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| Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova |
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| Sign up for the Bulova Byline
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| Stay Connected |
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Email
Website
Office
(703) 324-2321
Please contact my office with any comments, questions, concerns or ideas.
I look forward to hearing from you!
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Greetings,
Early spring - a time of simple pleasures. One of my simple pleasures is seeing flower bulbs poke up through the soil in my front garden and unwrap into tulips, hyacinths and daffodils.  And when I jog through Villa Park it makes me so happy to see wild red buds and forsythia come into bloom against a backdrop of forest trees still grey from winter.
Spring is a time of renewal. It is also a time for the Board of Supervisors to adopt a budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1st. During this first full week in April, well over a hundred people will step up to the mic in our Fairfax County Board Auditorium to testify about the services and programs they wish to see funded, or to urge caution regarding adoption of a higher (or lower) tax rate. It is not too late to sign up to speak. You can call the Clerk to the Board's office at 703-324-3151 or sign up online at fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speaker_bos.htm. When we adopt a budget, we are investing in the priorities of our community. It is important that the community is at the table to participate in this important discussion. To learn more about the Advertised Budget and this year's Budget Process you can find all materials at
fairfaxcounty.gov/dmb
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This issue of the Byline contains a lot of good news and exciting opportunities for you to enjoy.
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A process to update the Master Plan for Lake Accotink Park has begun. During the early 1900's, Lake Accotink was created as a reservoir by damming up Accotink Creek in Springfield to provide drinking water for Fort Belvoir (once called Camp Humphreys). Today, this beautiful park and lake is surrounded by three Supervisor Districts: Lee, Braddock and Springfield. It is a mecca for hiking, biking and boating. During the summer, Lake Accotink Park hosts one of my favorite community activities, the Cardboard Board Regatta. You can participate in (and follow the process for) keeping the Master Plan for this community gem fresh and vibrant by going to fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/plandev/lakeaccotink.htm.
Parks and recreational opportunities are dotted generously throughout Fairfax County. To find a park near you, and to learn about the history and plans for both our County and Regional Parks, you can find a wealth of information at
fairfaxcounty.gov/parks
and
novaparks.com
.
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In 2008 Fairfax County pledged to end homelessness as we know it within 10 years. A small office (the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness) was created the next year to work with faith communities and non-profit organizations to advance this ambitious goal. During the wee hours on March 1, 2013, I participated in an effort, the 100k Homes Registry Week, to identify and learn more about the relatively small population of County residents living in the woods or in their car.
Thanks to our private partners and dedicated County employees, a great deal has been accomplished toward meeting our goal, including a commitment to making sure homeless veterans receive housing and the services they need. While we have not yet "arrived", the decrease in our Fairfax County homeless population has been on a steady downward trajectory.
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A great deal of progress has also been made toward implementing recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission, which met for much of 2015 to identify ways to enhance public trust and improve on an already outstanding Police Department.
To address issues regarding offenders who are experiencing a mental health crisis, the Diversion First program has already begun operation. This program utilizes the Merrifield Crisis Response Center to transfer custody of offenders to law enforcement stationed at Merrifield alongside mental health practitioners. Diversion First is a partnership among the Sheriff's Department, the Community Services Board (CSB), the Police and Fire & Rescue. It is modeled after the successful program launched a number of years ago in Bexar County, Texas.
Police Chief Ed Roessler has already implemented a number of changes in Police training and response to critical incidents. The Connection newspapers did an excellent job of covering a demonstration of this transformational approach to policing.
See more in this issue of the Byline for information on how you can track future progress on our Board's work to implement the work of the Ad Hoc Commission, to include the creation of an independent citizen review panel.
Thanks so much for staying up to date on what is happening in Fairfax County! I look forward to working with you and hearing from you during this busy spring season! And be sure to take some time to appreciate the beauty around you.
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| Sign Up To Speak at Budget Public Hearings This Week |
The Board of Supervisors would like to hear from you on the proposed FY 2017 Budget. There are many opportunities to have your voice heard in person and via email.
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Sign up to speak at a public hearing at the Government Center on the proposed FY 2017 Budget:
- April 5, beginning at 4 p.m.
- April 6, beginning at 1 p.m.
- April 7, beginning at 1 p.m.
Or, email your feedback and comments to [email protected] through mid-April. You can also email me anytime at [email protected] with your thoughts on the budget. In addition, feel free to sign up for Fairfax Alerts to get budget updates via text or email.
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| Progress on Ad Hoc Police Commission Recommendations |
This column originally appeared in the Connection on March 30, 2016:
Fairfax County is fortunate to be the safest jurisdiction of its size in the country. This is the result of many factors including a superior public safety system. Our first responders - Police, Fire, EMS and Sheriff's Deputies - enter harm's way every day in order to keep this County safe. For that, we as public officials owe them gratitude and respect.
Fairfax County is committed to finding ways to enhance and improve how we serve our community, especially when it comes to building public trust between our residents and our public safety family. I created the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission just over a year ago in order to enhance the public trust. The Commission met for seven months and adopted a slate of recommendations in mid-October. A tremendous amount of progress has already taken place to implement many of these recommendations.
A
ll sworn patrol officers have completed the classroom portion of the training for a new critical decision making process for the Fairfax County Police Department, and the scenario-based practical portion is underway. It emphasizes de-escalation and sanctity of all human life, two key underlying aspects of the Ad Hoc Commission's recommendations. The training includes seven core principles: be balanced; be real; control yourself to control others; be smooth; be empathetic; create lasting positive effects; never humiliate. Chief Roessler has made annual training in this process a priority.
PERF (Police Executive Research Forum) has asked FCPD to help design a national syllabus based on the FCPD's efforts.
The Chief of Police has reorganized the Police Department's Public Information Office which is now called the Public Affairs Bureau (PAB). The PAB will increase transparency through more robust communications to the community, and the department is in the process of hiring a civilian director of the PAB.
A tremendous amount of progress has been made (and shared with the public) on implementing recommendations related to mental health. For more information on the establishment of Diversion First, including the establishment of the Merrifield Crisis Response Center you can go to
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/diversionfirst/
. The ongoing implementation of Diversion First covers numerous Ad Hoc Commission recommendations. Fairfax County's Advertised Budget for FY2017 includes $7.5 million for the mental health diversion program Diversion First and for a number of recommendations made by PERF and the Commission.
During the months ahead our Board will continue work toward the implementation of additional Commission recommendations, specifically, the establishment of an Office of Independent Police Auditor, as well as an Independent Civilian Review Board. Anyone interested in following the Board's progress is welcome to attend our Public Safety Committee meetings.
This is a committee of the whole - all Board of Supervisors are the members. Meetings are held at the Government Center in Rooms 9/10 and are open to the public. The next meeting will be held on May 10 and will focus on the use of force and communications recommendations. Representatives from PERF will be present. The PERF Use of Force report can be found on the County website (
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policecommission/materials/fairfax-county-police-dept-final-report-june19.pdf
). The PERF report on communications will be completed and distributed by mid-April, prior to the Public Safety Committee meeting. Our July 19 meeting of the Public Safety Committee meeting will focus on the civilian oversight recommendations.
I am proud of the work that has been done since the Ad Hoc Commission delivered its report to the Board of Supervisors in October. Important culture changes are being made that require a thoughtful and deliberate approach; thoughtfulness and deliberation should not be construed as resistance or foot dragging. Our Board and our Police Department are fully committed to changes and enhancements that I believe will result in Fairfax County becoming a model for enlightened and effective community policing.
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| Help Shape NVTA's Regional Transportation Plan |
- Enhancing the quality of life and economic strength of Northern Virginia through transportation.
- Enabling optimal use of the transportation network and leverage the existing network.
- Reducing negative impacts of transportation on communities and the environment.
Input from NoVA residents is critical in the early stages of drafting the new plan. NVTA is conducting workshops and events throughout the region to capture your feedback. To attend an event and learn more, visit NVTATransAction.org and follow on Twitter @NVTATransAction.
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| Explore Financial Resources for Small Businesses |
Are you an entrepreneur looking to start or expand your business? Then you should plan to attend the
2016 Multicultural Business Conference
, "Access to Capital", to be held on Thursday, April 28th from 8:00am-1:00pm at the Fairview Park Marriott. This is an opportunity to learn from experts and explore comprehensive financial resources to start or expand your business. There will be workshops, networking and opportunities for one-on-one meetings with funders. Get more information and register at
www.atc2016.com.
Brought to you by the Office of Public Private Partnerships
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| Celebrate Fairfax Offers Free Event Planning Workshops |
The Celebrate Fairfax CV+ Event Training Program aims to increase the quality and quantity of events produced in Fairfax County. Celebrate Fairfax wants County agencies, nonprofit organizations, grass roots community event organizers and others to come out to these great workshops!
Classes are about one hour long, free to attend with pre-registration, and will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center Building. Visit celebratefairfax.com/cv-event-training-program/
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| New Virginia Legislation on Proffers Affects Fairfax County |
 My office has received a few questions regarding the new proffer restrictions approved by the General Assembly this session. SB 549 significantly restricts proffer authority for residential development for all localities in the Commonwealth, including the residential components of mixed-use development. Unfortunately, these restrictions will affect a system that, in Fairfax County, has generally been collaborative and cooperative for developers, residents and the entire community for decades.
When a developer requests a rezoning from the County (which typically means requesting more density than is currently allowed on that property), the developer may also voluntarily offer to have proffered "conditions" attached to that rezoning application. For a developer, such conditions may help mitigate the impacts of the rezoning on the County (such as increased traffic, additional public school students and an increased need for public facilities in that area, among other items). For the County and the community, such proffers help ensure that new development or redevelopment can offset these new impacts on public services and facilities, rather than passing those costs onto all taxpayers. It is important to note that proffers are negotiated between the County, the community, and developers - the County cannot simply impose proffers on a particular rezoning. Each case is negotiated separately, because the impacts of each development proposal are different.
SB 549 was introduced at the request of the home building industry, and will restrict the County's proffer authority and the flexibility of both the County and the development community to address community impacts. Under the new law, onsite proffers for residential development will have to be "specifically attributable" to the impacts of the development. Onsite proffers are those addressing an impact within the boundaries of the property to be developed, while offsite proffers are those addressing an impact outside the boundaries of the property to be developed, including all cash proffers. Off-site proffers will also have to provide a "direct and material benefit" to the residential development, and will be restricted to facilities for transportation (including transit and related structures), public safety, public schools, and parks (including playgrounds and recreational facilities). Off-site proffers will only be allowed to address the additional capacity needed due to the development. Proffers that do not fall within these categories and meet these requirements (such as libraries) will be deemed "unreasonable" under the new law. The new law also imposes strict new legal requirements on the County.
Since land use authority is a fundamental local government responsibility, this legislation was fiercely debated throughout most of the 2016 GA session. Localities across the Commonwealth raised serious concerns about numerous provisions in the bill. After substantial discussion, the legislation was amended to provide exemptions for areas that meet certain criteria (for example, areas near Metrorail stations). Though these exemptions will be especially helpful to Fairfax County, this legislation will still require a thorough review of current County policies and procedures. Additionally, while this legislation was intended to narrow the authority of localities utilizing proffers, it will also restrict the development community's existing flexibility to address community concerns about a particular development through a wide variety of voluntary commitments. Navigating this new landscape will likely pose challenges for localities, communities and developers for the foreseeable future.
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| Springfest Coming up April 30! |
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