Yesterday afternoon County Executive Bryan Hill presented his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget to the Board of Supervisors during our virtual meeting. You can watch the presentation and my remarks here. I am in the midst of reviewing it and there are a lot of details and policy choices to get through. I encourage you to read the links below and provide me with your input. Following the budget review process and approval by the Board, the FY 2022 Budget becomes effective July 1, 2021.

I am looking forward to meaningful discussion and debate as we work together on determining the best way forward with the FY 2022 Budget.

Giant Pharmacy has partnered with the Fairfax County Health Department to distribute vaccinations to residents registered with the county beginning today at several locations. These stores will serve as alternatives to county facility sites. Residents in the existing queue who are offered an appointment by the county will have the option of choosing a Giant location. Please do not go to a Giant location without an appointment.

In addition, the federal government has begun a vaccine distribution program at select CVS and Safeway Pharmacy locations. This is separate from the Fairfax Health District vaccination efforts and requires you to register with them directly. 

There is still a nationwide shortage of vaccine that has slowed the county's ability to vaccinate. However, it is getting better – our Health Department received 16,000 vaccine doses this week, up from 13,500 last week. Learn more about vaccine providers.

There may also be good news on an additional vaccine becoming available. Johnson & Johnson's single dose vaccine is getting closer to FDA approval, as reported by the Washington Post.

At his news conference today, Governor Northam increased the outdoor capacity limits for entrainment and sports venues beginning March 1. Learn more

Climate change is not just an environmental concern, but also has economic, health and social impacts, which is why the county is developing a Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan.

You can get involved by participating in a virtual meeting tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 25, or take a brief online survey between now and March 14. Join the local effort to help solve a global problem. Click here to learn more and get involved.

The full Board meeting agenda and package is available here.

To learn more about the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study and the task force, visit the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study webpage. The next scheduled meeting is Monday, March 8, 7 to 9 p.m. Details and the agenda will be found here.

You can watch the Feb. 22 meeting, which included the topic discussion of population in Reston here. Here is my statement regarding the discussion:

For the last year, the Reston Comprehensive Plan Study Task Force has diligently worked on a range of topic areas important to the long-term well-being of Reston, including transportation, public art, open space, public health, and equity. During the coming months the Task Force will also review changes to plan language on affordable housing, heritage resources, and energy/environmental considerations associated with new development.

The Feb. 22 Task Force meeting covered a topic of special interest to many Restonians – population, or more specifically what should Reston’s population be. To get to this answer County staff, with help from the Reston Association’s John Mooney and Larry Butler, took an in-depth look at the current comprehensive plan for Reston which was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in two phases in 2014 and 2015. And now we finally have the numbers – View Feb. 22 Presentation.

As the Task Force work moves forward, it is important to recognize the critical role of the Comprehensive Plan under Virginia law “in guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development” of the jurisdiction (see https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title15.2/chapter22/section15.2-2223/). In Reston we face a major challenge in ensuring that our public infrastructure, including schools, roads and other critical facilities, keeps up with development. I look forward to more discussion on this topic as the Task Force completes its work and other members of the Reston community weigh in.

The Reston P&Z virtual meeting is Monday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. More information.

Wiehle Pedestrian Crossing Study Group virtual meeting is Thursday, March 18, 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting is hosted on the Webex platform – use this link to attend and participate in the meeting. You will be prompted to register with your email address and ZIP code before logging into meeting. If you prefer to only listen to the meeting, you may call 1-844-621-3956 and use Access Code: 173 512 0630. This is also the number to use if accessing TTY 711. To submit feedback, questions or comments, email [email protected].

My office is accepting applications for a paid summer internship for college-age students. The deadline is March 1. Please pass along this link if you know an enthusiastic student looking for great hands-on experience in local government.

The Fairfax County Student Human Rights Commission is holding a fair housing art and literary contest for high school students to create awareness of fair housing issues and laws and to promote the importance of providing equal housing opportunities. The entries are judged by category and the winner for each category receives a $300 prize. Learn more.

Beware Carbon Monoxide: Colorless And Odorless Killer

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized. Learn more from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department on how you can keep your family safe.