Coraggio Consulting
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Place: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 4h 50m (video)
Official meeting video (Fairfax County): https://video.fairfaxcounty.gov/player/clip/4050
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 2026-10-28. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:11] Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our board meeting of February 17th, 2026. And we're going to begin our meeting, as we always do, with a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. But before we rise for a moment of silence, I'm going to share about a few folks that we've lost and, of course, ask my colleagues to weigh in as well.

[00:00:33] And unfortunately, the list is long and, you know, some of these are very close individuals to some of us on the board and certainly close to why the county is the success story that it is.

[00:00:50] And I'm going to begin with the one that has has shocked us all, which is yesterday, the passing of former supervisor, Mike Fry. And Mike represented the Sully District on the board from 1991 to 2015.

[00:01:10] And we know prior to his election, he worked for both Chairman Herity, Jack Herity, and Springfield District Supervisor Elaine McConnell, serving Fairfax County and its residents for a total of 37 years. He was a friend of mine for 30 of that 37 years, which is hard to believe.

[00:01:29] Of course, we know about all that Mike did on this board, but Mike had a love of some things that many of us on this dais also have a love for. First, a love for the county. When he finished his 37 years, he never stopped serving this county, and he never stopped serving this county in so many ways.

[00:01:51] We shared a love of youth sports, and Mike was heavily involved in our youth sports community and remained heavily involved in it, not just as a supervisor, but after he left this board. And, of course, we know that the animal shelter right around the corner from here is named in Mike's honor for all the work that he did promoting animal welfare.

[00:02:14] And I think, you know, the humanity of Mike cannot be understated. We're all in shock today to hear this news. I do know that there will be opportunities in the future for us to memorialize and to celebrate the life that Mike Fry lived, and we're looking forward to being able to announce those in the future.

[00:02:36] And, of course, we will have Channel 16 compile a tribute video to Mike, as they do when we lose colleagues on this board. And unfortunately, we have lost too many of them lately with both Jerry Hyland, Jerry Connolly, Supervisor Hudgens, and now Supervisor Mike Fry.

[00:02:56] You know, I just met with Mike a week or so ago on work that he was doing on the animal shelter. And, of course, he was as vibrant and as active as always, showing up with his Philly shirt on, which was a reminder to all of us that none of us are perfect.

[00:03:14] Mike was an avid Philadelphia sports fan and I think showed up always celebrating that. But what I will remember, Mike, as a dear friend, somebody that I talk to often, somebody who I always look forward to every year playing together in the animal shelter golf tournament that he had a passion for, texting me and emailing me about college sports and youth sports and who he had won a lunch from and who we wanted to bet on a sports game with, but Mike did so much for this county,

[00:03:50] and it's just a shock that he has left us far too soon with so much more to give to the community. And so as I mentioned before, we will make sure we share plans with the county about ways that we can pay tribute to Mike as we move forward.

[00:04:10] And before I go through the rest of these, I'm going to ask if anyone else would like to weigh in on the passing of Supervisor Frye and, of course, our current Sully District Supervisor and Supervisor Herity, Supervisor Smith. Oh, it was such a shock to find this out yesterday.

[00:04:28] Mike was the supervisor when I was on the school board. We had a great relationship, but his service to the community and what he has done for this community and ensuring that there were ball fields for kids. And after he left the board, I asked him to serve as chair of our Dulles Suburban Task Force for the Comprehensive Plan.

[00:04:49] He said yes right away. But it's the Sully Historic Site. It's his involvement with animals. He used to have Great Danes, and then he decided to start adopting animals that nobody else would adopt. Just as a commitment.

[00:05:04] I had so many things I wanted to say, and it's just hard. You have somebody that gives their life in service in their job, and they continue that life in service. The youth sports, his involvement with all of that, just we lost a really, really good guy.

[00:05:20] It makes me very sad. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. Supervisor Herity. Yeah, and I am kind of in shock, too. I mean, because anyway, his, and I think Chairman, Mr. Chairman, your point about how he continued on and all the stuff he did, afterwards, and it was all behind the scenes, which was kind of typical Mike.

[00:05:48] He was taking care of geriatric dogs that couldn't get adopted. I never understood how he became a cat person, but he was always a cat person. He had the two German shepherds, the menagerie at the office with the chinchillas and the guinea pigs that Supervisor Smith had inherited.

[00:06:10] and had to clean up but I got to know Mike way back in 78 when he it was wasn't the first year he's working for him but when with that first campaign and we hit the campaign trail and just had a lot of fun back in the the good old days before I was elected and it was he's just always been here I still remember sorry Supervisor Smith him always saying the first and only Sully district supervisor because he was the first one elected to that position when Springfield grew. You mentioned, you know, the Centerville Historic

[00:06:49] District, Udvar-Hazy, the World Police and Fire Games, Sully Woodlands and Preserving Sully Woodlands. The list goes on and on. Youth Sports, he was, every time either of any of us went to SYA or CYA, he was there. But kind of the the most memorable one of the more memorable things is you never heard anything anybody say anything bad about Michael Fry he was he was simple always

[00:07:21] looking to do good he loved local service and it was a passion of his I did talk to his his sister Elena and we're gonna try to pull some kind of celebration of life together here in Fairfax County so we will be doing that But I asked we keep her and his three nephews and the rest of Sully District.

[00:07:47] I didn't mention our police department. He was a staunch defender in good times and bad of our police department when they really needed it. And I'll always remember him from that. That's something I inherited from him. He was my mentor when I joined the board and a big loss for the county.

[00:08:06] Sorry to ramble. I could ramble longer. No, I appreciated Supervisor Herity, and I think all of us have a lot of stories to tell about Mike and are looking forward to an opportunity to do that when we get past this initial shock this morning, Supervisor Alcorn.

[00:08:23] Yeah, thank you. Yeah, my dates don't go back quite as far as Supervisor Herity, but just two acts of kindness that I wanted to relate. One was when I was a 20-year-old intern in 1987, and Mike was the chief of staff of William McConnell's.

[00:08:45] And, you know, I'm some 20-year-old UVA punk. And Mike was nice to me. He was kind. You know, he would talk to you. And, you know, it was kind of a crazy time politically, you know, on the board, and a lot of rancor, but he was kind.

[00:09:03] And I remember that. And then the other time relates to what's already been mentioned. Two or three years ago, I saw Mike, and I was talking with him about one of my college-age kids who brought a senior cat home and left it, you know, with us.

[00:09:25] And so Mike and I spent the next 10 minutes talking about basically how to care for such an animal and sort of his experience, what worked better, you know. And then, of course, it's not just cats and dogs, as you said. I mean, so he's got to have been, this is weird, but he's got to have been the kindest Philadelphia Phillies fan ever.

[00:09:52] Ever. Truth. We'll miss you, Mike. Truth. Thank you. All right. And as I mentioned and Supervisor Herity mentioned, we'll be sharing more information. And I think the last thing I just want to mention about Mike, because there's so many that he touched, but I do want to give a shout out to all the former staff members who worked for him.

[00:10:15] And I know that Megan Kiefer and Mike Coyle in particular are involved with you and with Supervisor Smith and trying to make sure we properly inform the community about events moving forward and times that we can get together and celebrate all Mike did and also share some laughs because one thing we didn't mention about Mike, but I can't think of a time I had a conversation with him where it wasn't heavy laughter. I mean, Mike really enjoyed life, enjoyed what was going on in his county, and enjoyed getting a laugh out of it, which I think

[00:10:50] should be medicine for all of us, especially during tough times. And so we'll continue to keep Mike and all those he touched in our thoughts this morning, including a whole lot of people in this county. Secondly, speaking of touching a whole lot of people in this county, it's also with deep sadness we learned the passing of former Deputy County Executive Verde Haywood. And Verde passed away at the age of 77 on February 6th. He worked alongside five county executives and six board chairs during his time in Fairfax County. We know him,

[00:11:27] of course, as the architect of the county human services delivery system. And Verde did so much in this county, including helping to establish the county's office to prevent men homelessness before he retired in the county in 2010.

[00:11:44] And, you know, I think the things that he has done for this county can be seen everywhere. I know I was remembering when I was notified of his passing the day that we named the conference center in the Mount Vernon government, or the now Jerry Highland government center on Route 1 in honor of Verde, and it was so appropriate because not only were there a lot of human service agencies in that office, but also the conference center is what brings people together to talk and to meet and to solve problems, and Verde brought people together.

[00:12:18] I mean, that's what he did, and if you knew Verde as well as I did, and some of the people listening might have known Verde as well as I do, if not better, the laugh that he had was something that you would never forget, and the way that he approached things, kind of his deep Mississippi roots would come out from time to time, but the way that he approached things was just built on endless compassion. I mean, he was pragmatic. He understood human services, and one of the reasons he established a system is that he knew human services needed to be efficient,

[00:12:54] fiscally responsible, but he also knew that there were a lot of people in this county counting on him and the many people that work on human services to change their lives, and Verde changed so many people's lives in this county that we'll never meet him or never even heard his name, and like Mike, it wasn't about the attention on him. It was about getting the job done for the residents of Fairfax County, and Verde was a trailblazer. He too, like Mike, continued to serve this county After he retired, I remember the last time I met with him was when he was on the Board of Service Source,

[00:13:33] and he was working on some of the issues that they were dealing with and continuing to give back to our community. But Verde was a giant, literally, but also a giant in human services and did so much for this county. And if we could keep Verde Haywood, his family, and all the people who worked with him in our thoughts and prayers, Sadly, his memorial service is today, right now during our board meeting, or many of us would be there.

[00:14:01] But we are there in spirit with him and his family and wishing them well in this tough time and with this tough loss. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the words that you have expressed for Verdi.

[00:14:19] And I'll just note, when I came to this county in 1989, I was working for Kate Hanley in her office. And I said, Kate, I want to work in human services. My passion is to help people.

[00:14:36] And I think that's the course and direction I'd like to proceed in. And she said to me, I'm going to introduce you to Verde Haywood. So she took me over to his office. And I sat down, had maybe 45 minutes with him, and I knew immediately that he was so passionate and committed to his work.

[00:15:00] And I just appreciate having the opportunity to move into human services for a number of years. I spent five years there. I worked on the human services redesign effort, which was Verdi's fundamental point that we had to consolidate human services.

[00:15:21] We had to take roughly 13 agencies and compress them into about six. And I just remember him talking about the importance of it. And once it was done, to see that that model still works today, he was right.

[00:15:42] 30-plus years later, the CSP model is a model that we still use. He was so passionate about the things that he did. And you're right, Mr. Chairman, his laughter, his humor were uncommon, just special.

[00:16:02] And I appreciated him for a number of reasons and really looked up to him as a mentor in so many ways. But the thing that I acknowledge the most about him is he was a very simple, caring, committed person.

[00:16:26] And it came out. It came out in every action and deed that he had. And I'm just so affected by learning of his loss. I even spoke to Supervisor Alcorn yesterday about this and said that I've lost Jerry.

[00:16:49] We've lost so many pillars of this community in the last year and a half. And it's tough. And I've got to do a better job. I'm committing to him. I'm committing to all of you. I've got to do a better job to connect to those people who are still with us and to make sure we acknowledge and express our support for them.

[00:17:18] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And never forget and continue the work of the ones we have lost because they're with us in spirit. And as I mentioned earlier, so much of the county's success is because of the people that we're talking about here today.

[00:17:34] Supervisor Stork. I think both your remarks are spot on, and I think it is about people in our lives that truly inspire but also elevate us, also have us think about how we can reach higher, stronger, if you will, faster, to use an Olympic thing.

[00:17:55] But they were Olympians for Fairfax County, truly iconic figures that made phenomenal differences. I'm talking about Michael Fry and Verdi Haywood. Verdi in particular on the highway was crucial to really taking an amalgamation of not-for-profits and who are trying to do different things and helping bring them together and really form a team that was phenomenally improving of the benefits and the opportunities

[00:18:31] and the potential that people could realize because they took the time and effort to do that. It's very appropriate that the conference room at the Highland Center, both of those names associated together, are truly together. And then I would add, I know Michael Fry and Jerry Highland were also very close, and they both loved animals.

[00:18:54] So those connections and those losses, if you will, of the last year and a half, I think has been well said, are ones that I think will affect all of us. And again, hopefully elevate us and get us to think about how we can positively, kindly make a difference in lives.

[00:19:12] And I think that's our objective. That's why we're here. And thank them for helping us to see that and hopefully continue to work hard to achieve it. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. And I'm going to mention a few others and then invite my colleagues to add to that.

[00:19:29] I'm also sad to announce, and the board got notification of this on February 12th, we learned the passing of Fairfax County Firefighter Brandon Winfield after a very brief illness. And Firefighter Winfield was hired in 2006 as a member of Recruit Class 121, went on to serve this county for 20 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.

[00:19:55] He was an exceptional mentor and friend who lifted spirits wherever he went. He sadly leaves behind his wife, Rebecca, daughters Dylan and Robin, extended family, loved ones, and especially his colleagues in the Fire and Rescue Department.

[00:20:14] I pass by the Kingstown Station a lot where Firefighter Winfield served, And they have made a mark out there to make sure that those passing by that station understand that they have lost one of their own.

[00:20:32] And obviously, when you live, as you do in a firehouse with colleagues, you become very close to them, like family. And certainly, the family that he worked with throughout his career in the Fire and Rescue Department, we want to keep in our thoughts and prayers.

[00:20:48] And I know that our department has been supporting his wife and children significantly since his passing on February 12th. Again, it was sudden in the sense that it was a very brief illness that led to his passing.

[00:21:05] And so if we could keep firefighter Brandon Winfield in our thoughts and prayers, as well as the rest of the fire and rescue department and his immediate family, that would be appreciated. We also learned of the passing of Richard Kennedy, and I'm sure Supervisor Alcorn will want to add to this here in a moment, but Richard was the Hunter Mill District Commissioner on the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority from August of 2009 until very recently, December of 2023.

[00:21:35] He was committed to advancing the county's affordable housing efforts and played an instrumental role in the transformative development projects that happened during his tenure with the authority. Prior to joining FCRHA, Richard spent a career as a senior executive with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, and upon his retirement received the Distinguished Service Award, HUD's highest honor.

[00:21:59] And those of us who had an opportunity to work with him knew his passion for affordable housing, not just in Hunter Mill District, but countywide. And we want to thank him for his tremendous service to our nation, but also to the county and keep his family and loved ones in our thoughts during this difficult time.

[00:22:17] And then lastly, while this was national, not really directly in the county, I think all of us woke up this morning to learn the passing of Jesse Jackson, which, you know, seems during Black History Month in some ways appropriate that Jesse Jackson, you know, was such a leader in equity and opportunity and such a leader in the black community, but also far beyond the black community and the work that he did.

[00:22:49] And we recently celebrated Martin Luther King Day, and obviously Jesse Jackson was a key component to all the things that Martin Luther King accomplished and he continued to accomplish in his life. And he passed away as a result of his Parkinson's disease, but obviously the work that Jesse Jackson did with the Rainbow Coalition and some of the other groups that he sponsored most certainly made a mark on so many people who live in Fairfax County and are guiding principles in the equity work that we do

[00:23:25] under our One Fairfax Pledge, and we want to keep Jesse Jackson, his family, in our thoughts and prayers this morning as well. And with that, I'd be happy to recognize any of my other colleagues. Let me start on this side. We'll work our way down. Supervisor Lusk.

[00:23:43] Thank you for the comments on Reverend Jesse Jackson. I'll say that it's a little bit of a shock, again, this morning to hear that news as well and just acknowledge his commitment to civil rights and his work over the many, many years.

[00:24:02] I think he started when he was 17, fighting discrimination at a local library in Greenville, South Carolina. He was there with Dr. King at his death and made his commitment to do so many things with the Rainbow Coalition.

[00:24:21] But I'll acknowledge that his simple words to so many African-Americans at the time, you know, I am somebody, I am somebody, was so important, pivotal in helping people acknowledge their value and their worth and to establish their importance, their own identity as Americans, black Americans, African-Americans in this country.

[00:24:56] So it's a huge loss having heard that earlier today. So thank you again, Mr. Chairman. And I'll join and say Firefighter Winfield was in, as you mentioned, Fire Station 37 on the C-shift at Kingstown, served so many years there.

[00:25:18] Many of those who knew him and several of the pleasure to talk to said he had a rare ability to lift spirits and put a smile on anyone's face, whether it was a colleague, after a long tour, or citizen on their worst day.

[00:25:37] I extend my deepest consoled condolences to his family and wife, daughters, and his colleagues. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Luss. Supervisor Beerman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to acknowledge the passing of Bryce John Robert Jameson, age 10, who passed away last week in Herndon.

[00:26:00] The whole Herndon community is reeling. He was a fifth grader at Herndon Elementary School. He was absolutely beloved in Reston Herndon Little League. He loved playing chess. He loved his teammates. And his favorite teams, in keeping with the theme of today, were the Philadelphia Phillies and the Philadelphia Eagles.

[00:26:21] He was active in the Herndon SAC program since kindergarten. And his loving and devoted parents, Robin, Allison, Jameson, his beloved sisters, Abigail and Megan, I know that they're reeling right now as well.

[00:26:36] The family will receive friends this Thursday at the Adams Green Funeral Home in Herndon from 5 to 6 p.m. with the service at 6 p.m., and I just hope we can all keep the family and the Herndon community in our thoughts today. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman, and you triggered another sad moment that I forgot, and I kind of forgot because this hits so close to me as I have two kids at Hayfield Secondary, but Hayfield Secondary also announced the passing of one of its students,

[00:27:13] And that was the passing of Ian Ramirez Rivera, who was a sophomore at Hayfield Secondary. And, you know, the students who knew him and the faculty that knew him obviously are very distraught over his sudden loss of Ian.

[00:27:32] I was at church on Sunday, and they honored Ian. He was very active in the St. Louis Catholic Parish, playing on their basketball team, attended St. Louis Elementary School kindergarten through eighth grade before going to Hayfield Secondary as a student, and again, he was a sophomore, very active at the school, and if we could keep Ian Ramirez Rivera and his family both at the St. Louis Parish who were close to him and at Hayfield Secondary in our thoughts and prayers would be appreciated.

[00:28:07] others who would like to be recognized. Okay, a lot to reflect on this morning, and if all those who are able to could rise for a moment of silence to be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

[00:28:20] Please face the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

[00:29:06] and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And we are going to take care of two matters before we turn to the county executive's presentation on the budget.

[00:29:33] And the first is appointments to boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory groups. And let me ask first if Supervisor Smith has a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the document dated February 17, 2026, for appointments to boards, authorities, and commissions.

[00:29:53] I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palczyk. Is there any discussion or any individuals that the board would like to vote on separately? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[00:30:08] Any abstentions? And that motion carries Supervisor Stork being out of the auditorium at the moment. And we now are going to move to our report on general assembly activities. And let me turn to our legislative chair, Supervisor Jimenez. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[00:30:25] The Legislative Committee met on Friday, February 13th, 2026. Board members received the report from the committee. The county's initiatives continue to move through the legislative process. The first initiative addresses noise abatement monitoring systems and transportation safety.

[00:30:43] And the second initiative expands authority to the Fairfax County Park Authority to ban sex offenders from park facilities. Both bills must still pass the full house. Our third initiative to fund the Urban Public-Private Partnership Redevelopment Fund, which would provide incentives to make underutilized spaces economically productive, has failed in the House.

[00:31:06] In the Senate, legislation was turned into a study and passed in this form. Legislative staff will continue to provide updates to the Board on the progress of these bills. The Legislative Committee received updates on several bills related to priorities for the county, including housing and regional transportation funding, among other topics.

[00:31:29] Today is crossover at the General Assembly, which is the deadline for bills to pass their originating chamber and crossover to the opposite chamber. As of February 15th, over 2,700 bills were introduced for consideration this session.

[00:31:48] More than 773 in 607 bills have already passed both the House and the Senate in some form, respectively. Over the next three weeks, over 1,200 bills will work their way through the legislative process for final reporting.

[00:32:05] The 2026 session is rapidly heading into its schedule adjournment on March 14th. By midnight on Sunday, February 22nd, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees must complete their work on the budget bills prior to their consideration by the full body of each House on February 26th.

[00:32:29] In line with precedent, it is expected that each chamber will reject the other's budget and appoint members to a conference committee to resolve these differences. Legislative staff will continue to closely monitor the budget process as they work with legislators to advance county priorities.

[00:32:47] Additional updates will be provided to the board as they become available. I would also like to remind my colleagues of the county's reception in Richmond on Thursday, February 19th, which is this Thursday, which will provide an exceptional opportunity for productive in-person conversations with our delegation members.

[00:33:05] I will also highlight that before our reception, the General Assembly will be honoring our county's longtime lobbyist, Claudia Arco, with a resolution in her memory on each of the floors' chambers. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I move that the board adopt legislative committee report number two.

[00:33:20] I'm happy to second that. Is there discussion on the motion? I will just say, as we were talking about Supervisor Frye, he would want us to get a good laugh right now, so I'll remind people of his famous phrase, which is, when the General Assembly is in session, nobody is safe.

[00:33:39] But we do appreciate all the work of our delegation and our staff down there, but Mike enjoyed that phrase a lot. Supervisor Herity. I shouldn't share my dad's phrase, but I'll share it. When he was testifying before the General Assembly, he said, the citizens of Fairfax County would be better off if you all never met.

[00:34:00] So he took it a step further, but I'll say that in Mike Fry's memory. We should be sharing these things after they adjourn this year, but it is no statement on our current General Assembly and General Assembly members, But a little bit of levity and a heavy morning is appreciated.

[00:34:21] So if there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. And that now takes us to the county executive's presentation on the proposed FY 2027 and FY 2028 multi-year budget plan.

[00:34:41] And while our county executive is approaching the podium, I just want to remind our viewing public that this is the first time that any member of this board will be seeing the budget presentation, that this is, in fact, the county executive's budget presentation and the very first starting point of our budget conversations that will be going on here in the weeks and months ahead, including public hearings, public meetings in our board offices, and a lot of discussion. And so this is the kickoff of the budget. This is not the actual budget that will

[00:35:15] be adopted by the board because we always make adjustments to it. But this is in fact the county executive's budget. And before he presents, I do want to thank him and his team who's here, his budget team, for all the tremendous amount of hours that have gone into the budget that we're about to hear and all the hours that will be spent in the weeks and months ahead as we head towards budget adoption with our talented staff. And with that, I will turn over to our county executive, Brian Hill. Welcome. Thank you, Chairman McKay. And before I start, I just want to say thank you

[00:35:52] to Fire and Rescue. Yesterday, they dealt with a situation in Centerville that I thought was exemplary, to say the least. Eric Craven took over the situation with our crews there, And Supervisor Smith, thank you for being there.

[00:36:12] You know, it just tells you that we are the best in how we handle things. And I want to also thank Tom Arnold. Kept me apprised of the situation approximately. I think it was Sunday evening. I heard two fire trucks go by my house.

[00:36:29] And then I heard an ambulance. And I heard two more fire trucks. And I said, wow, that's a really big fire. And to wake up on Monday seeing what was going on was a testament of what we do. And it's a testament that the board supports what we do. And we really want to say thank you to that.

[00:36:47] You also mentioned the budget team. So I'm going to do something to get this out of the way quick and fast. The budget team would stand up. That means you, Jesse, and everybody, stand up. I just want to say yesterday we spent most of the day here.

[00:37:05] The one thing that they told me, guys, still stand up, is if we can move the budget either up a week or back a week. Because we would like a day off, too. Right? All right. But guys, thank you for all the hard work. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, as I present my ninth budget, I want to begin with a clear message.

[00:37:33] Fairfax County is stable, competitive, and positioned for growth. But we are doing so largely through our own discipline and leadership. Despite being Virginia's largest economy, economic engine, the economic center that powers the Commonwealth, We have received limited state investment relative to the infrastructure and competitiveness Fairfax County provides.

[00:38:02] That reality underscores the importance of strong local stewardship and the foundation led by this board and those who came before you. I thank you all for your leadership.

[00:38:21] I truly thank you all for your leadership. Our strategic plan has guided us through extraordinary challenges and positioned us for us for long-term success. It has not simply articulated goals, it has shaped decisions.

[00:38:36] It has focused our investments on economic competitiveness, housing, infrastructure, renewal, and yes, operational excellence. Because of this framework, we successfully have navigated a global pandemic, inflationary pressures, and structural shifts in the office market while preserving the county's financial strength.

[00:39:05] Today, Fairfax County is not simply recovering, we are stabilizing and we are also advancing. Our commercial tax base, particularly in the Providence District, has stabilized following a period of market correction. As the county's largest commercial district, Providence remains central to our economic future and its stabilization positions it for reinvestment, modernization, and renewed growth.

[00:39:39] At the same time, emerging districts such as Sully are generating strong commercial expansion, reflecting the county's continued economic diversification. Supervisors Palczyk and Smith, thank you so much for your stewardship.

[00:39:56] This balance, stabilizing legacy economic centers while fostering new growth corridors, reflects the strength of our strategy and the resilience of our economy. But to fully realize the next phase of our strategic plan, we must continue to invest locally and strengthen partnerships at every level, including the Commonwealth.

[00:40:20] Today, I'm proud to present my ninth advertised budget plan, a budget that reflects stability in uncertain times, disciplined financial management, and a clear alignment with our strategic plan. This plan invests in our workforce, supports our schools, renews critical infrastructure, and protects the county's long-term fiscal strength, all without increasing the tax rate.

[00:40:50] Again, all without increasing the tax rate. I will now walk you through the framework and components of the FY 2027 advertised budget plan, which most importantly, it positions Fairfax County to remain financially strong, operationally reliable, and focused on serving our residents.

[00:41:16] This budget reflects stability and discipline. We have provided $118 million in increased support to the Fairfax County public schools, reinforcing education as our highest priority. We have invested in employee compensation to recruit and retain high-performing workforce.

[00:41:35] We restore capital renewal funding and modernize IT infrastructure to protect operational reliability. These investments are offset by almost $33 million in targeted reductions, demonstrating continued fiscal discipline.

[00:41:57] After all adjustments, a balance of about $23 million remains available for board consideration. This preserves flexibility while maintaining structural balance. Revenue growth has normalized following the volatility of a pandemic and recovery period.

[00:42:22] In fiscal 2027, revenue growth is projected at 3.7 percent, reflecting moderating real estate appreciation and economic normalization. This is down from 4.5% last year, but still healthy, but still a healthy increase that reflects a stable real estate market and the full-year impact of food and beverage tax.

[00:42:49] Again, full-year impact of the food and beverage tax. Real estate remains our largest and most stable revenue source, representing nearly 65% of our general fund revenues. For fiscal 2027, real estate revenue is projected to increase 3.6%.

[00:43:09] Personal property taxes are expected to rise 3.1%. Both the number of vehicles and average vehicle values are trending up. The food and beverage tax, which went into effect January 1st, is assumed to provide revenue of $136 million with a full year of collections in fiscal 27, up from the $68 million for the half year in fiscal 26.

[00:43:41] This is consistent with the flat projection that we included in our December forecast, and we don't yet have actual collection data. Staff will monitor this closely in the coming months. Finally, investment interest is projected to decrease by 10%.

[00:44:02] After several years of strong growth when the Federal Reserve raised rates to fight inflation, revenue will decline as rates normalize following recent cuts. Now it's time to take a little closer look at our real estate tax base, which obviously is the foundation of our budget.

[00:44:24] Fiscal 2027, the total base is projected, as I stated earlier, to grow. It's going to grow to 3.77%. That increase comes from two components. Equalization, which reflects changes in existing property values, adds 3.32%.

[00:44:43] And growth, which includes new construction, adds another 0.45%. Residential properties continue to drive most of the growth in the tax base with an overall increase of 4.31%, while non-residential properties rose 1.84%.

[00:45:01] The average homeowner will see an increase of about $357, reflecting appreciation of property values. Again, not a tax rate increase. Each penny in the tax rate generates approximately $35 million in revenue, highlighting the importance of disciplined financial management.

[00:45:25] Residential properties now represent nearly 79% of the tax base. The market remains strong, but growth has moderated to more sustainable levels.

[00:45:41] Overall, residential equalization is just under 4%. The commercial sector is stabilizing following significant disruption.

[00:45:58] Office vacancy rates declined for the first time since 2019. Industrial properties, including data centers, continue to perform strongly. Office elevator buildings, which makes up nearly a quarter of the non-residential base, are still down, but the decline is moderated.

[00:46:19] Overall, non-residential equalization turned positive at 0.92% after two years of declines. This reflects early signs of stabilization and long-term recovery.

[00:46:36] This slide brings together the big picture of fiscal 2027, both revenues and disbursements. On the revenue side, the budget assumes the current real estate tax rate.

[00:46:54] Again, I'm not proposing a rate increase. I just want to make sure everybody hears that. We're not proposing a rate increase. Growth is driven primarily by the real estate tax base and by the full-year impact of the food and beverage tax. Again, full-year impact, which adds significant new revenue after its January 2026 implementation.

[00:47:15] We also include modest fee adjustments, including for zoning, fire marshal, athletic service, and EMS transport fees, as well as the implementation of a fee for the middle school after school program in coordination with the schools.

[00:47:32] One other important adjustment, we direct $6.52 million in transit occupancy tax revenue from the general fund to our contributory fund, consistent with recommendations to support visit Fairfax and other tourism-related initiatives. On the disbursement side, we allocate $134 million for county priorities and $118 million for schools.

[00:47:58] These increases fund core needs like employee compensation, debt service, capital renewal, and targeted investments in human services. After all the adjustments, we have a $23 million balance available for the Board's consideration.

[00:48:16] That flexibility could be used for tax relief, to reduce the gap between superintendent's request and the proposed school transfer, to restore targeted reductions, or to invest in other board priorities. This summary reflects the balancing act we've worked hard to achieve, meeting core needs without increasing the tax rate.

[00:48:44] One second. This is my ninth presentation and my tenth cold.

[00:49:02] The proposed school operating transfer increases by $99.2 million, with that amount including $4.6 million to move three programs from the county to the FCPS, the middle school after school program, the values in prevention program, and the transition services for high school seniors with individualized education plans who are moving into adulthood.

[00:49:33] As a result, $94.6 million is provided towards the superintendent's requested operating transfer. Beyond operating support, we are addressing critical infrastructure needs. The budget adds $7.5 million to support construction fund to help with facility maintenance and renewal.

[00:49:56] And $11.4 million for school debt service, which includes a January 2026 bond sale of $230 million. The 7.5 million investment, which helps fulfill the recommendations made as part of the Joint County Schools CIP Committee, could be used to supplement FCPS's funding for maintenance or to supplant existing school maintenance resources, which would free up school operating funds.

[00:50:25] When you combine these county actions with anticipated state adjustments, additional revenues, and a reduction of the VRS contribution rate, the result is approximately $224 million in funding flexibility for FCPS.

[00:50:46] However, the operating increase included in the advertised budget only partially funds the superintendent's request, which called for an increase of $138.4 million, or about 5.1 percent, over last year.

[00:51:05] The superintendent's proposed budget focused on employee compensation required under collective bargaining agreements, restoring cuts made last year, and continuing multi-year initiatives. To fully fund that request, we would need to identify an additional $36 to $44 million, depending on how the $7.5 million proposed for school construction is used.

[00:51:32] As you know, employee compensation is the largest single driver of county disbursements in this budget. First, we have built in a 2% cost of living adjustment for all employees, which is also included in all of our collective bargaining agreements.

[00:51:54] Again, all of our collective bargaining agreements. In addition, we're funding performance, merit, and longevity increases for non-represented employees, and we're fully implementing the provisions of the first year of our agreement with the General Government Bargaining Unit and the third and final years of our agreements with our public safety unions.

[00:52:17] Each and every one of our unions are funded. These agreements include targeted adjustments such as shift differentials, foreign language stipends and additional holidays, all designed to support the recruitment and retention of our employees. We're also increasing the county's living wage to $18.50 per hour. The first step in three-year plan included in the SCIU contract that will see the living wage reach $20 by fiscal

[00:52:53] 2029. On the benefit sides, costs rise by about $15.6 million, driven primarily by health insurance premiums. Altogether, these investments ensure we remain competitive in a tight labor market and honor the commitments made under our collective bargaining agreements. We're adding $7.42 million

[00:53:27] for county debt service and $11.4 million for schools for a combined increase of $18.82 million. These adjustments support program payments following the January 2026 bond sale, which included $170 million for county projects and $230 million for schools.

[00:53:51] Our strong financial position continues to be recognized. Fairfax County's AAA bond rating and a stable outlook were reaffirmed by all three agencies. The interest rate on January's bond sale came in at 3.37%, which is slightly lower than last year's 3.57%, though still higher than historically low rates we saw a few years ago.

[00:54:19] These investments ensure we can maintain and improve critical infrastructure while managing debt affordability over the long term. As we look ahead to the next five years, we've made targeted adjustments to the bond referendum plan to ensure we're focusing resources on most urgent needs and managing debt affordability.

[00:54:51] Several factors drove these changes. Aging facilities, frequent system failures, and rising construction costs. Our goal is to prioritize critical building systems and defer projects that can wait rather than expanding scope or adding new facilities.

[00:55:15] Here are the key takeaways and adjustments. The Springfield Community Resource Center, originally scheduled for fiscal 2026, is now being deferred to 2032. The placeholder for early childhood facilities is removed from the plan.

[00:55:34] We will continue to pursue co-location opportunities instead of standalone projects. For libraries, renovations at Herndon Fort Knightley and Kings Park move from 2026 to 2032, while Centerville and Chantilly shift forward to 2028 and 2029 as part of a potential redevelopment initiatives.

[00:55:57] For public safety, projects remain in the 2030 referendum, but their scope is reduced to focus on major building systems rather than full-scale renovations. These changes reflect a deliberate strategy.

[00:56:15] Maintain essential services, invest in infrastructure renewal, and keep the debt service sustainable. This slide shows the updated bond referendum schedule for the next five years, including the changes I just discussed on the previous slide.

[00:56:34] This fall, there will be a county referendum on the ballot totaling $255 million, including $180 in park bonds and $75 million for human services projects like the Tim Harmon Campus and Health Lab. One referendum is planned for 2028, $200 million dedicated to satisfying our capital contribution to our metro.

[00:57:01] In 2030, a public safety referendum of 116 is also planned, which would include fire and police stations as well as the WellFit Performance Center. School referendums will be held in odd years at $460 million, reflecting the recently increased bond sale limit of the $230 million per year for schools. This schedule reflects our commitment to maintaining critical

[00:57:32] infrastructure while balancing affordability and our debt capacity. In addition to the general obligation bond referenda we just reviewed, the county also relies on the Economic Development Authority bonds to finance large and complex projects. These projects often involve redevelopment, co-location opportunities, or specialized facilities that don't fit neatly into the GEO bond program. The table on this slide shows what's planned over the next several years,

[00:58:07] which includes potential fiscal 2027 sales of $65 million for the Penn Doll and $135 million for Reston Town Center North. As the board will recall, last year, staff was directed to postpone actions relating to the judicial annex for at least one year.

[00:58:27] As you can see in this chart, we are currently anticipating financing for this significant project to be in fiscal 2029. These projects are significant, and they require careful coordination with our geo-bond program to ensure debt affordability.

[00:58:47] As construction costs rise and timelines shift, we'll continue to monitor these projects and adjust as needed to maintain our strong financial position. Capital renewal and IT modernization are two areas where we've been playing catch-up for years.

[00:59:09] And this budget begins rebuilding baseline funding after a long reliance on one-time dollars. For fiscal 2027, we're adding $7.5 million for county facilities and another $7.5 million for schools to address critical infrastructure needs.

[00:59:27] This is essential because 75% of our county's 214 facilities are at least 20 years old, and many are reaching or exceeding their useful life. We've seen the consequences of underinvestment firsthand. Recently, the historic courthouse experienced a failure of its central heating system, and the Panino building had a severe plumbing issue.

[00:59:53] Both caused significant disruption and required emergency closures. These are exactly the kinds of problems we're trying to prevent with proactive funding. That's why restoring baseline funding for capital renewal is so critical. It allows us to plan ahead and to avoid costly emergency repairs that disrupt services and strain resources.

[01:00:17] We are also investing in public safety communications, with $3 million toward that scheduled replacement of core radio infrastructure, which will be funded over multiple years. On the technology side, we're allocating $12 million to strengthen IT infrastructure and provide operating support for completed projects.

[01:00:39] This includes enhancements for cybersecurity, cloud expansion, and modernization of critical applications to ensure reliable and secure services for our residents in Fairfax County. These investments reflect a deliberate shift from reactive fixes to proactive planning.

[01:01:05] Our park systems continue to grow and evolve, and this budget provides $3 million in operating support to keep pace with those changes. We've added new properties in recent years, and those spaces need dedicated staff to keep them safe and welcoming.

[01:01:30] That includes places like Woodlands Education and Stewardship Center and the Laurel Hills Central Green, which require specialized care because of their size and complexity. Another piece of this investment focuses on sustainability.

[01:01:47] The board directed us to expand the Zero Waste Program countywide, and this funding allows us to move forward with the final phase of this initiative, reducing landfill waste and improving recycling across the park system. Finally, we're improving access and affordability.

[01:02:10] A portion of this funding supports the rollout of a new recreation system and a sliding fee scale, making it easier for families to participate in programs without costs being a barrier. On the capital side, we sold $32 million in park bonds.

[01:02:30] On the capital side, we sold $32 million in bonds for parks in January 2026, up from $25 million last year, and additional increases are anticipated in future years. These investments recognize significant capital needs, including major projects like the Audrey Moore Recreation Center.

[01:02:51] Together, these efforts ensure our parks remain vibrant, sustainable, and accessible for all residents. This slide covers a range of adjustments beyond compensation and capital renewal.

[01:03:13] items that keep county operations running and support our most vulnerable residents. First, inflationary impacts. We've included 17 million for contract rate increases, lease escalations, and cost adjustments.

[01:03:30] This includes human services contracts, where rising costs affect providers who deliver critical programs and operational needs like body-worn camera contracts for the Sheriff's Office. Next, support for residents facing vulnerability, We've added $8.5 million.

[01:03:50] Let me make sure I say that right. We've added $8.45 million to strengthen housing and human services. This includes additional funding for emergency housing and food assistance. Demand for these programs remains high even after the pandemic era stimulus ended.

[01:04:07] We're also increasing support for nonprofits through the consolidated community funding pool and adding staff resources for affordable housing initiatives. We've also included $4.55 million for county operations, things like fuel cost adjustments and resource to support collective bargaining administration.

[01:04:32] Another $2 million addresses state and federal mandates and replaces grant funding. Examples include nursing services for medically fragile children in schools, staff for disabled veterans tax exemption program, and resources to maintain compliance with housing programs.

[01:04:51] Finally, $2 million supports the operation of new facilities, most notably the commons in Mount Vernon. A major redevelopment of the original Mount Vernon High School into a multi-use campus with community programming, early childhood education, and a theater space.

[01:05:08] This budget accommodates a phased opening with funding for the re-engagement center and the theater expected to be funded as part of the fiscal 2028 budget. Taken together, these adjustments ensure we can meet essential service needs while responding to inflationary pressures and the new mandates.

[01:05:33] To maintain a balanced budget without increasing the tax rate, this budget also includes $32.85 million in expenditure reductions, partially offset by a small revenue decrease for a net savings of $31.57 million. These reductions include the elimination of 107 merit positions across multiple agencies.

[01:05:58] Over the past four years, the county has cut spending by nearly $125 million, and the flexibility in agency budgets has largely been exhausted. The reductions are targeted and strategic. They include downgrading positions, consolidating administrative functions, and eliminating programs with lower utilization or where more cost-effective alternatives exist.

[01:06:26] Our Department of Human Resources will work closely with agencies and impacted employees to identify placement opportunities where necessary or where possible, consistent with our past practice. These actions reflect fiscal discipline.

[01:06:41] They allow us to protect core services while continuing to invest in priorities such as schools, employee compensation, public safety, and infrastructure renewal. This budget reflects balance, not only in the dollars, but in responsibility.

[01:07:02] As we look ahead, there are several things we'll be monitoring closely in the coming months. First, we'll track all revenues, especially with the food and beverage tax. As initial payments come in, we'll also keep an eye on federal actions and the state budget process, since both could impact our outlook.

[01:07:22] We'll return to the board in April with the add-on package, which will include any recommended adjustments based on updated revenue data and legislative changes. Looking further ahead in fiscal 2028 presents, in my opinion, significant challenges.

[01:07:42] I'm looking over slowing residential market indicators, upcoming collective bargaining agreements with our public safety unions, rising retirement contribution rates, increased debt service associated with major capital investments, continued operating cost growth, and transportation funding requirements.

[01:08:03] These pressures are real. They will require discipline, prioritization, and continued structural alignment between our commitments and our resources. The decision we make today positions us to navigate those challenges responsibly tomorrow and beyond.

[01:08:25] As we move forward with the Fiscal 27 advertised budget plan, public input is a critical part of our process. Residents will have several ways to share their feedback with you, including by text, email, or voicemail. And through feedback form of our website in English, Spanish, and Korean.

[01:08:51] As in prior years, residents can submit written or video testimony or participate in the April public hearing by phone or in person. We'll be updating our list of board members' budget town halls posted on our budget website as they are scheduled.

[01:09:08] This presentation and all of the associated budget documents are now available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov forward slash budget. The next major step in the budget process is the Joint Budget Committee meeting next Tuesday, which will bring together the Board of Supervisors and the School Board to review and discuss the Fiscal 27 advertised budget in detail.

[01:09:42] On March 17th, the Board of Supervisors will authorize the advertisement of the FY 2027 tax rate and will be present and we will present the third quarter review to the Board.

[01:09:59] We will hold public hearings from April 14th through April 16th. Following those hearings on April 28th, the Board will mark up the fiscal 27 budget and adopt the capital improvement program and third quarter review. The adoption of the fiscal 27 budget by the Board of Supervisors will take place on May 5th.

[01:10:22] As always, please submit any budget-related questions to the Department of Management and Budget through our normal budget Q&A process. Mr. Chairman, members of the Board, this budget reflects, in my opinion, discipline, stability, and strategic investment.

[01:10:43] It protects our financial strength. It invests in our workforce and schools. It renews our infrastructure, and it positions Fairfax County for continued stability and long-term success. I respectfully present to you the Fiscal 27 advertised budget plan for your consideration, and I'll take any questions as you see fit.

[01:11:06] Thank you very much, Mr. Hill, and I think your description there at the end will be shared by many. I appreciate the presentation and the work that staff has put into this. Just a few comments, and we're going to keep this brief because, as I mentioned earlier, this is the first time the board is seeing this.

[01:11:26] And I will reiterate what you just said, which is we don't adopt this budget until May 5th. And so we've got almost three months here to work on the budget and make sure that by the time we make our adoption happen on May 5th, we have had ample opportunity to hear significant comments from the community and others as we go through the budget process.

[01:11:48] But I would just say my own reaction to this, certainly compared to the last couple years, is that this is a breath of fresh air in many ways. And it's not a perfect budget, and that's why we chew on it and we get community input for three months.

[01:12:03] But as a starting point, ensuring that we are funding and supporting our county employees and their compensation is critical. I appreciate the sizable transfer that's going to Fairfax County public schools and all the other investments in schools that you've outlined in your presentation, which total over $118 million, which is a significant year-to-year increase.

[01:12:30] And we know that there's still a gap there, and we're hoping that our partners in the state can fulfill their role and close that tiny gap with the schools. And I say tiny because certainly compared to some of the past years where we stood at this point, it is tiny.

[01:12:46] And I really appreciate that the budget is based on flat tax rate. One of the things that I think concerns every member of this board is the tremendous uncertainty in the times that we're living in. And I reflect back to what happened at the beginning of COVID where we said, hey, this is not a time for new programs.

[01:13:06] This is not a time for tax rate increase. this is a time to do what we do and do it well with the realization that there are outside influences to the county's revenue that are significant and unlike during COVID when we had significant federal support we're living in times now that are precarious in large part due to significant federal reductions and actions that disproportionately affect the residents of Fairfax County our our federal employees, our federal contractors, and the revenue that the county receives through

[01:13:41] federal grant money, which is all being impacted right now and creates an uncertainty as we move forward with this budget. And obviously, we're going to be tracking very closely what's happening at the General Assembly, and we're hopeful that the General Assembly chips away at the significant shortfall in education funding that, tragically, Virginia has become very well known now for.

[01:14:05] And we know that if that JLARC study were to be addressed in Richmond that shows underfunding of public education, that we would be looking at $568 million coming from the state. And, of course, we're looking at nothing close to that. But we are hopeful that the state will play a role in filling the gap between what the superintendent has requested and what is in your budget, which is a significant increase for Fairfax County public schools.

[01:14:32] And so the tax rate, we realize that if the tax rate is flat, due to assessments, as you point out, that that still is, on average, about a $357 increase to our taxpayers, which I take very seriously.

[01:14:47] It's a lower number than we've seen in the past, and it's my intention to navigate through these times, being mindful of the tax rate remaining flat and being mindful of the fact that a lot of members of our community are facing significant financial constraints, whether it's due to inflation or federal impacts, cost increases.

[01:15:11] We know that unemployment rate is moving in the wrong direction in Virginia and in Fairfax County due to a lot of those federal actions. And so that is certainly a backdrop in my mind as we move forward. But some glimmers of hope in here, as you mentioned, some stability, some increases in commercial value, some things that are happening that despite all of these headwinds that we're facing are still moving in the right direction.

[01:15:39] And then lastly, I'm very grateful for the investments in infrastructure that are in here, both on the school side and on the county side, because we need to focus on the core things the county does and with that focus on taking care of the infrastructure that we have and that our community relies on.

[01:15:57] and I appreciate the intention that went into doing that. And so just a few high-level thoughts, and again, we're going to get ample time to chew on this. As the county executive mentioned, we should be submitting questions formally so that the entire board gets the answers to those questions to our budget staff so that we can see those when they come back.

[01:16:20] I'm not going to ask my colleagues to announce all their budget town halls because it's time-consuming and unnecessary because we have wonderful people at the Office of Public Affairs who are going to promote the budget town halls and budget meetings that all of my colleagues are going to host, many of them in concert with their respective members of the Fairfax County School Board.

[01:16:41] And so that, in addition to the public hearings that will be held and the correspondence that we get throughout the budget process, will be extraordinarily useful in making the adjustments that the board needs to make to this budget before we adopt it on May 5th. And so with that, I would ask my colleagues if they have any very brief comments or questions at this time.

[01:17:02] And I'm going to start on this side with Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And again, thank you to our county executive and all of the team that has worked so hard for the entire year on this budget. It's clear, just taking a brief glance, Obviously, as the chairman mentioned, this is a long process, and it's a process that's going to have a lot of public input as well as questions from the board.

[01:17:25] But it's clear to me that we're prioritizing our schools again, and we have lots of work to do with our partners in Richmond. And we're hopeful that our partners in Richmond will do the right thing and will actually add money to that gap, as the chairman mentioned. But it is also clear that when it comes to our first responders, our schools, and those that serve our community, we're doing our very best here in Fairfax County to make sure that they're uplifted and they have the quality of life that they need.

[01:17:54] And hopefully, and I know we've been working very closely here with workforce to actually make sure that those folks have a place to live here where they serve in our community. So with that being said, obviously, Mr. Chairman, it's a long process. I look forward, I'm sure, like all of us, to taking a deep dive into this with our staff and obviously hearing lots of public input.

[01:18:13] So, again, thank you to our county executive and his amazing team. Thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll just elucidate some of the same comments that you and Supervisor Jimenez have stated. I appreciate the work that's been done by the county staff on this budget and acknowledge we have a little bit of a road ahead in terms of getting to the final product.

[01:18:38] but this is somewhat encouraging. There's just a couple of things I might want to just maybe drill down. I know we can't answer it here. This is fine as well. But when you talk on page five about the real estate tax base, I do appreciate that we see the total residential, which is still positive.

[01:19:00] That's good because we know that there's a number of folks who have been considering selling their homes over time here, And we know that that will put some pressure on the values as well.

[01:19:16] But for our projection here, it looks good. The projection that I'm maybe wanting to maybe talk a little bit more about is on page seven. On the industrial, where you have 8.7% and FY27, the change in equalization is 4.38.

[01:19:38] I know that a lot of that's probably dependent and consistent with what's happened with some of the data centers, but could you speak to that a little bit in terms of that number, in terms of its growth and its future projection even beyond FY27?

[01:19:55] Yeah, and I'm going to refer back to Christine and Phil after I say what I'm going to say here. When you look at non-residential tax base, we grew about $1.3 billion in this projected budget.

[01:20:13] When things are coming out of the ground, I'm projecting what's going to happen. I don't believe we're going to have as many things coming out of the ground in 28, but we will then resurface back in 29 and 30. And as we look at the data now, I'm going to spend some more time with our friend in DTA to understand where and what is happening in the industrial portion.

[01:20:42] So that is going to be really drilled into during my next three months working with you guys to get the budget in a place. Because as you state, we're presenting a 27 budget today.

[01:20:58] We were talking about 28 and 29 and 30 for the last three months because we can see things happening, and this is why we are presenting this 27 budget the way we're presenting it because we know what's coming down the pike. Is that a fair enough statement?

[01:21:18] Yeah, okay. He's my checker. Okay, and then if I could, and I appreciate what I see on the office elevator, the percentage decrease from 26 to 27 is pretty significant.

[01:21:32] I guess the question here, and this might get answered later as well, just in terms of what we're doing to address that number even more, because elevated office is a pretty significant portion of our tax base, and being able to shore that number up is going to be vital to our future kind of ability to garner revenues and to be able to support services.

[01:22:00] So I would be curious to note here kind of what our thoughts are relative to the future as it relates to pushing that number in a more positive direction.

[01:22:15] Well, this board has provided us with several board matters for us to go look at our economic competitiveness as well as our housing, as well as the latest board matter that Supervisor Poucher provided to look at our diversification. Looking at that board matter, I'm absolutely thinking about how I deal with the chambers, DEI, Department of Economic Initiatives, the EDA, and how we merge things together so we can become an even more well-to-oiled machine.

[01:22:46] And when you look at things and the way Fairfax County has always been structured and built, we've done it well. It's now time to keep doing it well, but we're going to change how we're going to do it. We're going to keep doing it, but we're going to do it a little differently. And merging all this stuff together is going to be the key.

[01:23:02] Working with Mr. Hoskins and the EDA, working with all our chambers, and getting a plan in place where Department of Economic Initiatives as well as the EDA are working hand-in-hand, side-by-side. I know. That's perfect.

[01:23:18] I mean, I think the thing is we have to think about maybe making some additional investments to be even more competitive in the future. Well, to speak on that point, we're probably going to be coming forward with additional positions in a kind of a hybrid kind of posture for real estate investment.

[01:23:40] And again, looking proactively ahead in the game, I am going to be putting together something with our deputies to bring forward during this process. No, no, I appreciate that very much. And then the last thing I'll just say, I appreciate the additional funding for the schools and the acknowledgement of possibly getting additional investment from the state.

[01:24:01] And then the point that I wanted to also say is also thinking about vulnerable residents. And thank you for acknowledging that there's additional needs that our community has and that we are looking to provide for those needs.

[01:24:16] And with that, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Thank you very much. Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the budget staff. Thank you, County Executive, for all the work that you've put in. When the superintendent presented her budget, it was implied and it was reported in the media that the budget did not reflect unallocated meals tax money.

[01:24:46] That was incorrect, correct? Yes, sir. That was incorrect. Okay. Just wanted to be clear on that. This does reflect meals tax money being shared by both the county side and the school side of the equation.

[01:25:04] On page 9, you mentioned that the FCPS budget is anticipated to benefit by approximately $106 million from adjustments included in the former governor's proposed budget through additional revenues. Was that included in the superintendent's proposed budget?

[01:25:24] Some of it. Yes. Okay. And that's the former governor's proposed budget. The new governor's proposed budget, that number could go up, correct? Yes. Okay. One might hope.

[01:25:40] We hope so. We hope so. Sorry. Last quick question. Another thing that we've been talking a lot about is transit funding. And we're all aware that the transit funding bills have not gone through in Richmond, but there is still talk about trying to improve our transit funding profile in the budget as well.

[01:26:05] At the joint fiscal forecast, there was a placeholder for a $24 million increase for Metro and Connector. I see that among the $31 million in agency reductions, about $7 million of that come out of Connector.

[01:26:22] What happened to that $24 million placeholder, and does this still assume a $24 million increase in Metro and Connector? It does not. We were going to rely on one-time balances that we had that are being held at NVTC.

[01:26:38] I mean, that is kind of a one-time measure that we can utilize for this year, But certainly, we're hopeful that the state will come through with some plan for additional funding that will help in 2028. And just to hold what she said is absolutely correct, but I also want everybody on this board to know that while you're doing the reception on Thursday, I won't be with you for the entire reception.

[01:27:03] I'll be speaking directly with the Secretary of Transportation to ensure that he understands our needs here in Fairfax County. Okay, great. And so the point I'm hearing is that we are hoping for more out of Richmond on transit funding.

[01:27:20] But even without that, we did not need to factor in that $24 million increase. However, we did at our last legislative committee meeting talk about potential unfunded mandates related to our transit system due to certain bills that are going through Richmond.

[01:27:36] But with that, I will close by saying I appreciate all of the work that went in. We've got two and a half months to have more question and answer periods like this one. Sorry. And thank you for all that you've done. Appreciate it. Yes, we will have a lot of time.

[01:27:53] So keep that in mind, folks, because it's 11 o'clock already. Supervisor Sizemore Heiser. Thank you. And I appreciate this budget and the chance to speak, especially for my first budget on the county side. So thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[01:28:09] Thank you, Mr. Hill, and your team for the presentation. I understand we're facing yet another difficult budget year, although, as you said, there's some glimmers of hope of a potential longer-term recovery. So I appreciate the work you've put into this, and I really do appreciate the continued strong funding for our schools and our public safety and prioritizing compensation for our employees so they can continue to live here as well.

[01:28:29] And I'm hoping that the state will continue to focus on JLARC, especially revisiting those SOQs so schools can actually have the funds from the state that it takes to actually operate the schools, as well as looking at the LCI formulas. I had one quick question.

[01:28:47] I know you mentioned there's some signs of hope for a longer-term recovery, but I saw that the 2027 projections for the general fund and the tax base projection for residential in 27 were lower than the ones that were projected for 26. And is that just curiosity because of the continued uncertainty with the federal government and the high unemployment, so we don't want to project what's happening this year into next year?

[01:29:11] Or are there other signs that you're seeing that I'm missing on why maybe this year is higher than what we're projecting for next year? Well, I'll just say it like this. Our budget team projects very conservatively, and I really can't project that far into the future.

[01:29:27] If you think about it today, we still have a meal tax that has been implemented in January. We're here in February. We don't have numbers, but we're thinking it's going to be, we're thinking we're going to hit those numbers.

[01:29:44] So going into the future, we're just going to keep it kind of at a level pace. And when we see things change, we will change with it. We'll forecast differently. But as of right now, I think that's where we're going to land. I bring that up because I think it's an important point to consider when we're looking at a budget that's, you know, better news than we anticipated perhaps in the fall, but also continuing to make cuts in agencies of $50 million and looking at some of these, you know, delaying some of our infrastructure changes, right? So to point out that, yes, things are looking better. However, the significant uncertainty

[01:30:20] means that we can't rely on things continuing to look better and also with, you know, not having enough information yet on certain taxes such as the meals tax. I just want to combine those two as to why, if we get questions, and I'm assuming as to why we're cutting still with a rosier picture, it's because of the uncertainty that we're still facing, especially from the federal government.

[01:30:39] So thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to more conversations. Thank you. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you so much to our county executive. Ninth budget, I think this is my sixth budget on this board, so I appreciate your work and all of the staff.

[01:30:57] Because this is the first one just on the high level and because Providence District was mentioned, I really appreciate you drawing attention to the fact that as the economic engine, and I would say Tyson's Quarter all the way down to Merrifield and Providence, provide both the necessary funding and economic engine locally, but also statewide.

[01:31:18] And anytime there's competition and there's lack of support and coordination, it continues to be a challenge, right? So I appreciate, I know as we await the three board, I believe three board matters on housing and economic development, as well as the Tyson's Community Alliance, which should be here hopefully near the end of this budget or close to it, that we'll have a little bit more information for the forecast.

[01:31:45] I guess some immediate things beyond the focus on the economic development piece would be Number one, I want to thank you, thank your team and the superintendent's team for their coordination and work on the middle school after school program.

[01:32:02] I'm hopeful that, and I know the skipped committee knows it's a priority to help ensure that we have effective programs that are well-funded and well-coordinated between the agencies. So I want to thank NCS, I believe Lloyd Tucker is here, and Chris Leonard and yourself and your budget team for your work on that and seeing that included here.

[01:32:22] Also, the investment in our parks and looking at what will happen with the state funding. I think that's been brought up before, and that's the big question, the big elephant in the room, unfortunately. One of our, I know the schools I've mentioned, there are unfunded priorities.

[01:32:38] One that I would say is an unfunded priority, though I see three positions for affordable housing and the HCD. We were, we had committed to two pennies, and either in one time or recurring revenue.

[01:32:55] I guess just as we continue to move through the process, I know it's a difficult time, but my first budget question would be, I can calculate it, but what would be the cost of getting an extra quarter penny to at least the one and a half pennies? What would be the impact? We can do it in our heads, but I just want to make that a formal budget question.

[01:33:13] So as we look at unfunded priorities, that we continue to ensure housing is top of mind, knowing that we have a housing board matter, that we'll look at it differently. But I think we need to be ready with all fronts, not knowing what the economy will look like.

[01:33:29] So to that, very much want to thank you. And though I'm not announcing the dates, I will once again have the regular in-person town hall, but also our Spanish language roundtable that will be broadcast live. And we look forward to sharing that with you and the community. Thank you again for your work.

[01:33:44] Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just very quickly, first of all, thank you for your leadership, Mr. Hill, on the transit funding. I appreciate that. And I would just point out to everybody, and I hope we aren't having to worry about this, March 17th is the date that we set our tax rate and advertise our tax rate maximum.

[01:34:08] Hopefully, by that date, we'll have a better sense of what Richmond's going to do in terms of transit funding in particular. But anyway, it's a good date to know. And I'll just say, and I encourage my colleagues through this, I know many of you will, as I look at this budget, I am going to be looking in particular at our most vulnerable and folks that rely most on these services.

[01:34:35] So thank you. Thank you. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr. Hill, for the budget presentation and, frankly, what appears to be at least a little bit easier budget for all of us to try to wrap our hands around and still make a difference.

[01:34:54] I would echo the comments of my colleague, Professor Alcorn. We know we have substantial issues with our neediest community, our unhoused community, and we've seen that over the last month with the cold weather and the snow and really the increase in services that at least we've seen on the Richmond Highway Corridor.

[01:35:12] So I appreciate the additional funding in here, and we know that that's an ongoing process with our not-for-profits and others that we work with. I also want to thank you for the generational funding that's happening on generational redevelopment that's happening on the Richmond Highway Corridor, truly generational.

[01:35:34] It's been 30, 40 years at a minimum where we've seen the kind of changes that were really at the beginnings of and continuing to fund those, whether it's through the bus rapid transit and the county support of that, but also some of the key public facilities and the differences it's made in the community And what we're seeing already, I drove by my way here.

[01:35:58] One of the long-time items that I saw knocked down, I've had community members asking me about this building for a long time. And I see it coming down, and I know that it means that we're one step closer to the redevelopment of lining of the highway and some of that redevelopment.

[01:36:15] So, again, it's my great appreciation and thanks for that. I also know that economic trends are, I guess, in doubt still. we I think we saw obviously an increase in employment a real estate is still flat at least at the general levels we're seeing commercial and industrial coming back a little bit but we know that retail in particular is has been hurting not as successful hoping to see that go up and not only that will help all of us in terms of our are supporting our residents in our tax base I do want

[01:36:53] to, I guess, ask, the economic trends that you've based the budget on here, are they consistent with what is being projected at the federal level? Because I know we had this bill that was passed that had substantial impacts on us and employees. I know we're still hearing about federal layoffs and potential impacts. Do we have any additional projections or work that we've done, we had an Economic Development, Economic Initiatives Committee presentation on that just a couple weeks ago.

[01:37:27] If you could just, at a high level, just reflect on what you see in here and if there's anything in particular that we should be sensitive to or recognize might impact even the budget you've presented here this morning. Well, as I stated in the budget presentation that our vacancy rates have stabilized.

[01:37:47] You know, with what's going on in the federal government, I do believe that GovCom is still pretty strong here in northern Virginia, especially in Fairfax County. But it's a different-looking kind of GovCom. And, you know, as we get more details and more data, we're going to be able to talk to you a little bit more strongly about what's really happening.

[01:38:08] As you stated, we did have an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting. We had a lot of data that was presented by the EDA. That data is still being looked at and reviewed. Jen Miller and Rebecca Mowdry and myself and Christina Jackson, heck, Chris Leonard and Tom Arnold and Alicia Sheriff McCormick.

[01:38:29] We're looking at all this data, trying to figure out what's coming down the pipe next. But it is a collective effort, and that effort is going to continue to move forward in fiscal 27, 28, and 29 so we can give you a better economic outlook. As Supervisor Seismur Heiser asked about those same questions, we're going to look at it from a holistic approach.

[01:38:51] And if we're going to do it the same way and expect a different result, that's the wrong thing to do, and that's not what we're trying to do now. Well, thank you. And I know that part of the discussion we've had at the Class B and C office buildings and, frankly, what happens with them, and I saw there were some positive signs in here with respect to their appreciation.

[01:39:11] And I guess looking forward to our support of those developments, and, frankly, I know we'll have a further conversation about that in just a little bit. with the chairman's matter he's bringing forward. And as a last point, we had our University of Virginia study, which highlights what we all know here, which is we send a dollar to Richmond and we get about 50 cents on the dollar back.

[01:39:37] That's really difficult. If we got just a little bit more, that could be a substantial either reduction in our budgets or dollars that we could use for other services. And that will continue to be a focus of mine, Whether it's the education funding or our mental health funding, things that the county really steps up on to make a difference.

[01:39:57] And finally, even our judicial system, you know, whether it's our county jails and prosecutors and others that we support and supplement what, in my mind, should be state-funded responsibilities. So, again, my thanks to you, sir. Thank you. Thank you.

[01:40:13] Supervisor Herity? Yes, I'll try to be brief. Thank you first to the county executive and budget staff for all the hard work. I'll start with something I really like, and I'm going to have a little bit of a board matter on it later today, and that's the focus on investing in renovations and our mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

[01:40:36] It's so much easier to support new stuff, so much harder to support trying to make sure what you've got is running. We talked a lot about Supervisor Frye and a little bit about my dad. We built a lot of buildings 30, 40 years ago, and they're all come and due today.

[01:40:53] So specific questions real quick on that. The Sherwood Center, is that still in? I know the city council split on it, but we still have that in our... Yeah, we're working on that with their new city manager, and they have not split on it.

[01:41:09] They've moved forward with the concept. We haven't gotten to a point of where they're voting on the funding. Correct, yeah. They were split, and then the mayor came, but the mayor came... The mayor does not have a vote, so... So I appreciate the board getting an update on the Sherwood Center and where that is.

[01:41:29] And I also noticed the historical courthouse is out to 2031. I know it's closed now. I believe I said 2029. I thought the chart had it at 2031. I could be wrong. The judicial annex is 2029.

[01:41:46] Yeah. All right. So the judicial annex is 2029. The historic courthouse might be 2031. Annex, yeah. Okay. All right. Never mind. I'll ask questions later. on that. I mean, it's closed now. It seems when is, never mind. Yeah, just ask you, do it in the budget Q&A and we'll get back to you with that. I appreciate the $125 million in cuts since 2014.

[01:42:16] Unfortunately, I don't really appreciate that because that's that was tough. So if you appreciate it, I get it. I was about to say I appreciate the effort. You know, unfortunately Unfortunately, the growth of the budgets have outweighed the cuts, and taxes have still gone up 50% in the last 10 years.

[01:42:35] The budget's still grown. So I just think when we talk about cuts and $125 million in cuts sounds like a lot, but the budget's gone up an awful lot more than that. I don't want to leave our taxpayers thinking we've actually reduced our budgets. And a lot of that can be seen just in this budget, and I've got a lot more work to do digging into it.

[01:42:57] In parks, we have $900K in cuts. The bulk of those cuts are coming from an increase in athletic fees. So we're calling a half-a-million-dollar cut. We're just moving it to an increase in athletic fees.

[01:43:14] And this is the real microcosm. At the same time, we're doing down payments, not funding, but down-paying payments on a zero-waste program and an equity program that are in excess of $2 million.

[01:43:30] So I think it's a microcosm of what happens. We've got all these new things, zero waste, equity, that we're spending big money on while we're saying we're going to cut $500,000 from parks, which is really an increase in fees on our participants in sports programs.

[01:43:50] We've got a lot of work to do, and to me that is a little bit, you know, our transit, you cut $700,000. That was beautiful work because they went through and identified lines that weren't being used. The bulk of the cuts this year come from transit. But later today, we're going to talk about taking the TRIPS program from 50% discount to 100% discount at a cost of $600,000.

[01:44:17] So, you know, we're talking cuts and we're spending money. Anyway, I've already submitted a set of questions. There'll be more. I wish we had, as a board, done a deep dive on the budget. I've got some questions on health care costs and what are our strategies to address what's going to be a big increase over the next few years, and probably one in here to now.

[01:44:41] Pension costs, our returns aren't where they're supposed to be, so we'll get those. And, again, look forward to, I'll have my usual budget session and a few more budget presentations, but thank you again for the presentation.

[01:45:00] No increase in the rate, but it is a 3.99% increase to the average homeowner of about $357, which we need to work on doing better. Well, I appreciate that.

[01:45:15] You know, living in a county that absolutely people want to live in, things happen with our appreciation. I'd rather appreciate than depreciate, but I totally understand where you're coming from, sir. Thank you, Mr. Hill. And, you know, in terms of budget growth and reductions, I'm not aware of a jurisdiction whose budget has gone down.

[01:45:37] I mean, that's just, let's be realistic here about the world that we're living in with inflation and the value of dollars. You know, that's, I'm not aware of a jurisdiction that has done that. I think what you have done is put forward what is, as you described, a stable budget that makes the core investments that are needed, but also understands the uncertainty that we're facing and the challenges that our residents are facing with tax rates.

[01:46:04] And so with that, I'm going to recognize Vice Chair Smith. I appreciate all the work on the budget and the recognition that we do have needs in the community and being able to do that. We've, you know, we've changed over times and think, hmm, sorry, things that have happened in our economy have created a situation where our community depends on local government to support them.

[01:46:30] We've done that with our businesses. We've had great results with the investments we've put into the community. And I recognize the need to move the Centerville and the Chantilly libraries further out in the bonds and that looking at affordable housing there. I think it's important that we work together with the community.

[01:46:49] It's hard because most community members don't see how much local government does. And I think that's our job in the next few months to talk about that. It's great that the tax rate was kept where it is, but to have that discussion with the community that we are here to serve and provide services.

[01:47:06] And there is a cost to that. And we need to ensure that we hire employees that we can pay properly to do all this work for our community members. So I look forward to moving forward and working through this budget. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Smith. And again, thank you to the county executive as we move towards our May 5th adoption.

[01:47:24] A lot of conversation-- yep, you're good. A lot of conversation still to happen. And I just want to close on a point that Supervisor Smith was just making about appreciation of what local government does. And go back to the first thing you said when you came to the podium, which is what just happened in Centerville, and the response of our Fire and Rescue Department, I guarantee you the people who live in that community understand very clearly the importance of local government.

[01:47:51] And I think we take that for granted far too often. And I want to add to your praise, not only of our first responders, but I also want to praise the community there. Because their patience and generosity with each other is what also make this a great community to live in.

[01:48:10] So some things we take for granted that we shouldn't. But thank you again for your presentation. Thank my colleagues for their engagement. OPA will disseminate the list of budget town halls that are happening. And for people watching, we make better budgets because of public input.

[01:48:27] That's a fact, and that's why the board's budget is always a little bit different than the county executives, because we have the responsibility to take all the fiscal analysis, management, and good work of our staff and marry that up with what our citizens' expectations and desires are.

[01:48:44] And that then sets the foundation for what we adopt on May 5th, and so we encourage that engagement in the weeks ahead. So thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and again, thank you to the deputy county executives. They really, really should get a big hand as well, even Chris Leonard.

[01:49:04] Well said. We appreciate them all, even Chris Leonard. With that, we are going to move on to board matters. And just to remind everyone, these have been assembled digitally, sent to board offices through the clerk's office.

[01:49:23] I am going to go first, and following me is going to be Vice Chair Smith, and then we will go alphabetically by Magisterial District. And if folks could try to exit quietly, folks could try to exit quietly so the board can continue its work, that would be appreciated.

[01:49:40] And I'm going to turn the gavel over to Supervisor Smith. I have a couple of board matters. First, I move without objection that the proclamation requests listed below, which are recognizing National Nutrition Month, recognizing American Red Cross Month, and jointly with Supervisor Stork and Herity to recognize National Foster Care Month in May.

[01:50:01] Without objection, it is so ordered. Thank you. My next board matter, and I'm not going to read this whole board matter. I'd encourage others, if they can shorten their board matters, That's always appreciated, but this next board matter is a resolution to recognize our Fairfax County athletes, Ilia Malennan and Brandon Kim, for representing Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and obviously we know a lot about Ilia and his successes as a Marshall High School graduate and current student at George Mason University, but also we want

[01:50:37] to recognize Brandon Kim, who is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson University, a student at Stanford University, Thomas Jefferson High School, a student at Stanford University, and of course competed in the short track speed skating. And we'd like to recognize both of them, either inside or outside of the boardroom. Do you want that to be a motion? We can move approval of it. I'll second that motion. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries.

[01:51:08] Thank you very much. Next is just an announcement, and I teased this up a little bit on Friday at the legislative committee meeting, but this is an update on the Fairfax County Economic Competitiveness Board matter that I presented and this board approved. Since we did that, staff has been diligently working on this.

[01:51:26] I know as I've met with several of them, it is a significant ask, and they are doing significant good work to come to the board this spring with proposals. And in tandem with that, of course, we just heard the good news about our office vacancy rate, which has declined for the first time since the pandemic, to 17.4 percent.

[01:51:48] As stated in the Economic Competitiveness Board Matter, there's still work to be done in that area, but certainly heading in the right direction. And to that end, I have worked with county staff tasked with implementing the board matter to establish a team to specifically work on promoting the redevelopment or repurposing of vacant office buildings.

[01:52:06] And this should include, one, identifying existing Fairfax County resources, tools, and other assistance to facilitate the redevelopment of high-vacancy commercial buildings into productive uses. Two, identifying the top 10 to 15 properties that are ripe for redevelopment or repurposing based on the ability of these sites to be repurposed or redeveloped in a way that adds value to both the county and the property owners.

[01:52:32] And three, proactively identifying, evaluating, facilitating, and supporting the execution of real estate opportunities in any way possible. And of course, this is going to require my colleagues' support and participation in this effort is you know your districts and you know where these opportunities are.

[01:52:51] And the aim of this effort, of course, is to equip the county with the tools necessary to further position ourselves both as a driver and a more hands-on participant in economic development. The work we've undertaken for years has successfully established Fairfax County as a preeminent economic development locality.

[01:53:10] However, given the realities of today, it's critical that we evolve our strategies to position ourselves for continued success for years to come. Such efforts support and sustain transformative changes regarding our continued economic development success. And to be clear, I'm asking this team to proactively reach out with and meet with property owners that are identified to proactively offer county assistance to them to encourage them to repurpose or redevelop their obsolete office buildings. And this helps us in multiple ways, clearly towards our housing goals, vacant office buildings depress the market around them, which is not

[01:53:47] particularly useful, and we can further drive down our vacancy rate as the EDA and others have told us. If you eliminated the obsolete offices that are likely never to be filled again in this county, we would have a single-digit vacancy rate. And so it is time for our county staff in concert with others to proactively reach out to those property owners and say, we're the county, we're here to help, these are the tools that we have, and depending on which magisterial district it's in, working with that district supervisor to make those things happen.

[01:54:19] And while this does not need board approval, because it's within the scope of the board that I presented earlier that was already approved by this board, I wanted to at least share this update with my colleagues in the boardroom and those watching at home, that this is one of the many things that we're expecting to come back in the spring, and I think will yield great success economically for us in the future and solve multiple challenges in the areas where these buildings are located.

[01:54:48] Finally, I do want to introduce two new staff folks in my office who are here with us. This is a happy moment, and our first is Sophia Barbarin. Sophia could stand up just for a moment. She grew up in Fairfax County and graduated from Annandale High School.

[01:55:04] is, I will admit this, is an alum of the University of Virginia. I just want to prove to my colleagues that I don't, I will hire UVA grads, where she earned a double major in foreign affairs and Russian and East European studies. Prior to joining my office, Sophia worked in the legal and budget offices at the Federal Aviation Administration and served as a legal assistant for a guardian ad litem. She is passionate about youth and education policy as well as community volunteering. In her free time, Sophia enjoys baking for cakes for kids and spending

[01:55:41] time with family and friends along with any dog or cat she comes across. I hope you'll join me in welcoming Sophia to our county team. And secondly, I want to introduce Marcella Zabolas. Marcella grew up in northern Virginia and is a recent grad of the UVA Master of Urban and Environmental planning program. Prior to joining my office, she worked on research teams supporting international development initiatives organized through universities, non-profits, and academic associations, and these experience strengthened her interest in policy and public service.

[01:56:21] Marcella looks forward to working on local issues that impact Fairfax County's communities. In her free time, she takes advantage of D.C.'s museums, cultural offerings, and of course Fairfax is two, museums, cultural offerings, and learning how to play pickleball, which several of us who play pickleball might have to have a little challenge. Please join me in welcoming Marcella as well to our county team. And we are blessed to have both of them in the chairman's office, and I know they will get to know, and your staffs will get to know them well. But the talent that

[01:56:59] we have in this county is amazing. And I know each of you have that talent on your office staffs as well, and we're grateful for that. It plays a huge role in making things work here at the board. And so glad to have that announcement. And with that, I am next going to turn to Vice Chair Smith.

[01:57:17] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On June 10, 2025, the board directed staff to evaluate an amendment to comprehensive plan for tax map parcel 34-4 double circle 12-2 to allow freestanding and drive-through retail uses the nominator has advised that it no longer wishes to pursue this plan amendment and is requested it be withdrawn i therefore move that the board amend the 2025 comprehensive plan amendment work program to remove sspa-2025-roman numeral 3-6 up per the nominator's request chairman

[01:57:53] will second that motion. Is there any discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Smith. Thank you. Thank you very much, Supervisor Smith. And next up is Supervisor Sizemore-Heiser.

[01:58:10] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm pleased to bring forth a joint board matter around Housing Initiative Strategic Communications Plan. As we've discussed, our nation, region, state, and county are facing a housing crisis. Rising costs and limited supply have made it increasingly difficult for families and individuals to find the homes that they can afford. This challenge impacts economic stability, workforce retention, and the overall health of our community. Without action, the shortage will worsen, making it harder to attract and retain talent and maintain a strong local economy. The housing supply is failing to keep pace with job growth. From 2013 to 2023,

[01:58:48] Fairfax created 43,000 new jobs and permitted 20,000 new homes. 2.13 new jobs per new home. While this is good news from an economic development perspective, workers need a place to live. This imbalance is not sustainable and could become a barrier to our economic development and the health of the county if businesses and highly desirable skilled workers and all workers choose to live elsewhere.

[01:59:11] To address this crisis, the Board adopted Chairman McKay's board matter, Housing Initiatives to Increase Production and Sustain Our Economic Advantage, on September 9, 2025. This current board matter elaborates upon the communications envisioned in Chairman McKay's Housing Initiatives board matter.

[01:59:29] Its purpose is to explain the current housing reality, the impact of that reality on the county's long-term success, the goals, planned initiatives, and expected outcomes from those initiatives, and progress pointed towards these goals. As such, I move that the board direct the county executive to create coincident with the staff response to Chairman McKay's board matter this spring, A strategic communications and community engagement plan to educate residents about the severity of the housing crisis, the negative effects of the housing shortage, the positive effects of solving the housing shortage will have for both individuals and for the vitality and sustainability of the county.

[02:00:09] The vision we have that residents across all income levels and life stages will have housing options in Fairfax County, that a vibrant housing supply is essential for thriving, sustainable community, that housing availability and affordability impacts everyone, and that expanding housing for all income levels will strengthen our economy, improve our tax base, and preserve the way of life that makes the county a desirable place to live and work.

[02:00:33] I'm happy to second that. Seconded by a lot of the co-sponsors of this, the former chair of our housing committee, our current chair of our housing committee, our vice chairman, myself, a lot of people seconding this. And I just want to express my appreciation, because while we envisioned some communications, what was clear is we need to ramp that up, because I think not many people in the county understand the importance of growing our housing base.

[02:01:01] And if you already have your house, and you're comfortable you might not think about that but in terms of job growth and economic development we need a lot more housing as i have said in all markets and so i appreciate this communications plan education opportunity and i'm happy to support it if there's no further discussion all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions and that motion carries thank you uh supervisor sizemore heiser and let me make sure that you have have no additional announcements or board matters? Okay, great. Thank you very much. Next up is

[02:01:40] Supervisor Bierman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One board matter, which I'm bringing on behalf of my constituent, Robin Walker, who is the current president of the Garden Club of Fairfax. And the Garden Club of Fairfax held its first meeting, and I'm going to try and summarize this.

[02:01:59] The Garden Club of Fairfax held its first meeting on June 30, 1926, with 20 charter members who wanted to make a difference in their community. Early members included Kitty Barrett Poser, who served as the Town of Fairfax's volunteer librarian, advocated for the creation of the Fairfax County Public Library System, and was the garden editor for the Washington Post for over 30 years. Another influential early member, Ms. Amos Chilcott, was active in the Garden Club of Fairfax's opposition to billboards and worked with the highway system to improve roadway plantings and became the first woman appointed to the Fairfax County Planning Commission

[02:02:37] in 1938. The rest of this board matter goes over the many, many places that the Garden Club of Fairfax is working and helping throughout the county. I really could have asked everybody to be on it. Everything from Gunston Hall, Mason Neck, that's Mount Vernon, to Emory Rucker, that's in Hunter Mill, to Woodburn, Center for Community Mental Health, Northern Virginia Training Center, Food for Others, Sully Historic Site, Meadowlark. We're touching all the districts. In any event, in recognition of their long history of community involvement, I move that the Board of Supervisors

[02:03:16] direct staff to prepare a resolution honoring the 100th anniversary of the Garden Club of Fairfax to be presented to the Garden Club of Fairfax at the May 5, 2026 Board of Supervisors. It's been moved and seconded by a lot of us. We don't get too many hundredth anniversaries, so this is a good one.

[02:03:34] All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Smith being away at the moment. Supervisor Beerman. No further board matters. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Beerman. Next up is Supervisor Lusk.

[02:03:51] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My first board matter with board approval, Supervisor Jimenez and I are requesting a waiver of the application fees for permits associated with the flea markets conducted by the Springfield-Franconia Host Lions Club Charities, Inc., Alexandria Asian American Lions Club, and the Springfield Global Lions Club.

[02:04:12] The Board has approved fee waivers' requests for the Lions Clubs annually since 1994, and these three clubs have collaborated again to submit a joint waiver fee for 2026. And I'll just skip to the next paragraph.

[02:04:27] With that said, Mr. Chairman, Supervisor Jimenez and I move that the Board of Supervisors waive the application fees for permits associated with the Springfield-Franconia Lions Host Club Charities, Inc., Alexandra Asian American Lions Club, and Springfield Global Lions Club Flea Markets for 2026.

[02:04:46] So moved. Chairman and a lot of other people will second that. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Lusk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Second, Mr. Chairman, Roberta Mastisoff has been a TAP instructor at the Franconia Rec Center for 31 years.

[02:05:11] During that time, she has taught both beginners and advanced classes for youth, adults, and choreographed original routines and even made costumes for her young students. This is all more impressive when you learn that Roberta is 90 years old and that she has broke her back in October of 25.

[02:05:29] She is already back in teaching her regular classes, which are on Sunday nights. She, I'll skip through this, She moved to the Wilton Woods neighborhood 58 years ago. She served as a first female magistrate in Fairfax County for 30 years and spent a number of years as a Fairfax County Public Schools substitute teacher.

[02:05:54] Today, her favorite activities are gardening, tap dancing, and spending time with her 33 great-grandchildren. Her motto, just keep moving, is a lesson in longevity we can all learn from.

[02:06:09] So with that said, Mr. Chairman, I move and would like to move without objection that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to prepare a proclamation honoring Roberta's contributions to the Franconia District and Fairfax County to be presented either within or outside the boardroom.

[02:06:27] I'm happy to second that for an amazing individual. It's amazing. Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Beerman. I don't want to dance around it, but I think we should have her in the boardroom. Thanks. Thank you, Supervisor Bierman.

[02:06:43] We will consider that. If there's no further discussion, 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. Two quick announcements. The first is I want to alert my colleagues and the public of my decision to intend to defer the 3.30 p.m. public hearing for RZ 2025-FR-00005 in the name of Franconia Development Partners, LLC, which has been scheduled for today.

[02:07:20] There are some affidavit issues that require deferral of the case, and at the appropriate time this afternoon, I intend to make the formal deferral motion to a date certain of March 3, 2026, at 3.30 p.m. Thank you.

[02:07:35] We'll skip to the motion later. No motion, just an announcement. Thank you for that announcement. You're very welcome, Madam Chair. And then second, I would like to share that my office had the pleasure of coordinating a very generous donation of 38 desktop computers from Computer Corps to residents in one of our senior living communities in Franconia District.

[02:07:57] So on January 4th, residents of Oakwood Meadows received the first installments of computers. With the help of staff at True Ground and staff at the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, computers were delivered, installed, and were also set up for each resident in their individual unit.

[02:08:19] Ongoing training and technical support is also being provided by Neighborhood and Community Services. This effort would not have been possible without this generous donation. from donna walker james of computer core we are so grateful and is anticipated that we will be able to deploy 12 additional units by computer core to our senior residence at morris glenn so the chairman's out but he would probably appreciate that named after his grandmother mr chairman it is or madam chairman it is important to acknowledge the staff of both neighbor and community services and Oakwood Meadows Senior Residents, as well as volunteers from Volunteer Fairfax who donated

[02:08:58] their time to support this effort. I also want to recognize Amy Ginger from the Department of Housing and Community Development for coming out to the community to acknowledge computer core support of our residents. I'm grateful to everyone who contributed to making this initiative a success to our seniors. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Thank you, Supervisor Lesk. Is that all?

[02:09:18] That is it. Thank you. Okay. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Madam Vice Chair, and I have one board matter and a couple of announcements. My board matter is being done with Chairman McKay, celebrating the Kathy Hudgens Community Center's 20th anniversary.

[02:09:34] So this July, we mark a significant milestone for resting, the 20th anniversary of the Kathy Hudgens Community Center at Southgate. Since its doors first opened on July 10, 2006, the center has been a vital part of our community. As a truly integrated neighborhood hub, it provides children, teens, and older adults with a wealth of diverse programs.

[02:09:55] Serving approximately 20,000 people who visit each year, the center offers essential after-school programs and summer camps, senior health and wellness initiatives, English as a second language classes, and a wide array of recreational and cultural events provided by the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.

[02:10:13] While this anniversary is a moment of great joy, it's also a bittersweet one. The center stands as one of the most enduring legacies of former Hunter Mill Supervisor Kathy Hudgens. And as the board's aware, we sadly lost this pioneering public servant this past May.

[02:10:28] And it was her tireless advocacy that spearheaded the effort to build this center. Kathy personally negotiated the land lease, which was signed by the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority, secured the necessary funding, reviewed the building's design, and articulated a clear vision for its programming.

[02:10:47] Her leadership revived and transformed a privately owned community room and swimming pool, which had sat vacant and unused for nine years, into a vibrant public gathering place for engagement, education, and recreation. This anniversary is a moment to honor not just the building, but also Kathy's lasting contribution to the fabric of our community.

[02:11:08] As the board recalls, the center was renamed in Kathy's honor in 2021, and we held a ceremony to officially rename the center that year. I'm deeply grateful that Kathy was able to participate in that well-deserved recognition and see how much her work meant to Rustin.

[02:11:24] In commemoration of this 20th anniversary, the Center will host a community celebration on August 15th, and I invite everyone to join us for this occasion. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, I ask that the Office of Public Affairs prepare a resolution to be presented outside of the boardroom on August 15th to honor the Kathy Hudgens Community Center on its 20th anniversary and without objection um that is so ordered and um it's hard to believe i remember being there in 2021 with you and others and it feels like it was just yesterday true so thank you thank you supervisor alcorn supervisor alcorn yeah just a couple of

[02:12:03] announcements uh first of all uh vienna restaurant week is coming up and for anyone who missed the regional winter restaurant week due to last month's snowstorm, you have an opportunity to still eat at a wonderful restaurant week. Vienna will hold its annual restaurant week from February 27th to March 8th. So there are all sorts of wonderful things that you could experience in the town of Vienna. Some of the best food in the DMV and all sorts of cuisines. So if you enjoy good food,

[02:12:38] I invite you to mark your calendar for a celebration of flavor, and check out the participating restaurants on ExploreViennaVA.com website. And thank you, Mr. Chairman. And then lastly, thank you for this update on the economic competitiveness board matter.

[02:12:57] Really appreciate it, and thank you also for flagging coordination with district supervisors. And, yeah, I would encourage staff to touch base with district supervisors before reaching out to individual property owners. There's a lot of discussion that goes on before staff even knows about it many times, you know, with the supervisor of the district office.

[02:13:18] So this is a great idea. I love the idea of being proactive. So thank you for doing that, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Supervisor Alcorn. Appreciate that. And we will absolutely make sure that happens. Supervisor Jimenez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

[02:13:35] I have an exciting board matter here with the concurrent process. So 6200 Wilson LLC is currently proposing RZ-2024-MA-00013 for property identified as Fairfax County Tax Map Reference 51-3 in parentheses 143.

[02:13:58] The applicant proposes to construct a new multifamily residential and commercial building as well as a standalone parking that will serve the existing Cavalier Club multifamily building that is proposed to remain. The proposal will preserve a well-maintained existing residential community and add much-needed housing within the Bailey's Crossroads Seven Corners commercial revitalization district.

[02:14:21] minimize construction impacts on the existing community the applicant intends to submit a site plan to follow for construction of the standalone parking garage as soon as possible therefore mr chairman i move that the board of supervisors direct the director of the department of land development services to accept for concurrent and simultaneous processing any site plans building plans architectural drawings or other drawings as may be necessary for property be identified as the Fairfax County Tax Map Reference 51-3, in parentheses 143.

[02:14:54] This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards. I'm happy to second that motion, and I am excited by this board matter.

[02:15:12] If there's no further discussion, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. I. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Supervisor Jimenez. And that is it for me today, sir. Thank you, Supervisor Jimenez. Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do have a bunch of them, and I will try to either speed read them or summarize where possible.

[02:15:37] The first item, though, is one that's related to the Audit Committee. And this is the adoption of the Performance Auditor to the Board's February 2026 quarterly report. The performance auditor to the Board's draft report for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 was presented at the February 10, 2026 Audit Committee meeting.

[02:15:55] The report was entitled Contributories Fund Study and reviewed the internal processes related to administering the county's contributory funds. The report included two recommendations to improve the review of funding requests and to update and streamline the contributory's budget manual. Together, implementing both recommendations will require oversight of the process and ensure the contributory's fund is aligned with the Board priorities.

[02:16:16] The Audit Committee concurred with all the recommendations. During this discussion, the committee also agreed that DMB will examine approaches used by other jurisdictions and present options to the Board of Supervisors to strengthen the contributory's fund review and funding process.

[02:16:32] These options could be presented at the September budget meeting. The performance auditor of the board will follow up to ensure recommendations are implemented. The report can be found at the committee's meeting linked below and was distributed to board members electronically. Therefore, we move that the Board of Supervisors approve the Performance Auditor to the Board's February 2026 report.

[02:16:51] And this included myself, Supervisor Beerman, Supervisor Herity, as well as Supervisor Jimenez. Second. You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by the— I'm sorry. You've heard— You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by the members of the Audit Committee. If there's—is there a discussion?

[02:17:08] Supervisor Beerman. Just briefly, at the audit committee meeting that Supervisor Jimenez, Supervisor Stork, and I were at, we did talk about this idea of trying to bring something to the September budget meeting. The Contributories Fund is interesting because in lots of times with respect to the budget, our budget staff will go to essentially the subject matter experts of various different departments.

[02:17:36] you know, if you want to know what to do with the fire budget, you talk to the fire chief. If you want to know what to do with health and human services, you know, you talk to neighborhood and community services. That's not always true with contributories. In fact, these have been in place for a long time. Some of them are very, frankly, supervisor specific. Sorry, Supervisor Stork, but the Workhouse Arts Center is in the Mount Vernon district.

[02:18:00] That will be something that might be supervisor specific. Kathy Smith is not going to be the expert on the workhouse arts center sorry she's the expert on everything but the point being that we wanted to come up with a strategy for how to look at these contributory agencies more often and consider their budgets more often and we are going to do that together so thank you and we appreciate that if there's no further discussion all those in favor of the motion please say aye aye any opposed any abstentions that motion carries supervisor stork and

[02:18:35] And, Mr. Chairman, Phil Hagen, the budget director, also identified that in one of the memos that he attached to our budget package. Particularly, there's information about the contributory fund in the FY 2027 advertised budget plan. People can see in there what, frankly, what it is we were looking at, those kinds of things.

[02:18:54] Although our perspective is more historical, I would say. And he is nodding in the affirmative for those who can't see. Excellent. Supervisor Stork. The next item I have is Pulse Point Challenge with you, Mr. Chairman. February is American Heart Health Month and a nationwide observance that highlights cardiovascular disease and importance of having more trained lifesavers in our community.

[02:19:19] In November, Team MVD completed AED, CPR, and first aid training with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department to ensure that we are prepared to respond to medical emergency. During that training, we learned that the yellow PulsePoint AED app is one of the most effective ways for residents and businesses to register and locate automatic external defibrillators, AEDs.

[02:19:41] While Virginia Law requires AEDs in gyms and health clubs, expanding public access registration, especially in places where people gather and recreate, is critical. In calendar year 2025, 481 responders were alerted to 482 sudden cardiac arrest incidents in public places.

[02:19:57] The F-C-F-R-D goal of 2026 is to increase participation in PulsePoint by growing the AED registry and increasing the number of PulsePoint respond users, specifically CPR-trained residents with CPR-needed alerts enabled. For healthy competition, we challenge our board colleagues and their offices, along with businesses and residents across the county, to download the PulsePoint apps, register AEDs, and spread the word.

[02:20:22] Let's see which district can register the most AEDs between now and the end of March. The more of us who participate, the stronger and more prepared our community will be when every second counts. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, we challenge our board colleagues and our residents to download the yellow PulsePoint AED app to register and locate AED devices, and the red PulsePoint Respond app, which alerts CPR-trained users to nearby public emergencies requiring CPR.

[02:20:47] I also ask the Office of Public Affairs to promote these apps and remind the public that this simple step can save a life. Thank you, Supervisor Stork. Without objection, that is so approved, and I look forward to the challenge of the districts.

[02:21:04] I think my district probably will win, but I think we will certainly recognize the next winning district. But in seriousness, this is very important, because not only where these are located, but I will tell you, in places I've been at the county, I've been a little bit shocked sometimes to see where these are.

[02:21:27] They're meant to be in a very visible, publicly visible place, and they're not always in that place. And so this is an important awareness, educational, competitive opportunity, but most importantly, an education, awareness, opportunity, and literally life-saving consequences as a result of it.

[02:21:44] And so without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Storch. Thank you. I would urge my colleagues to have FRD really do the kind of training that we went through. It's basically a day-long commitment, but it's money, if you will, money, your own internal money, because there's a cost to some of that.

[02:22:00] But it's really a difference in life that can be saved. And I know we have several members on this board who have had health and heart issues, and I think they're probably particularly interested in how this made a difference for them. The next item is recognizing the Department of Economic Initiatives and the Talent of Fairfax National Innovation Award.

[02:22:19] And this is also with Chairman McKay. We are pleased to share that Fairfax County's Talent Up Fairfax program has been selected as the featured innovation for the Commonwealth of Virginia in the National Showcase, 50 States, 50 Breakthroughs. This could not have happened without the incredible work of the Department of Economic Initiatives, DEI, Department of Family Services, DFS, and the Skill Source Group.

[02:22:42] This national honor, a collaboration between A-Political, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the Humans of Public Service identifies one transformative public service project from every state that demonstrates real-world impact and a scalable model for better government.

[02:22:59] Talent Up was chosen for the state of Virginia and is now a national blueprint for grow-your-own-talent strategies. And this is truly the case. We launched this in late 2023 to address a critical dual challenge we had of providing unrepresentative job seekers with high quality career pathways, while also recognizing that we had a lot of job needs and particularly a way of connecting the two has made a real difference.

[02:23:24] 347 local employers engaged across diverse industries, 179 paid work-based learning internships were established, $25 hour median wages for participants, a scalable model utilizing state-of-the-art measurement tools to track placements and create the blueprint. This program serves as a cornerstone of the strategic plan's broader mandate to foster a resilient, inclusive economy by helping employers fill critical positions with qualified, motivated workers.

[02:23:51] We've shown that smart workforce programs are economic development programs. This national recognition also validates what we have known all along. Fairfax County's greatest competitive advantage is our talent. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, we move without objection that a proclamation be signed by the chairman and myself to be presented to the Department of Economic Initiative, the Department of Family Services, and the Skill Source Group for this national recognition before the board, and that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs to continue to publicize this achievement. And without objection, it is so ordered,

[02:24:25] really important opportunity to toot our own horn here. So that's good. Supervisor Stork. We have some fantastic things to, I think, toot about, and this is a great one of those. The next item is Proclamation Recognized West Potomac High School's 40th Anniversary, and this is done jointly with yourself and Supervisor Lusk.

[02:24:44] In 1985, West Potomac High School opened its doors following the consolidation of Groveton and Fort Hunt High Schools, bringing together two proud school communities under one banner. Built on the belief that excellence is a tradition, West Potomac quickly established itself as a cornerstone of learning and opportunity in the Mount Vernon District.

[02:25:01] Over the past 40 years, West Potomac has grown into a vibrant and diverse community, welcoming students from more than 50 countries and representing over 35 languages. The school offers rigorous academic programming, including advanced placement courses, career and technical education, Pathways, the West Potomac Academy, the Governor's Health Science Academy, preparing students for high-demand careers.

[02:25:20] Wolverines have earned regional, state, and national recognitions in academic, athletics, and fine arts, while demonstrating a strong commitment to service and leadership throughout the community. Today, we celebrate that 40th anniversary. We honor that history, resilience, and pride. We congratulate West Potomac High School on four decades of excellence and look forward to the continued impact we'll have on generations of students to come.

[02:25:41] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, without objection, we ask that the proclamation be signed by the Chairman, Sue Vidal-Lusk, and myself to be presented to West Potomac High School outside the boardroom, recognizing the school for its 40th anniversary. And without objection, that is so ordered, I would just say the first sentence of this board matter was read quickly. For historians, that was quite a bone of contention in the community.

[02:26:05] And having a mom who graduated from Grofton High School, it is still raw in the community for people who went to Grofton and Fort Hunt. But West Potomac has brought them together under one banner. And even though that was a long time ago, they're still Supervisor Harry.

[02:26:22] I still travel and see the Fort Hunt shirts. There is still a community out there anyway. Just second what you were saying. Yeah, having attended some of the growth in high school reunions and seeing the Tigers, they're still in the community.

[02:26:38] This is just another demonstration of how hard sometimes the school boundaries, school names, and school issues are. And it is hard to believe that 40 years later that continues to be a conversation point. But all certainly very proud of West Potomac and what that school has become.

[02:26:55] So without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Stork. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And that was truly painful, and I heard much about it really happened right before I moved into the community. Good timing. Demonstrating your good timing.

[02:27:12] Oh, my gosh, yes. Well, and Delegate Paul Krizak was a graduate of Groveton and Senator Sobel, Karen Corbett Sanders, and then Senator Sobel was one of the first classes at West Potomac. So you have clearly that separation even within the community. The last item I don't think is anywhere near that controversial, but in fact, we're looking forward to this.

[02:27:37] Nova Petroleum Realty LLC owns approximately 0.93 acres located in the northwest corner of the intersection of Richmond Highway and Fry Road. The property is Zone C8 and currently operates as an existing service station constructed in the 1960s. To redevelop and modernize this aging service station, the applicant seeks approval of a special exception to permit the construction of a new fueling station with a permanent canopy, a new convenience store, and other needed site improvements.

[02:28:04] In addition, portions of the property's Fry Road and Richmond Highway frontages are anticipated to be acquired by VDOT to accommodate the ongoing Richmond Highway Corridors Improvement, the one BRT project. The special exception application is currently being processed by the Department of Planning and Development and is scheduled for a hearing before the Traverse County Planning Commission on March 18, 2026.

[02:28:25] In addition to processing of this proposal, the applicant is actively coordinating with VDOT related to the contemplated right-of-way improvements along the property's frontages, the plans of which are well underway. In order to complement VDOT's widening project and ensure a smooth transition between respective construction schedules, the applicant would like to begin construction of the proposed development as soon as possible.

[02:28:49] Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct staff to expedite the board hearing for SE 2020 MV-008 and concurrently process associated site plan. This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation by the Board of Supervisors on the proposed application and does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of all applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards in any way.

[02:29:13] Happy to second that motion. Discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Stork. And I have two verbal board matters of which I think, Mr. Chairman, you'll be familiar with one of them, as well as our county executive.

[02:29:33] We had the 39th annual Mount Vernon District Town Meeting literally about 10 days ago. We had more than 50 exhibitors, 250 at the semi-quincentennial booth, which was part of our celebration. Yourself, Congressman Beyer, again, County Executive Hill, and Mount Vernon School Board member Matteo Dunn were all there, as well as one of our most distinguished former presidents, George Washington.

[02:29:58] In this case, General George Washington, obliged us and came to remind us, frankly, why the semi-quincentennial is such an important milestone. We had a very nice dialogue, and he, I guess, connected some of the history, I think, that's so important to our community, but especially to the Mount Vernon District.

[02:30:16] So a huge, big thank you to Channel 16. Not only did they prepare and help produce a new Progress and Priorities video, but they also produced the overall town meeting, which was wonderful. So thank you to Albi Sonoyoko, Ronnie Hassan, Potts Blasamo, Mike Bass, and Rebecca Makeley, and frankly the entire crew for their professionalism and the time that they spent doing this.

[02:30:43] If you missed the program, you can still watch it on Channel 16 on February 22nd, which is George Washington's birthday. at 8 p.m. And the second item was also just a major, actually a national and I would say international event, the Walk for Peace. On Sunday, we welcomed Buddhist monks to our community as they passed through on their 2,300 mile walk for peace, sharing the powerful message of peace and unity. Despite the cold, I would say very, very cold weather and really some difficult conditions, more than 50,000 people lined the roadways and attended the

[02:31:18] events really throughout the district and really throughout the communities along their way. Our journeys towards peace begin in our own hearts, absolutely caring, respecting others, and loving others and ourselves. Thank you, venerable monks, for sharing your light.

[02:31:37] Your light at the temple, I'm sorry, I will not try to pronounce it, but for their generosity, hospitality, especially Major Jeff Morrow and FCPD Motors was amazing. We shut down lots of parts of Richmond Highway, and as you know, that's never easy when you do that. Fortunately, it was mostly on a Sunday, which made it more possible. And then also a huge thanks to the Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church, Pastor Bob Malone, and really, they did a tremendous job. I went there that evening. The monks spoke again. They had, I would say, almost 2,000 people at the church that evening.

[02:32:17] It was just, and then the monks came in and talked to folks. But again, that was their 106th day of the walk. It was just truly a remarkable event overall. And then I had really the good fortune last night to go to the New Year's Eve, Lunar New Year's Eve ceremony at the temple as well.

[02:32:37] The Lunar New Year's Eve actually starts today, so it was a great time to connect again and hear the chants of the monks and really the connectedness of the people. It was predominantly a Vietnamese community that was part of this, but there were many, many others from around the county and around the area.

[02:32:57] So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Supervisor Stork, and just real quickly, Supervisor Lusk, myself, and you had an opportunity to have lunch with the Venerable Monks, and it was quite an event. But my takeaway from that and your town hall meeting was both of those days were freezing.

[02:33:17] I mean, like zero degrees freezing with windchill, and yet at both of those events, huge turnout from the community. So weather was not stopping people coming to the town hall meeting, certainly not stopping folks coming out and celebrating what the monks were doing and what they were believing in.

[02:33:37] And the streets were lined. And as you mentioned, thankfully it was a Sunday on Richmond Highway, but still the amount of work and effort it took for our police department. And, you know, what was what was clear to me in talking to one of the people who had been riding with the monks across the country is that the law enforcement response for them across the country was huge.

[02:33:59] And there was an initial injury that happened to one of the monks at the very beginning of their walk that, you know, did not get a lot of didn't get a lot of publicity. But the fact that they were able to walk from where they started in Galveston, Texas, all the way to Annapolis, Maryland.

[02:34:16] And they had really only one injury due to the work of a lot of law enforcement across this country who helped them get through these communities and not just manage traffic, but manage the huge crowds of people that came out. I mean, at the event we were at, people as far as the eye could see.

[02:34:35] And so just an amazing inspirational moment and appreciate that their route came through Fairfax County because a lot of people in the country never got an opportunity to personally see them, and that was something we were blessed with and won't forget. So thank you for reminding us of that, Supervisor Stork.

[02:34:54] Mr. Chairman, if I could just add one thing. So my daughter has never really come to many of my board-related activities. When she heard about this monk opportunity, the monks meeting them, she goes, Daddy, I'd really like to go. Is that possible?

[02:35:12] So she really enjoyed it, and I could see there were so many young people that were there. And one of my former co-workers, her daughter suffers from lupus, So she wanted to be there specifically, and she was out in the cold.

[02:35:29] To your point, Mr. Chairman, it was probably like seven degrees that day, nine degrees maybe at the most. And she was out there for hours because she wanted to witness the monks kind of coming in and then hearing the comments after.

[02:35:44] So very moving and so happy to be a part of that as well. So thank you. Thank you very much. Supervisor. Ah, okay. But you're next anyway. Supervisor Herity. Oh, I'm sorry. I skipped Supervisor Paucek.

[02:36:00] You're right. Supervisor Paucek is next, and then we'll be followed by Supervisor Herity. I've been waiting patiently here as everyone has comments. Well, before I share my board matter, you know, it's good to see that as your daughters get older, my four-year-old, I could take her neither to the gubernatorial historic moment in that cold weather, nor to see the monks.

[02:36:22] It would have probably been child abuse to take a four-year-old to that weather. But we were able to watch both virtually and happy to hear that so many were able to go in person. Also, sitting here 39 years, that's still not quite as old as every single person on this board.

[02:36:38] We're still a little bit older than that. But excellent, 39 years of work. That's impressive. I have three board matters and then just an announcement. I will try to go as quickly as I can through these. The first is the site plan fee waiver for the First Baptist Church of Merrifield.

[02:36:57] Those of you who don't know the First Baptist Church of Merrifield, which is located right outside of Mosaic near the Silver Diner. The First Baptist Church of Merrifield is a historic African-American church that has served residents of Fairfax County since 1871 and has occupied its current site since 1891.

[02:37:15] For more than 150 years, the church has provided spiritual leadership, educational opportunities, child care, and extensive community service. On November 18, 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved RZ-2014-PR-006 to permit an expansion of the church, nursery, school, and child care uses.

[02:37:38] The Department of Planning and Development has issued an interpretation confirming the church's ability to proceed with development in phases. Merrifield First Baptist Church intends to file a site plan application in the near future in order to advance with phase one of its approved expansion.

[02:37:54] In recognition of the church's historic significance and long-standing service to the community, they have requested a waiver of any applicable zoning and site-related fees. Therefore, I move that the Board of Supervisors direct the Department of Land Development Services and the Director of the Department of Planning and Development to waive all applicable county zoning and site-related fees specified in Zoning Ordinance Section 8102 associated with the expansion of Merrifield First Baptist Church located on the tax map numbers 49-4, 1, 36, 37, and 37A

[02:38:31] and 49-4, double parentheses, 3, 8, 8A, and 9. This motion should not be construed as a favorable recommendation on the merits of the site plan application does not relieve the applicant from compliance with any applicable ordinances, regulations, or adopted standards, and in no way prejudices the substantive review of the application.

[02:38:52] The chairman will second that motion. Any discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, I will try to truncate, but it is another rezoning-related board matter.

[02:39:11] Fairfax Towers Financing LP, the applicant, is prepared to file a rezoning and conceptual slash final development plan, CDP-FDP, for approximately 17 acres located at 2251 Payment Drive in the Providence District. Because the applicant proposes to incorporate a portion of roadway into its rezoning CDP-FDP and because the Board owns the right-of-way associated with Payment Drive, the Board must concur with the filing of the application.

[02:39:39] The applicant has been in discussions with FCDOT regarding the feasibility of this request and abandoning and vacating portions of the right-of-way that will no longer be required for public roadway purposes in conjunction with this proposal. FCDOP recommends that such a request be processed concurrently with the rezoning application.

[02:40:01] Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors consent to the inclusion of approximately 7,440 square feet of right-of-way adjacent to 2251 Payment Drive, identified as Fairfax County Tax Mat Reference 40-3, double parentheses 1-4, to be included in a rezoning application submitted by Fairfax Towers Financing LP.

[02:40:25] I further move that the Board of Supervisors authorize the county executive or his designees to act as an agent of the board in conjunction with the rezoning. The inclusion of these rights of way in the rezoning application in no way relieves the applicant of the requirement to process a vacation request or to comply with all applicable standards of the zoning ordinance.

[02:40:48] In addition, this consent does not imply county support for this application, does not dictate to staff the rezoning application should be approved, nor should it prejudice staff's review of this application. Chair, we'll second that motion. Is there discussion on the motion?

[02:41:03] Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The last one is a fun one. And I believe it is now with all of our colleagues, and I appreciate everyone's support, but especially my staff and team who've been working on this now for three years.

[02:41:24] I'm celebrating Women's History Month with a menstrual product drive. And I will try to abbreviate this. As many of you know, Women's History Month was officially recognized in the U.S. in 1987 to highlight the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. During Women's History Month in March, we also recognized the importance of addressing the need for menstrual supplies across the county.

[02:41:48] These essential hygiene products are costly, and the lack of access to safe and clean menstrual products can negatively impact someone's overall physical and emotional well-being. I want to again thank my colleagues, my staff, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, the Libraries, and the Commission for Women for partnering with us to host our third annual donation drive to collect essential menstrual products for vulnerable community members.

[02:42:13] Donations will be collected at over 50 sites across the county, including the Fairfax County Government Center, all Board of Supervisor offices, many Department of Neighborhood and Community Services centers, and all Fairfax County Public Library branches. A list of drop-off locations and non-profit beneficiaries can be found on my website, www.fairfaxcounty.gov slash providence.

[02:42:37] Therefore, I move without objection that the Board of Supervisors direct the Office of Public Affairs and the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services to share this information through their channels. And without objection, that is so ordered, Supervisor Palcic. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks again to my colleagues.

[02:42:54] We can make it a competition, but really it's been incredible in the past three years how much this has grown and benefited so many young women and women in our community. The next is just a reminder. As was shared today, we are trying to increase our understanding and our community conversations, civil conversations and learning around the challenges around housing in our community, the needs, the impacts, and really hearing from residents about how we can best continue to address that.

[02:43:26] To that, my office has been working with the Department of Housing for our first installment of community conversations that were announced at the last meeting. But it's just a final reminder, if you have not yet registered, you do not have to live in Providence to register.

[02:43:43] We look forward to having a very thoughtful and facilitated conversation that is going to happen next February 24th at 6:00 p.m. at the Providence Jim Scott Community Center. So if you have not registered, please check out our website and register for that.

[02:44:02] And then finally, as was mentioned, we had many New Year celebrations across the county that I was able to take my daughter to. She picked out her favorites being at the government center. So congratulations to the team. - That was a great one. - I believe Natalie in your office, and so many were involved in that festivity here, but there were at least four, three of them in Providence districts this year, both our open house at the Jim Scott Community Center, the Luther Jackson Chinese New Year events that has been going on for 17 years now,

[02:44:37] as well as there was one at Capital One Hall, led by the Asian American Chamber this year, so really exciting in times when it's freezing outside and the temperature in our conversations, political conversations, is not so friendly. It's always heartwarming to see our community come together, celebrate our traditions, celebrate our families, and to that a happy year of the horse of filial piety. So definitely to recognize our parents, our ancestors, and to connect with each other. To that, Mr. Chairman, I am finished. Thank you. Many of those great events, as you

[02:45:15] mentioned, across the county, and the best food was at the one here at the Government Center. Supervisor Herdy. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I referenced this earlier today, and it's a board matter to look at the maintenance on our county facilities. From 1960 to 1980, Fairfax County experienced a period of rapid development, both in the private sector and public sector, many of the county's 200-plus facilities were built in that era and are now long past due for renovations, upgrades, and reconsideration of their uses.

[02:45:47] Anecdotally, we hear from county employees and residents about instances of dilapidated rec centers, heat and air conditioning issues in county buildings, leaks, and mold. Recently, the board received a letter from Chief Judge Penny Escarte, as well as the Fairfax County History Commission regarding the lack of maintenance funding for the courthouse complex, and I've attached the letters and the pictures that I think we've all seen.

[02:46:14] The historical courthouse has been temporarily shut down in all records, including George Washington's will. It had been moved to other sites due to failed building infrastructure. This is extremely disappointing given the celebration of the semi-quincentennial this year and the fact that we have known about the need for a new HVAC system as well as other repairs since at least 2019 when the county received the study conducted by WRA that identified building deficiencies at the historic courthouse and that's attached as well. In the older sections

[02:46:50] of the operational courthouse there have been several major sewage leaks, water leaks, data room, overheating issues, unplanned power outages, asbestos removal, mold and pest control issues. These issues have caused significant court delays as well as staff and health and safety concerns.

[02:47:10] In 2023, the McLean Citizens Association's annual budget resolution submitted to the board focused heavily on the need for county to invest in our aging infrastructure as critical maintenance has been consistently deferred in favor of new capital projects or other initiatives.

[02:47:29] Many of the issues it raised have yet to be addressed. It is clear we need to develop a process to track and fund the outstanding and, in many cases, overdue major renovations of our facilities, much as the school board tracks school renovations and the Park Authority tracks its rec center renovations. The CIP projections provided to our board have been focused on new facilities and not on I won't say not on renovations but not as significantly on maintenance significant maintenance and renovation needs I was happy that the board deferred the judicial complex project last year this

[02:48:09] was of course before I saw the budget and I'm very happy to see the focus in the budget on on renovation and maintenance because it is it is long as past due. We also know we have two of our libraries that are closed due to HVAC and boiler facilities. Culmore and Richard Burr Library are closed. We can see what happens when major items fail with the Penino building. Penino building wasn't one of these. It was a simple water leak, but it has required all kinds of things to happen. We can't do without a courthouse.

[02:48:48] The new courthouse would be fine, but the old courthouse would have to close, and we've lost the historical courthouse for a period of time. Therefore, Madam Chairman, this is just a simple request here. I move the board direct to county executives to work with staff to compile a list of the necessary.

[02:49:07] Well, before I do this, I know, Mr. Chairman, you sent a letter saying we were going to do some of this that I got after I'd submitted the board matter. So therefore, I thank you for that letter and the commitment to do that. So I move that the board direct county executive work with staff to compile a list of the necessary courthouse renovations with cost estimates, a list of other critical MEP renovations needs, and county facilities with rough estimates to follow if not immediately available.

[02:49:36] In addition, I'd move that we have the county executive work with staff to provide the board with information on an evaluation of long-term renovation prioritizations, basically a renovations queue, much like the school board has for their many facilities.

[02:49:53] So moved. And this request for information, I believe we have all this, and I want to recognize the county executive. Yeah, thank you, Chairman McKay, and thank you, Supervisor Herity. I have been speaking with Judge Askerati, as well as many of the employees at the courthouse, as well as all the buildings in Fairfax County, we already have a listing of our facility needs.

[02:50:18] That is one of the reasons why in this budget process I've asked for us to do and understand what facility renewal is as opposed to capital and investment. And if you want to see the list, we can provide that to you at any given time. Again, we have 214 buildings that we try to maintain.

[02:50:37] The issue that happened at the Panino building, you know, that was on a part that should have lasted 15 years, year 10, a pinhole, four floors basically gone. So we're trying to figure things out as quickly as we can.

[02:50:54] But I do want to say that when we do have situations throughout this county, Jose Comiago and his staff and facilities maintenance have done, in my view, a bang-up job with little funds. I shouldn't say little funds, but with quick resources or quickly getting to the situation and fixing it as much as they possibly can.

[02:51:18] As Supervisor Herity said, we have two libraries that are not in use and we're renovating. But we move things around to allow for our residents still to have access to those other buildings. That's the key.

[02:51:34] This is why we have such great resources. This is why I really appreciate the leadership of the board. 214 buildings is a lot to maintain. I'm not complaining. I'm going to work as hard as I can, as well as the staff and budget staff and the facility staff, to address each and everything.

[02:51:52] And when we need something done, we get it done. And this is a time where if you support our budget, we will get things done. Thank you, Mr. Hill, for that response. And we're not going to prolong this. I'm going to ask people if they have quick comments.

[02:52:07] This is a simple request for information. That's how I'm treating it. We're going to get all this information back and have a better conversation. I do appreciate what you have said, Mr. Hill. I agree with a lot of this board matter. There's parts of it I would characterize quite differently. But the question is on the motion here, which is the asks.

[02:52:26] And I have no problem getting that information back to the board. As you mentioned, most of this already exists. Very briefly, Supervisor Herity. Yeah, just very briefly, and I agree with our maintenance staff.

[02:52:41] They're incredible. They come and do things. The problem I have here is we really haven't been presented with the depth of the problem. And when you look at the report in 2019 on the historic courthouse, we didn't do what needs to be done.

[02:52:57] You can't wait until there's a maintenance issue and go fix it because by that time it's too late. So I think there's, once we get this information, and again, I will keep my comments simple, but we really need to take a deep look at whether, what needs to get done before things break and we have to send maintenance in because then it's costly.

[02:53:21] Yes, Mr. Hill. I just want to make sure everybody's clear. We have a budget committee meeting coming up. We will be discussing CIP. I look forward to going over each and every one of the projects if you so choose. might need to add a couple hours to that meeting if you really want to go at it in totality.

[02:53:38] However, we have that information. This is why we presented the budget the way we presented the budget today. And I would just add, we did have a deep dive conversation on this very issue back when the board had its joint committee with the schools, and it is the reason that the sinking fund was created.

[02:53:56] And there's been a lot of money that's gone into the sinking fund to deal with maintenance-related issues and facilities across the county from various different entities, Park Authority being among them, had scored these individual properties in a very comprehensive way for the members of that committee who served on that joint committee.

[02:54:15] And so I know this information is available. And again, I look at this as a simple request for information that the county staff will get back to us. Any further discussion on that issue, Supervisor Heisman or Sizer. Thank you.

[02:54:30] Just very quickly, I just wanted to say I support the request for information. I think this is good information to get. I just think this harkens back to our earlier budget conversation when we talk about why aren't budgets going down when we have 40-year-old aging buildings. I think this is a prime example of why they can't go down when we have 40-year-old aging buildings with higher maintenance needs.

[02:54:48] So I appreciate the request for information so we get a better handle on what those maintenance needs are. Absolutely. Any further comments on that? I will say without objection, it is so ordered since it is a request for information from Supervisor Herity. Supervisor Herity.

[02:55:03] That's it, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Herity. And with that, we're going to move on to administrative items. And let me ask Supervisor Smith, do you have a motion for administrative items 1 through 5? I move approval of administrative items 1 through 5.

[02:55:20] I'm happy to second that, along with Supervisor Palchuk. Are there any administrative items board members would like to have pulled for discussion or a separate vote? Mr. Chairman, just add Min 1. Yes, Supervisor Alcorn. A question or a separate vote? A question. A question on Admin 1. And Admin 1 is authorization to advertise a public hearing on amendments to the public facilities manual PFM regarding sanitary sewer and editorial changes.

[02:55:45] Supervisor Alcorn. Yeah, thank you. First of all, the flow rates are coming down, which it's actually a very cool story. This is the result of water conservation measures and appliances that are more conserving, which is great.

[02:56:01] My question for staff, and I guess this is probably more of a request as this goes to public hearing, the stacked townhouses in here, we've been seeing those as two over two, and that's usually what we think of as stacked townhouses. In Alexandria, they actually have a product that's been built there that's more of a back-to-back.

[02:56:22] And I know in Hunter Mill, we have at least one project in the pipeline where we are going to see that kind of design. I just want to make sure that the definition of stacked townhouses would capture that type. Maybe it's not a huge deal either way, but I just ask staff to take a look at that before going to public hearing.

[02:56:43] Thank you. Did staff want to respond or? The proposal in front of you aligns with the definition in the current zoning ordinance. So as we move forward, we'll make sure that we address your question.

[02:56:58] Okay, great. Thank you. And can you introduce yourself just so that we know? I'm sorry. My name is Jan Levitt with Land Development Services. Thank you. Excellent. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much. Supervisor Herity. Number five for a separate vote. Admin number five for a separate vote.

[02:57:14] So we'll hold that for a moment. Supervisor Palczyk. Because it came up, I would just say reviewing, I believe we're starting to have triplexes come in. And so just looking at clarity, I think they might each be a little bit different kind of products. So reviewing those as well would be helpful. Thank you.

[02:57:31] Okay. Any others? Did you want to ask, well, let me announce administrative item I first, which is authorization of Fairfax County Department of Transportation to apply for and accept grant funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation's Transit Ridership Incentive Program.

[02:57:50] Supervisor Herity has requested a separate vote. Do you have a question on that? Yeah, I've got a couple, actually. Okay. And, you know, I went back and tried to research this. The last time that we discussed this, I think, was at February 2025 Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee meeting, at which there wasn't, it didn't appear to me there was support.

[02:58:14] We talked about full fare, and there wasn't support to go to full fare. So I was a little surprised to see this, number one. Number two, at that meeting, we were shown projections of this program going from 1,250 riders per month to 3,000, 3,500, somewhere in there.

[02:58:37] It's hard to tell with the bar chart. But when I asked the county executive the questions, we're still at 1,250 average riders per month, and that's what we are projecting here. Greg Steverson, Director, Fairfax County Department of Transportation.

[02:58:57] So the 1250 number is basically an average over 2025. That's where the 1250 number came from. So the numbers I show is projected for 2025 or 2,500 up to 3,500.

[02:59:14] That didn't happen then. So we stayed at 1250. Stayed at 1250. I don't know if I would classify it like that. The 1250 number is literally the number when we just, I believe you asked about the average over the course of 2025.

[02:59:30] So that's the 1250 number. The estimates from the past were where we thought we would be over time, and no, we're not there. So I'm just doing some quick math, and correct me if I'm wrong. This is going to cost $260,000 a year, a year four we pay for entirely.

[02:59:48] That would be 15,000 riders, so that's $17 per trip? Is that, I mean, I'm just doing math. I'll go with your math on that. So is that the cost of the trip, or is that the fare that we're paying? I mean, I'm just trying to figure out the numbers.

[03:00:05] So the share that we would be paying is basically, if you're talking about year four, it would be 100%, but if you're talking about year one, year two, year three, it's a fraction of that. Okay, correct, but we're...

[03:00:21] Our fares are $17 per trip? No, sir. Our fares are $2.40 for the average fare. That's why the numbers didn't make sense. And then we have $4.80 for our express fares. For? Express.

[03:00:37] For express fares. So if someone wanted to use the express bus to go to work in D.C., they could utilize that as well. But they will mostly be using the $2.40. Kim, do you want to help on this?

[03:00:54] No, I'm going to let me recognize people. Sorry, Kayla Berry. I'm the head of marketing for Fairfax Connector. Yeah, introduce yourself. I want to make sure, Supervisor Herdy, you finish your questions, and I'm going to recognize several of my colleagues that want to be recognized. Okay. So I've still lost it.

[03:01:10] It costs us $260,000 per year. We have 15,000 riders, which gives us a $17 per trip cost, but our fares are $250 and $450. So I'm trying to get from that to the $17, which to me doesn't make any sense.

[03:01:33] I asked how many trips would have been incurred without the trip incentive, and we haven't done any studies on that, I guess, or growths from 50 to 100. Do we have any? I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question? I'm sorry. Have there been any studies on whether the incentives are driving additional riders or whether going from 50% to 100% drives additional ridership?

[03:02:00] So, no, there haven't been studies, but what I will say is going from 50% to 100%, we'll have at least some idea of what the change will be because we have ridership for the 50% and we'll have ridership for the full fare. And did we have an option?

[03:02:16] I think I know the answer to this, but I'll ask you anyway. Did we have an option to stay at 50% and then who made the decision to go to 100%? Mr. Supervisor Herity, again, Kayla Berry for Fairfax Connector. We were actually the only system in the Commonwealth of Virginia that DRPT awarded money for a 50% fair.

[03:02:38] Almost all other systems who applied for grants went for a 100% fair. So they were using us as a guinea pig to see how that would work. Now, technically, it's a lot more difficult to do a half fair than it is to do a full fair where you just cover your fair box. So we had some delays in the program, and we worked with DRPT to use whatever money we could reasonably, which was only a very small fraction of the actual money provided.

[03:03:04] With other programs losing funding, especially over at NCS with their TOPS program, we wanted to try the 100% fare. So we haven't gotten a shot at that yet on the TRIP program from DRPT.

[03:03:21] So we'll see if they're interested in providing that grant money to us. We think that even the, we're talking about the most vulnerable passengers, our most vulnerable members of our community, where even $1.20 to pay to compensate for the 50% is too much.

[03:03:42] So this way, we're attempting to do what you're essentially asking, which is to see what happens when we switch from the 50% to the 100% fair. And we expect that more people will take advantage of it and hopefully access additional programs and eventually get themselves out of poverty because they can access jobs and training and all those other kinds of good things.

[03:04:06] I clearly get that. I'm still trying to figure out where we get $17 a trip, because that doesn't make any sense to me. We're estimating based on the numbers that we have. So we will have harder data.

[03:04:22] We reported to you about a year ago on the trip program, since I know many of you follow this program and have been very interested in its success. It's definitely been challenging, but we know there are people out there who need it. We think that this is the right move for Fairfax Connector and our residents.

[03:04:38] Thank you. Supervisor Behrman. So I want to help you out here because you're not answering the questions. So right now, last year in 2025, there were 1,250 trips, correct? And that was at 50% of the fare, correct? Okay, so next year with this, we're applying for grant funding.

[03:04:57] And by the way, in the first year, the grant funding comes in at almost 100% without a local cash match. Is that correct? 80%. Pardon me, 80%. Yeah, okay. So I just, give me one second because I'm using the system here.

[03:05:15] So 80% that first, we're going to see whether or not it starts working because the interesting thing in this board agenda item is future trip funding beyond the first year is not guaranteed and is contingent upon demonstrated ridership growth.

[03:05:31] If trip funding does not continue, the program would be funded through future appropriations. But the point is, in that first year, we get 80% of our $260,000 annually paid for by somebody else to see whether or not we're seeing pretty significant growth of that $1,250,000.

[03:05:49] Because right now, we're not seeing what we'd like to see. On the other hand, this gives us the opportunity to unlock about, I don't, let's, I'm going to mess up if I try to go back, about $480,000 over the course of four years by spending about $600,000 over the course of four years.

[03:06:10] So, ultimately, the yearly cost is about $150,000. We want to see an increase in ridership growth. If we don't see the increase in ridership growth, then maybe the grant doesn't get funded. Or you have to come back to us to get us, because it says if trip funding does not continue, the program would be funded through future appropriation.

[03:06:32] So we'd have to go back and decide to spend more, which we may or may not do. I mean, if you come back to us and say, oh, actually, only 500 trips last year per month last year, maybe we're not going to do it. But if you come back to us and say 4,000 trips per month last year, we may say, hey, great program.

[03:06:49] So this is fairly flexible, number one, and we are applying for grant funding. Do I have that all right? I think you got that correct. Okay, I'm going to vote for it. Thank you. Supervisor Alcorn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to remind Supervisor Herity that the trip program is designed so that folks that cannot afford the bus basically can take transit.

[03:07:16] And frankly, the alternative approach would be to make transit and bus free for everybody. And there are some of us that are not sure that having that policy would make sense because there are many of us that can afford to pay the fare.

[03:07:37] When this first came up several years ago, the 50% was an attempt to try to address that and address folks that really couldn't afford the fare. This is taking the next step, and I am very happy that we are doing this.

[03:07:57] But, you know, there are a lot of other things going on with transit funding right now, And this is just another demonstration of how we have to walk and chew gum at the same time, which I think we can. Thank you. Supervisor Palchuk. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the staff.

[03:08:13] And I think in addition to what you shared, what really stands out for me is that there's often the conversation over frequency and focusing on accessibility and ridership. From what I see, there's no impact on frequency based on the minimal costs as we continue to study the impacts, knowing that this isn't a fully free program as our neighbors at Q and Dash do.

[03:08:40] And I believe Dash had the highest increase in ridership. So I think as we get reports back, if you could both focus on ridership, because to me that's the number one thing we need to do, having more people ride the bus more often It's good for our economy.

[03:08:56] It's good for the environment. It's good for everyone. And so this being a pilot to try to increase ridership in one component of our most vulnerable population that often has no other options, but also to see if this makes it easier for us to look at increased ridership in programs and frequency and incentives for all riders.

[03:09:19] To me, that's the eventual goal, is more access to public transit for everyone in our community. So thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Palczyk. And again, this is, as has been mentioned by others, but for those watching at home, this program, just as a reminder, was established by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 and expanded in 2023.

[03:09:41] And so this is, as others have mentioned, an opportunity for the state to make an investment in Fairfax County to support vulnerable populations' use of transit. And that's probably the simplest way to explain what we're talking about if you don't have the item in front of you.

[03:09:59] Supervisor Herity has requested a separate vote on that item, so all board members who are in favor of admin items 1 through 4, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Herity abstain. You're abstaining from admin items 1 through 4?

[03:10:16] Oh, I'm sorry. No, aye. Aye. On one, three, four. I thought this was five. Sorry. We're going to vote on administrative item five separately. All those in favor of administrative item five, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed?

[03:10:32] Any abstentions? Herity abstains. And Supervisor Herity abstains, and that motion carries. And that takes us to action items. And our first action item is approval of the high-intensity drug trafficking area, HIDTA, state and local task force agreement between the Virginia, between the Fairfax County Police Department, FCPD, and the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, for the HIDDA Task Force Group 1, parentheses 11.

[03:11:03] And let me turn to Supervisor Lusk for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the Board of Supervisors approve the county executive's recommendation for Action Item 1, which disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking. And the chairman will second that, along with Supervisor Herity.

[03:11:18] Any discussion on the motion? Supervisor Stork. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to, I guess, remind our audience as well as the board, if they're not clear, that we asked Chief Davis about the agreement, and he confirmed that the sharing of any confidential or personal information with federal partners is necessary for police to do its job and will only be limited to what's required.

[03:11:44] So that's an important part of our conversation. And Supervisor Stork, I appreciate you mentioning that. That is the standard for every one of our law enforcement-involved partnerships with the federal government. And so I appreciate you restating that. But for the public watching, what Supervisor Stork just said is built in to all of these agreements before they get to us.

[03:12:08] So I appreciate that. Any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of Action Item 1, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. Action item number two is approval of the reciprocal agreement between the town of Herndon and the county of Fairfax, Virginia. Supervisor Lusk.

[03:12:27] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve action item two per the county executive's recommendation. Second, Chairman. We'll second that along with Supervisor Beerman. I heard someone else. Oh, it's Supervisor Palchuk. Discussion on the motion?

[03:12:44] Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of action two, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? That motion carries. We do not have closed session today. There is no need for closed session. If board members have questions about the packet that was sent out, Ms. Teer, of course, is available to answer any of those questions, but there is no need for a closed session. But before we break for lunch and return back for our public hearings this afternoon, let me ask board members if they have deferrals that they want to announce. Supervisor Lusk I know I want to make sure we announce it again because there were

[03:13:22] speakers on the list I will note my intent to defer the public hearing that is scheduled this afternoon for RZ 2025 - FR - 0 0 0 5 in the name of Franconia partners and its conceptual development plan to a date certain of Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026 at 3 p.m. And that is right now a 3.30 item on the agenda. Are there

[03:13:56] any other deferrals board members have to announce? Okay. Seeing and hearing none, our first public hearing is at 3.30. And so the board will recess for lunch and report back to the board auditorium for the beginning of our public hearings promptly, which will begin at 3.30.

[03:24:20] all right the board is back from a brief lunch break and we now are going to move into our afternoon public hearings as well as public comment and I just want to remind some folks that individuals wishing to provide testimony have a number of options they can testify here in person or they can provide testimony by phone or by YouTube video at the designated point in the public hearing I'll 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 There will then be an opportunity for anyone else who would like to speak to the matter

[03:24:55] to come down to the podium in front of me or to call in at 703-324-1020. Speakers testifying via video must sign up and submit their video no later than 9 a.m. on the day prior to the public hearing.

[03:25:12] For public hearing testimony, you're given three minutes to speak as an individual. If you're a spokesperson for a group, you are given five minutes. And with that, I am going to call our first case this afternoon, which is a public hearing on RZ 2023-SU-00016, which will be heard concurrently with PCA 78-S-063-13 and SEA 2016-SU-022, COPT Stonecroft LLC in the Sully District.

[03:25:46] And at this time, could we please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit? Good evening, Mr. Chair. I'm Scott Adams with McGuire Woods, and I reaffirm the affidavit dated January 15, 2026. Thank you very much. And are there any disclosures from board members? Any disclosures from board members?

[03:26:04] Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. My name is Sharon Williams with the Department of Planning and Development. This applicant proposes a rezoning to the I-4 district, a PCA to delete land area to allow for the rezoning to occur, and an SCA to allow for an increase in FAR to 0.69 and to carry forward a previously approved increase in height to 120 feet.

[03:26:31] The 64.12-acre subject property is located off of 4850 Stonecroft Boulevard, and it's bounded by Stonecroft Boulevard and Conference Center Drive. The site is zoned I-3, and it lies within the water supply protection and airport noise impact overlay districts. The property is located also within Land Unit J of the Dulles Suburban Center and is developed with a secure office development.

[03:26:53] The property contains four existing office buildings, a parking garage, and surrounding surface parking spaces, and an existing cemetery. This applicant proposes to rezone the 64-acre site from the I-3 district to the I-4 district to permit additional office development and to allow for modifications to the building footprints of two previously approved but unbuilt buildings, buildings E and F, and a parking garage.

[03:27:17] The proposed office buildings would be located within open pad field sites on the site located north of the westernmost office building, Building D. The proposed parking garage would be located to the north of the proposed office buildings near the existing site access on the northern side of Conference Center Drive.

[03:27:35] With the new design for buildings E&F, the total gross floor area on site is proposed to be 1,926,610 square feet, which equates to an overall 0.69 FAR on site. And again, the maximum height of the new office buildings would be 120 feet, which is consistent with the previously approved special exception.

[03:27:56] The applicant proposes an eight-foot-wide shared-use path along Stonecroft Boulevard that would connect to an existing shared-use path and the adjacent developments. No changes are proposed to the existing five-foot-wide sidewalk on Conference Center Drive, although the applicant does propose to incorporate art along portions of Conference Center Drive.

[03:28:14] And then along Stonecroft, the applicant also proposes improvements to the nearby crosswalks so that all four legs of the crosswalks at both the northern and southern intersection of Stonecroft and Conference Center Drive are complete. The ordinance requires 15% open space on site.

[03:28:32] The applicant proposes 34.5% open space. And the applicant proposes to provide 280,000 square feet of tree canopy coverage on site via new tree plantings. buildings. The applicant has proffered that the proposed exterior building materials would consist of precast concrete with a color palette that matches the existing office buildings on site.

[03:28:59] Staff finds these applications to be in conformance, and this concludes my presentation. Thank you very much. At this time, we welcome an applicant's presentation. Good afternoon again. I'm Scott Adams with McGuire Woods, and appreciate the opportunity to speak with you this afternoon about the project. The background on this application is pretty straightforward. We have an existing federal government user who wants to expand their footprint in Fairfax County, and they want to do it in a fairly significant way to build a million

[03:29:34] square feet of new office in the county above what's out there right now. We think that's a great thing for Westfields. We think that's a great thing for Fairfax County. And the project represents a major investment in the county. At a time where office development is still challenged, where we're seeing rollbacks at the federal level. This is a major win for Fairfax County, and we're excited to bring it forward and appreciate the support that we've received from the county as it's gone through the process. From a land use perspective, this is a project that

[03:30:10] fits in perfectly with the location where it's proposed. It's already a secure site. It's already got approvals for a significant amount of additional office. We're just asking to increase that based on the tenant need. And it's located in an area where the comprehensive plan envisions exactly what is being proposed. At its most basic, the project is simply adding density and structured parking within areas that are already approved on the site for new buildings and for structured parking. We're simply adding that density to the current development program

[03:30:43] that exists on the site. There's no material changes to the overall layout of the site or access to the property. While the site changes are minimal, I think there are also benefits not only to bringing the new development, but also the PCA facilitates the updated proffers to help meet current standards for the development as it's going through. This project is part of the original Westfield zoning, so those proffers are a little dated at this point. So I think there's a benefit to bring it in under current standards as well. It's a project that meets all stormwater

[03:31:21] management tree canopy and landscape requirements it provides well over double the amount of required open space it hits expectations for green buildings and tdm commitments it includes park contributions and public art and overall we think it's a really great project for the area one of the major sort of discussion points as we were going through was just working out some of the pedestrian improvements i think we reached a really good resolution on that with the new shared-use trail along Stonecroft Boulevard, the new crosswalk legs. And overall, this is going to be a project that really

[03:31:59] significantly improves pedestrian connectivity within Westfield. So overall, we think it's a great project. We think it's a project that's in the right location, and we hope that you'll approve the project this evening. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff or the applicant? Okay. Not seeing and hearing any at this time. This is a public hearing, and I do not have anyone signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is there anyone here in the auditorium that would like to speak on this subject? Anyone in the auditorium that would like to testify? This is a public hearing. Not seeing or hearing

[03:32:37] anyone. Let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. The applicant waives rebuttal. Closing comments and recommendation from county staff. On February 4th, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended approval of these applications subject to the execution of proffers dated February 3rd, 2026, and the proposed development conditions dated January 2022, 2025. Staff concurs with their recommendations. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[03:33:05] Any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Vice Chair Smith for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I request that the applicant confirm for the record their agreement with the development conditions dated January 22, 2026. Thank you. We agree with those development conditions. Thank you very much.

[03:33:26] Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board of Supervisors approve PCA 78-S-063-13. I move that the Board of Supervisors approve RZ 2023-SU-00016, subject to the proffers dated February 3, 2026. And I further move that the board of supervisors approve sea 2016-su-022 subject to the development conditions dated january 22 2026 you've heard the motion the chair will second that discussion on the motion

[03:34:02] just briefly supervisor smith i wish this could have happened a little bit quicker but i think we are in a great place here at the end and i can't thank sharon and billy enough for all their work on this i know a lot of work was to be done but i thank the applicant for everything that they've done. Thank you. Thank you very much. Any further discussion? Seeing and hearing none. All those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Nine to zero. Supervisor Herity being absent from the auditorium. Thank you very much.

[03:34:35] Next, we have a public hearing on RZ 2022-LE-00016. Stephen Michael Sushner, TR, and Adam Kirshenbaum TR in the Franconia district. And as soon as they are ready, if we could please have the applicant reaffirm the affidavit. Good afternoon. My name is Timothy Dugan with Bean, Kinney, and Corman. I reaffirm the affidavit dated January 21st, 2026.

[03:35:07] Thank you very much. And we, disclosures from board members. Supervisor Bierman. I would like to disclose that Richard C. Rip Sullivan Jr. Esquire donated in excess of $100 to Jimmy Beerman for supervisor. Thank you very much.

[03:35:24] Supervisor Beerman, are there any other disclosures? Seeing and hearing none, I will now recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. I'm Tabitha Cole with the Department of Planning and Development, and today I will be presenting a rezoning request to permit eight new single-family detached homes.

[03:35:42] The application site is roughly five and a half acres and located on the west side of Beulah Street, just north of Cressley Way. The site is surrounded by residential development zoned R1 and R5. The comprehensive plan recommends all infill development should be of a compatible use, type, and density to the surrounding area, with a base recommendation of one to two dwelling units per acre.

[03:36:07] The applicant requests approval to rezone the subject property from the R1 district to the PDH2 district to permit the development of eight single-family detached dwellings with a density of 1.47 dwelling units per acre.

[03:36:23] The site would be accessed from Beulah Street by a 28-foot-wide public road and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk. 37% of the site, which is approximately 2.3 acres, would be allocated as open space consisting of stormwater management, tree preservation, open lawn, and recreational amenities.

[03:36:41] As shown on this slide, the site is encumbered by two Dominion Energy easements due to existing overhead lines. The applicant has coordinated with Dominion Energy to ensure adequate access to these lines would be granted through gates and a 15-foot-wide travelway along the rear northern boundary of the site.

[03:36:59] To prevent future encroachment into the tree preservation area, the applicant proposes a 4-foot-tall rail fence with tree preservation signage between outlot B and the residential lots. The same rail fencing would be located along the amenity area in outlot A.

[03:37:18] A traffic noise analysis was provided by the applicant that showed that there is noise impact to the recreational areas along the site's frontage. To mitigate these impacts, the applicant proposes a six-foot-tall sound wall along Beulah Street. The sound wall would connect to a six-foot-tall perimeter fence with similar architectural features.

[03:37:39] renderings of these fences are shown here along with the proposed architecture for the dwelling units. The applicant has committed to use high-quality building materials with similar architecture on all four sides of the dwelling units. Staff finds the request to be in harmony with the comprehensive plan and in conformance with the zoning ordinance. This concludes my presentation. Thank you. Thank you very much. At this time, we'd welcome the applicant's presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, Tim Dugan with Bean Kinney representing the applicant.

[03:38:14] The members of the development team are here to answer any questions, if anybody has any questions. We're going to dispense with a PowerPoint to a large degree, but we would like to thank Tabitha Cole and Kathy Lewis in particular for their assistance with this project.

[03:38:32] This is a pretty exciting project. It's going to drop onto those five acres, eight single-family detached dwellings with forest conservation, adequate setbacks, on-site stormwater management. There's extra parking because of the public right-of-way that's being provided, and there are multiple amenities there for the eight single-family detached homes.

[03:39:00] We've been in contact, as was mentioned, with Dominion Energy and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue to provide access to their certain transformers at the northwesterly end of the property off-site, and also for Dominion to manage their existing power lines and poles.

[03:39:19] To that end, I would be reiterating Tabitha's excellent presentation. I'd be glad to answer any questions, and I thank you very much for your attention. Thank you very much. I appreciate that presentation. Any questions of staff or the applicant? I think we're good. Thank you.

[03:39:37] This is a public hearing, and I have no speakers who have signed up to testify in advance of this matter. Is there anyone here present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. If you could come on down to the podium, and if you could, when you're done with your testimony, if you could give your name and address to the clerk who's sitting over here to my far right, we would appreciate that.

[03:40:00] Again, if anyone is here to testify on this specific matter, anyone else besides this gentleman coming down? Okay, if you could introduce yourself, and welcome. Yes, my name is Colonel Michael Guido, USMC, retired.

[03:40:22] And my previous job in the Marine Corps was, and last job, was Inspector General of the Marine Corps. But I have some questions to ask the applicant.

[03:40:41] First of all, how does granting the applicant's request support the Board of Supervisors' priority to continue to protect and support our stable, lower-density neighbor?

[03:41:02] Is he supposed to answer that? You're supposed to provide testimony, and then he has a chance to rebut or respond to your testimony at the end. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm a little slower than most of you in this room.

[03:41:19] Take your time. My second question is, is access to the four electrical boxes and one communication box on the far northwest side of Outlaw Road the preferred route through Crestway via Farley, Whalen, and Miller Drive through a private owner's yard as a secondary route?

[03:41:55] My third question is concerning light and sound suppression. What screening, buffering, and tapering measures are proposed for light and sound suppression along the north side of the outlet road in general?

[03:42:18] And we're on an 18-vehicle parking lot abutting a Miller Roads Homeward property is proposed.

[03:42:34] So I'm concerned about the light and the sound, particularly with that 18-vehicle parking lot directly abutting one property on Euler.

[03:42:51] And finally, what measures are planned to handle the significant traffic and safety issues anticipated along Beulah because of the build-out that includes 26 three-story townhouses?

[03:43:21] We're going to have a lot more traffic through there. And routinely, I have trouble getting out of my street, which is Beulah, which is Miller, on to Beulah.

[03:43:37] And then we have to wait often, if you're near the end of the line of traffic, for two traffic lights to make a left turn. So I would like the applicant to address those things, and I'm sorry I'm so slow.

[03:44:01] No problem. You did perfectly fine, and we will make sure the applicant responds to the issues that you raised. Let me ask if there's anyone else present here who would like to testify on this matter. Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers.

[03:44:16] There are no callers. At this time, let me ask the applicant if he would like to respond to the testimony that we just heard. Sure, I'm glad to answer the different questions. I would submit that there's a lot of this information in the record already, but with respect to the fact that this project is in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, I think that's self-evident from the language in the Comprehensive Plan.

[03:44:45] It recommends density of one to two acres in this area here. This project is about 1.5 units per acre on the site here, and it's under the PDH2 zone, which allows for clustering of lots, forest conservation, and other amenities that are not available in the standard R2 zone.

[03:45:09] As for the electrical boxes, if you're off the northwestern end of the property, there are some transformer boxes and the like that are there. There was a lot of discussion about making sure that there would be, or how there's access to access those transformers in the event of a fire.

[03:45:34] The fire department advised that their most likely access would be off Foxley Road, which is, you'd head up Cressley, you'd go through the Amberley townhouses and access it through that route. But they hasten to add that they would not access those boxes until the power had been turned off.

[03:45:55] They're not going to hit it with hoses. They'd hit it with CO2 or, you know, chemicals to put out a fire, if indeed there were a fire. So that's their primary access. One of their secondary access routes might be through the property that we're talking about today, up through the end of the cul-de-sac and through the access that we're going to provide up there for both this fire department and for Dominion.

[03:46:26] So that is a secondary or tertiary access point to get there. But again, they emphasize the fact they're not going up there with water. They're going up there on foot to put that out once Dominion had shut the power off.

[03:46:43] Light and sound suppression. We talked about there is a sound wall along Beulah Street, which is to suppress the sound onto the property from the noise that's made from traffic on Beulah Street. And with that wall, that then complies with the levels of sound that are allowed to be used and for folks to enjoy the open area that's up towards the front of the property.

[03:47:12] Lighting is to be installed according to the zoning code and also VDOT's requirements for lighting for the streets. With respect to sound suppression emanating from the homes when folks are cutting their grass and sitting on their porches and the like talking, there is no sound suppression that's planned for that type of activity.

[03:47:38] That's normal residential activity. So there is no sound suppression for that. The 17 extra parking spaces that will be available are along the public right-of-way. So they'll be one after the other in a line, if you will, on the north side of the public right-of-way.

[03:47:58] There won't be a parking lot. They'll just be right there next to the homes, if you will. So the last thing was with respect to traffic, this project has a right-in, right-out requirement. So they will not be venturing to try to make a left turn.

[03:48:14] They will head to the right in each instance, whether they're coming in or exiting the property. I believe that's all the questions that were asked, and I think I've answered them. I would ask your approval. Unless anybody has any other questions, I'd be glad to do that.

[03:48:31] Thank you. I don't have any other questions at this time, but let me ask staff, if you could, for staff, if you could put up the layout again of proposed development. And if you could just show us again on here, first, where the sound wall that has been described would be.

[03:48:54] This is not an existing sound wall, correct? No. Would you like me to answer, or would you prefer that? I would like somebody just to show us on this graphic where the sound wall would be, whoever is ready to do that. Yeah, I can do that. So on this graphic that's shown here, the sound wall is shown in green along the Beulah Street frontage.

[03:49:14] And then there's a gate in between the sound wall and then the perimeter fence. They'll both have the same architectural features and look similar, but the one on Beulah Street is the sound wall, and then the purple is the perimeter fence. And the sound wall is, this is the graphic that's shown on here is what has been proffered to, in terms of the architectural standard and integrity of what's being proposed?

[03:49:37] Yes. Okay, and let me ask you about the write-in, write-out, Because there are other instances on Beulah where there's right in, right out. And I'm presuming that there's a median, a solid median, so there's no chance for somebody to make a left out of there.

[03:49:55] Is that why you don't need to have the road skewed in a way that prevents somebody from making a left turn out because there's a median, solid median along Beulah at this location? That's correct. Okay. And then my last question is the public parking that was described before.

[03:50:11] This street is being designed to public street standards. That's correct. So the 17 is what you estimate could fit along the curb, along the public street, just as they would in any other VDOT street. Correct, along the north side, yes. Okay, and the units themselves are adequately parked, presumably, so that those spaces wouldn't be being used necessarily by the residents of these lots, but more likely by visitors.

[03:50:36] I think that's true. The standard minimum requirement is two spaces per unit. The proffer provides that we are, the applicant is to provide four spaces per unit on each property. So that's double the minimum requirement.

[03:50:52] And that's two garage spaces and two driveway spaces? Yes, sir. Okay. All right. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Are there any other questions at this time? Any other questions? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Lusk for a motion.

[03:51:10] Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I'll just start by noting, again, this rezoning to the PDH-2 district proposes eight single-family detached units. This rezoning results in two more units than would be permitted by right under the R-1 zoning district.

[03:51:29] There are a number of benefits, I believe, from this PDH district. which include 37% of the space being open, including preservation of slopes and trees. We heard about the 17 on-street parking spaces for visitors, which I think is also a benefit.

[03:51:53] The site is currently located between an R1 zoning and a townhouse development that is zoned to the R5 district, which are located to the south and to the west.

[03:52:09] The site plan before the board today creates a very natural transition between these adjacent residential communities. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I concur with the staff recommendation. I also concur with the Planning Commission's recommendation for approval for these items.

[03:52:27] And I will now move that the Board of Supervisors Approve RZ-2022-LE-00016 and its Associated Conceptual Development Plan subject to the executed proffers dated December 3rd, 2025.

[03:52:51] So moved. I've heard this motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palachuk. 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.

[03:53:07] Thank you. And Mr. Chairman, if I could, I'd like to thank the Land Use Committee, and I'd also like to thank the staff, again, Kathy Lewis, as well as Tabitha Cole, for their work on this, as well as the applicant's team.

[03:53:22] I know there were a number of hours that they spent in both community meetings, and there was some extensive coordination that was required, I believe, with the county attorney's office, Dominion Energy, and our fire department. So I want to acknowledge the work that was done to address a number of the issues that were brought out as a result of this particular application.

[03:53:44] And with that, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Well, as a point of order, must I affirmatively agree that the applicant has agreed to the proffer signed December 3rd, 2025? It would only be for the development conditions, and we don't have development conditions for this series of applications.

[03:54:03] Very well. So thank you very much. But we heard you. For the record, we have an affirmation anyway. Yeah, that's right. All right. Thank you very much. We appreciate that. And we already voted on that.

[03:54:19] Yes, sir. And so thank you. I will now call our next public hearing, which I understand is being deferred. And that is a public hearing on RZ-2025-FR-00005, Franconia Development Partners, LLC in the Franconia District, Supervisor Lusk.

[03:54:38] Okay, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move the Board of Supervisors defer the public hearing on resigning application RZ 2025-FR-00005 in its Associated Conceptual Development Plan to a date certain of Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 3.30 p.m.

[03:54:59] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by Supervisor Palczyk. 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. Next, we have a public hearing to consider, including 6133 Brook Drive in the Munson Hill Residential Permit Parking District, District No. 15 in the Mason District.

[03:55:25] And at this time, I would recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Chairman McKay and members of the board. I'm Henry Stein-McCartney with the Department of Transportation. This is a public hearing to consider an amendment to District 15, the Munson Hill Residential Permit Parking District, to include 6133 Brook Drive, as shown on Attachment 2.

[03:55:49] The Munson Hill RPPD was established by the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the provisions of 82-5A on February 24, 1992. At that time, FCDOT found that all addresses on Brook Drive qualified for inclusion in District 15 and proposed such inclusion to the board.

[03:56:10] At the public hearing to establish District 15, the owner of the residence located at 6133 Brook Drive spoke and requested that the address be excluded from the district. The Board of Supervisors agreed to exclude the district and establish District 15 to include all proposed addresses except 6133 Brook Drive.

[03:56:33] Since that time, the home has been acquired by a new owner who has requested that the address be included in the district. Because the address qualified for inclusion upon the original establishment of the district and was only excluded at the request of the previous homeowner, FCDOT staff finds that the address is qualified for inclusion at this time.

[03:56:54] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing. I do not have anyone signed up to testify in advance of this matter. Is there anyone present who would like to speak on this specific subject? Sir, are you wanting to speak on this subject?

[03:57:12] Okay, if you can come down to the podium, introduce yourself, give us your address. After this, gentlemen, is there anyone else present who would like to speak on this subject? This is a public hearing. Welcome. Good afternoon. Thank you for giving me the time to speak to you. My name is Hassan Waddan. I'm the owner of 6133 Brook Drive.

[03:57:30] I just want to say that the young lady at the Department of Transportation was very helpful in helping us through this, and I just want to recognize her. And also, I don't know how it became that someone reported that the sign that was already there is not supposed to be there.

[03:57:50] I want to be on the record telling them that they got a ticket because they were there and whatever the case may be, either I or none of my members of my family called for that vehicle to be towed or ticketed or anything. So I just want to be on the record because there's a possibility that one of my neighbors might think, but I just want to be on the record that it was not us.

[03:58:10] And thank you very much for agreeing to put the sign back on. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else here who would like to testify on this matter? This is a public hearing on this subject, seeing and hearing no one. If you could, do you need, sir, if you could just come on, I'm sorry, I forget to mention, if you could just sign in with the clerk here to the right so that we have a record of your testimony, I would appreciate that.

[03:58:33] If there's not anyone else here present who would like to testify, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. Staff recommends approval of this amendment as proposed.

[03:58:49] Thank you very much. Last check, questions from board members. Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Jimenez for a motion. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Board adopt an amendment to Appendix G of Fairfax County Code to include 6133 Brook Drive in the Munson Hill Residential Permit Parking District, District 15.

[03:59:11] You've heard the motion. It's been seconded by the Chairman and Supervisor Lusk. 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. Next, we have a public hearing to consider an ordinance expanding the Reston Community Parking District in the Hunter Mill District.

[03:59:33] And at this time, we'd recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Once again, Henry Stein-McCartney with the Department of Transportation. This is a public hearing to consider expanding the Reston Community Parking District and the Hunter Mill District as shown on Attachment 2.

[03:59:50] A community parking district is established to prohibit the parking of watercraft, recreational vehicles, and all trailers on designated public roads and residential areas within the county. The proposed large area expansion was requested by the 100 mil supervisor in response to an excessive number of watercraft, recreational vehicles, and trailers parking on public streets abutting multiple residential communities in the proposed expansion area.

[04:00:17] A well-attended community meeting was hosted by the Hunter Mill Supervisor's Office on September 2, 2025, during which overwhelming community support for the proposed expansion was demonstrated. Staff has verified that the portion of the Hunter Mill District to be excluded from the large area CPD meets minimum size criteria.

[04:00:39] Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I do have one speaker who has signed up in advance to testify on this matter. Is Rob McDonald here? If you could come on down, sir, and you are representing the McNair Farms Master Association and Kensington Towns HOA, so we'll have five minutes to testify.

[04:01:03] Is there anyone here besides this gentleman who wishes to testify on this subject? Anyone else that wishes to testify on this subject? Okay. So Mr. McDonald will be our first speaker, likely our only speaker, but welcome. The floor is yours.

[04:01:20] Thank you. first i'd just like to thank everyone for their service for the county and the residents and previous boards for help which did help us quite a bit i have a written statement first good afternoon chairman members of the board i'm rob mcdonald i'm live at 13403 cleave hill court lived there since 1999. i'm a board member mcnair farms homeowner association and i'm speaking today on behalf of our community of 1031 homes and strong support of expanding the rest and community parking district to include the mcnair farms area this is not an individual

[04:01:59] concern this is a long-standing community-wide issue that has been consistently raised by our residents in annual meetings and through ongoing communications with hoa board it's been 25 years we first brought this up and we were told we had to get signatures some money we are now, as of last year, 72% to 76% rentals. It's very hard to get people to open doors on townhouses, that alone. For years, our neighborhood streets have been used for long-term storage of large

[04:02:34] vehicles, including boats, boat trailers, RVs, motorhomes, camping trailers, and other oversized trailers. Many of these vehicles remain parked in extended periods, sometimes years. I know there are some that are 15 years just sitting there without being moved. In several cases, the owners do not reside in our community, and I know that for a fact. People tell me this is the place to park and dump their vehicles, whether it's a $250,000 boat or just garbage they don't use.

[04:03:03] Sorry. As a result, McNair Farms has effectively become a free storage and dumping location for oversized vehicles. This situation creates serious safety concerns. Large vehicles parked along residential streets block sight lines at intersections and when turning onto main roads also we had a period of time there should never be campers and trailers parked anywhere in front of schools we had a middle school we had trailers parked there for about four months for various reasons should not be there in addition to safety issues these vehicles

[04:03:39] negatively affect the appearance and quality of life with our neighborhood and i will tell you it's it's depressing every day coming and leaving i don't even like to go on some of those roads And imagine flying in to Dulles, and six minutes later, you're in the second richest county in Virginia, and you get to see this stuff.

[04:04:00] So I just hope we can move forward with this. I also thank Supervisor Elkhorn and his staff, and I would especially like to thank Shamali Hoth, because I think she's instrumental in this.

[04:04:18] When I found out that he could do something about this, I immediately went to a meeting, and he said, hi, how can I help you? And he said, we were just talking about that this morning because Shamali went looking with her son, looking at some houses with him and was shocked.

[04:04:38] So I talked to her immediately. She told me she was looking at this area and an area in Tysons, and it's just become a dumping ground. And then with other things that happened, dirt, stuff accumulates. We've had more crime.

[04:04:54] You know, some things are fleeting. Some things are okay outside, and because we are a lot of rental community, it takes a lot of effort to try and keep our individual land bays nice. But we can't do anything about this without your help. So if you could really help us out, that would be fantastic.

[04:05:14] Thank you so much. And thank you for your service to your community. I know it's not always an easy job. We appreciate you. Oh, no, I get threatened every other month. I'm sure. Sounds about right, but we thank you for it. All right. Is there anyone else in the auditorium that wishes to testify?

[04:05:32] Sir, if you could come on down. Folks, if you're here to testify on something this afternoon, please come on down and sign in with the clerk to my far right. If you have not already signed in to speak, if you are not already on the speaker's list and you're wishing to speak on something, please come down and see the clerk to my far right.

[04:05:49] And sir, if you could introduce yourself, give us your address, and then when you're done with your testimony, if you can sign in with the clerk. Hi, my name is Howard Carlin. 13158 Diamond Mill Drive, it's in Oak Hill, it's in the Hunter Mill District, and I'm on the Board of Directors there. I don't have a prepared statement, but I have some notes. I totally agree with the previous speaker. Everything that he said affects us as well. I'd like to stress that these vehicles can take up anywhere from two to four or more parking spaces, and that's really

[04:06:25] not fair to the residents who live nearby. Also, as we all know, we're not a beach town, but sometimes we can be mistaken for one with these types of vehicles parking there. Secondly, let's talk about the economic impacts. I don't see that any of these people who have these kind of boats or whatever are adding to our economic benefits because during the summer and of spring on nice days, they go out to the beach, and they're not here anymore. So the beach towns,

[04:07:01] of course, relish their presence, and it does help them very much. I want to also thank very much Walter Alcorn and Shamali, who've always been very responsive to any kind of questions or problems or challenges that we have. And there was a meeting held on September 2nd, as mentioned before, and there was overwhelming support for this.

[04:07:30] Oh, there are other storage facilities available. There are storage facilities available in Reston, and, for example, we have a storage bin, and we notice that they make facilities available on the outside, they charge the people, and there's plenty of parking spaces there.

[04:07:51] And in terms of schools, McNair Elementary is right next to us, so as the previous person mentioned, that's not a good thing either. So I hope you will consider this, which would be a wonderful improvement to the community, I feel. Thank you.

[04:08:07] Sir, we appreciate your testimony. If you could sign in right here with this gentleman, thank you for your testimony. I appreciate that. Is there anyone else here present who would like to speak on this matter? This is a public hearing. Anyone else?

[04:08:33] Okay. Thank you very much. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak on this matter? If you can please come on down. Again, if you are here to speak on a matter and you have not signed in, please come down and see the clerk and get signed in.

[04:08:48] I am worried about people rushing down here and trying to get down the stairs and the time it takes. So if you were here to testify and you have not signed in, please come on down and sign in with the clerk to my far right. And you can sign in after your testimony, sir.

[04:09:07] If you could deliver your testimony first and then you can sign in on your way back by. Welcome. Good afternoon. My name is Jim Sloan, and I first, and I live at 2525 Loganwood Drive. I have been, we have lived there also since 1999, and we have watched the number of boats, RVs, and all big vehicles parking there go up every year.

[04:09:43] And this year, the last year, it's been even gotten, grown even more. I see boats there that there is no way what the cost, what those townhouses cost, that anybody in that development could be the owner of it.

[04:10:00] No way at all. They're easily in six figures. What worries me also is most of these boats don't have any canvases covering them and sealing them up. These kids can climb into those boats and potentially get hurt.

[04:10:19] I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. And they just, they're there just for the taking, for the children to go in there and get hurt. I have, we are, as Rob, Ms. McDonald said, we are a very heavily rental unit, like many other townhouses, areas in this county.

[04:10:46] And two or three people at least renting a townhouse, and that means two or three vehicles. They weren't built for that when they were first constructed. None of those townhouses were.

[04:11:03] And we have an overabundance of cars and not enough parking places for the vehicles to park. And it's a problem every night. And I suspect those boats and RVs, et cetera, are taking up the minimum of 100 parking spaces right now.

[04:11:23] I want to thank Mr. Alcorn for his support and his assistant, and I urge you to please help us end this problem now. Thank you very much for your testimony, and if there's anyone else present who would like to speak on this matter, this is a public hearing.

[04:11:47] Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if we have any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. No callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff. The requirements for this large area CPD expansion have been satisfied, and staff recommends approval of the expansion as proposed.

[04:12:08] Thank you very much. Are there any questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Alcorn for a motion. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I first want to thank the folks who came out and spoke today in favor of closing the McNair Farms Marina.

[04:12:26] And happy to make this motion. Mr. Chairman, I move adoption of the Amendment 2, Appendix M of the Fairfax County Code, as shown as Attachment 1 in the board package, to expand the large area rest in CPD in accordance with Chapter 82-5B of the Fairfax County Code.

[04:12:46] And the chairman will second that, along with a lot of other people, a lot of other people interested in rest in. Discussion on the motion? Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye.

[04:13:02] Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you all for coming out. We appreciate it. Thank you. All right. Our next public hearing and our final public hearing before we go to public comment is a public hearing to lease county-owned properties, the Commons, and Willard-Sherwood Health and Community Center in the City of Fairfax for the purpose of installing solar.

[04:13:25] And this impacts the Braddock, Providence, and Mount Vernon districts. And as soon as staff is ready, we would recognize county staff for a staff presentation. Good afternoon, Chairman and members of the board. My name is Chandler Crumlin, Energy Analyst for the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

[04:13:46] Sun Tribe Solar is the vendor contracted with Fairfax County to provide solar purchase power agreement, or PPA. A power purchase agreement is one of the three procurement options the county is using to obtain solar electricity.

[04:14:04] The other two options to purchase solar installations through an energy performance contract or to have a general contractor include solar installations as part of a capital facilities project. The contract with Sun Trap Solar allows Fairfax County to purchase on-site renewable energy with little to no upfront operational cost.

[04:14:29] Participation in the solar PPA program is expected to reduce the county's greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs. Sun Trap Solar proposes installing roof-mounted solar at two of our county facilities. First, the commons, formerly known as the original Mount Vernon High School in the Mount Vernon District, and the Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center in the city of Fairfax, with the two closest supervisors of districts being Braddock and Providence.

[04:15:00] These buildings are undergoing major renovations, with the commons expected to be completed in one year, and Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center to be completed within three years. When the county selected Sun Tribe Solar, it agreed to the form lease as that was an attachment to the request for proposal.

[04:15:24] This lease begins on the effective date and runs as provided in the PPA, which has a term of 20, 25, or 30 years, subject to extension by mutual agreement. The lease automatically terminates if the PPA is terminated for any reason.

[04:15:42] The form lease provides for an annual rent of $1 per year. Although the rent is de minimis, the solar facilities have a financial benefit to the county. Total electricity costs across the contract term for the two facilities with the PPA solar projects installed are expected to achieve cost parity within year five.

[04:16:06] Per the terms of the PPA, Sun Trap Solar offered fixed rates for both Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center and the Commons. delivered for the 25-year contract term. The two projects are expected to save $377,000 over the 25-year contract term.

[04:16:35] And that concludes my report. Thank you very much. Are there any questions of staff? Supervisor Herity. Yeah, with this contract, so Willard Sherwood is not just a renovation, it's a renovation and expansion.

[04:16:51] If we approve this contract, does that commit us to the timeline for that expansion and renovation of Willard Sherwood? Or are those dates flexible based on when the renovation? Supervisor Herity, Joanna Faust from the county attorney's office.

[04:17:09] Yes, that is correct. The lease is required because Virginia law requires us to hold a public hearing before the lease. But the purchasing agent, Leanne Pender, will not sign the PPA until those dates are firmed up. So, yes, there is that flexibility. Right. Thank you very much. Supervisor Palcic.

[04:17:26] Yes, if you could also clarify the fiscal impact, I believe I understood it correctly, but over the life there will be a savings, and the only time when there will be a slight higher cost would be for Willard Sherwood at the beginning.

[04:17:42] Is that correct? But then even Willard Sherwood will reduce costs in its lifetime? Yes, for Willard Sherwood is that the rate will be cheaper from the onset and a total over the 25-year contract term that will be a savings of roughly $377,000 with the two facilities.

[04:18:00] Thank you. It's excellent. A win-win. Good for the environment and good for our taxpayers. Thank you. Any further questions? Seeing and hearing none, this is a public hearing, and I do not have anyone signed up to testify on this specific matter. Is there anyone here in the auditorium that would like to speak on this subject?

[04:18:17] This is a public hearing. Anyone? Are you attempting to speak on this subject? Okay. Is there anyone who wants to speak on this matter? Seeing and hearing no one, let me ask if there are any callers. There are no callers. There are no callers. Closing comments and a recommendation from county staff?

[04:18:35] As staff recommends the board authorized to finalize the documentation to lease the rooftops of the two county-owned facilities. Thank you very much. Last check. Any additional questions from board members? Seeing and hearing none, I will now close the public hearing and recognize Supervisor Palchuk for a motion.

[04:18:53] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move approval of the county executive's recommendation to Lease County-owned properties, the Commons and Willard Sherwood Health and Community Center and the City of Fairfax for the purpose of installing solar. And I'm happy to second that motion along with Supervisor Stork. Discussion on the motion?

[04:19:11] Seeing and hearing none, all those in favor of the motion, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? And that motion carries. Thank you very much. Thank you. We now are going to move to public comment, the last section of our board meeting today, and let me review, refresher, some of the procedures and rules for public comment.

[04:19:36] 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. Speakers must have registered in advance, and each speaker is given three minutes for their remarks.

[04:19:55] A maximum of 10 speakers, which we have today, may address the board during any public comment period, and speakers may address the board once during a six-month period. I shouldn't have to say this, but I will say it in fairness, that any disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.

[04:20:11] If a disruption occurs, I will call for a recess. The board will exit and will request security address the disruption that's occurring before resuming the meeting. There should be no anticipation of that, but just want to put that out there on the record. Of course, that would not be a good use of anyone's time.

[04:20:27] I will now call our first speaker for public comment, and that is Philip LaTassa. Philip is here. If I call your name, please come down close and be ready to testify. After Philip, we will hear from Avril Garland and Emily Moon. If I called your name, please be ready to testify.

[04:20:45] There are seats right down here in the front as well. Welcome, Mr. LaTassa. Thank you. I speak tonight representing the Friends of Akatink Creek. I have spoken here before on the unfortunate case of the Cinderbed Road bikeway. Pardon me for beginning with a bit of poetry.

[04:21:01] Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave. Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind. The fish, the toad, the fern, the sycamore, the maple. Down they go for our convenience, for our whims, for our sins. Down they go that we adults may ride our toys atop their tombs.

[04:21:21] Will there ever come a time when we say, enough asphalt, now is the time to preserve our forests? We must look at the Cinderbed Road bikeway, propose to cut through forest, floodplain, and even to infringe on globally rare wetlands and say that time has come.

[04:21:37] In the view of the Friends of Akatank Creek, the Cinderbed Road bikeway was wrong from the inception, wrong to impair streamside resource protection areas while taxing citizens to fix impaired streams, Wrong to regard globally rare wetlands as an obstacle rather than a natural treasure whose preservation is in our trust.

[04:21:57] Wrong to transgress the Newington conservation site established by the Commonwealth to preserve that very habitat. Wrong to introduce harmful all-night lighting to the forest. Wrong to replace carbon sink forest with heat sink asphalt. Wrong to replace self-maintaining forests with an internal maintenance burden.

[04:22:15] Wrong to base the planning 100% on guesswork of its usefulness. Wrong to bypass the nearby existing non-motorized travel routes. Wrong to abandon our streets as unsafe for people. Wrong to divert so many millions of dollars that could have funded so many more miles of pedestrian and bicycle safety.

[04:22:34] Wrong to throw good money after bad. Wrong to take private property to accomplish all these wrongs. Wrong to be a glaring example of nibbling away at our last bits of natural habitat again and again and again, failing each time to acknowledge that each impact is cumulative with all the impacts that have come before and all those that are sure to follow.

[04:22:55] Please follow the recent example of Fairfax City and choose alternatives to imposing pavement and artificial lighting of the Cinderbed Road bikeway on these exceptional woods and rare wetlands. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[04:23:10] Our next speaker is Avril Garland, to be followed by Emily Moon and David Lincoln. If I called your name, please be ready to testify. Welcome. Hi. As a commuter cyclist, I totally oppose the building of the Cinderbed Road bikeway, especially phase two.

[04:23:28] We often hear, build it and they will come. But unlike driving, where car ownership is almost universal and free parking is abundant, cycling remains a niche mode of transport. We have seen the build it experiment fail before.

[04:23:45] In 2021, Montgomery County turned two lanes of University Boulevard over to bikes. After six months, the lanes were returned to cars, mainly because there simply weren't enough cyclists using them. On a recent January afternoon on the W&OD Trail, I counted 25 walkers, but just three cyclists, only one of whom appeared to be a commuter.

[04:24:12] He had a backpack. On my own 7.5-mile commutes in 2024 between this building and my home, I never saw any more than one other cyclist on the road. At night, the number dropped to zero. The Fairfax County website, Commuting Patterns, tell us that the percent of county residents who walk to work is 1.5, but less than half of that cycles to work, only 0.3%.

[04:24:41] These numbers cry out that the vast majority of us are not using our bikes for transit. And this won't change in the near future. Workplaces aren't set up for cyclists. Cyclists want secure, sheltered bike parking and access to showers.

[04:24:59] What workplace is that? We certainly don't have anywhere near the number of commuter cyclists to justify inviting bulldozers into our few remaining forests. The Cinderbed Road bikeway would come at a massive ecological cost for a negligible transportation gain.

[04:25:19] It's baffling to me why any local government would even consider spending public money to go in and destroy part of any of our county's few remaining wetlands forests to build something not only not needed but destructive to that whole lovely amenity.

[04:25:35] The Newington Conservation Site is a unique habitat, a globally rare seepage swamp with a fragile hydrology. It is a precious piece of our natural heritage. I've been there. It's a special and awesome place and should be left intact for others to enjoy, our children, our grandchildren.

[04:25:57] Please cancel at least phase two of the Cinderbed Road bikeway. Building in this northern segment of such globally rare habitat, it's just a ghastly idea. It should be a top priority of the Board of Supervisors to preserve what rare wetlands forest we are so fortunate to still have in our county.

[04:26:17] Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Emily Moon, to be followed by David Lincoln and Yolanda Corrado-Cendejas. If I called your name, please be down here close and ready to testify. Welcome. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Emily Moon, and I am a junior at McLean High School, and in 2023, I founded a youth-led nonprofit organization called Harmony with You with the mission to address the environmental and emotional needs of children living in shelter homes.

[04:26:51] What started as a small initiative has grown into a community movement involving students from over eight middle and high schools across Fairfax County serving more than 12 shelters in Fairfax County. Currently, we provide weekly music lessons to children in several locations, and over the past three years, I have identified two critical policy gaps that require urgent attention from the county.

[04:27:16] First, there is a desperate need for consistent emotional education through music. Music is not just a fancy hobby. It is a form of expression and a creative outlet, a necessity for children grappling with emotional trauma and who are in need of expression.

[04:27:32] To support this, I've collected signatures from nearly 400 community members who agree that music should be a priority for sheltered children. I've seen the power of musical expression through asthma, who moved to a shelter 40 minutes away but refused to quit her music lessons with us.

[04:27:49] I drove to a new location to continue her violin lessons every week, and today she is a proud member of her school orchestra. Kids in shelters need environments to just be kids. And at our Valentine's Day event, I also met a student named Gavin who sat alone, isolated from everyone.

[04:28:07] I noticed her and approached her and formed a small talk and connection through her. After the event, her mother shared that Gavin's self-esteem and social confidence had been deeply affected by the instability of transitional housing. That afternoon was the first time in a while she saw Gavin willingly connect with someone.

[04:28:27] There are many, many children like Gavin in Fairfax County who carry the invisible burdens of trauma and social anxiety. While shelters receive food and clothes, access to emotional education remains rare. As a solution, I propose that the county establish partnerships with local music organizations to provide formal mentorship programs.

[04:28:48] Furthermore, the county should implement a year-round donation system to collect used instruments from residents and distribute them to shelters. These steps would ensure that every child has the tools for emotional healing. I also want to address the alarming misuse of plastics in shelters.

[04:29:05] I've witnessed children placing food in plastic bags and directly putting them into the microwave. Most meals are served in disposable plastics with many research papers confirming that it is especially harmful to children. I propose that the county distribute official safety guidelines on plastic use and provide an online donation guideline for the public donors.

[04:29:29] I believe that by supporting emotional education and ensuring environmental safety, we can provide these children with the dignity and health they deserve. Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony and advocacy. Appreciate that. Our next speaker is David Lincoln, to be followed by Yolanda Corrado-Cendayas and Casey Putley.

[04:29:50] Welcome. Thank you. I speak today as a long-time bicycle commuter in opposition to the Cinderbed Road Bikeway. It's unnecessary. It would destroy and degrade precious habitat by excavation and lighting. I'll focus on the unnecessary part.

[04:30:07] The project was conceived over a decade ago, as you probably know. Since then, much has changed, and I'd like to walk through that. There are much better alternative routes now than were available to the analysts back then. and I focus on areas south of the Franconia-Springfield metro.

[04:30:27] First of all, VDOT has added many bike lanes along the major thoroughfares, Beulah-Cinder Road, Cinderbed-Newington, and Loisdale. And second, the county has provided connecting trails between several of the neighborhoods that provide quieter connections to the metro area.

[04:30:51] And those, a few modifications could make them ADA compliant, which I know is part of the requirements. So how do I know that these routes can be safe? Well, I've got some credibility I'd like to offer. Over a 52-year career, I was able to bike to work in five states, including four Virginia counties, for 16 years.

[04:31:15] So I scouted out the best roots, used the best equipment that kept me visible. And how did it work out? Well, I'm alive in year 75 to demonstrate a little bit of expertise. So I used that to scout out these roots, and I'd just like to walk through some examples.

[04:31:36] If I were younger settling in this area or finding jobs down in Newington area, here's what I found. starting from the southeast all the way down to Belvoir Business Center, and then, of course, many neighborhoods in between.

[04:31:51] I would prefer the faster commute on multipurpose sidewalks along Telegraph, Pula, and then on to Windsor Avenue and Barrier Road to the metro entrance. All those routes seem to be ADA compliant as far as grades go.

[04:32:09] A slower alternative would begin the same way, but then turn off Telegraph to Winstead Manor Lane, to Dupel Park Connector, to Morningview Lane, connector to Crestley Way, and then Pathway to Berry Road to the Metro.

[04:32:25] Grades in these in some areas could be adapted with switchbacks to allow ADA compliance. And then how about Cinderbed Road South down in Newington? There are new dual-use sidewalks on Cinderbed, Newington Road, and then you connect up to Telegraph and either the route I've described above.

[04:32:46] And on to, on the west side, Long Branch, west side of Long Branch Creek, the Loisdale Road offers excellent connection. Thank you very much. Thank you for your testimony.

[04:33:03] Speaker number five is Yolanda Corrado-Cendejas, to be followed by Casey Utley. Welcome. Hello, my name is Yolanda and I'm a longtime resident of Fairfax County and I've been a teacher in FCPS for the last 11 years.

[04:33:22] I'm speaking here today as a representative of the Community Action Task Force of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. We're here today to speak in support of ICE out of Fairfax. As a fifth grade teacher, I hear from my kids about the fear they hold with police agencies like ICE targeting our communities.

[04:33:43] They worry their parents will be detained while at work. They worry and wonder what will happen if ICE comes to our school. I also hear from my colleagues asking for support for families who have a parent or family member in an ICE prison or has been deported.

[04:34:06] When a family member is detained, there is a need for food and rental assistance, as well as commissary and legal support. Fairfax County is not meeting these needs. This is a fear I'm familiar with as someone who grew up going to school in this county undocumented.

[04:34:25] It's terrifying that 30 years later, these fears continue to become a reality. And unfortunately, for decades, Fairfax County officials have failed to put much in place to support our students and families.

[04:34:42] As educators, we are concerned about these issues and want to emphasize that our students and families have been and continue to be affected by ICE's violence. You have the power to do something about this now.

[04:35:01] We demand Fairfax County and FCPS have a plan ready to protect teachers and students from ICE. Instead, we've seen Fairfax County routinely invest in policing and collaboration with surveillance companies like FLOC and agencies like ICE.

[04:35:22] We stand in support of ICE out of Fairfax's demands, including ending sheriff and police collaboration with ICE. Enforcing the prohibition of ICE using the FLOC database. Reallocating funds for FCPD and the Sheriff Department and reinvesting in public schools, affordable housing, and public services.

[04:35:48] Providing transparency around Fairfax County-level data such as flock surveillance and the sheriff and police's complicity with ICE. We know that you can do this. We demand that you take action now to protect our students and families and get ICE out of Fairfax.

[04:36:06] Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony, and look forward to responding to the concerns that you raised. I do think there definitely is some misinformation about FCPD and cooperation with ICE that we will clarify and refer folks to our trust policy in Fairfax County, and we will look forward to following up with you.

[04:36:34] Speaker number six is Casey Utley. Welcome. Thank you. Last summer, funny you mentioned that, Chairman, last summer as ICE was ramping up its attacks across the country, waiting outside courthouses here in Virginia, kidnapping people, wearing plain clothes and masks, I attended a community meeting in Annandale with Fairfax police representatives.

[04:37:00] The event was intended to assuage fears in the immigrant community and affirm that FCPD is a reliable and trustworthy presence in our neighborhoods. As community members shared their concerns and stories, one woman told of how a neighbor was threatening to call ICE on her because they didn't like that her dog was barking too loud.

[04:37:22] She was told by the police in attendance that there was nothing they could do to protect her from such threats. Another compa asked if plainclothes people came to the door pretending to be ICE, if police would be able to verify the kidnappers' authority.

[04:37:44] FCPD officers told us that if the men claimed to be ICE, they wouldn't ask for identification because our police show, quote, professional courtesy to federal agents. So they're allowed to proceed unscrutinized.

[04:38:01] When we followed up with that and asked if police could mediate by at least examining the validity of a warrant to see if it was one issued by an office, an administrative warrant, or one issued by a judge, a legally binding judicial warrant, the police in the room said again professional courtesy would keep them from asking to even see the warrant.

[04:38:23] They went on to add that they didn't know the difference between the two, even though many of us in here today have been to basic Know Your Rights trainings online or in our community, and we can spot the difference when our neighbors are threatened.

[04:38:40] We also know that Fairfax Sheriff's Office is working with ICE to transfer people to ICE custody. This is all part of public record. We know that traffic cam and surveillance technologies put undocumented people and black and brown people in general already at risk for state violence, even more at risk.

[04:39:00] ICE has a violent history that predates this current administration. There's no such thing as a humane kidnapping, a humane forced displacement. I'm here today to echo this campaign, the ICE out of Fairfax campaign, and to share our demands that we want to end sheriff and police complicity with ICE and cooperation.

[04:39:22] That includes data sharing. We want to enforce the prohibition of ICE using flock databases, which we currently have a contract with. And technically, it's prohibited in the trust policy, but it's not enforced in practice. We are demanding that you reallocate funding from FCPD and sheriff departments and reinvest them in public schools, affordable housing, and public services.

[04:39:47] And we demand transparency around county-level data, including flock surveillance, what's going on at the Chantilly Ice Center, sheriff and police complicity with ice, and protecting our citizens here from human rights violations.

[04:40:05] The current trust policy is not enough. You want our community to trust you, earn it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for your testimony.

[04:40:22] We now have Harbor Banasi. Is Harbor here? Okay. And that will be followed by a caller that we have. I'm sorry, do we have one caller on the line first? Before we get to you, Harbor, I have one caller. Speaker number seven, Kirsten Witkowski, are you on the line?

[04:40:40] Can you hear me? Yeah, I'm here. Okay, welcome. The floor is yours. Thank you. My name is Kirsten and I'm a Fairfax City resident who grew up in this county and I'm now raising my own family here. I'm calling in today because I'm concerned about the safety of my community. Ice arrests in Fairfax County have risen more than 350 percent since 2024 which is one of the steepest increases in the United States. I've heard the stories firsthand of community

[04:41:15] members kidnapped by ICE as they show up to their routine immigration court hearings in Annandale or right off the street in Centerville. And despite the existing policy that prohibits ICE from using the Flock database, as mentioned earlier, it's clearly not being enforced. For example, WHRO reported that on March 11, 2025, ICE accessed data from over 76,000 license plate reader cameras via the FCPD's database. And these cameras, which were contracted by FCPD from the surveillance tech company, enabled ICE to surveil immigrants around our county. These are the same

[04:41:54] people who are my neighbors, my friends, and my family members. And this tells me that my information could also be easily accessed and weaponized. It erodes the trust that I have in institutions like the DMV when I know that my personal data could be used for such surveillance. And I know that any interaction with law enforcement creates public records that ICE then uses to target individuals in their homes without judicial warrants and ultimately rip families apart. I don't want to live in a place where I worry about my young daughter losing a caring neighbor to detention

[04:42:28] or her cousin being ripped away from his parents. And for this reason, I'm here to lift up ICE out of Fairfax demands that you've heard before to work to end all sheriff and police complicity with ICE, including enforcing the prohibition of ICE use of the FCPD FLOC database, as well as demanding transparency around county-level data on surveillance on the Chantilly Detention Center and sheriff and police collaboration with ICE.

[04:42:57] And finally, given the high need for housing and public services in our county, I urge the board to reallocate funds from the police and sheriff's departments and reinvest them in public schools, affordable housing, and other services that our community actually needs instead of further criminalization.

[04:43:15] So please invest in the actual safety of every single one of us in this community. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Harber Banasi, to be followed by a caller, and our final speaker will be Ted Rosner.

[04:43:30] Welcome. The floor is yours. Good afternoon. My name is Harber Banasi, and I am a concerned resident of northern Virginia who has lived and worked here for over 20 years. As a nation, we have watched in horror as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known under the acronym ICE, has rolled through neighborhoods, targeting schools, causing car accidents, and violently snatching residents of this country off the street in broad daylight because of the color of their skin. Across America, the refrain

[04:44:02] sounded, somebody do something, and I decided that I was somebody, so here I am. Safe in our homes, many of us might watch the news and think that ICE violence is absent from Northern Virginia. But that is false. Right here in our backyard looms an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office located in Chantilly. Reports have emerged of severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions that pose serious risk to the health and safety of the people trapped inside for extended periods of time. In addition, this overcrowding

[04:44:38] poses a fire hazard, and with reports of up to 80 people confined to a single room per the ACLU, the sheer number of people renders escaping the building in a timely manner impossible. A press release from the Office of U.S. Congressman Bobby Scott, representing the 3rd District of Virginia on the 3rd of February 2026, quotes a joint letter sent by multiple members of Congress to the Department of Homeland Security, stating, in the summer of 2025, reports emerged of severe overcrowding, a lack of food and access to basic hygiene, and limited water supplies at

[04:45:14] ICE's Washington field office in Chantilly, Virginia. ICE stonewalled attempts by our offices to gain access to the facility and conduct proper oversight, and it continues to prevent our offices from fully understanding what conditions were like during that period, end quote. Additionally, the congressman's office stated that, quote, questions remain as to the conditions of current ICE facilities. My search for further information about those conditions as a concerned citizen has proven his point, information that it increasingly appears to be intentionally difficult to find.

[04:45:46] The conditions that have come to light constitute a violation of the Fairfax County Code of Ordinances Chapter 46, Article 1, Section 46-1-1, which defines any building or structure that is deteriorated and properly maintained of faulty construction, deficient and inadequate exit facilities, a fire hazard or dangerous to life or the public welfare or both as a public health or safety menace. It is also a violation of the Sixth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment.

[04:46:15] Their gross negligence is going to have a severe human cost. It's not an if, it's a when. I urge this board to call for an investigation into the current conditions at the Chantilly Field Office and stop the violations of human rights of people on American soil, because we have the power here to do so. In the short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula K. Le Guin, we are introduced to the utopian city of Omelas, a place filled with people who feel no guilt and experience no suffering. Life in Omelas is perfect, and it is slowly revealed to the reader that their way of life is bought and paid for by the suffering of a single child, chained in a windowless prison

[04:46:53] beneath the city. One thing is certain, everyone knows the child is there. When children come of age, they learn of the horrors that everyone in the city has excused. A handful of them cannot bear the knowledge that they thrive while another suffers, and they choose the open road never to return. I remember reading this story for the first time and asking myself, is that all there is? The only two options are to accept suffering or turn away and effectively do nothing? Thank you.

[04:47:21] Thank you for your testimony. Appreciate it. Your time expired a while ago, but thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Joel Frary. Is he on the line? Mr. Frary, can you hear me okay? Yes, I can hear you. Welcome. The floor is yours. Hi, thank you. My name is Joel Frary. I run a franchise food establishment in Fairfax County, and I've lived here for a number of years and raised my family here as well. For almost three years, we've been open. And in general, I'm a big believer in taxes paying for services in society. However, the recent food and beverage tax enacted

[04:48:00] by Fairfax County is affecting local businesses and their customers. Every day I hear comments from customers about prices and inflation, about the cost of food. And as a franchisee, I don't have a lot of control over the prices. And as an employer, where wages are always rising, I don't always have a lot of margin to play with. So you may think it's only 4% more, but now with every meal, that means Fairfax County residents are paying 10% for every dollar that they're spending on food six percent for state sales tax and now four percent that's going

[04:48:37] through consumption tax so to give you an actual example last month i paid three thousand dollars for this tax this new food and beverage tax now you may say well i didn't pay for it wasn't my money but that was three thousand dollars taken out of the pockets of my customers who are ultimately going to decide to spend less money on food and have less money left over for the other things that are important in their life. So ultimately, it does hurt mine and other people's businesses in the county by enacting this tax. It's regressive, and it disproportionately affects

[04:49:12] younger consumers and lower-income individuals in the county. We can't control inflation. We can't control the nonsense coming from the federal government and Doge and all the things and the people whose jobs were lost. But we can control local taxes. Now, it would be one thing if the voters of Fairfax County had weighed the pros and cons and decided that they were willing to pay for such and such a thing. But this tax has been voted down twice in the county's history in the last 20 years. And it was instead voted against the will of the people by the Board of Supervisors last year. I urge you to vote for the repeal of this and put money back in the pockets of

[04:49:50] Fairfax County voters. Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony. And following that is speaker number 10, Ted Rosner. Is Ted here? Mr. Rosner present. It says here he's going to be in person. Let me ask again, Ted Rosner, are you present to testify? Not seeing or hearing Mr.

[04:50:14] Rosner. So with that, that brings us to the end of public comment and also brings us to the end of our board meeting of February 17, 2026. And with that, the board is adjourned.

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