Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova

 

In This Issue
Highest ISO Rating
Food Truck Legislation
Celebrate Fairfax!
Springfield FBI Headquarters
New Jobs in Fairfax County
I-66 Improvements
Free Tickets!
Transforming Tysons
Park Authority Events
Foster Parenting
Farmers Market Open
Farmers Market Open

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Did You Know?

Peter Pan in the Threesixty Theatre chose to premiere it's U.S. tour in Tysons! Learn more at peterpan360.com

 

 


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                     June 2015

Greetings, 

 

Ah, June! Time to smell the roses. We "Fairfaxians" (my newly-coined term) have a well-deserved reputation as "Work Hard; Play Hard" types. This June we get to devote time to the "Play Hard" part. Scroll through this Byline for information on some of the exciting things Fairfax County has to offer this month, starting this weekend with the Celebrate Fairfax Fair. From live music to carnival rides and food, there is something for everyone to enjoy! This is one of the few times in the year that I get to indulge in my weakness for polish sausage smothered in onions and peppers.

 

 

The most exciting feature of the month is the World Police & Fire Games competition Fairfax County will be hosting from June 26th through July 5th. Athletes from 60 countries have already registered for categories that vary from Toughest Alive TCA, Ultimate Fire Fighter, Police Service Dogs and Soccer. The fairfax2015.com website has been updated to include a great SPORTS EVENT SCHEDULE section that will take you directly to the events you are interested in, including information about when and where they are being held. All WP&FG events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, are free. Some events however, including the opening ceremony, require a ticket to ensure adequate space. You can order your free ticket today!

 

 On the "Work Hard" front, I am encouraged by the excellent work so far of our Ad Hoc Police Practices Commission, which began its work on March 23rd. The Commission has organized itself into five subcommittees and will be reporting out in October on their recommendations for how Fairfax County can achieve our goal of maintaining a safe community, ensuring a culture of public trust and making sure our policies provide for the fair and timely resolution of Police-involved incidents. Meetings of the full commission and subcommittees are advertised on the County's website and open to the public. You can follow the progress of the Commission through agendas, materials and meeting summaries posted on line at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/policecommission.

 

Another major effort underway is the process for making improvements to I-66 outside the beltway. In addition, discussions have begun to consider how best to improve traffic flow inside the beltway as well. This is a State project, although Fairfax County is very much at the table to ensure our residents' interests. Our goal is to reduce the impact on adjacent and close by properties to the greatest extent possible. There has been significant community engagement incorporated into the planning for this project, and I appreciate the community's constructive participation that is already resulting in positive changes to the project's initial design and scope.

 

Sincerely,
  


Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Fire Department Receives Highest ISO Rating
 

On May 11, the Fairfax County Fire Department used a live fire demonstration at the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Academy to showcase the County's #1 ISO rating. This is the highest rating any Fire & Rescue Department in the nation can achieve. We are very proud of our amazing firefighters!

Live Fire Event Demonstrates Top Fire Department Rating
Live Fire Event Demonstration

 

Fairfax County is the first jurisdiction in the

Commonwealth to receive a number one rating. This rating plays a vital role in calculating and underwriting insurance premiums for residents, property owners and businesses located in Fairfax County. Most insurance companies use this rating information to decide overall premium costs and types of coverage to offer. Receiving the highest ISO rating confirms Fairfax County has one of the best Fire and Rescue Departments in the nation, and is a model to be emulated. We look forward to showcasing our Fire Department's facilities and capabilities to the world this summer during the World Police & Fire Games!

 

Governor McAuliffe Signs Food Truck Legislation
     

On May 18, Governor McAuliffe signed House Bill 2042 to allow food trucks to operate on some state-maintained roads. Previously, food trucks could only legally operate on private property and private roads. Once the new legislation goes into effect, food truck vendors will have an easier time operating in more popular areas around the County. Fairfax County and VDOT are working on local regulation changes to accommodate the bill.

 

Food trucks often evolve into brick and mortar restaurants while established restaurants, in turn, are starting to use food trucks to expand business. This bill embraces entrepreneurship, will help create jobs, and will increase competition and options for the consumer. Food trucks will arrive at the Government Center on select Thursdays for the Government Center Farmers Market. You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter to see when they're coming.  Video: NBC4 News Coverage  

  

Celebrate Fairfax! June 5-7, 2015
  ferris-wheel-sunset.jpg

Celebrate Fairfax! is Northern Virginia's largest community-wide celebration! It will take place June 5-7, 2015 at the Fairfax County Government Center. This annual festival hosts tens of thousands of visitors during the three-day run. The 25-acre government center site will be magically filled with fascinating sights and sounds of more than 300 exhibitors, food vendors, and interactive activities. Celebrate Fairfax! showcases live concerts on nine stages, ExxonMobil Children's Avenue, a petting zoo, the Fairfax County Karaoke Championship, carnival rides, and great festival foods. Another fun activity for kids is the Inova Train Ride. Nightly fireworks, presented by Leidos, are a highlight of the festival, and one of many great family programs. Visit celebratefairfax.com for more info and tickets!

 

Springfield:  Ideal Location for New FBI Headquarters  
 

Drivers traveling to the new FBI headquarters can save nearly 10 minutes daily if the agency is relocated to Springfield rather than either site in Prince George's County, according to an analysis compiled by Fairfax County. The analysis considered auto travel times from 20 locations across Maryland, Virginia, and the District to each of the three sites under consideration for the FBI's new suburban headquarters. It used growth forecasts through 2025 from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments' travel demand model and travel time data from Google and Metro. The average travel time for drivers to Springfield is 28 minutes, below that of both Greenbelt (37 minutes) and Landover (36 minutes).

 

The analysis also shows that many Maryland residents can reach the Springfield site more quickly than either site in their home state. Shady Grove residents traveling in single occupancy vehicles can arrive in Springfield in 31 minutes as opposed to 39 minutes to Greenbelt or 51 minutes to Landover, according to the analysis. Similarly, District residents commuting by car from Union Station arrive in Springfield 5 and 7 minutes quicker than if they were heading to Greenbelt or Landover. Even drivers leaving from Branch Avenue - in Prince George's County - could arrive in Springfield almost as quickly as they could to either Maryland site. FBI personnel traveling to the GSA warehouse in Springfield by mass transit will also experience travel time savings over the two sites in Maryland, the analysis suggests. The average trip time for mass transit commuters leaving from the same 20 sites to Springfield is 63 minutes, quicker than a trip to Greenbelt (65 minutes) and Landover (90 minutes).

 

In addition to shortened daily travel times, FBI employees will see significant travel reductions when commuting to the agency's training facility in Quantico. Vehicle commuters will arrive in Quantico more than 30 minutes sooner when departing from Springfield, while mass transit commuters will benefit from the site's connection to the VRE, which allows FBI employees to travel directly to Quantico by train. Employees will also save time when commuting to the other FBI facilities throughout the Commonwealth, including the new Central Records Complex in Winchester. View full press release and graphic.

 

New Jobs Headed to Fairfax County
 

Navy Federal Credit Union is bringing 600 new jobs to the area. They are investing $114.6 million in expanding their headquarters in Vienna. Navy Federal Credit Union is the world's largest credit union with more than $63 billion in assets, 5 million members, 263 branches, and a workforce of over 12,000 employees worldwide. Read more.

 

Bechtel Corporation is bringing 700 new jobs to the area. They are investing $10 million in relocating and expanding their business in Fairfax County. Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management and construction companies in the world. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Read more.

 

I-66 Improvements
 

The proposed improvements to I-66 are both exciting and concerning for many residents in the County and the region. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has refined its designs to add two High Occupancy Toll Lanes and rapid bus service to I-66 between the Beltway and Haymarket based on the comments they received earlier this year. These revised designs show significantly fewer impacts on public and private property and are available for public review and comment through June 18 at outside.transform66.org. The Board of Supervisors has been very engaged in the planning process so far and we will continue to advocate for solutions that reduce property impacts, integrate transit and allow the future extension of the Orange Line.

  

Free Tickets for Sporting Events
  

Take your family to see soccer, baseball, tennis, archery, rugby and more for FREE. That's right, tickets for World Police & Fire Games events are free and open to the public. At fairfax2015.com, click on the sport you would like to see, then see "venue information" on the right hand side for more information. Times for some sports are still TBD. The Games will be held June 26 - July 5 this summer.

 

The Opening Ceremony for the 2015 World Police & Fire Games, hosted at RFK Stadium, is also free and open to the public. Ceremonial events will include a welcome celebration, parade of athletes, lighting of the torch, Athletes Oath, and a music concert! Come join us as we celebrate the Opening of the Fairfax 2015 Games and welcome athletes, family and friends from around the world. Sign up for free tickets.

  
Transforming Tysons Open House
 

On Monday, June 8, from 7-9pm, you are invited to attend an open house about Tysons. The event will take place at Freedom Hill Elementary School, 1945 Lord Fairfax Road, Tysons. Attendees will learn more about proposed development activity, ongoing transportation and transit improvements, potential comprehensive plan changes, and park and public facility plans for Tysons. County staff and developers who have redevelopment proposals will be present to answer questions. To encourage one-on-one discussion, the open house will feature table displays where you can learn more about specific topics.  No formal presentations will be made, although open house participants will be officially introduced at 7:30pm. Topics will include:

  • Route 7 widening and other road improvements in Tysons
  • Jones Branch Connector Bridge Improvement
  • Dulles Toll Road and Cleveland Ramp Studies
  • Tysons Metrorail Station Access Management Study (TMSAMS)
  • Countywide Transit Network Study
  •  Bus service updates
  • Tysons Circulator Study
  • The Tysons Partnership
  • Parks
  • Development Proposals
Fairfax County Park Authority Summer Events & Activities
 
Become a Foster Parent for Siblings and Teens 
 

The Foster Care programs of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) are seeking potential foster parents who are interested in caring for siblings and teens. NVFS provides strong and caring support to its foster families and is designed to help families get the most out of this amazing experience. NVFS staff provide:

  • Intensive training, certification and continuing education opportunities
  • Careful child/parent matching
  • Ongoing support and 24-hour help from professional social workers
  • Help locating support services for the children and youth in our program
  • Family activities and support groups
  • Parents Only section of the website providing training and resources

The next training sessions are on June 6, 13 and 20 in Oakton, Virginia. For more information or to register for training, please email Ginny Snaider, Program Supervisor, or call her at (571) 748-2557.

 

Farmers Market Open Every Thursday
 

   

Visit the many Farmers Markets Fairfax County has to offer: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/wp-farm-mkt.htm

Volunteer as a Group this Summer!
 

The Fairfax County Volunteer Management system has hundreds of opportunities available for volunteering right here in Fairfax, where you live, work or play. From special events to sustainable gardening to storm drains, there is something for everyone.

 

Looking for ways your civic group or scout troop can bond as a group? Just visit GROUPS from the home page to find volunteer ideas for your group. For individual volunteers, there's a full basket of opportunities like tutoring, interpreting, guiding or monitoring. There's more than 250 opportunities across 25 programs! Remember, positions change daily. Check early and often to find your volunteer niche. volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov

 

Brought to you by the Fairfax County Office of Public-Private Partnerships