Vienna Inter-Jurisdictional Committee has not met since pre-pandemic. That tradition is actually going to change during the coming year. been talking to the Vienna mayor, so if there are issues that board members that are not on that committee would like us to discuss with the town of Vienna, just let me know. All right, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much for that update, Supervisor Alcor, and any further discussion?

[03:27:22] Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and we will now go to our administrative items, and let me ask Supervisor Smith, if she has a motion.

[03:27:39] I move approval of administrative items 1 through 15. Per the motion, I'm happy to second that. And Supervisor Lusk, any discussion, any items that board members would like pulled out for separate discussion or votes? Supervisor Alcorn.

[03:27:55] Mr. Chairman, just a very brief comment on admin 14. This includes grant money that's coming in. Shout out to DOT on getting more grant money. But I also wanted to give a shout out to our legislative process. These are projects that were asked for by the federal government and included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act.

[03:28:14] And so this definitely was success. And for the Sunrise Valley Drive Cycle Track project, that's a really important project. It's going to improve safety on that road, not just for cyclists, but for pedestrians and also drivers. So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Any other discussion on any of the administrative items?

[03:28:32] Supervisor Stewart. And just comment, it sometimes takes a long time, but if you're persistent, things do get done. So 21 years later, we will finally have the final inspection of Laurel Crest Drive, which is at South County, and it will be dedicated into the VDOT road system.

[03:28:50] It's crazy that it's taken 21 years, but I'm just happy we're finally there and look forward to this approval. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Yep, I'll go very quickly, Mr. Chairman. just want to thank the staff and the department of transportation for the work on admin 11 specifically with the bush hill safe routes to school this is an area we've been you know challenged with for a number of years and just happy to see we're making substantial progress towards getting that segment of road and sidewalk completed thank you thank you and with that uh the motion we know what the motion is it's been seconded all those in favor of the motion please

[03:29:27] say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries and we are going to move to action items. Action item number one is approval of the Board of Supervisors regular meeting schedule for calendar year 2025 and authorization for the chairman to postpone a scheduled meeting in the event of weather or other hazardous conditions. Supervisor Smith. I move the county executive's recommendation. I'm happy to second that with a lot of my colleagues. Any discussion? Let me just point out one thing that you'll see a slight adjustment to the board's typical August recess

[03:30:01] and that is something that was done to better align with the FCPS schedule both for the benefit of our staffs and for those of us with kids but to better align with FCPS the schedule I think is an important step forward and that got away from us as the school year schedule has shifted over time uh with that uh all those in favor of action one please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries action two approval of a memorandum of agreement between the board of

[03:30:35] supervisors and the fairfax county redevelopment and housing authority fcrha for board conveyed properties supervisor palcic mr chairman i move approval of the county executive's recommendation and I will 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. Action item number three is approval of a memorandum of agreement between Helpsie and Fairfax County for a pilot textile recycling program to begin at the West Ox Transfer Station

[03:31:13] in the Springfield District. Supervisor Herity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, very good project, just like Bikes for the World and a couple of the others this wasn't going to cost us anything other than space therefore mr. chairman I move the board approve the memorandum of agreement with help see for a pilot textile recycling program to begin at the Westox transfer station to help the county meet its waste goals increase the county's annual recycling rate so moved for the motion has been multiply seconded any discussion yes supervisor pal check I just I know the staff are here I don't know that we need to take up time today but this is such an incredible pilot. It really is a win-win. Not only is it cost-neutral, but it looks like there will be

[03:31:53] funds given back to the Department of Public Works. My only question is, I assume since we don't know what that will be, that those funds haven't been appropriated yet. But if you could give us further information and ensure that OPA and our offices will be able to share this out. Christopher Harrington, Director of Public Works. Yes, ma'am. We'll certainly keep the board informed via all methods going forward. So thank you for your support.

[03:32:16] Yeah, no, thank you so much. This was really the highlight of reading the package for me, so thank you. Excited to see this pilot program. Okay. Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor of action item number three, please say aye.

[03:32:32] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item number four is resolution to support the abandonments of addition of various roads associated with the Ox Road realignment in the Springfield District. Supervisor Arity. Yes, Mr. Chairman, this is mostly just cleanup stuff.

[03:32:49] I move the board to adopt the county executive's recommendation. You've heard the motion. I will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[03:33:05] Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item number five is resolution to support the abandonment of Frontage Road 969 in the Sully District. Supervisor Smith. I move the county executive's recommendation. I will second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk.

[03:33:21] Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of Action 5, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item number 6 is resolution to support the abandonment of Old Florist School Route 9135 in the Hunter Mill District.

[03:33:39] Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you. I move the county executive's recommendation. I will second that motion. Is there any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action Item 7 is resolution to apply for a waiver to administer Pioneer and Garfield precincts in the Franconia District and Penderbrook and Burke No. 2 precincts in the Springfield District as split precincts pursuant to Virginia Code Section 24.2-307

[03:34:12] in the Franconia and Springfield districts, and let me ask Supervisor Lusk first if you want to put a motion on the table. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I move the county executive's recommendation, should I do it for the entire? So I move the county executive's recommendation for all the precincts that are identified in this item. Then I'll second it. And Supervisor Herity seconds the motion. Is there any discussion, any questions for staff? Staff is here. Any discussion or any questions. Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

[03:34:47] Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action eight is authorization to execute a project administration agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation for implementation of segment one of the Route 7 Colmore sidewalk project in the Mason District.

[03:35:05] Supervisor Jimenez. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve a resolution authorizing the director of the Fairfax County Department of Transportation or designee to execute the project administration agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation substantially in the form of attachment to in the board package along with any subsequent amendments which will secure full funding for the project and I will second that motion is there any discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of action item number eight please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item 9, approval of

[03:35:42] project agreements between the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Fairfax County for fiscal year 2024 through fiscal year 2025 transit assistant grant funds. Supervisor Bierman. I move approval of action item 9 per the county executive's recommendation. I've heard the motion. I will second that along with Vice Chair Smith. 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. Action item number 10, authorization to execute a revised standard project administration agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation for the implementation of the

[03:36:21] Compton Road Shared Use Path Project in the Sully District. Supervisor Smith. I move the county executive's recommendations. I will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of action item 10, please say aye. Aye. Aye.

[03:36:37] Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. That now brings us to a closed session. And I understand that we need an hour and 15 minutes. Is that still right? That's correct, Mr. Chairman. An hour and 15 minutes. Our first public hearing is at 3.30.

[03:36:56] That puts us at 2.15. I am going to turn to Supervisor Smith for a motion. Should this motion pass, the board will report to closed session at 2.15, not 2.16, 2.15.

[03:37:12] Supervisor Smith. 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, number one, fire station construction contract litigation with Sorenson Gross Company and multi-district litigation regarding generic drug pricing and PFAS.

[03:37:38] All is permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A, 7 and 8. And number two, as permitted by Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711A1, appointment of a Board of Zoning Appeals member and a deputy county executive.

[03:37:55] You've heard the motion. I'm happy to second that. Is there discussion on the motion? Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? So we will break for lunch.

[03:38:11] We will go into closed session at 2.15. If anyone comes in after 2.15, they will be appointed the chair of the Solid Waste Authority when we begin that public hearing at 3.30. So if you've been jousting for that, here's your opportunity.

[03:38:27] But in all seriousness, please make sure to be there on time at 2.15 because we have an hour and 15 minutes. It's tight. We have a lot of public hearings this evening, so thank you.

[03:58:16] Okay, the board is returning from closed session, and before we begin our annual meeting of the Solid Waste Authority and our public hearings, first I'm going to turn to Supervisor Kathy Smith for a motion to bring us out of closed session.

[03:58:32] Thank you. 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.

[03:58:56] Heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palczyk. Any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. We do have a number of motions coming out of closed session, and I'm going to start to my left first with Supervisor Jimenez.

[03:59:16] First for Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors authorize Carrie Needham, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, to execute a settlement agreement with Sorenson Gross Company relating to the Jefferson Fire Station on the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session.

[03:59:34] Heard the motion. I will second that motion. Is there a discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the Board of Supervisors deny the plaintiff's settlement in the Diwali-Dualma litigation, Fairfax County, Circuit Court Case Number CL-2019-17251 and CL-2023-000-7942, according to the terms and conditions outlined by the county attorney in closed session.

[04:00:13] And I will second that motion, along with Supervisor Herity. 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 Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[04:00:29] I move that the Board of Supervisors concur in the Fairfax County Circuit Court's reappointment of Karen L. Day to the Fairfax County Board of Zoning Appeals. Second. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchuk and the Chair. Is there a discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none.

[04:00:46] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. And let me ask, are there any other items to come out of closed session? Supervisor Jimenez. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors appoint Jennifer Miller as Deputy County Executive at an annual starting salary of $282,000, effective February 24, 2025.

[04:01:14] And the chair will second that, 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? Any abstentions? and seeing none Jennifer is with us here today if you could please rise to be recognized welcome congratulations to you welcome to Fairfax County and we look forward to working with you appreciate you being here with that we are going to move on to our first 3:30 item which is the annual meeting of the

[04:01:52] Fairfax County Solid Waste Authority I first will call the meeting to order and entertain a motion to appoint the slate as it appears in our board package Supervisor Smith. I move approval of the slate of officers for the Solid Waste Authority.

[04:02:12] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchek. 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? That motion carries. Next, hopefully everyone's had a chance to read over the minutes from our meeting last year.

[04:02:31] That was dated January 23, 2024. We do this annually. is there a motion for approval supervisor Smith I move approval of the minutes from the last meeting you've heard the motion it's been seconded by Supervisor Palchuk 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 moving on to approval of the financial statement of the authority is there a motion for approval I move approval of the financial statements for the authority. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palchek. Is there any

[04:03:09] discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries, and I want to thank everyone. This brings us to the end of our agenda for this Solid Waste Authority year 2025, and I would entertain a motion to adjourn. Supervisor Smith. I move the adjournment of the annual meeting of the Fairfax County Solid Waste Authority. Second. You've heard the motion, and the second is their discussion.

[04:03:38] Very efficient, guys. 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 next item, which is a little bit unusual, but this is board approval of a minor variation request for PCA-84-C-060, Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority to add a public use as a permitted use for Parcel 3 in the Sully District, and let me ask staff if they want to give us a very short presentation.

[04:04:18] We need to first affirm the affidavit. I'm sorry, can you repeat that? We first need to affirm the affidavit. Ah, okay. I do not have, oh, I do have that. Okay, absolutely. Can we ask the applicant to reaffirm the affidavit and the date?

[04:04:37] Good afternoon. My name is Brianne Fuller. I'm with the Office of the County Executive, and I reaffirm the affidavit dated October 24th, 2024. Okay, thank you very much, and there are no disclosures from board members. Let me just verify. No disclosures from board members, and with that, we would welcome a staff presentation. Thank you.

[04:04:55] Good afternoon. I'm Gerard Timberlake with the Department of Planning and Development. I'm presenting an action item for your consideration today under the minor variation process. Subject property is on PDC and is located at 3997 Fair Ridge Drive, west of the Route 50 and West Ox Road and Change.

[04:05:13] The property is governed by PCA 84C60, which eliminated the use of Partial 3 to a hotel. Partial 3 is currently developed for approximately 42,000 square foot building, previously operated as an extended state hotel. This three-story structure includes 94 studio units with kitchenettes that are served by other shared amenities.

[04:05:32] The applicant proposes to repurpose the building to a sheltered facility for unhoused families, providing temporary housing while they receive assistance with securing permanent housing and access to support services. The proposed repurpose to the sheltered facility would be considered a public use.

[04:05:49] Therefore, the applicant is requesting to add a public use limited to a sheltered facility for unhoused families as a permitted use for Partial 3. County staff has reviewed this proposal and found that the proposed use would have no materially greater land use impacts than the approved use. Staff recommends approve of this minor variation to add a public use, as a permitted use of Partial 3 and Partial 2. Thank you.

[04:06:12] Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there any questions of staff? Any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none. This is, I mentioned this is a little bit unusual because while it's in the afternoon, this is action item number 11, technically.

[04:06:31] And this does not require a public hearing, but did require an affidavit. so I appreciate that clarity earlier makes it a little bit unusual for us typically we're holding public hearings on these but this does not require a public hearing so let me ask again if there are any questions from staff if not let me ask staff you made a recommendation on this can you repeat that yes staff recommends approve of this minor variation to add a public use as a permanent use for parcel 3 and profit to thank you very much at this time this is in the Sully district that would turn to Supervisor Smith for a

[04:07:06] motion thank you mr. chairman in accordance with zoning ordinance subsection eight one zero zero point five point a number two in parens and Virginia code section fifteen point two dash two three zero two I move that the Board of Supervisors waive the requirement for a public hearing and approve a minor variation of proffer to a PCA 84 - C - zero six zero to allow the addition of a public use shelter facility for unhoused families as a permitted use for parcel three is detailed in action item 11 heard the motion it's been multiply

[04:07:46] seconded Supervisor Pouchik Alcorn and the chair discussion on the motion any discussion on the motion Supervisor Smith just briefly you know as staff states in the agenda item the the use is no different than used if it was an extended stay. It's temporary housing for people, and the other changes as in the agenda item aren't going to be made, so I support this change of views. Thank you. Supervisor Smith. Supervisor Herity. Well, based on comments earlier today, I'm pretty positive that my vote today will be

[04:08:22] twisted into a vote against homelessness and homeless people and homeless shelters, and I want to start off by saying that is not the case. I've never voted against a homeless shelter in this county I've worked to get a human trafficking shelter in my district this is about process and while I while I understand that there is I mean there clearly is a need for this in the county it doesn't mean we can rush through the public process I supported the minor variation process I mean minor variation process to save time and money where on things that didn't require

[04:09:02] public input this is something I believe requires public input I think this application fails to meet that criteria this morning I got a I got an email this morning from a major employer in the Fairfax area that said hmm I've never heard about this this went through largely without a public process with the exception of a meeting that was held six days before Christmas on the 19th and we still my community still hasn't gotten answers I've got a couple of communities that want to support this project but they don't have answers to

[04:09:36] their questions I want to support this project but I want a public process when there's open honest discussion you always get the better answers and I don't think there's been open honest discussion on this we had an earmark before the project was even discussed with the board so this is going to be a vote against process I want to thanks staff for be willing for being willing to present at my land use land use committee meeting that's coming up on the 16th hopefully we get some answers for the community there but at this

[04:10:09] point I'm not prepared to support this project thank you Supervisor Smith this really is about people and this is something that the board has talked about in our meetings this is about taking people out of the Embry Rucker shelter moving in this to this shelter so that we have room for people when the

[04:10:38] is is ready so they can come in when the I'm sorry words are not coming to me right now Weston Townsend North shelter okay and and so we need space for people we have talked about this when the board goes through a process to purchase a property it's a it's a different kind of process because we have to be able to get the best price we can for the property one of the benefits of this property is that there's extra space in the property that we might use in the

[04:11:14] future. I am very frustrated that a narrative is being played out in the community that is not factual. And staff has done a good job of presenting fact sheets with the information about this property and the benefits to people. This is really something that we need to do because people are in need in our community. Staff did due diligence. The board was involved with this. There have been meetings. There is a fact sheet about the shelter that has the truth

[04:11:51] about what is happening. And it is really hard when people in the community hear things that aren't factual, and it's hard to change that narrative. It's not fair to the people that are in need of housing, and it's not fair to the process that we've done to provide these spaces for people. We've used federal dollars to help with the improvements for this, and it is going to be a benefit to the people in the community.

[04:12:25] Thank you. Supervisor Palchuk, then Supervisor Elkorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Supervisor Smith. I wasn't going to respond to the comments, but I'm going to push back and say I don't see any scenario under which you would have been comfortable pushing this forward, proving this.

[04:12:43] There has been a process. It has been effective use of funds and of a property. It's an efficient way to do this, to solve a problem that we have in the county. It's a practical way. It's using federal funds and moving forward in a way to try to protect members, very vulnerable members of our community.

[04:13:03] It is in an area that is going to provide services, public safety, housing, transportation. I think it would have been called too slow had it taken longer, and that's called too fast because it's going through efficiently a lot of that for reasons that you know are necessary.

[04:13:22] So we did hear this morning that we have an increase in homelessness, especially since the pandemic. We know, and you have mentioned, have been very focused on the needs of our vulnerable populations, of our victims, especially of the women and families who need support through this time.

[04:13:38] I haven't heard a very valid argument as to why this is not an effective product, an effective process, or an effective reason to try to bring a solution when one comes to us. We often hear we are too slow to do this.

[04:13:53] This, I think, has been brought to us. There has been outreach. We have the fact sheets. Other than-- and I don't usually say the scoring political points-- I think this is an area where this is needed.

[04:14:11] It's nonpolitical. And it really is about providing a service in a way that's been creative, that's been thought through, and that has been considered from many, many angles, including the legal, the public input, and the financial.

[04:14:27] So I'm very happy to support this. I very much want to thank the staff. I was going to ask how many public info sessions or public outreach we've had. It doesn't have to be shared here. I know this has been a process. This is one piece of that. But perhaps we could reiterate if it's not on the website already or share with us what outreach there has been in the community on this.

[04:14:51] If you have that, that would be very helpful. - Sure. Brianne Fuller with the Office of the County Executive. We had three meetings, well, two meetings, and we're about to have a third. The first one was on December 16th, and that was at the Sully Land Use Committee.

[04:15:07] The second one was a community engagement session on December 19th with the community that was virtual. It was pretty well attended, and we spent a lot of time answering questions that folks had. And then, as Supervisor Herity mentioned, we will be at the Springfield Land Use Committee on Thursday.

[04:15:24] I appreciate staff's point, and again, often it takes us too long. I appreciate the work and the ability to move forward, including with the outreach process, and look forward to the next meeting as well. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn.

[04:15:41] Thank you. Just a couple quick questions for housing staff. So this is going to be used to shelter families, correct? Is that right? This will be used as a family shelter? Supervisor Alcorn, Tom Fleetwood with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

[04:15:58] That's correct. Okay. And Supervisor Smith mentioned that there will be families that are currently staying in the Embry-Rucker Shelter in Reston that will be moving into this facility. That's correct as well, right? It's also correct. And how about currently we have families that don't have room in the Embry-Rucker Shelter or any of our other family shelters in the county.

[04:16:20] Where are those families currently staying that are being served? Supervisor Alcorn, generally they're being served in the hotels. And from a financial perspective, does it make sense financially for us to keep paying commercial hotel rates to house these families over an extended period of time, or does it make sense for us to actually acquire a property like this, which is basically an extended stay hotel, to provide those services, which makes sense financially?

[04:16:53] Supervisor Alcorn, any steps we can take to mitigate the use of hotels being paid for on a retail basis is a positive step forward for our shelter system from a financial standpoint. Okay. Thank you very much, sir. Okay. Further discussion? Supervisor Herity.

[04:17:09] I just heard a different answer than I heard at the community meeting, because I think Panderbrook, one of my communities, asked whether this was going to be for families only. And the answer was that not necessarily families only. I know that was one of the questions that they had.

[04:17:25] I just heard this is families only. Supervisor Herity, it's important to understand that when the project is completed and includes a domestic violence component, that it is certainly possible that there may be single persons who have been victims of domestic violence who may use the facility.

[04:17:46] In the main, however, this is a family shelter. Have the residents received answers to the questions that they had at that hearing and that they submitted in writing yet? Brianne Fuller with the Office of the County Executive.

[04:18:03] I've been in touch with the HOA representatives that spoke at the community meetings that required follow-up, and I know that one of them reached out to your office as well. I also told that same representative that he could reach out to me directly. There have been some staff members that have been out of the office, and we are working on answers to those questions.

[04:18:23] Okay, so not yet. Do we know whether there's going to be 40 units or more units? I know that was one of the questions, if we kind of come down to how many units, what they look like, what the possibility is of additional units.

[04:18:40] Supervisor Herity, in answer to your question, at the opening, the capacity of the shelter will be as many as 85 units. We do not expect to hold any units vacant or unoccupied as we work towards the domestic violence shelter installation at the facility.

[04:19:02] It is important to understand that we're going to try to maximize the use of the facility right from the initiation of its operation. I'll also note, if I may, that many of the questions that you've asked, as well as that we've heard from the community, we have prepared responses that will also be published through the budget Q&A process.

[04:19:28] I appreciate that, and I look forward to the next step in the process. I want to thank you, Tom, and your team for answering the questions. You know, we'll just add that on top of the meetings that were mentioned, this board has been briefed umpteen times in closed session about this.

[04:19:49] And, you know, this was a closed session is a I'm sorry, I have the floor. Thank you for your input. But this was something that the board deliberated over multiple times. And I mentioned specifically closed session because of the nature of this acquisition and the protection of taxpayer dollars.

[04:20:05] There were only certain things that could be divulged at a certain period of time. And Supervisor Herity, you and I have been on this board for 17 years. You know that as well as anybody else. And so sometimes you don't always have the luxury of time. Certainly the people who are looking for shelter don't have the luxury of time either.

[04:20:22] And so there is a point in time where the board is compelled to act, move in one way or another. I appreciate the answer about the families, although I'm sitting here challenged, trying to understand why the distinction. These are people, and in a lot of cases, it is very difficult for families who are needing shelter, whether it's a result of domestic violence or losing their lease or someone losing a job.

[04:20:50] It is a lot more difficult for them to find housing, but in this particular case, regardless of whether these are families or individuals, these are people who need the support of the county, And they need a fundamental right, which is housing. In this case, you have a building that's already been developed that's largely laid out in a way that's opportunistic for the county to be able to do an acquisition and try to provide this service to as many people in the community as we can as quickly as we can in an economically viable way.

[04:21:23] And this is something we've been looking at for a long time. I do think at a certain point, the process can be used as an excuse for the underlying issue that we're dealing with here. And we've been on this board a long time. I rarely have someone come up to me and say, would you please build an unhoused shelter, emergency shelter, for individuals in our community next to me?

[04:21:48] So if we think that additional time somehow would generate a community that would come forward and say, please, please do this next to me, I think we're foolish to think that would be the outcome. So I'm not sure additional time would change what it is we're dealing with here.

[04:22:05] The fundamental question of whether this is in the financial interest of the county, whether this is a service that people desperately need, whether we can take advantage of federal funding so that we're not using county taxpayer money for a portion of this strategically to be able to serve a community that is dramatically underserved.

[04:22:25] I think at the end of the day, it's are you unhappy about an element of the process or is the totality of all of those other things more important to you? And I think that that's clear from the board's discussion here. With that being said, let me ask if there's any further discussion.

[04:22:44] Supervisor Beerman. I just want to be clear about something. the provisions of subsection 8100.5.8 parentheses two of the zoning ordinance allow for minor variations to add a public use is that correct that is correct i mean i feel like we could have a complaint every single time we did a minor variation to add a public use that it was only a minor variegation so we didn't go through the entire rigmarole that we do go through with other

[04:23:23] things. Every single time we could make that complaint. Here we have something, we have a specific need that we are trying to fill in quick succession. Everybody's always complaining that government works too slow. Here we are working a little bit faster to help our residents, to help our people, to help people who really need help. And so I fully support what we're doing here.

[04:23:47] Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman. If there's no further discussion, all those in favor? You made your motion, right? Yes. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that vote passes 9 to 1. And with that, we are going to move on to our afternoon public hearings. And just before we begin those, a few announcements for folks who are here. 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

[04:24:24] public hearing, I will call for any speakers from the speakers list and they will either come forward or their video will be shown or they will be connected by telephone. There would then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the matter to come down to the podium or to call in at 703-324-1020.

[04:24:44] Speakers testifying by video must sign up and submit their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the hearing. 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 i'm going to call our first afternoon public hearing and that is a public hearing on se 2024-mv-00011 carla elsa vasquez and carla's babes and tots llc in the mount vernon district and could the applicant please reaffirm the

[04:25:19] the affidavit and welcome. Good afternoon. My name is Carlisle Savasquez and I reaffirm the affidavit on file. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Any disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[04:25:41] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. I'm Karen Yee with the Department of Planning and Development. The subject property is located at 7675 Northern Oaks Court. The 1200 square foot lot is zoned PDH5 and developed with an attached single-family dwelling. The applicant is requesting SE approval to permit a home daycare facility to allow up to 10 children and two non-residential employees. The daycare will operate Monday through Friday from 6 30 a.m to 5 30 p.m. There are two designated parking spots located at the front of the dwelling which will be kept clear during operational hours. The home daycare facility will be located on the first floor and the basement

[04:26:20] level of the dwelling which measures 836 square feet in total and contains playrooms changing area nap area and a craft area there is one 265 square foot outdoor player area which is enclosed by a six foot tall wood privacy fence this concludes staff presentation thank you thank you very much i'd ask the applicant if there's anything she'd like to present you're not required to but if you if you would like to you have an opportunity to i would just like to thank you for your time and consideration of my application the Planning Commission did an extensive

[04:26:57] work great work to involve my HOA and also grant the support of my neighbors so again I just thank you and look forward to receiving your approval on this thank you very much at this time are there any questions of staff or the applicant seeing and hearing none this is a public hearing and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter, but this is a public hearing.

[04:27:25] Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? Anyone present who would like to testify? This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask the clerk if anyone has called in. There are no callers. No one has called in. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff.

[04:27:41] On November 13, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the application subject to the proposed development conditions dated September 25, 2024. staff concurs with a recommendation of approval thank you very much last call questions from board members seeing and hearing none I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor stork for a motion I thank you mr. chairman and I think miss Vasquez for coming for us and for engaging in the most important role we all believe is raising our helping to raise our kids and help them

[04:28:16] learn and grow and become hopefully productive adults like we usually are I I guess so and we try to be anyways with that I share her comments which is the neighbors have been positive and the HOA was neutral and and that to me is a good sign of a person who's working and running the daycare in a way that the community is very supportive of so with that mr. chairman I request that the applicant confirmed for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated September 25 2024 if you could come up there and just yes please yep

[04:28:52] just confirm those conditions thank you thank you and mr chairman i move that the board of supervisors approve sc 2024-mv-00011 subject to the development conditions dated september 25 2024. the motion has been seconded by supervisor paulchick and supervisor herity 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 thank you very much congratulations and uh next we have

[04:29:27] a public hearing on se 2023-mv-00002 brilliant kids learning center llc uh also in the mount vernon district and uh when they are ready they are ready could the applicant please reaffirm the affidavit good afternoon i'm sarah morisco with odenfeldman pittleman and i reaffirm the affidavit date of December 30th, 2024. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members?

[04:29:54] 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 Kathy Lewis with the Department of Planning and Development, and I'd like to wish my colleague Karen Yee, who was just before you, a happy birthday indeed. The applicant Brilliant Kids Learning Center, LLC, seeks approval of a special exception for a child care center. The proposed site is located at 2704 Beacon Hill Road in the Mount Vernon District. The R4 zoned property is currently developed with a single-family detached dwelling that was previously converted to a child care center, which has since closed. The applicant

[04:30:33] proposes a maximum enrollment of 40 children. In order to serve parents who work non-traditional hours, the child care center would be open seven days a week and into the evenings. However, after 6 p.m. and during weekends, no more than 20 children will be permitted. The outdoor play area is located in the rear and side of the property and is shaded in this graphic. Landscaping and a six-foot high brick wall will be installed along the northern, eastern, and western property lines.

[04:31:04] No outdoor play will occur after 8 p.m. Improvements are proposed to the existing parking lot to increase the number of parking spaces to six and to create more room for vehicular circulation. One of the proposed spaces will be used for a shuttle van, which will be used to transport children and employees to and from the site. Employees will not be permitted to work on site.

[04:31:28] The applicant will also create a schedule which will assign a 15-minute time slot for families to drop off and pick up children. With these commitments and the availability of bus service along Richmond Highway, the applicant has requested a concurrent parking reduction of the required eight spaces.

[04:31:47] This concludes my presentation. Thank you. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd recognize the applicant for a presentation. Just to add a little more context to Ms. Lewis, the applicant has operated a successful daycare, and the demand has been far what she can currently provide, and so she is really pleased that she was able to acquire this site that was previously the home of a daycare and used to expand her successful business.

[04:32:13] As staff noted, we would be serving first responders, service industry professionals, folks who need a longer time than a more traditional 8 to 6 operating hours. And again, this does provide mostly transportation for most of the families as well as staff.

[04:32:32] Planning Commission is supportive, staff is supportive, and the Mount Vernon Council has supported this as well. With that, I'm happy to answer any questions this board may have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Seeing and hearing none. Thank you. This is a public hearing.

[04:32:48] I have nobody signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone 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 the clerk if we have any callers. There are no callers. No callers.

[04:33:03] The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On December 4th, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of SE 2023-MV-00002, subject to the development conditions now dated January 13th, 2025.

[04:33:23] The Planning Commission also recommended approval of parking reduction number PKS 2023-00043, subject to the conditions dated June 1st, 2024. Staff concurs with those recommendations. Thank you very much.

[04:33:39] Last check, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Stork once again for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If the applicant could come forward. Mr. Chairman, I request that the applicant confirm for the record to the development conditions dated January 13, 2025.

[04:34:00] We're in agreement with those conditions. Thank you. And I'll move this, and then I want to make a couple comments. I move the Board of Supervisors approve SC 2023-MV-00020 subject to the development conditions dated I'm sorry it's zero sorry apologies zero zero zero zero two sorry zero zero zero two thank you sorry we can do that let me start that again mr. chairman I move the Board of Supervisors approve SC 2023 MV - zero zero zero zero two subject to the development

[04:34:38] conditions dated January 13th 2025 I also move that the Board of Supervisors approve parking reduction number PKS-2023-00043 subject to the conditions dated June 1st 2024 heard the motion has been multiply seconded any discussion on the motion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries thank you very much mr. chairman I just wanted to acknowledge the particular kind of daycare child care that they're providing is incredibly

[04:35:16] difficult for most families to get and especially for the kind of families that frankly we need to attract in our area which can work late in the evening or early in the morning and in many cases are working multiple jobs the folks who really help our community thrive and grow and frankly be the quality place for most of us to live in and I just want to particularly thank you miss Garcia for your willingness to do that and our support on your behalf to make that happen. And the MV Converton Council of Civic Associations was very supportive along with the community in general. So again, our thanks and appreciation.

[04:35:50] Thank you very much and congratulations. We are now going to move on to public hearing on SE 2024-FR-00021 Pink River LLC in the Franconia District and could the applicant, please reaffirm the affidavit. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the record, David Houston, Bean, Kenny, and Carmen, I reaffirm the affidavit dated October 28, 2024. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members? Supervisor Palchik. Yes, Mr. Chairman,

[04:36:24] Mark M. Vianney donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Dalia Palchik. Are there any other disclosures? Supervisor Walkinshaw. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to disclose that Mark Vianney contributed in excess of $100 to James Walkinshaw for Braddock Supervisor.

[04:36:42] Okay. Any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm Kevin McMahon with the Department of Planning and Development. The applicant is requesting a special exception to permit a child care center with a maximum daily enrollment of 180 children.

[04:37:06] The subject site is zoned R1. The property is currently undeveloped and is located along the east side of Beulah Street, south of the intersection with Morning View Lane and Kingstown Village Parkway. The application area includes two parcels and portions of two additional parcels totaling 1.65 acres.

[04:37:29] The proposed child care center will consist of a 10,000 square foot, one-story building. This is an architectural rendering. The proposed child care building will face Beulah Street with a 31 space parking lot including one dual EV charging station situated between the proposed building and Beulah Street.

[04:37:52] The 5,000 square foot outdoor play area will contain seating and play equipment, is enclosed on three sides by a six foot tall chain link fence and will be located to the rear of the building. The applicant is proposing a full-length, 200-foot-long right-turn lane and taper.

[04:38:14] It's highlighted in purple on this image with a capacity of approximately six vehicles. A 35-foot-wide transitional screening yard will be provided along the northern and southern property lines, and the applicant is requesting two modifications of these transitional screening yards to allow for separate 5-foot-wide sidewalk connections to be installed through this screening.

[04:38:39] A solid 6-foot-high wood fence will be installed across the northern and southern lot lines, and also a 10-foot-wide landscaping strip will be provided along the Beulah Street frontage. This concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd recognize the applicant for their presentation.

[04:39:00] Thank you. I'll be very brief. As Mr. McMahon said, this land is currently vacant. It was previously approved by the current owner of VFW Post to build a new post, and that was never accomplished.

[04:39:20] So the applicant is the contract purchaser and is the largest franchisee of the Learning Experience National Child Care Operator with over 30 locations in his control.

[04:39:38] We have worked hard with staff and the community, and we have received staff support, Planning Commission support, and I know of no opposition from the community. be happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Any questions of staff or the applicant? I'm not seeing any. Thank you very much. This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter.

[04:40:09] Is there anyone 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 the clerk if we have callers. Callers assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff.

[04:40:26] On December 4, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the requested special exception application subject to the development conditions dated November 15, 2024. The Planning Commission also recommended approval of the modification of the transitional screening requirements along the northern and southern property boundaries in favor of the proposed landscape as shown on the S.C. Platt, and staff concurs with these recommendations. Thank you.

[04:40:55] Thank you very much. Last check with board members. Are there any questions? Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Lusk for a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This is a very straightforward application. will do with my colleague has done in the Malvernon district and to move the daycare facilities because they are necessary and important for the residents in the Franconia district additionally I'll note that as the applicant's representative noted we have support from the Planning Commission we have support from the Lee excuse me the Franconia district land use committee as

[04:41:33] well as the Planning Commission so this one is as basic and as easy as they come so I'm gonna accept it and with that background mr. chairman I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated November 15th 2024 yes I can confirm that agreement okay thank you very much so two motions mr. chairman the first is I move that the Board of Supervisors approve se - 2024 - fr - 0 0 0 2 1 subject to the

[04:42:10] development conditions dated November 15th, 2024, and second. I further move that the board modify the transitional screening requirement along the northern and southern property boundaries in favor of the proposed landscaping as shown on the SC plaque. So moved. I've heard the motion and second by Supervisor Palchuk. 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.

[04:42:39] Thank you very much. Next, we have a public hearing on PCA 84-P-035-05, CDPA 84-P-035-002, RZPA 2024-PR-00011, 8218 Leesburg Pike, LLC in the Providence District, and could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit?

[04:43:08] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Bob Brandt with the law firm of Walsh Colucci. On behalf of the applicant, I can reaffirm the affidavit, which is dated December 26, 2024. Thank you very much. Any disclosures from board members? Sorry for jumping the gun there, Mr. Chairman. Supervisor Jimenez.

[04:43:24] Mr. Chairman, Stephen A. Harris donated in excess of $100 to Friends of Andres for his supervisor. Thank you very much. Supervisor Jimenez, any other disclosures? Any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none. I'll now recognize staff for a staff presentation.

[04:43:39] thank you mr chairman again i'm kevin mcmahon with the department of planning and development the subject site is zone pdc is located within the highway highway corridor and sign control overlay districts and consists of one parcel containing approximately 0.84 acres on the northeast side of leesburg pike near the intersection with chain bridge road the applicant's proposal is to delete the previously approved but not yet constructed vehicle light service establishment use and to

[04:44:15] modify the existing interim car wash use. The improvements to the car wash include 13 new self-service vacuum stations, an architectural feature, an additional pay station and a crosswalk. There will also be revisions to the proffers. Additional landscaping is also proposed along the service drive and Leesburg Pike, and this slide shows the proposed architectural feature at the front of the building facing Leesburg Pike, and the tower is an architectural feature only and contains no additional gross floor area, and this concludes my presentation.

[04:44:54] Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome an applicant's presentation. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. I think Mr. McMahon did a fabulous job summarizing the application. This is a relatively straightforward application, fairly limited in scope to the architectural feature to the 13 self-service vacuum stations that Mr. Wash is looking to add. I do want to say, though, that Mr. Wash is very, very happy to be here in Tyson's. This facility was open just a couple years ago at the end of 2023. It is now their fourth location in Fairfax County, joining existing Mr. Wash's in Bailey's Crossroads, Centerville, and Merrifield. They think they

[04:45:32] knocked it out of the park with this location. It's an existing car wash that's been there since the 1970s, and so they acquired it, gave the building inside and out a pretty significant facelift. It's up and running. It's a fantastic location, and they're thrilled to be here in Tyson's. Again, this application is limited in scope to just adding an architectural feature, some self-service vacuum stations to add to their customers' convenience, and we're fortunately in a position where we have staff's recommendation of approval. As Mr. McMahon mentioned, we're adding some pedestrian facilities through the addition of a new crosswalk across the entrance drive.

[04:46:06] We're adding new landscaping, new open space, new pervious surface on site, and I'm pleased that we were able to work with staff through the application process to address all outstanding issues. So with that, I'm happy to answer any questions and would respectfully request for favorable consideration today.

[04:46:22] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Not seeing any, so thank you. This is a public hearing, and I have no one signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing.

[04:46:38] Anyone who would like to testify? Seeing and hearing no one, let me verify there are no callers. No callers. No callers. Assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from staff. On December 4th, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the requested applications and waiver subject to the execution of the proffer conditions dated November 19th, 2024, and staff concurs with these recommendations. Thank you.

[04:47:08] Thank you. Last check. No questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the staff who worked on this one and to the applicants. And to my staff who worked on this, maybe not quite as straightforward as the last one, but another straightforward one, as you heard, an existing car wash, really just updating it.

[04:47:36] Appreciate that we need all kinds of community amenities, daycares, senior centers, car washes, things we don't necessarily think about every day. so um for this i um just have i believe two motions uh mr chairman i move that the board of supervisors approve pca 84-p-035-05 and cdpa 84-p-035-002 subject to the executed proffers dated november 19th 2024 i further move that the board of supervisors approve a waiver of

[04:48:14] the requirement in subsection 8100.7.E.2 of the Zoning Ordinance subsection 101-2-2 of the Fairfax County Code Subdivision Ordinance and section 8-0202.1 of the Public Facilities Manual to waive the requirement to construct a major paved trail along the Leesburg Pike frontage of the property.

[04:48:43] I've heard the motion and the second by Supervisor Alcorn. Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Poucher. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I just want to clarify because of the waiver, number one, that it was unanimously passed, and number two, that we have final conditions that we're looking for in Tyson's.

[04:49:01] Here, we appreciate that there aren't any interior modifications, that it really is just really upgrading an existing facility. so while i really want to make sure that we have our major trails when it is appropriate and this one it was deemed appropriate by the planning commission to allow the waiver thank you supervisor palchek any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you our next public hearing

[04:49:34] is a public hearing on se 2023-su-00043 toll mid-atlantic lp company inc in the sully district and when they are ready if we could please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit good afternoon my name is samantha stucati here on behalf of the applicant and i reaffirm the affidavit dated december 23rd 2024 thank you very much are there any disclosures from board members any disclosures Seeing and hearing none, at this time we'd recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[04:50:14] Mr. Chairman, I'd like to introduce Carl Shoemate. He joined us in, I think it was October, November. We took him from New York City. Excellent. I'm from New York. I'm allowed to say that. We've improved your life immensely.

[04:50:30] Welcome. We're glad to have you. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Carl Shoemate. I'm with the Department of Planning and Development. The 5.33-acre subject property is south of Glen Manor Drive, north of Sully Road, west of Westfields Boulevard, and is within the mixed-use development known as Commonwealth Center.

[04:50:51] This application is specifically for the development within the highlighted section on the map here, which is currently under construction to develop the approved 81 triplex multifamily units, the property zone PDC. As mentioned earlier, the applicant, Toll Mid-Atlantic LP Company, is requesting approval of a special exception to allow additional signage on site that exceeds the type, area, height, and number of signs permitted in the zoning ordinance for a portion of a recently approved residential development in Land Bay A of the Commonwealth Center in Westfields.

[04:51:21] Specifically, the applicant proposes to provide two freestanding monument signs and eight temporary signs to assist in marketing and sales of the Triplex residential units. One 5.7-foot-tall monument wall with two separate 13.2-square-feet mounted signs is proposed on the northwest corner of the intersection of sully point lane and new brook drive six 13 foot tall freestanding non-illuminated double-sided banner signs with 12 square feet of signage area for each sign are proposed along the new brook drive frontage these signs would primarily be used for sales and marketing and would be removed within two years of placements

[04:51:56] two temporary non-illuminated freestanding coming student construction signs are proposed one would be located along the newbrook drive frontage and one along route 28 on parcel 6d overall staff finds the proposal be in conformance with the zoning ordinance in harmony with the comprehensive plan and this concludes my presentation thank you very much at this time i'd recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation i'll keep my comments brief as carl did a great thorough presentation of the package before you the application is straightforward in nature but i'll be at one that's very important to my client with a recommendation of support from

[04:52:35] staff, the Sully Land Use Committee, and the Planning Commission, we respectfully request your approval of this special exception for signage modifications, and I'm happy to address any questions that you may have. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Not seeing any. This is a public hearing, and I have no one signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject?

[04:53:01] This is a public hearing. Anyone who would like to testify? Not seeing anyone. Do we have any callers no callers no callers soon the applicant waives rebuttal closing comments and a recommendation from County staff on December 11th the Planning Commission recommended approval of the application subject to development conditions dated November 25th 2024 staff concurs with those recommendations thank you very much last week last check questions from board members not seeing or hearing any at this time I will close the public hearing and

[04:53:37] recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated November 25, 2024. The applicant's in agreement with those conditions. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve SE 2023-SU-00043, subject to the development conditions dated November 25, 2024. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by, I think that was seconded by Supervisor Palchuk.

[04:54:11] 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. Thank you. Our next public hearing is on SE 2024-SU-00019, JLBCCI Westfields, LLC, in the Sully District.

[04:54:36] And can we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit? My name is Samantha Stuckety. Here on behalf of the applicant, I reaffirmed the disclosure dated December 23, 2024. Thank you very much. Are there any disclosures from board members?

[04:54:52] Any disclosures from board members? Seeing and hearing none, at this time we'd recognize staff for a staff presentation. Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Carl Shumate, and I'm with the Department of Planning and Development. The 4.34-acre subject property is south of Glen Manor Drive, north of Sully Road, west of Westfields Boulevard, and it's within the mixed-use development center known as Commonwealth Center.

[04:55:17] This application is specifically for the development within the highlighted lot 6C1, which is currently under construction to develop the approved five-store multifamily building, the property zoned PDC. The applicant seeks approval of a special exception to permit sign modifications to allow additional sign area that exceeds the area, height, and number of signs allowed for residential areas of a P district.

[04:55:40] Specifically, the applicant proposes a total of 10 building mountain signs one freestanding sign for a total of 117 square feet the building mounted signs are broken down as such two building branding signs which are the only signs that are illuminated one parking way finding sign two loading way finding signs four building way finding signs and one building number sign shown here is the site plan depicting the proposed location of each sign type here's a picture of the two building mounted branding signs at the entrance at glenn manor drive and sully Point Lane. Here's the building sign that will be at the southeast corner of the property along

[04:56:16] Route 28 northbound on-ramp. The remaining parking, loading, and address proposed signs are for wayfinding on the site. Overall, staff finds the proposed additional signage to be in conformance with the zoning ordinance and in harmony with the comprehensive plan. And this concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. Now recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation.

[04:56:39] The package before you for your consideration will result in coordinated and comprehensive and signage for the Sully at Westfields, which is scheduled to deliver in the summer of 2025. With the recommendation of support from staff, the Sully Land Use Committee, and the Planning Commission, we respectfully request your approval of this application, and with that, I'm happy to address any questions you may have. Thank you very much. Any questions of staff or the applicant?

[04:57:03] I'm not seeing any. Thank you. This is a public hearing. 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 any callers. No callers. No callers. Assume the applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. On December 11th, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the application subject to development conditions dated November 25th, 2024. Staff

[04:57:39] concurs with those recommendations. Thank you. Last check. Questions from board members. Seeing and Hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated November 25, 2024.

[04:57:58] The applicant's in agreement with those conditions. Thank you. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve SE 2024-SU-00019 subject to the development conditions dated November 25, 2024. For the motion, I've been seconded by Supervisor Alcorn.

[04:58:17] Discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you. Our next public hearing is a public hearing on PCA CDPA 2011-PR-017, RZPA 2022-PR-00050, Commons of McLean, L-Cal, Inc. in the Providence District, and can we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit?

[04:58:54] Good afternoon again, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Bob Brandt once again with Walsh-Colucci on behalf of the applicant. I can reaffirm the affidavit, which is also dated December 26, 2024. Thank you. Thank you. Any disclosures from board members? Any disclosures?

[04:59:10] Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[04:59:27] Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Sharon Williams, and I'm with the Department of Planning and Development. This is a PCA CDPA proposing proffered amendments and site modifications. The 18.7-acre property is owned PTC, Planned Tyson's Corner, and it lies within the Highway Corridor Overlay District.

[04:59:47] The site is located along Anderson Road, in between Chain Bridge Road and Coalshire Drive. A portion of the property is located across Anderson Road, between the road and the adjacent residential community. The site is currently developed with a residential community designed by Charles Goodman, known as the Commons and McLean.

[05:00:04] The applicant is proposing a partial PCA to permit site modifications to the previously approved development, and to add additional retail, an option for continuing care, and an option for office uses. The proposed layout is generally similar to the previous approval, with modifications to the street network and three new buildings being added within park spaces.

[05:00:26] A maximum of 2,727,135 square feet of development is proposed in 11 buildings with a maximum of 2,536 dwelling units. The CDPA continues to show five public park spaces, which include the signature Anderson Park with amenities to improve activation and a full-size athletic field.

[05:00:50] This is a depiction of the proposed massing of the development with the surrounding approved development. The proposed building heights range from 75 to 225 feet, exclusive of the smaller retail-slash-cafe-style buildings, which are proposed on-site.

[05:01:06] And that concludes my presentation. Thank you so much. Thank you very much for that. At this time, we'd recognize the applicant for an applicant's presentation. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, members of the board.

[05:01:24] I think I've got to thank Ms. Williams for doing all of her work on this application with us over the last couple of years. This application, like all other applications in Tyson's and throughout the county, I think we're at a point where it's really benefited from the input that we've gotten from staff, the feedback that we've gotten from staff along the way.

[05:01:42] And we're all very pleased to be here with the recommendation of staff approval, with the recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission, with the support of the MCA. I do have a brief presentation that will build upon what Ms. Williams mentioned before, but really Elcor is excited to be here with the next version, the next iteration of McLean Crossing.

[05:02:01] If we go start the slides, the location is really paramount to this application. It's on the doorstep of the McLean Metro Station here in Tysons, and it's the definition of a walkable urban community. Since the original approval, the area around McLean Crossing has started to develop.

[05:02:18] You've had a lot of projects come online, the Hemming, the Paxton, the Archer Hotel, right there at the Metro Station. And so one of the driving forces behind this CDPA and PCA application was the need to embrace those projects. open the front door of McLean Crossing to those projects, create a sense of place.

[05:02:37] And again, that's the driving force behind this application. If we go to the next slide, a little bit of history. This is the approved CDP, which dates back to 2013. A number of buildings, predominantly residential buildings, connected by a new grid of streets, punctuated by a network of open spaces and a full-size athletic field.

[05:02:58] One building has been established, the building in the top left corner of the building of this sheet here, the Kingston, was constructed by Elcor just a few years ago and was really the start of McLean Crossing. But again, some time has now elapsed since the original approval in 2013, and it's given Elcor an opportunity to step back, reflect, and reimagine and enhance what was originally approved in 2013.

[05:03:22] And so our goal at the beginning of this CDPA process was not to reinvent the wheel, was to really take these building blocks of an excellent project that was approved a little over 10 years ago, but build upon it and, again, enhance it through the provision of a mix of uses. The next slide just kind of talks through the guiding principles.

[05:03:40] These are the factors that influenced Elcor and its decision-making as it went through the design process, establishing a sense of place, focusing on pedestrian-oriented, walkable, activated streets with new retail and also providing some optionality and flexibility that didn't exist at the time of the original CDP to allow Elcor to respond to market conditions. And I think the finished product that you see before you hear today establishes or responds to each of these guiding principles and establishes the flexibility that Elcor sought to achieve. The next slide is where we are today.

[05:04:13] This is the current plan and to some extent you have to squint to see the differences. We've made some, as Ms. Williams mentioned, made some revisions, some adjustments to that grid of streets. We've kept intact the building blocks, Goodman Field, the full-size athletic field on the right side of the drawing, Anderson Park along the north side, but we've built upon them. Elcor's added a significant amount of retail to make these streets activated, to make them places that people want to be, to make them a destination for people coming to and from the McLean Metro just off screen to the southeast. But again, the building blocks are there, the grid of streets, the parks, the open space, and the activation.

[05:04:52] If we go to the next slide, we'll walk through some of those spaces. The first among them being Anderson Park along the north side of the site. As originally approved, Anderson Park provided a mix of recreational amenities, sport courts, tennis courts, recreational facilities for children, passive open areas, and a dog park. We've reimagined those a little bit. We've adjusted them a little bit with this, but we've largely carried forward those elements. If we go to the next slide, Building 9. Building 9 wasn't there as part of the original approval. This is going to be an approximately 15,000 to 16,000 square foot building that will be activated by, we hope,

[05:05:29] restaurant uses, providing a place for families to go if they're there in Anderson Park with their children for a birthday party, a place to go after you finish your tennis match and grab a drink, grab a bite to eat. Alcor views this as essential to activating Anderson Park and drawing people to this amenity. We've worked very closely with staff through this application process on the vision for Building 9, on the activation, and how it's going to amenitize and enhance the experience in Anderson Park. And I'm pleased to have staff support for the addition of this building. If we go to the next slide. The vision for Building 9 is this: a transparent, highly

[05:06:08] glazed building where a blurring is aligned between the public space and the private realm think of the central open space in the mosaic district think of the perch places where people can go and shop and eat and enjoy with their families while also enjoying some of the open spaces that's really the crux of the vision for building 9 and I think that we've in collaboration with staff achieve that vision here the next slide envisions it depicts the full-size athletic field that's being carried forward from the original approval. One of the things we did with this CDPA is slightly adjusted this. At the time of the original CDPA, it was envisioned that

[05:06:47] this field, known as Goodman Field, would be located at grade on the west side of the, on the east side of the site. With this CDPA, we've taken an innovative approach to that. We've located that field on a one-story retail podium that will line the street along the left side of the field, mid lane. To my knowledge and to our knowledge and working with staff, I don't think that there's anything quite like this in Fairfax County just yet. So there's a good deal of innovation going here. But I think this is something that we can learn from and hopefully can inform future applications and infill urban projects in urban areas of Fairfax County. We work closely with

[05:07:24] Park Authority staff. We worked with the Park Authority Board. Staff presented this concept to them the concept of the elevated field and obtain their support as well. And so happy to be bringing forward this new concept for athletic fields in urban areas of Fairfax County. The next slide kind of rounds out some of the open spaces. Bergwood Promenade is an area that's already been partially built with the Kingston building. This new area, Dartford Plaza, which will be literally and figuratively the front door of McLean Crossing located on the bottom left corner of this will be a plaza, much like you experience in the mosaic, much like you experience in Fairfax

[05:08:01] Corner, that will be activated with events, with some pop-up retail. Really, again, the goal here being opening the front door to the metro, drawing people in, and establishing that sense of place. And so all of the slides that you just saw are really the mosaic, if you will, of open spaces that Elcor has created with this application. Next slide. I think a lot of this goes without saying, there's a tremendous amount of public benefit that comes with these applications.

[05:08:29] This is nearly 2.7, over 2.7 million square feet of mixed-use development in Tysons, where those projects really want and need to be. The project includes nearly seven acres, representing approximately a third of the overall CDP area of publicly accessible, excuse me, publicly accessible, activated urban park space, community-serving ground floor retail restaurant uses, active street scapes, active pedestrian realms. The athletic field that's going to be carried forward for here will provide a place for local teams and sporting groups to practice to use that field. Expansion

[05:09:07] of the street grid in accordance with the street grid envisioned by the comprehensive plan. Enhanced stormwater management and on and on and on. So there's a tremendous amount of public benefit that's going to be coming forward with this project. I want to mention before I close that again, as I mentioned at the beginning, this has been an iterative process. We've responded to concerns from the community. We've responded to issues from staff. One of the things that we'll continue to do as we move forward with the final development plans that will follow this is build upon this, is refine some of these things. I want to mention, and there's some discussion in the staff report about this, there's a surface parking area in Anderson Park

[05:09:47] that we'd initially proposed. Elkhort perceives that as being a benefit, providing a place for people to go and park with their dog or their family or their children as they're enjoying the park. I know the county staff and we have had a lot of conversations about that. As we move forward to the FDP stage, we'll be revisiting that and reevaluating the need for that surface parking lot. Also, as we move forward to FDP, we're going to be providing a fence along a barrier along the Bellwater of Anderson Park where it abuts that adjacent residential community. We met with them throughout the application process. They expressed an interest in support, I should say. They definitely expressed support overall for the project, but expressed an interest in seeing

[05:10:26] a fence provided there. That's something that we're happy to do, and we're going to be looking at that as we move forward to the FDP. One final thing that we changed that I want to mention towards the end of the application process, there were some members of the community that wished for us to bump up or move forward our commitment to the delivery of Goodman Field, And so that field will be delivered prior to the seventh building on the site, but we've bumped up by three years the outer limits of that field delivery from 2040 to 2037, again in direct response to some of the members of the community.

[05:10:59] And so in total, there's been a lot of work that's gone into this application, a lot of input from the community, input from staff. As I mentioned earlier, we're pleased to have the recommendation of approval from both staff, the Planning Commission, and the MCA, and happy to be here today. So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions that the board may have and, again, would respectfully request your favorable consideration.

[05:11:21] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant seeing or hearing any? So thank you very much. This is a public hearing, and I do have one speaker who has signed up in advance to testify who is a caller. Ken Fowler.

[05:11:37] Is Mr. Fowler on the line? Mr. Fowler, can you hear me okay? I can. Thank you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you, members of the board, for the opportunity to provide a short statement.

[05:12:04] My name is Ken Fowler, and I am a resident of the Union Park community in Tysons, very close to this proposed development. I am also a member of the Union Park board. Our community includes roughly 150 townhomes that are mostly populated by families with dozens of young children.

[05:12:22] Members of our community are very excited about Elcor's proposal to redevelop the Commons of McLean. especially the park space provided by Anderson Park and Goodman Field. I would like to express support for county planning staff's earlier request for more timely construction of Goodman Field.

[05:12:40] As we understand it, under the current development proposal, more than 2,000 new residential units may be constructed before Goodman Field is built. You know, we would like to see Goodman Field with its parking facility be built sooner rather than later. You know, construction of these residential units will create demand for park and open space that existing area park facilities cannot satisfy.

[05:13:03] You know, one potential compromise might be to require the field to be delivered by the early year of 2037 or after construction of some, you know, some reasonable number or percentage of the approved residential unit. Additionally, I would like to express support for county planning staff's recommendation that the parking lot be removed from the north side of Anderson Park.

[05:13:25] We would like to see that portion of the park that is currently set aside for parking be repurposed to improve park amenities, such as with another tennis court, a volleyball court, or pickleball court. Tyson State East needs as much usable park space as possible, with the thousands of residential units proposed as part of this proposal, in addition to the hundreds of homes in our community and the adjacent community within a half mile of these proposed facilities.

[05:13:51] And I encourage the board and the County Parks Department to take the position that the solution to any county parking deficit is not another parking lot at Anderson Park, which would consume extremely limited and extremely valuable park space, but timeless construction of Goodman Field and its associated parking structure, which is directly across the street.

[05:14:12] Thank you for your time today and for all the great work that you do to make Fairfax County, and Tysons in particular, a better place to live, work, and play. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Mr. Fowler, and let me ask if there's anyone else here present who would like to testify on this matter.

[05:14:29] This is a public hearing. Anyone else who would like to speak on this subject? Seeing and hearing no one, let me see if we have any additional callers. No additional callers. No additional callers. Does the applicant wish to have any rebuttal? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[05:14:45] And just briefly, I think I touched on some of Mr. Fowler's concerns during my remarks, but once again, we responded to the concerns similar to Mr. Fowler that he raised by bumping up the outer limits of that Goodman Field delivery, we will be revisiting that surface parking lot in Anderson Park at the time of FDP.

[05:15:03] And so hopefully those adjustments which we made towards the end of our process will address the speaker's concerns. But overall, I think myself and Elcor are appreciative of what he started with, which is his enthusiasm and his community's enthusiasm for seeing this project move forward. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[05:15:20] Let me ask if staff has closing comments and a recommendation. Absolutely. December the 11th 2024 the Planning Commission recommended approval of these applications subject to the proffers in development conditions and recommended approval of the requested waivers and modifications which are contained in the handout distributed to you dated December 11 2024 staff concurs with those recommendations thank you excellent thank you any questions from board members supervisor Palchik thank you mr. chairman and just a couple of

[05:15:53] questions to clarify. So number one, I think I heard that the speaker's comments have been addressed in your proffers. If you could just clarify, I think we heard him correctly, but... That's correct. So with respect to his comments on the parking lot in Anderson Park, we included proffer language that will require us to revisit that, re-evaluate the need for that parking lot with staff at the time of FTP. So that's something we're going to be working through.

[05:16:20] With respect to the timing of the delivery of Goodman Field, we had initially proposed that the outer limit of that delivery be 2040. We moved that up to 2037, and while at first glance that might sound like a ways away, that's right about the time period that this initial CDP was approved, so about 12 years from today.

[05:16:40] A lot can happen. We're hopeful that we can move forward with this much faster than that, obviously, but we have made those changes to the proffers in response to the speaker's concerns. Thank you. And one other question, because I know we've had conversations with staff on the relocation assistance.

[05:16:57] If you don't mind just clarifying for the record what you are proposing for that. Absolutely. So during the process, staff had made a recommendation that we proffer to comply with the county's relocation guidelines, which are recommendations or guidance for developers that are redeveloping residential properties.

[05:17:14] In this case, though, Elcor already has a proffer commitment dating back to the original approval of 2013 to provide assistance to its tenants at such time as various parts of the property redevelop. And in this case, I mentioned earlier, Elcor has already moved forward with the first phase of this, the Kingston Building.

[05:17:33] And so they already successfully worked through that process by providing assistance to those tenants that were impacted by that. And so in this case, while I respectfully appreciate staff's comments, we felt that given the existence of a current proffer, given the fact that Elcor has already successfully implemented that proffer without any issues, we felt it was more appropriate to carry forward this.

[05:17:54] But again, Elcor absolutely will be working with its tenants, providing assistance, providing guidance at such time as it moves forward with the various phases. Thank you. That will be expected if we hear anything in our office. And finally, if you could, because the Goodman field, very creative process, and I know we've worked through that, a lot of issues, and even with the park authority and their approval.

[05:18:16] I know there's concern about having that public space. That's a field. If you could clarify, maybe show us on there, the existing open spaces that are there, and if you expect those to, which ones you expect to be there, sort of in this interim phase, if not the final phase?

[05:18:35] Sure, sure. So the property, the existing conditions, which Ms. Williams just put up there today, there are a couple of open areas right now to the right side and the south side of the Kingston. There are some open spaces in those interior courts there in between the existing buildings.

[05:18:52] One thing that we have included, and actually it's a carry forward from an original proffer dating back to 2013, is providing El Corp with the ability to provide interim open spaces as it moves forward with the various spaces. So once again, while Alcor wants to move as quickly as possible as you can imagine with this project, it's a large project, it's a large site, and so if there are opportunities to provide interim open space areas, interim uses such as that, the proffers do provide that flexibility.

[05:19:20] And one final question, because this is an issue, you know, we'll be looking at urban spaces and other use. The field is an official athletic field, so once it is approved and opened, it will not be sort of an open all the time to the community.

[05:19:36] It's going to be through the community use process. That's correct. That's correct. And while Elcor will continue to own, because this is kind of unique, it's an elevated field on top of a structure that will include retail and parking. There will be agreements put in place between Elcor and the county whatever entity that is the Park Authority NCS And so the county will control the hours of operation when the field will be open They'll they'll be the gatekeepers for that field through agreements appropriate agreements with Elcor, but that's true. Thank you. Thank you Any additional questions of staff or the applicant? Okay, thank you very much

[05:20:14] I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Patrick for a motion Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and first of all, again, want to share my thank you to a few people, one of them being Sharon, who's worked on this, as well as Marion Tsai and all of the staff.

[05:20:31] I think it's been a few years that we've been working on this large project. I want to thank the applicant for their work, their outreach to the community. I want to thank those who have either written in and shared letters as was shared the MCA was also supportive with the main issue being the field which I know there's been a lot of work to help address that and then finally want to thank mr. Fowler a newer community here in Tysons and appreciate your input and your leadership in that community as well as as was heard I I'm gonna try to

[05:21:08] be brief because I do have four cases tonight. It's not usual in my case, but really appreciate that this will bring a lot of amenities to the community. As was mentioned, the fields, 4.3 acre public park, the full-size athletic field, mixed use throughout the buildings. I know we spent many hours looking at the proposals, improvements. We've removed some of the original buildings that were planned in order to have that long linear park remain a linear park

[05:21:42] in the middle of the community, that there will be, even though it can be difficult to plan for commercial, that there will be commercial as well as residential aligning these areas. And then finally, definitely not least, I believe about from 231 to 319 workforce housing units, which we know are very needed, very necessary, all while being creative in not breaking down and building a new structure, but in Tyson's where it's difficult to have athletic fields, to build one on top of an existing garage.

[05:22:18] I know doing something new in the county can be a challenge, and so I know that all of our agencies have ensured that the safety and the compliance will be there, and I think it will be a great amenity when we get to it. I think I don't want to say too much.

[05:22:33] I think a lot of it was shared. And, again, some of the outstanding issues that will be addressed closer to the FDP, both the conversations with VDOT and with FCDOT over how to best balance the transportation aspects, protecting pedestrians and cyclists and strollers and wheelchairs.

[05:22:53] There will be a lot of those here, I hope, and also allowing for the necessary car parking and traffic here. So it's been a long one. I just wanted to share a little bit. And to that, I am happy to move forward with the motion.

[05:23:09] But first, Mr. Chairman, I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement to the development conditions dated December 10th, 2024. On behalf of the applicant, I can confirm Elcor's agreement to those conditions. I have three motions.

[05:23:25] First of all, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA 2011-PR-017 subject to the executed proffers dated December 19, 2024. I further approve CDPA 2011-PR-017 subject to the development conditions dated December 10, 2024.

[05:23:51] And finally, approve the waivers and modifications contained in the handout dated December 11, 2024, which will be part of the public record. You've heard the motion, and the second, is there a discussion on the motion? I only forgot to thank some very important people.

[05:24:07] This is such a long application. I believe it started under Commissioner Nicholsky-Eichner, then moved to Commissioner Hancock, who unfortunately had to be away at the public meeting and was taken back by now Chair Nicholsky-Eichner. and I know the Planning Commission put a lot a lot of time effort and work into this so I just wanted to thank them I forgot to do that on the way in okay any further discussion seeing and hearing none all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank

[05:24:38] you our next public hearing is a public hearing on RZ 2022 - PR - 0 0 0 2 0 FFI virginian landowner LLC and FFI virginian owner LLC in the Providence district and could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit mr.

[05:25:04] McKay Tony Calabrese with DLA I reaffirm the affidavit dated January 2nd 2025 thank you very much are there any disclosures any disclosures from board members seeing and hearing none I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation thank you and good afternoon mr. chairman members of the board my name is Sharon Williams again and I'm with the Department of Planning and Development this is a rezoning in a final development plan to permit a continuing care facility the 35.6 acre subject property is located at 9301 Arlington Boulevard just south of Arlington Boulevard east of its

[05:25:41] intersection with Pickett Road the site is currently developed with the Virginian senior living facility which is an independent living facility constructed in 1980 the existing facility is located in the middle of the site in this image the southern portion of the site includes floodplain resource protection area and environmental quality corridor associated with the Akatink Creek and then the site is generally characterized by mature vegetation and undulating topography the applicants are requesting a rezoning from the R1 district to the PCC district to permit the development of a continuing care facility specifically the applicants proposed to allow the

[05:26:18] existing 370,000 square foot Virginia independent living facility to remain and to permit the construction of 24 cottage style independent living units along Arlington Boulevard. The cottages would be developed in a duplex style with roughly 2,000 square feet adding 48,000 square feet to the existing development for a total gross floor area of 418,000 square feet. No exterior changes are proposed to the existing building but I will note that the The applicants are proposing an interior shift of space to accommodate an additional 30 additional bedrooms within the Virginian for a total of 330 units.

[05:26:57] The amount of proposed residential units on site, including the cottages, would be 354, which equates to a density of 9.81 dwelling units per acre. The overall proposed continuing care facility would contain a variety of services, which would include memory care, assisted living, and independent living within the main building.

[05:27:16] And then these cottages would be independent living. The applicants are also proposing to offer outpatient rehabilitation within the main building as well. Access to this site would be continued to be offered from Arlington Boulevard. And access to the cottages would be provided via a proposed new east-west road, which would intersect with the main access point.

[05:27:38] A minimum of 55% open space is proposed to be provided on site. A new pool is proposed to be located behind the proposed cottages near the western portion of the site. Currently, there are several existing amenities spread throughout the site, including an existing bocce court, putting greens, pickleball courts, and a dog park, as well as some hardscapes, seating, and fountain spaces.

[05:28:02] The applicant is also proposing to dedicate 10.2 acres of the RPA to the Park Authority, and in doing so, they would remove trash, debris, and environmental hazards within the RPA. Additionally, the applicant is also proposing to contribute $30,000 to the Park Authority to help remove and manage invasive species within the RPA.

[05:28:25] And then this is a depiction of the proposed elevations for the cottage buildings. The applicants have stated that the proposed cottages may include asphalt shingles, fiber cement shake, and lap siding, vinyl windows, stone veneer, fiberglass doors, aluminum railings and doors, and wood trellises.

[05:28:42] And that concludes my presentation. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome a presentation from the applicant. Mr. McKay, members of the board, Tony Calabrese again with DLA, delighted to be here and hopefully getting some help from my friends up top with our PowerPoint. Ours isn't important, albeit slightly less grandiose case than the previous Providence District 1. In light of what I would characterize as a very helpful dialogue with our Virginia residents, you'll hear from several

[05:29:11] This afternoon, I'd like to review a couple of additional topics, have you endure me in our thrilling PowerPoint, even with a terrific recommendation of approval from the staff and unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission, which we certainly appreciate.

[05:29:26] Sharon stole a fair amount of my thunder, but I'll rifle through this very quickly. The overall CDP helps reflect, if you can see in light blue, the southern portions of the site. Some 10.2 plus acres will be conveyed ultimately to the Park Authority.

[05:29:42] The main building, as you see in the middle of the property, will remain as it is. Sharon quickly reviewed the cottages. We spent a lot of, I think, very helpful time looking at the detail. I think this is going to be a great amenity for some of the reasons reflected in the staff report and several of you here this evening.

[05:29:59] I think these bullets are important. no expansion of the existing building the age-restricted cottages for independent living we think again will be a perfect complement to the Maine-Virginian it's been open for over 40 years FAR less than half of what's otherwise permitted significantly more open space than required bring us into conformance with the PCC district regulations the park authority dedication significantly more tree canopy again than required 8.3 percent two of the 24 cottages will be subject to the affordable housing program that's a unique commitment obviously it's typically

[05:30:36] some four percent in addition uh focus has agreed to a generous contribution to the housing trust fund as reflected there's a for those of you who haven't been to the virginian in a while supervisor palchek has been there recently as as her staff it's pretty extraordinary the changes in the improvements 65 plus million dollar landmark renovation occurred over the last couple years not without some of the challenges some of the operational challenges i think you'll hear about this evening uh on which we are very focused uh no pun intended and we think critically important but extraordinary changes i remember when the virginian first opened and it's it's pretty

[05:31:15] impressive what's what's been accomplished lots of outdoor amenities in the front as well i won't go through the details but this gives you a quick flavor for some of the both indoor and outdoor improvements. We've proffered to the elevations. We think this is going to be a very attractive front door to the south side of Route 50. Lots of different angles, proposed swimming pool as well.

[05:31:37] This has been a successful precedent, not only for focus at some of its other facilities, but really for these types of continuing care amenities around the country. I think this is a nice perspective. As you all are cognizant, there's a lot of park and open spaces associated with and the surrounding trail system, the southern 10-plus acres will be, I think, a welcome addition to this important area.

[05:32:04] Pedestrian connectivity, we spent a lot of time both with the residents and certainly with staff, ultimately over a mile of sidewalks and trails and critically across the front of the site on the southern portion of Route 50. Connections both to the west, we'll be building a sidewalk that doesn't exist today, to Tower Park, as well as to the east, to the Sunrise, for those of you who are familiar with it, which will here, of course, as the Sunrise immediately lead to the extensive Acatink and cross-county trail system. We do have a couple of operational questions and issues. We'll hit those very briefly this evening. We've distributed a four-page letter that was signed actually by

[05:32:44] the co-founder of Focus, and we've been delighted to have, I think, a fruitful dialogue with our residents of course we've reached out to both Mantua and Stonehurst have had several 75 plus attended meetings of late I'm not going to go through the letter in detail nor am I going to read all this but suffice to say parking kitchen facilities swimming pool couple of hot water issues indoor amenities and some I think some helpful feedback it's not a total panacea but one of the critical things that's embodied in the letter distributed to the board made as part of the record an open and clear commitment to our residents is an ongoing

[05:33:24] dialogue quarterly meetings and I think a lot of good dialogues occurred over the last few weeks and we look forward to continuing to do that we spend a lot of time talking about parking we have both proffered to as well as reflected in the letter we're going to be doing a parking operational analysis that'll be subsumed as part of a site plan for the cottages when that's done the biggest challenge we have not the only challenge but the biggest challenge we have is we we actually have a very high employee ratio we have some 300 employees which is a much higher than usual for the industry standard and when we have the different shifts coming and going there's some overlap and there definitely some

[05:34:00] challenges so I think that valet designation of certain spaces alternative parking options are all something that we will absolutely consider and look forward to working with the residents about when we ultimately proceed with the site plan. Again, the summary reflects the issues that I noted before. We appreciate staff's extraordinary efforts. We've been at this case for quite some time and we appreciate their great work as well as their recommendation in the Planning Commission's endorsement. Mr. Chairman, I'll be happy to answer any questions now or later, sir. Thank you very much for that presentation. Are there

[05:34:36] any questions of staff or the applicant at this time? Any questions of staff or the applicant? I'm not seeing any. Thank you very much. This is a public hearing, and I do have some speakers who have signed up in advance to testify on this matter. I have five that have signed up in advance. Our first speaker is Peter Rainey. Is Mr. Rainey here?

[05:34:57] If you could come on down, and if I call your name, as long as you're close here to testify, there's a few extra seats down here. After Mr. Rainey will be Richard Schein, Evelyn Turner, Jenna Ballard, and George Mueller. If I called your name, if you can be ready to testify, That would be wonderful.

[05:35:16] And our first speaker is Peter Rainey. Welcome. The floor is yours. Is this live? It is. Oh, wonderful. Okay. Kathy and I came to the Virginian in July of 93. And I've got a one-pager that I'll leave with you, but I'll just quickly sit opposite.

[05:35:34] Tony did a great job introducing the subject of parking. We do have a parking problem. What a lot of people don't realize is that back on 20 May 2022, you authorized or the Board of Supervisors in Special Exception Amendment 2021 PR 00200 authorized for the Virginian an additional 75 parking spaces.

[05:36:05] Those parking spaces were never built, and it is the same area as some of the cottages. Now, since then, our parking has been satisfied by putting gravel on a big lot between where the cottages go and where the building is.

[05:36:25] And it's a much better location since it's a much shorter walk for either us elder residents or the staff to get to the building. But it is not marked. There's no way of knowing how many parking spaces there are.

[05:36:40] And my question is, does this area need to be paved and properly marked, similar to what you proposed 30 months ago? Second issue I have is on-street parking. Every day I can look out and hear the ambulance, the rescue truck, the hook and ladder come with it, sometimes twice a day.

[05:37:05] We cannot tolerate a lot of on-street parking, so it needs to be regulated. And with that, I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rainey. Speaker number two is Richard Schein. Mr. Schein is president of the Association of Virginian Residents. Welcome. Good afternoon. My name is Richard Schein. I'm the recently elected president of the Association of Virginian Residents. I address you today on behalf of that organization. First, regarding communications with the applicant. The communications

[05:37:41] of the applicant with our residents about this application has been most unsatisfactory. The problems with that communication are detailed in my written statement that I submitted to you in advance of this hearing. Suffice it to say that the current residents had one meeting with the applicant's representatives after the public hearing before the Planning Commission was closed. The applicant's representatives had a second meeting with the residents on January 8, 2025, less than one week before this hearing, before this board.

[05:38:20] At that meeting, the attorney for the applicant opined that it was too late to make any changes in the application since it had already been subject to a lengthy review process. Therefore, the remainder of this statement will focus on several issues that the resolution of which we are proposing that this board make conditions of its final approval of the application.

[05:38:43] All of these issues and proposed conditions have already been presented to the applicant representatives at the last two meetings. The first condition would be, quote, annual rent increases shall not exceed the annual percentage of price increases as measured by the Consumer Price Index, plus 1%, end quote.

[05:39:06] I have been told that rent at the Virginian has increased by an average of 8% for three of the last four years, including at least 8% for this year, 2025. After the applicant, a for-profit investment group, purchased the facility in 2019 from the then-nonprofit owner, the applicant delimited language in the new residence contracts, which limited the amount of any annual rent increase.

[05:39:36] More disturbing, senior staff has indicated that we can expect annual rent increases of 8% to 10% for the foreseeable future, annual rent increases. As a result, annual rents could increase by 50% in just five years.

[05:39:53] These rent increases, which are well above the amount of inflation, represent a severe hardship for our residents, most of whom are octogenarians living on a fixed income. Having paid a non-refundable $15,000 or $20,000 when they moved in, combined with physical and or mental disabilities, makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to simply move out when the rent increases become outrageous.

[05:40:22] However, this is not a problem, adjusted to Virginian, for as profit investors increase purchase from non-profit owners of the continuing care facilities in Fairfax County in Virginia and around the country, elderly residents as captive audiences are going to be at the mercy of continuing unlimited rent increases by unscrupulous owners, unless government exercises its regulatory authority over the industry. Therefore, if this board cannot impose this

[05:40:56] condition, I would suggest that the board consider legislation to deal with this problem. Or if the board can't deal with legislation, that the board use its influence with the state legislature to address the problem. The second condition I would focus on would be as follows, quote, remodel the kitchen facility sufficiently and increase the staff and staff training sufficiently so that all residents in the dining rooms will be served their entrees within 20 minutes of the placing of their orders with the wait staff. 130 independent living residents and 58 assisted

[05:41:36] living residents have access to the main dining room at the Virginian, which serves breakfast and dinner each day. Because the equipment in the main kitchen and in the small kitchen adjacent to the dining room are very inefficiently organized with some very old equipment and with a staff not fully trained, residents often have to wait for more than an hour to be served their entree after they have placed their order with the wait staff. When the proposed cottages are built, the 48 residents of the cottages will have access to service in the dining rooms in addition to the

[05:42:12] 188 current residents. With that 26% increase in the number of diners, the current delays in service will be severely exacerbated, absent increased training and a remodeling of the kitchen. A delay of only 20 minutes is a standard in the restaurant industry. Since I'm about to run out of time, let me please refer you to my written statement in support of the following two additional conditions. One, quote, the new swimming pool shall be a heated indoor pool, as has been previously advertised, the entrance to which shall be attached to the main building, end quote.

[05:42:50] And the second condition would be, quote, rent and any rent increases shall not be used directly or indirectly to finance any capital improvements at the Virginian, end quote. Now, in closing, I would like to take a moment and to publicly thank, excuse me, publicly thank Commissioner Palchuk for meeting with me in this matter and for all of her assistance.

[05:43:14] And also to thank her Chief of Staff, Devin Farr, and Sharon Williams of the Planning Department for their continuing assistance in this matter. And finally, I would like to thank the applicant's counsel and the applicant for substantially increasing the communications that has occurred in the last week since the January 8th meeting, including the very important commitment letters sent to you today by the owner.

[05:43:42] Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, Mr. Schein. And our next speaker is Evelyn Turner. And following Evelyn Turner will be Jenna Ballard and George Mueller. Welcome.

[05:44:02] My name is Evelyn Turner. I moved to Fairfax County in 1971 with my husband and two children. Our first house was just two miles from what would be the Virginian. In 1976, we moved to Oakton, where we have lived for 49 years.

[05:44:23] I say where we lived. The children have grown up and moved on, unfortunately, to other states. In 2023, my husband of 60 years and beloved physician passed away. He had asked me to investigate the Virginian for us in case his illness were to prevent our living at home.

[05:44:46] I still live in our house on five acres, but I am often asked, when and where am I going to go? Honestly, I don't want to go anywhere. But when I heard of the cottage option at the Virginian, I became very interested.

[05:45:04] Over the years, I had visited residents at the Virginian and liked the setting and the feedback from those friends. I had always wanted a cottage option, as some of my friends in other states and localities had. But all the ones I found were not nearby.

[05:45:22] My home is Fairfax County. I wanted to live close to the home, Virginia, where I was raised, and I wanted to live close to the home, Virginia, where I was raised. and to Fairfax County, the home where my children were raised. I am well, and I'm capable of managing my house.

[05:45:39] But realistically, I want to think of an alternative that is close to what I have and offers transitional living space in independent and in a well-managed senior community. With the Virginian already owning the space to construct these cottages, It only seems natural to me, and I hope to you, to move forward with this new option.

[05:46:08] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number four is Jenna Ballard. Welcome. Hello. Excuse me. I'm Jenna Ballard.

[05:46:23] I'm the Director of Sales at The Virginian and have been since the start of our renovation in 2020. I wanted to share today that we've had the benefit of receiving constructive feedback and open dialogue with our residents at The Virginian.

[05:46:39] Our first meeting recently was in December, followed by our second meeting, as Richard Schein said, on January 8th. And we really appreciate all the feedback that our residents have been able to provide to us. I wanted to share today that our on-site team, our management company, Life Care Services, and our ownership group-focused healthcare partners are all on board and very committed to providing continued dialogue and support for our residents to be productive, as well as address reasonable issues and requests that they may have.

[05:47:13] As we've discussed today, we've spent over $60 million over the last four years renovating and upgrading a 45-year-old building. We felt that our residents absolutely deserved this and have been very detailed and intentional in this process. It was our goal to bring new, modern, and upgraded community spaces that our residents deserved, and I feel like we've been very successful in accomplishing that.

[05:47:38] We're still in our first year post-renovation, and we recognize that there are sometimes hiccups with that, as we did deliver five new dining venues and a number of new amenities that the building did not have when I first arrived. We've worked tirelessly to iron out those details, but I would like to share that our occupancy is nearing 95%, and I anticipate that we'll be at 100% occupancy this winter, as early as March.

[05:48:06] I think that goes to show how much interest and desire remains full at the Virginian. And we've been very successful in delivering care services and amenities to our residents and their family members. As you can appreciate, you know, in the ironing out of these details, that takes some time.

[05:48:23] But I know that we'll get there. And we've come so far already. But the biggest thing for us is having the ability to provide additional diverse opportunities for residents to be able to continue to provide adequate housing with the cottage opportunity for our residents and future prospects, as Evelyn so kindly shared today, as will George after me.

[05:48:47] Supervisor Palchuk, I wanted to thank you and your office for your support over these years from being at our grand opening in 2021 and helping us get to where we are today. We recognize that this is an enormous project, and you've been very dedicated to our team.

[05:49:03] And we look forward to continued efforts in supporting our seniors to provide these cottages. I did want to touch on one last point before I close. With the rate increases over the last six years, I do provide a disclosure statement to every single resident and prospect that comes into the building, which requires an initial.

[05:49:24] We have only had three increases in the last six years, which is exceptional in senior living. industry standard for a rental has changed post COVID. And we are recognizing that that could be anywhere from eight to 15%. I think it is very attractive that focus as our ownership group has chosen to only do three when they certainly could have done more. But we have not exceeded eight percent in the entire time that I have been at the Virginian and our average has been four to five percent. And this is all documented during resident signatures with the agreements and our disclosure. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Speaker number five is George Mueller.

[05:50:04] Welcome. Are there any other speakers here present for this matter? Okay. Welcome, Mr. Mueller. Thank you. Good evening. My wife and I live in the Highgate community in Roslyn in a four-story townhouse, lots of space, two blocks in the subway, a two-car garage, cars, bicycles, and my workshop. We very much like living there, but there are drawbacks. We are in our 80s in reasonably good health, but if we had medical or physical therapy problems, the house is not conducive to supporting

[05:50:41] them. We're both getting tired of doing all of our own cooking, and our social life has greatly diminished in the last few years. Friends are leaving one way or another, and the neighborhood has changed. When we moved there, almost everybody was our age. Now all the newcomers are 30 years old with two kids and a dog and are not interested in somebody else's grandparents.

[05:51:10] So the Virginian or any other retirement community would take care of all the drawbacks, but it would take away the garage, the privacy, the workshop. And so we really look forward to these cottages it's a very very nice transition between our current living status and the traditional retirement apartment there's as near as I can tell the only other cottage community I could find the neighborhood is over in PG County it's very inconvenient for us it would be and also as a buy-in instead of

[05:51:47] a rental so we really prefer this one so we we hope you approve it and if so we hope it's constructions for us next week thank you thank you mr. Mueller thank you for your testimony let me ask again if there's anyone else present who would like to testify on this matter this is a public hearing anyone else who would like to testify seeing and hearing no one let me ask if we have any additional callers no callers no additional callers at this time I would recognize the applicant for rebuttal. Mr. Chairman, Ms. Palachuk, if you will, there won't be a test on

[05:52:27] the four-page letter, but I would turn just to the last page, again, signed by the co-founder of Focus. I think it reflects his personal commitment and sincerity to addressing some of the topics that you've heard today. I would respectfully submit we have kind of a bifurcation, if you will. We have the meritorious cottage application before the board, And we have operational challenges, and I think Jenna said it quite well.

[05:52:49] It's been a wonderful improvement, not without its hiccups, but we are quite committed for all the reasons articulated today and memorialized in the document before you as part of the record to continue, I think, a very helpful dialogue. And I'm glad we're involved in that.

[05:53:05] I would just like to thank Supervisor Palchuk, our good Commissioner, Mr. Hancock, Devin as well, Ms. Lewis, Sharon, have been terrific throughout probably 18 months now. The County Attorney's Office was actually very helpful as well.

[05:53:21] Happy to answer any other questions, sir. Thank you very much. Let me ask staff first for closing comments and recommendation. On December 11, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended approval of RZ 2022 PR-00020 subject to the proffers which are now dated January 10th 2025 and the requested waiver of the service drive the Planning Commission also approved the concurrent FTP provided the rezoning is also approved and staff concurs with those recommendations thank you thank you very much for that

[05:54:00] questions from board members supervisor Palachuk thank you mr. chairman I appreciate the letter and the response a lot of the issues some of those this is clear are operational and not here. The one I was hoping you could speak to is the parking issue that was brought up that is related to this application, both what was approved in 2022 and what their plans are to address parking as well as the multimodal, which we have a major bus line here. A couple quick comments, Ms. Palachuk. So the application that was approved a number of years ago was iterative. I think

[05:54:38] focus realized that we had an opportunity that was not subsumed as part of that application to frankly to proceed with the cottages there is some parking toward the front of the site we do comport with all the zoning ordinance requirements we have committed to the app to the residents as part of the site plan if there are additional modest areas where we can include additional particularly proximate parking to the property as was alluded to by peter we're happy to do that of course consistent with the the plans before you this there are environmentally sensitive areas so we're trying to strike the right balance we

[05:55:16] didn't want to over asphalt an area that's so proximate to Akatink in the RPA we're going to strike the right balance both in the letter and in the proffers we have committed to a parking operational analysis to be included with the site plan we will be reviewing that with the residents ahead of time frankly Peter and Richard and others have had some good ideas that we're already taking into account. So we take these very seriously. We appreciate their constructive suggestions. Of course, we'll coordinate with your office as well, ma'am. Thank you. One additional follow-up question. I know you addressed it a little bit in the letter, but the swimming pool, the amenities, if you could speak

[05:55:54] to that a little bit. Sure, of course. At the time, three or four years ago, we were considering including a relatively small pool in the southwestern wing. I want to say the buildings are going to be about 3,000 square feet. I know that's a desirable amenity. I swim myself.

[05:56:11] And in looking at that and looking at the costs associated with it, I think what we concluded, at least in the short term, was to propose the swimming pool, the pool that's reflected in the cottages application. I didn't even allude to it, but if you look at the diagram, you can see there's a pool.

[05:56:28] We had some good comments from the residents about the fact that it's not immediately next to the main building and perhaps doesn't have some of the amenities that the residents would like. So we're doing a number of things. First of all, that pool, we reserved the ability in our propers to enclose that pool.

[05:56:45] Secondly, we've committed again in the letter to continue the dialogue about potentially adding a pool in the southwestern wing. We think there's some challenges with that, but we're happy to talk about it. And then I think importantly, to the benefit of the residents and frankly, the county, as you know so well, we have Omar as well as the Providence District Rec Centers within a very short distance.

[05:57:10] Jen is already working on shuttle bus. We did this a while ago. We actually didn't have a lot of participation, but we have a lot of water aerobic enthusiasts now. So we'd be happy to continue to take the shuttle buses and, frankly, use those beautiful facilities, which we're all paying for anyway.

[05:57:29] So that's certainly an interim solution, and we'll continue to work with the residents on whether there are ultimate solutions as well. But there will be a pool as part of the cottages. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you very much. Are there any other questions from board members?

[05:57:46] Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I make my motion, first of all, very much want to thank Richard for meeting with me, with our staff, to Peter, who many, many years, I know, served in that role, and to the residents and the staff, both existing and looks like potential future residents, for working through this.

[05:58:19] I mean, it's very clear that the communication issues have to be improved. Those were stated are operational. And to that, I will commit that my office and I will come and visit even more regularly and with the residents to ensure that we continue to support them.

[05:58:39] I also, you know, my history with the Virginian is I grew up two miles down the road. To me, this is a beloved community that is what all of our communities should be. Multigenerational, if you look at the larger area.

[05:58:55] You have the Virginian, you have Sunrise, you have the preschool all the way to the school. And I'm looking back at, I believe it predates former Chairman Supervisor Kate Hanley, who's sitting behind you and was once a Providence Supervisor, but definitely a very well-known and beloved residents, community, which clearly is seeing its age and needed some updating.

[05:59:23] But I know it's been a rough transition going from the original nonprofit way of functioning to the new ownership and right before the pandemic. So I know there are a lot of things that need to be worked out. We will be spending more time with you and your community.

[05:59:40] Hope we'll be invited. And as was mentioned to Richard, to Dick, that we have now connected. There are so many resources in the county to support our seniors and our facilities that are hopefully be able to bring some more support, as well as connecting you to the state-appropriate agencies.

[06:00:01] But we hope that the improved communication will really help. And then finally, the idea of the cottages is why I thought it was very important to consider this, is I was able to convince my mother-in-law to move back from a cottage community in Aiken, South Carolina, to be closer to home, and it became very apparent that we absolutely need more communities.

[06:00:23] As someone who had to leave her grandparents in order to move here with my family when we did, I'm always adopting grandparents, so I hope that all of you will adopt me. I always want more grandparents, but clearly we need more housing options. And I hope that this will, while it's been a challenge and the existing residents need to feel that same love and support as the incoming residents, that I do think that this is an innovative solution.

[06:00:49] In addition to be, before this, the only one I knew of was a for sale cottage community that ended up being quite expensive because there are not many options for that. So I do hope that this brings an additional option and hopefully ideas for other parts of the county to consider the variety of housing options for our seniors.

[06:01:09] So to that, this has been a very difficult process, but hoping that we are coming out of it, and I know we're coming out of it with an improvement with the trails, the connections, the bus facilities, the parking, and really hopefully will be an example of areas we want to see across the county.

[06:01:30] so having said that i do want to um i have two motions and i will go ahead and read those now number one i move that the board of supervisors approve rz 2022-pr-00020 subject to the executed proffers dated january 10th 2025. i further move that the board of supervisors approve a waiver of article 8100.7.e.3, requiring the construction of a service drive along the property frontage

[06:02:04] in favor of that shown on the CDP slash FTP. I will second, Chair will second that motion. Is there further discussion? Let me just thank the folks who came before us to speak today. I don't have near the personal attachment that Supervisor Pouchek does to the Virginian, but I know how cherished it is.

[06:02:25] I know a lot of people who have lived there over a lot of years, and it is a real amenity in Fairfax County. And I really appreciate the four-page letter that was submitted to us that outlines, as Mr. Calabrese mentioned, a lot of commitments to some of the related and unrelated operational issues that are out there, and hopefully we'll continue to see improvements on that.

[06:02:49] And so I'm happy to support the motion. Is there any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you. And our next public hearing is a public hearing on proposed plan amendment 2023-I-1J Alliance Center in the Providence District.

[06:03:19] And I'm going to give our staff and our applicants here a moment to get organized. And as soon as they are ready, we would recognize county staff for a staff presentation.

[06:03:42] Welcome. All right. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and board members. My name is Muhammad Ali. I am joined by Salem Bush and Kelly Atkinson of the Department of Planning and Development, along with staff from Fairfax County Department of Transportation, Michael Garcia and Nandita Paritkar.

[06:04:04] The board authorized the consideration of a plan amendment as part of the 2022 SSPA cycle for residential mixed use redevelopment up to an intensity of a 3.0 FAR as part of the authorization and community feedback staff considered compatibility with scale and character potential impacts to existing uses on adjacent parcels in balance of park/open space and public facilities so the subject site is located at 2929 and 2931 Eskridge Road along the eastern side of Eskridge Road

[06:04:39] and is 3.2 acres. The site contains two two-story buildings comprised of 24 commercial condominium units. The site currently provides office and various commercial uses. The Alliance Center site is surrounded by a telecommunications facility, mixed-use buildings, and residential developments associated with the Mosaic District Town Center. The subject site is located within the Merrifield Suburban Center and within subunit F2. The adopted plan designates the subject site as planned at the base level for industrial and office uses up to a 0.5 FAR.

[06:05:18] There are two recommended options for subunit F2. Option 1 is planned for office and retail uses up to a 0.65 FAR, and Option 2 is planned for residential mixed use up to a 1.2 FAR. The proposed plan amendment envisions up to 358 residential dwelling units and 60,000 square feet in non-residential ground floor uses.

[06:05:45] The Alliance Center is located within the Town Center core area, with a small portion of its southwestern corner located within the area adjacent to core area. The proposal is consistent with the core area plan guidance. The plan text addresses the following staff considerations, including the impacts of the proposed plan amendment in comparison to the adopted plan's recommendations for establishing compatibility with surrounding uses, such as the townhomes to the south and the Mosaic District to the east.

[06:06:16] It also covers multimodal connectivity, accessibility, and transportation improvements along Eskridge Road, as well as the provision of high-quality open space amenities on the subject site. The proposed conditions include the development should include a mix of non-residential uses on the ground floor with careful attention to building design, site design, building height, and transitions to adjacent uses.

[06:06:39] It should also feature transportation improvements such as traffic control measures, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and a visually mitigated parking structure. Additionally, staff recommend providing urban park space on-site in accordance with the urban parks framework.

[06:06:55] This concludes my presentation. The nominator, Steve Teets, who represents the property owners is in the audience and can answer any questions the board may have. Thank you. Thank you very much. At this time, are there any questions of staff? Yes, Supervisor Palchuk.

[06:07:11] Not really a question, but I know this has been a little bit confusing for a lot of our community because this is just a plan amendment there is no zoning application there is no project proposal I think is my first time having just a plan amendment without that if you could just clarify for the record the the nature of this application yes so this is strictly just a plan amendment there is no concurrent rezoning application thank you thank you very much are there any other questions of staff seeing and hearing none I do have a public hearing we do have a public hearing here and I

[06:07:48] I do have a speaker signed up in advance to testify and was acknowledged a moment ago as the nominator, Mr. Steve Teets. If you could come on down. Welcome. And after Mr. Teets, is there anyone else here who wishes to testify on this plan amendment? Thank you.

[06:08:04] Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Steve Teets. I'm a land use consultant and was hired a couple of years ago by the Alliance Condominium to work with this site-specific plan amendment.

[06:08:21] And I point out that I'm by myself as I'm not a developer. I worked with Edens for several years and was their zoning guy. You probably remember me at different weights and stuff like that over the years and brought a lot of amendments and things like that.

[06:08:39] The condominium came to us desiring a higher density because, really, it made sense. The one explanation they did not get to really get to is the 1.25 for the residential, because it did mosaic, is based on a consolidation of properties and building roads and all those type of things.

[06:09:04] It's hard just to do the 1.25 on a piece of property that's left over. So when you look at it in comparison to the individual parcels, again, there was concerns about the traffic measures. There's concerns about that's been brought up about the height.

[06:09:21] I want to point out also we're not asking for anything height-wise. It's different than the comp plan asks for. We're only asking for the additional density on this. The comp plan's heights are still going to be still within what we would propose.

[06:09:38] But again, this is a plan amendment. We do not have any plans right now to sell it. We have, as you heard, 24 condominium owners. And we right now are just trying to make sense for where additional development should be.

[06:09:54] And right next to the Mosaic District and only a half a mile from the Dunloin Metro, this is really where this type of density should be. And I'm available for any other additional questions. Thank you very much. Mr. Tietz, and let me verify again that there's no one else here to testify on this matter.

[06:10:14] This is a public hearing. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. No callers. No callers. Closing comments and recommendation from county staff. On December 4, 2024, the Planning Commission recommended to the Board of Supervisors the adoption of Plan Amendment 2023-I-1J as shown in Attachment 1 of the Board Item.

[06:10:40] Additional modifications were made to the plan text as shown in attachment two of the board item to address additional pedestrian connectivity Staff concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Thank you Any questions from board members last check any questions from board members seeing and hearing none I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion Thank you. Mr. Chairman Before I do, I definitely want to thank all of the staff in front of us and others who've helped, Mahadmet and Salem and Mike and Kelly, the whole team.

[06:11:15] Thank you for your work on this. Clearly, it has been a little bit confusing because there's no rezoning application. I think those of you who know the Mosaic District know those little areas like next to the satellite dish, right, on Eskridge Road. We spent a lot of time over the past six years looking at Eskridge Road, Trying to make improvements there, working with the community there, and I appreciate the comments and the input from a lot of them.

[06:11:42] I think there is some opportunity should, when a proposal comes forward, to help address some of the existing issues as Scrooge was overbuilt. The original plans, I believe, were for another movie theater. And so as we work with the community to try to address some of the existing safety, traffic, pedestrian, connectivity concerns, this will make sure that when something comes forward that it will be an opportunity to try to address what's feasible.

[06:12:14] I also want to make sure that in the plan amendments, appreciate the site design, making sure that there are limits and that there will be a shadow study should we have an application come forward.

[06:12:34] I think there was some confusion over seeing what was shown, which, because there is no application, is really just kind of a visual way to look at what are the limits that could come. In addition, because this is such a tight space right there on Eskridge, kind of outside the official mosaic area in the Merrifield Town Center, Some of the requirements in the comp plan are a little bit difficult to meet on site.

[06:12:59] So I think anyone who comes forward, there will be the need to have a lot of community conversations, especially with the adjacent neighbors. I really appreciate Ms. Zine, who spent time with me with her three toddlers on Saturday, talking through some of the concerns and understanding that we need to make sure that they are the first ones that are met with those existing neighbors should an application come forward.

[06:13:23] I just wanted to clarify that before we move forward with this. So to that, and I think a lot of background was given, the only additional thing I want to say is I'm there almost every day and definitely getting between Eskridge as a pedestrian and Mosaic and the parking structures because the satellite is there, because that property that's owned by Cox probably isn't going to come forward at any time in our lifetimes for redevelopment.

[06:13:55] I think it's important to emphasize the need for improved pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. There are many, many children and hopefully some more seniors moving to this area. So with that, I have a pretty long motion.

[06:14:10] I will try to go through it quickly. We've been able to add some additional options. I hope I'm reading it correctly, but please correct me if needed. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors adopt the Planning Commission's recommendation for plan amendment 2023-I-1J as found in attachments 1 and 2 of the board item and with the following modification as shown in bold and yellow highlighted font with underlined for proposed addition.

[06:14:46] PA-2023-I-1J staff report dated October 23rd, 2024, page 19, as reads option 3. And I do have to read the whole thing, correct? Yes. Okay. Parking structures and loading and trash service areas should be designed to maximize the visual impacts and be oriented towards the...

[06:15:08] She said minimize. Okay. Let me start again. Yes. I will go more slowly. This is my fourth case today. Parking structures and loading and trash service areas should be designed to minimize, thank you, the visual impacts and be oriented towards the alley along the eastern portion of the site and of a compatible design with the existing parking structures on the east side of the alley.

[06:15:34] Any portion of the parking structure that is visible from the adjacent site should have facade treatment or screening that provide visual interest or increases compatibility with nearby structures. Pedestrian facilities should be provided from Eskridge Road to the parking structure and to the alley to the east of the site.

[06:15:56] Additional considerations should be made to provide a driveway connection from Eskridge Road with pedestrian facilities. Connectivity around the site and to adjacent properties is encouraged. End of motion. And I will second that motion.

[06:16:13] 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. Thank you. Thank you. And that brings us to our next public hearing, which is a public hearing to consider an ordinance expanding the Center Ridge Community Parking District in the Sully District and when staff

[06:16:39] is ready we would recognize county staff for a presentation. We're ready when you are.

[06:17:22] Vice Chairman Smith, members of the board, I'm Henry Stein-McCartney, Department of Transportation. This is the public hearing to consider expanding the Center Ridge Community Parking District on Old Centerville Road and the Sully District as shown on Attachment 2.

[06:17:43] the community parking district prohibits parking of watercraft recreational vehicles and all trailers on designated public roads and residential areas within the county the requirements for this community parking district including submission of a verified petition and associated fee have been satisfied and staff recommends approval as proposed thank you are there any questions of staff okay we don't have any this is a public hearing we don't have any speakers signed up

[06:18:20] are there any speakers that have called in no callers are there any speakers in the auditorium okay hearing none i'm asking staff for closing comments and a recommendation from staff staff recommends approval of this item i feel like i need to talk really slow because i need to make the motion yeah i do you want to make the motion for me uh you could be happy to i'll call on supervisor beerman for a motion i move that the board of supervisors adopt the

[06:18:58] proposed amendment to appendix m of the fairfax county code to expand the center ridge community parking district cpd to include old centerville road from centerwood drive to waterwheel way That's seconded by Supervisor Beerman, I mean Supervisor Walkinshaw, I'm sorry.

[06:19:17] Is there any discussion on the motion? Best motion of the day. Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Thank you very much. We worked that one out.

[06:19:33] Okay, and the next thing on the agenda is a public hearing to consider an ordinance to amend and readopt Fairfax County Code Section 7-2-13 and 7-3-2 to rename a voter satellite office, rename a polling place in the Providence District, rename polling places in the Mason District, relocate polling places in the Springfield District, and correct a Scrivener's error in

[06:20:04] Clause 2 of Ordinance 08-24-7, adopted March 19, 2024, in the Providence, Mason, and Springfield Districts. And a presentation from staff. Madam Chairman and Madam Vice Chairman and members of the board I'm here to give an extremely long presentation on because it's listed it's a very long list no actually this is as you know you the precinct locations names and addresses must be set in code and must be set in code properly so

[06:20:41] we're here today to change some names move a precinct and it's I think you have a chart that's pretty clear in Providence District you all changed the names already so we need to change the names of in our books essentially of Hunter's branch of the names of the locations of Hunter's branch its precinct and its satellite which was was the Providence Community Center is now the Jim Scott Community Center the Woodrow Wilson library became the Culmore Community Library for that precinct and Bailey's Community Center is

[06:21:20] now the Minnie H Peyton Community Center at Bailey's and we have two precincts that vote there Bailey's and skyline Fairfax station the Burke Center library that precinct which is Fairfax station is moving back home to st.

[06:21:39] Peter's in the woods and Woodyard, we are proposing to move from Antioch Baptist to Burke Center library to be more appropriately in line with accessibility and access. So I'll answer any questions, that's as long as I can talk. No, no, I can talk longer, but that's as long as I will talk. We know you can talk longer than that, but we appreciate your presentation. Are there any questions of Ms. Hanley? Any questions? Seeing and hearing none. This is a public hearing, and I have no one who has signed up in advance

[06:22:19] 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 verify we have no callers. No callers. No callers. Any closing comments from staff, from Ms. Hanley. None at all. None at all. Excellent. Last call, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Smith for a motion. Thank you, sir. Mr. Chairman, I move approval of the ordinance as contained in the board package to amend and re-adopt identified county code sections related to certain polling

[06:22:57] names in the Providence and Mason districts, to relocate the Fairfax Station and Woodyard polling places in the Springfield District, and to correct identified Scrivener's Errors in Ordinance 08-24-7. And the Chair will second that, along with Supervisor Palaszczuk.

[06:23:13] Any discussion on the motion? Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much. Thank you, and good night. Thank you. Finally, we have public comment.

[06:23:29] That ends our public hearings, but we do have public comment this afternoon, and we are going to move forward with that. I just want to remind a few folks about the rules for public comment. The board will hear public comment on any issue 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.

[06:23:54] 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 disruptive behavior will not be tolerated if a disruption occurs i will call for a recess the board will exit and we will request further staff to address the disruption that's occurring before resuming the meeting we haven't had to do that i don't anticipate that we will have to do that ever hopefully in fairfax county with that i will call the first from our public comment speaker list

[06:24:31] and that is soraya amra and if i call your name if you could please come down close so that you're ready when it's your turn soraya amra will be followed by laura hassan and nick newberry those will be our first three speakers if you can be ready when it's your turn that would be appreciated Ms. Amra, welcome. The floor is yours.

[06:24:53] Thank you. And you said my name correctly, which I'm really impressed. Thank you. So, good evening. My name is Saraya, and I'm a resident of Fairfax County from the town of Burke. I am a Palestinian-American, and I have three kids that attend or have attended Fairfax County schools and one currently at George Mason University.

[06:25:14] I've not spoken in this forum previously, but I've wanted to. I didn't think I'd need to this late in the game, but I wanted to take this opportunity to address all of you, and specifically Supervisor Walkinshaw and his fellow supervisors.

[06:25:34] You are my supervisor from the Braddock District, and in your bio you've stated that your first priority is working with constituents and neighborhoods in the Braddock District to solve everyday problems and support efforts to build community. I ask you, Supervisor Walkinshaw, how do you build community when your community members are being censored, attacked, ignored, arrested, and silenced as part of official policy?

[06:26:00] The genocide in Gaza is affecting us here at home in Fairfax County. Our tax dollars are going to support the genocidal settler colonial state of Israel where apartheid and occupation are the rule of law. While they have spent the last almost 77 years occupying Palestinian lands, denying basic human rights to the Palestinian population, including the right to travel, health care, and education, the complicity of the media and our elected officials have made it more difficult to speak out and counter lies with the truth.

[06:26:30] It is worth reiterating today that what is happening in Gaza is a genocide. The war crimes and crimes against humanity are well documented. There is a mass slaughter of civilians, about 70% of whom are women and children.

[06:26:46] The destruction of infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, food distribution centers, bakeries, water desalination plants, orchards, they have all been destroyed. The numbers of people dead are grossly underestimated.

[06:27:03] Thousands are buried under the rubble. Many are in pieces that a whole body is unable to be found. Entire families have been wiped out. And Gaza now has the highest number of amputees in the world.

[06:27:20] The number of journalists killed is over 200, more than in any conflict in modern history. So I just want you to understand the magnitude of this genocide. Why target journalists that are reporting on events if you have nothing to hide?

[06:27:37] More UN relief workers have been killed, food aid workers have been killed. This is not a war, this is a genocide. History will tell us this. Small changes, one by one, that show the humanity of those of us here will help.

[06:27:54] A ceasefire resolution, which has not been adopted by Fairfax County, would be a step in the right direction. Why does it matter to you and us? In 1990, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors divested from South Africa's apartheid, voting to make no new investments in complicit companies and to phase out existing investments.

[06:28:14] For those of you who keep thinking that Fairfax County is not involved on an international level, it is. Fairfax County is part of the world, and the world is part of Fairfax County. You might not be able to withstand the political and financial pressures of taking moral stances, but your children will tell the story of how you stood on the right side of history when it actually mattered.

[06:28:37] It has been done before and can be done again. Please speak up for humanity. Do the right thing. Cease fire now. I was here. I'm in front of my daughter and in front of everybody. I'm doing the right thing. Whether or not you choose to do the right thing, that's on you. But I can only come here and tell you what is in my heart and what I'm feeling for the last 15 months this has been going on.

[06:28:59] We see it. You see it. I don't have to show you pictures. You know. You know what is going on. You don't have to believe the lies. But thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for your testimony. And, again, when the red light goes off, your time's expired.

[06:29:16] If we could try to adhere to that, it would be fair to everyone, and I'd appreciate that. Speaker number two is Laura Hassan, to be followed by Nick Newberry and Cody Claxton. Welcome. Thank you. Board of Supervisors, my name is Laura Hassan.

[06:29:33] I want to first appreciate this opportunity to comment today. My freedom to express myself here is something I value and am deeply grateful for. On November 7, 2024, two Palestinian-American students at George Mason University had their lives uprooted and the peace in their homes shattered. George Mason University police, joined by FCPD, and a member of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted a six-hour raid on their home without serving a proper warrant. The raid led to the confiscation of personal devices, a four-year suspension from the university for both students, which effectively terminated their education, and firearm charges that were later dismissed by the court. All this for allegations of vandalism on campus. It does not strike me as

[06:30:13] a coincidence that these students, the supposed suspects, were also leaders of George Mason's Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. Nor does it seem coincidental that this raid led to complete disintegration of the sgb chapter the presence of the fbi's joint terrorism task force and the invocation of terrorist propaganda found in their home highlight the deeply troubling motivations behind these actions as a syrian american raised in this county a graduate of george mason university and someone who had plans to return to further my education i find this news horrifying as an arab american who attended a muslim k-12 school not far from here

[06:30:48] I, along with many other Fairfax County citizens, know what it feels like to be treated as though we don't belong, branded a terrorist by our own community. Today I stand before you as a Fairfax County citizen and your constituent to assert that the issue of an oppressed Palestine is in fact a local one. For months we have asked you to support a ceasefire resolution.

[06:31:07] You claim that what's happening in Gaza is not a local issue, but is it not a local issue when students in your county are raided and invaded? When they're targeted, when their homes are invaded by your officers, when your taxpayers demand that their hard-earned wages no longer facilitate genocide. Is it not a local issue when Fairfax County houses the highest number of Arab Americans of all the congressional districts in Virginia?

[06:31:28] Supervisor Herity, my family and I are your constituents. Supervisor Walkinshaw, this rate occurred to your constituents, students of a university located in your district. Board of Supervisors, we are your people. The diverse group of us speaking and sat here today are proof that this is a local issue and it will remain one as long as we are being ignored.

[06:31:48] As long as our students are censored and harassed and as long as Palestine remains occupied. The Virginia-Israel Advisory Board continues to operate and as such the message your constituents receive is that you are more interested in ignoring the problem before you while supporting a foreign nation already found guilty of crimes against humanity.

[06:32:06] Board of Supervisors, you have the power to act. You can do something about this and we won't stop coming back until you do. Thank you for your time in free Palestine. Thank you. Speaker number three is Nick Newberry, to be followed by Cody Claxton and Shelley Arnoldi.

[06:32:25] Mr. Newberry, welcome. Thank you. Hi, my name is Nick Newberry. I'm 29 years old and nearly lifelong resident of Fairfax County, graduate of Oakton High School in William & Mary. Supervisor Paul Cech, we've met several times before, but you're my representative.

[06:32:48] Every year, I dedicate hundreds of hours to Fairfax County Park Authority, leading people in the IMAP program. I consider myself very tied to the success of this county. Today, I'm joining the steadfast chorus of people calling for an end to the genocidal violence in Palestine.

[06:33:08] I've come here and sat here for many meetings. I've listened to Palestinian Americans, cardiologists. Right here, we have someone today who are personally affected. I've heard these stories at this point hundreds of times. I have gone to, at this point, maybe 25 different events, hearing Palestinian stories, hearing stories from Jewish people, including very close loved ones.

[06:33:37] It's been devastating all the way through. A few months ago, I left my job as a high school environmental science teacher. I did that because I could no longer talk to my students and tell them about a world on fire, a world fraught with environmental destruction and genocidal acts.

[06:34:00] In that time, I've been at my wit's end, seeing body parts of children on my screen again and again. I've been felt failed by elected leaders here, congressionally, in the Senate, who say the right thing, and in this case, who don't even say the right thing.

[06:34:22] In that time, I've been arrested four times, three times for climate-related activities, once on behalf of the Palestinian cause, spent night in jail, D.C. Central booking. And while these hit me in the heart, these personal sacrifices, they hurt.

[06:34:40] For me, it is undoubtedly worth it. We have this moment in humanity where we are passing these thresholds on a climate scale. We do not have the budget for genocidal holy wars. We cannot afford these anymore.

[06:34:57] We see the fires in L.A. that are estimated to cost upwards of a quarter of a trillion dollars. We don't know when these will come home, when we'll have another Hurricane Isabel, but maybe worse. We cannot afford to not speak up, because we will see, in the coming months, we will see Palestinian children come here with amputated legs.

[06:35:23] And I do not expect to see any single one of you there if you are not willing to speak up now. Thank you very much. Speaker number four is Cody Claxton, to be followed by Shelley Arnaldi and Don Slayman, who is speaker number six.

[06:35:40] We're on speaker number four. Mr. Claxton, welcome. I'm sorry. Yes, Mr. Claxton, welcome. That's right. Thank you very much. My name is Cody Claxton. I live in Annandale, Virginia right now. I've been a resident of Fairfax County since 1988. I have owned a home, paid real estate taxes, supported the referendums. I raised my children here, ran my own business, and been a completely lawful citizen.

[06:36:10] I've also enjoyed bicycling and enjoying the parks of Fairfax County, which are great, which I helped to pay for with my taxes. As a lawful resident who helped to pay for these parks and trails, I think I'm entitled to use them.

[06:36:27] But in 2012, I received a death threat by voicemail. I did not recognize the voice. I reported it to the police. They could not trace the voicemail. That person is still out there somewhere.

[06:36:43] Could even be in this room right now, for all I know. That is when I realized I needed to defend myself and my loved ones and obtain a Virginia concealed carry permit. I also took a competitive class and became an expert in self-defense.

[06:37:01] I enjoyed my life here, you know, in Fairfax County and was able to carry my concealed weapon here in Fairfax County on the trails while I'm riding my bike without any issue. But that all changed when Fairfax County decided to criminalize the simple act of carrying a concealed firearm on a county trail or inside a county park.

[06:37:25] This has significantly restricted my right to enjoy the very parks and trails that my tax dollars help to pay for. My wife recently started Pickleball, would like me to join, would like me to pick her up or drop her off.

[06:37:40] But now I can no longer do that without disarming myself and putting me and my wife at the risk of a criminal assault. Criminals are not going to care about your gun-free zones here. In fact, it makes their criminal assaults even easier since they don't expect an armed civilian to stop them.

[06:38:03] Guns in the hands of lawfully armed citizens are not the problem. Criminal assaults are the problem. We don't ban vehicles because of drunk drivers, and neither should we ban guns because of criminals.

[06:38:20] You can't stop crimes by banning the right of lawful citizens to lawfully bear arms. Our founders wrote the Second Amendment to give citizens the right to bear arms so that we can stop criminals who attack us. And Fairfax County has ignored this constitutional protection with gun bans on parks.

[06:38:39] As the Supreme Court wrote in Bruin, the constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not a second-class right subject to an entirely different body of rules than the Bill of Rights guarantees.

[06:38:56] That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech. I appeal to this board to at least allow those with a valid concealed permit to carry their firearms on the trails and parks and enjoy living in Fairfax County.

[06:39:12] Thank you, Mr. Claxton. We are on speaker number five Shelly Arnoldi who will be followed by Don Slayman and Marianne Jermaine if I called your name, please Be down here ready to testify when it's your turn. Hello. My name is Shelly Arnoldi I live in the Mount Vernon district Fairfax County I'm a mother of children who have attended Fairfax County public schools since 2010 starting kindergarten I'm an engineer I have a bachelor's of science degree in electrical and computer engineering and a master's degree in environmental engineering

[06:39:51] and I hold a professional engineer's license in the state of Virginia. I'm also a veteran. I served active duty in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 10 years. I transferred over to a civilian engineer and I've worked for the federal government for 27 years total. Prior to moving to Fairfax, I lived in five countries over the span of 12 years, including Cuba, England, Spain, Italy, and Greece. My ex-husband and the father of my children is a Greek immigrant, so technically they're a mixed race. In May of 2021, I received an anti-racism, anti-bias survey from Fairfax County Public Schools. My kids were in

[06:40:30] middle and high school. Schools were closed for over a year. There were mask mandates in place. Grading was being eliminated, and we were getting an anti-racism survey. I asked them what it was about, and they said it came from the one Fairfax policy, so I did some research. I'm not sure if you all know that that policy came from a non-profit policy link in 2012 who did a report that said the GDP in Fairfax would be $26.2 billion more if they closed the racial gaps in 2012. So it's 2025, and I'm not seeing any GDP improvement because of the One Fairfax policy. So I hope

[06:41:07] you will look into this policy and eliminate it. In 2025, property tax was up 50% from 10 years ago. You spent $172 million on community development, which was 50% more than six years ago. So it seems like the only people that are actually benefiting from this policy are the non-residents and the developers. One of the non-profits that you pay roughly $9 million a year to pays the president $400,000 a year. They have nine other paid employees that average

[06:41:45] $170,000. Why are you using our tax money to fund non-profits that pay their employees this kind of salary? That's not a charity. So please eliminate the $2.5 million Office of Human Rights and equity program and any position created to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.

[06:42:06] Also, please eliminate the additional spending on the Green Initiative. It is unfounded, and it is a complete waste of our money. So I ask you to please do your jobs, defend the Constitution, respect your constituents, and stop listening to the nonprofits who are benefiting from our tax money.

[06:42:27] Thank you. Thank you. Speaker number six is Don Slayman, to be followed by Marianne Germain and Craig Traynor. If I've called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome, Mr. Slayman. Good evening. I'd like to request five minutes since I'm speaking on behalf of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation.

[06:42:48] That, I believe, yeah, no, we can't do that during public comment. I'm sorry. Well, the Sierra Club gets five minutes where I go and all the other counties, but I'll tell those counties that. Well, real brief, I'd like to thank the staff of Fairfax County for calling me Friday and letting me know that since I didn't get a chance to speak last year, they offered me up.

[06:43:10] Unfortunately, Friday afternoon, I was diagnosed with pneumonia at MedStar from knocking on doors in Loudoun County, but I didn't want to miss this opportunity. I'm here on behalf of the Labor Federation in Annandale, Virginia. I'm born in Annandale. I mean, not born.

[06:43:26] I graduated from Annandale Elementary School, Poe Intermediate, Annandale High School, And then I went down to James Madison, went to Texas to organize the Sun Belt, because back then, Houston was 10 percent unionized and all the other major cities in the country were over 30 percent. And what we've seen in over the last 50 years of my career is that organized labor is down to 6 percent in the private sector.

[06:43:46] And as a result, we see that Gallup's poll of our nation's institutions, of our annual poll they do, of the 60 institutions, it was at its historic low in 2022. and this hasn't bounced out of it at all. But one of the institutions that is at its highest in that poll is organized labor.

[06:44:07] And the other institutions that are doing well is the military, small businesses, or organized religion. But, you know, it doesn't translate to anything. You know, being right doesn't translate to anything either. You know, we warn folks about trucking deregulation and airline deregulation.

[06:44:23] It was only just three months ago that we finally got a paid leave of health care for the contracted workers of the airline industry through EMWA. It took us all that time. It was only last year that we got the federal government to agree to have, you know, they accused all the railroad unions.

[06:44:40] When I first was raised here in Andil, feather bedding, just three months ago, we decided now we can have two people on a train, one to stay in the engine and one to notify the protective services of what hazardous materials are in a three-mile-long train. We've been warning people about protections for workers for years, but nobody listens to us.

[06:44:58] We're also warning you about your community. You need revenue, and you need to have good, sustaining family jobs. The entertainment district has 5,000 family-sustaining jobs. We have an offer that will make sure every single ancillary piece of stick, everything built will be done with organized labor apprenticeship programs, giving your community the ability to have residents getting the career opportunities with our apprenticeship programs, diversifying our contractor base, and also what it does for housekeeping and the entertainment industry.

[06:45:29] You're talking $33 an hour housekeeping jobs, jobs to sustain a family. I heard about all those parks you're recommending. I love parks, but how about our families? Oh, I'm looking for someone on the board to listen to us, to listen to organized labor, and if you can't help us on this, Find me 5,000 union jobs.

[06:45:49] Go talk to Inova. How are you going to organize the private sector? On Monday, we're recognizing the life of Dr. King, and Dr. King always had his biggest admonishment for those who stayed silent. We need help. We need to create stability in our society.

[06:46:05] Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Slayman. I appreciate your testimony. Speaker number seven is Mary Ann Germain, to be followed by Craig Trainor and Robert Sledzoss. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome. My name is Marianne Germain.

[06:46:23] I'm asking you to support a ceasefire resolution as a message to all residents in our state and federal electeds that Fairfax County recognizes the value of every single human life and that wars end only through negotiations, not continued killing.

[06:46:38] It's time to say enough to the human and financial cost and the ethical cost of the county's continued silence. We're on day 465 of a violent and devastating genocide in Gaza that staggers the imagination.

[06:46:54] We've heard an update this week that 60,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October 7th. It's certainly a gross underestimate, while thousands of civilians remain under rubble. A September estimate from the University of Edinburgh arrived at a conservative total of 336,000 total Palestinians' lives lost.

[06:47:15] Thousands of county residents have family in Palestine and countries under Israel's assault. The board has heard testimony from community members that Israel has killed dozens of their own family members. Neighbors wake up every morning and make calls to check that loved ones have survived.

[06:47:31] It's unconscionable, and more so, that we are allowing this with their own tax dollars. The financial cost implicates every taxpayer. Since October 7th, we have sent more than $22.7 billion to Israel. That's more than $48 million of our taxes per day.

[06:47:50] Most Americans support a ceasefire, and they have since November of 2023. Yet we're now witnessing urgent consequences of critical, unaddressed funding needs here at home. homelessness, environmental disasters, hunger, and a very badly broken health care system.

[06:48:07] Locally, Virginians are learning that since 1996, our state taxes have enabled just one country, Israel, to be formally embedded in our state government and budget. The Virginia-Israel Advisory Board, or VIAB, funnels millions towards Israeli businesses and away from Virginia companies.

[06:48:25] VIAB promotes primarily Israeli military and police technology, like the drones and weapons systems built by Israel Aerospace Industries right here in Herndon and used to kill Palestinians. To learn more, anyone, please go to bit.ly slash dismantleviab.

[06:48:43] Harrisonburg and Charlottesville became the first Virginia cities to adopt a ceasefire resolution almost a year ago. More than 100 U.S. cities have done the same. Fairfax County should be in this group. Last year, a Charlottesville city councilor observed that it was not uncomplicated to take a vote on a conflict that many of his own constituents view as complex.

[06:49:05] That said, I've become convinced that there are times and places in which I, as an elected official, should lend the support of my conscience to a public action like this resolution. This seems to be one of those moments, he said. He called the impact the war has had on innocent lives morally outrageous and said that his city has skin in the game, referring to the fact that his city is a home for many refugees and that the defense secretary also plays a major role in the economy locally.

[06:49:32] In 2017, our former board chair, Sharon Bolivar, reminded us fairness is our shared American value. We note that the county adoption of the One Fairfax Resolution is our ethical and economic commitment to equity in delivering policies and services.

[06:49:49] Adoption of a ceasefire resolution shows that we recognize and honor the value of every human life equally. Thank you, Mr. Maine. I ask for your courageous and humane leadership. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Maine. Speaker number eight is Craig Traynor. And speaker number nine is Robert Sledzis.

[06:50:09] If you can come down here and be ready to testify when it's your turn. And then speaker number 10, our final speaker, will be via video. Welcome. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, Board Supervisors.

[06:50:26] My name is Craig Traynor, and I am the chairman of the Springfield Criminal Justice Working Group, which Supervisor Herity appointed me to when I expressed interest in serving my community. I am here solely in my personal capacity as the Working Group chairman and not on behalf of my employer.

[06:50:42] In August 2021, I moved to the Commonwealth with my wife and one-year-old daughter from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We settled permanently in Fairfax County in 2022. Since 2017, under then-New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City has been swept up in a wave of crime and disorder that continues to this day.

[06:51:05] But New York's decline was not preordained. As the late Charles Krauthammer said, decline is a choice. New Yorkers chose politicians who ended broken windows policing and enacted permissive bail reforms which have now twice been amended but still not sufficient to the day.

[06:51:23] As a result, New Yorkers chose the consequences of these actions. I do not wish to see Virginia go down the same reckless path that New York has. I spent most of my career in New York as a criminal defense attorney and a civil rights lawyer. I can assure you, I do not want to see anyone in jail unnecessarily for even a second.

[06:51:46] I endorse smart and practical efforts to make life more just for all Americans. In 2021, however, Virginia pursued a deeply impractical and wrongheaded approach. The General Assembly repealed all the presumptions against bail for certain criminal offenses and for certain criminal offenders.

[06:52:05] In effect, there is now a presumption against bail in most cases, and it falls to the Commonwealth Attorney to prove that a defendant is an unreasonable public safety risk. Of course, this presupposes the Commonwealth Attorney will do his job. But Fairfax County has Steve Descano, who is to public prosecutors what the fox is to the henhouse.

[06:52:27] The working group studied data in Fairfax County since the 2021 changes and produced a paper, which I believe you now all have in front of you, entitled Caught and Released, Amending the Virginia General Assembly 2021 Bail Reforms to Hold the Violent Repeat Offenders in Pretrial Detention.

[06:52:44] We found that violent crime is up 20% from pre-pandemic years, which is attributable to, one, Commonwealth Attorney Steve Toscano's soft on crime policies, and two, the 2021 bail law changes. We propose a bail law revision that requires magistrates to place a greater emphasis on a criminal defendant's pending charges and current bond status when determining his danger to the public.

[06:53:09] As a result of Supervisor Herity highlighting these issues, we understand that a Democrat senator will soon introduce a bail bill to repeal some of the 2021 bail changes, indicating a growing bipartisan consensus that change is in order.

[06:53:25] Now, I know from firsthand experience that most of you do not value viewpoint diversity or difference of opinion if it strays too far from progressive orthodoxy. But given the importance of this issue, I ask that you suspend that self-regard and sanctimony and consider that you might not have all of the answers and that you might even benefit from the different perspective that the working group has offered.

[06:53:49] Ultimately, we urge you to consider our proposals and to make a choice to support them in the upcoming session. Thank you very much. Speaker number nine is Robert Sledzis, and speaker number 10 will be Layla Taymorian. Welcome, Robert.

[06:54:06] Thank goodness it's not me and you're getting out of here, so that's a relief. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the board for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. Myself and all residents of Fairfax County rely upon the Police Civilian Review Panel to provide oversight of the police department by reviewing complaints submitted by members of the public against uniformed officers and employees of the SCPV that have been investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau.

[06:54:40] Presenting a matter today, a grave concern that I believe the board needs to take action on, namely what I view as a conflict of interest with a current member of the civilian review panel. We expect that these panel members perform their review in an objective and non-biased manner as per the panel's bylaws and codes of ethics.

[06:55:00] I emailed the Board of Supervisors the details surrounding my concerns on December 18th, just in time for the holidays, and Chairman McKay provided a reply on December 19th, stating that the Board will review this matter. He also stated the panel member described in my email was indeed fully vetted and interviewed prior to that appointment.

[06:55:22] This particular panel member's close ties to the FCPD as demonstrated by his membership in the Fair Oaks Community Advisory Committee, his membership and his chairing of the Ruston CAC, his 501C that supports first responders, and especially his membership in the Chief's Community Advisory Council, an FCD organization that meets in private with the Chief without any published agenda or available minutes, All seemed to prevent him from performing his duties on the panel in an objective and non-biased manner.

[06:55:55] Even more telling and troubling was when during its fourth CPRP panel meeting on last Thursday, the panel member emphasized the importance of providing accurate reports to the chief. He seems showing his allegiance to the chief as he apparently has forgotten that the CPRP serves at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, not the chief of police, but to the citizens of Fairfax County.

[06:56:19] It is paramount that all these panel members perform their duties according to the panel's bylaws and codes of ethics because the residents of Fairfax County need to trust the panel. If no action is taken by the board, public trust in the panel and the police department will be greatly eroded.

[06:56:35] Additionally, if this panel member retains his position and conflict of interest issue is unresolved, this panel member, per panel bylaws, will have to recuse himself from each and every review. And that simply doesn't make sense when there are highly qualified Fairfax County residents willing to apply for a spot on this panel.

[06:56:51] I see a simple choice for the board. Number one, remove the panel member from this fielding review panel based on the conflict of interest issue I am raising. Note that even the appearance of a conflict of interest would justify such an action. Or request the panel member step down as rest in CAC chair and resign from the CAC.

[06:57:15] More urgent, the panel member in question was just voting in as vice chair of that panel, even though he's attended only four panel meetings and participated in just one complaint review. CRP members voted in as vice chairs, assumed the role of chair in the following year. The vetting process for panel members, I believe, should be open and transparent and should include current CRP panel members, representatives of the One Fairfax Roundtable, and being open to the public would be in the best interest of Fairfax County residents.

[06:57:48] Thank you very much for your time and attention. Hey, the video. Hello, my name is Lola Taymourian.

[06:58:04] Thank you for allowing me to speak today. I have been a resident of Northern Virginia for 20 years. Ten years of those have been at McLean and Tyson's Corner. I love where I live at Rotunda.

[06:58:20] It's a beautiful community, full of diverse population. There are a lot of children at my community. There are about 700 children at the community that I live at. I love where I live. I love Northern Virginia.

[06:58:36] I ask you officials, our elected politicians, to please listen to your residents. Please listen to the citizens who have elected you. Please kill the bill, the Senate Bill 675.

[06:58:53] We do not want a casino. I don't want a casino. my community doesn't want a casino. Nobody asked the Tysons residents if we wanted this. So please do your job. We elected you. We trusted you. Please kill the bill. There are many reasons that a casino does not belong at Tyson's Corner. I am a mother. I'm a wife and I'm a teacher. I have a passion for children and children are important. We have to keep them safe. There are three schools

[06:59:31] around where a casino will be built, the proposed casino. We need to keep them safe. Please help us by rejecting the bill. There are other reasons not just to protect the children from a casino that will affect our community in a negative way. One other reason is the quality of life issues.

[06:59:56] There will be noise and light pollution and increased activity associated with the casino can negatively affect the overall quality of life for the residents. Another reason is social iniquities. Casinos may disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, exasperating social inequalities within the community.

[07:00:20] Loss of community identity is another concern. The introduction of a casino can alter the community's character, potentially eroding its original identity and values. This is particularly harmful to the comprehensive plan for Tysons that has been so successful to date.

[07:00:36] Another reason is permanent disturbance to nearby towns and neighborhoods. Casinos operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The presence of one would exasperate existing traffic challenges in Tysons and adversely impact the quality of life of thousands of residents in the region.

[07:00:53] Thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you for your testimony. And that brings us to the end of public comment. And if there's no further discussion, that also brings us to the end of our board meeting of January 14th, 2025.

[07:01:09] And with that, our board is adjourned.

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