October 20, 2020
To the Fairfax County Community,

On Saturday, we had almost 11,000 people cast a ballot at our 15 early voting sites. This is the highest number of early votes cast in a single day in Fairfax County ever! The turnout for this election is truly incredible. It also requires our patience as we continue to support each other's health and the health of our hardworking election officials.

I want to remind voters of a few Election facts:

  • Applications for an absentee/mail-in ballot must be received by the Office of Elections no later than 5 pm on Oct. 23. Learn how to apply here or apply online here.
  • There are 15 locations to vote early in-person - be sure to check the times before you go.
  • You may deliver a mail-in ballot by mail or at a ballot drop box. Ballot drop boxes are located at all early voting locations, only during the hours the polls are open. The exception to this is the 24-hour drop box at the Fairfax County Government Center. Finally, drop boxes will also be available at every precinct on Election Day. You do not need to wait in line to drop off a ballot.

The Election is two weeks away, be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities to vote early.

In addition, today, we had a Board meeting, which is the subject of the rest of this newsletter.

The full agenda is available for your review here.

See below for the full October 20 edition of my newsletter. For COVID-19 resources mentioned in past newsletters, visit my website. If you have a friend who would like to sign up for this newsletter, they can do so here.
Presentations
Who was recognized?

  • The Board recognized former Mayor of Vienna, Laurie DiRocco, for her 17 years of service to Vienna as Mayor, member of the Town Council, and as a member of the Planning Commission.
  • The Mayor of Herndon, Lisa Merkel, is also celebrating her last year as Mayor. Today we thanked her for 10 years of service to Herndon.
  • The Virginia Association of Counties, which is a group that represents the interests of the Commonwealth's 95 counties, also came by to recognize Delegate Vivian Watt's for her work this year in giving counties equal taxing authority as towns and cities. Fairfax County was also presented with an Achievement Award for "My Field Journal" an education tool from the Department of Public Works.
John Quincy Marr Monument
What happened? The Board approved the removal of four Confederate monuments, markers, and howitzers from Fairfax County's Judicial Complex.
Didn't this already happen? Following the public hearing in September, Fairfax County was required to offer the monuments for a period of 30 days to appropriate museums, historical societies, governments, or military battlefields for relocation and placement.
What will happen to them? The Virginia Department of Historic Resources historical marker #262 will be returned to the State; the ownership of the John Quincy Marr monument will be transferred to the Stuart Mosby Historical Society; and the ownership of the two Dahlgren howitzers will be transferred to the Manassas National Battlefield Park. More details on the process can be found on page 24 of the Board Package.
Outdoor Dining and Fitness Ordinance
What happened? Following a Board Matter I introduced, the Board held a public hearing on an ordinance for outdoor dining and fitness. The ordinance allows for businesses to have tents that are closed on one or more sides and it adds provisions regarding the use of heaters. This will be helpful during the winter months.

Why? In line with Governor Northam's COVID-19 Executive Orders, this action helps businesses encourage safer socially distanced, outdoor activity through a streamlined county process.
Solar Panels on County property
What happened? The Board approved the leasing of County-owned property to Sigora Solar for the installation, operation, and maintenance of solar panels on eight County properties.

Only eight? This action is only the first eight of 113 County government-owned buildings that are set to have solar panels. This is an exciting step that required the General Assembly to raise the cap on how much renewable energy could be produced in Virginia.

What is the cost? Through this public-private partnership, there is no up front cost to the County on installation and it will continue to save us money down the road. In addition, electricity costs at these buildings are expected to decrease as soon as the solar panels are activated.

What is the impact? These solar panels move us closer to our goal of reducing our total county government energy use by 2% per year and our Net Zero Energy Standard. When solar panels are installed on the 113 properties, the County could potentially avoid the emission of more than 1.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
  • I asked our legislative team to draft a letter to our Congressional delegation reiterating Fairfax County’s support for a second federally funded stimulus package. The $200.2 million in funding from the CARES Act has been crucial to standing up programs that have helped our community navigate the economic damage caused by the pandemic.
  • Supervisor Walkinshaw requested County staff to take the first steps in transferring the Board-owned Government Center Parking Lots G and H to Fairfax County's affordable housing department. The Board will then be able to consider building a new affordable housing complex on the parking lot.
  • Supervisor Storck moved for the Board to accept the report of the Joint Environmental Task Force, which is between our Board and the School Board. The motion also directed the County Executive to create and bring an action plan to the Board by March 2021 based on those recommendations. An overview of the recommendations:
  • The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the Fairfax County Park Authority, The Fairfax County Regional Housing Authority, and the Fairfax County School Board should commit to being energy carbon neutral by 2040.
  • Fairfax County government and schools should set an aspirational goal to be at zero waste by 2030.
  • Fairfax County government and schools should provide additional resources for students and adult learners to know about and pursue “green” career paths.
  • Fairfax County Connector bus fleet should be transitioned to electric (or other non-carbon emitting) alternatives by 2030, and the FCPS fleet by 2035. All non-bus fleet vehicles that have electric alternatives should be transitioned by 2025.
Health
Common Health Questions:

  • People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms reported - ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure. You might experience:
  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Continue to follow the health guidelines:
  • Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer if that isn't an option (especially when in public places)
  • Cough and sneeze into your sleeve
  • Don't touch your face
  • Social distance
  • The CDC recommends wearing non-medical masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is now required in Virginia.
  • The New York Times (access to COVID-19 content is free) spoke with infectious disease experts, aerosol scientists, and microbiologists to find out if COVID-19 can land on your clothing, hair, shoes, and mail.

Resources:

  • Fairfax County Health Department
  • To view the number of cases in Fairfax County this page is updated at noon daily.
  • Visit the County site on COVID-19, Health Department Website, and see their FAQs.
  • To view multilingual health materials visit the County's Language Portal.
  • Sign up for text message alerts: text FFXCOVID to 888777. Para inscribirse, textear FFXCOVIDESP a 888777.
  • Call the Health Department from 9am-7pm weekdays and 9:30am-5pm on weekends: 703-267-3511
  • Email: ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8am-8pm.
  • Inova has a helpful FAQ.
Sincerely,

Jeffrey C. McKay
Chairman
Contact the Office

chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov | 703.324.2321 |