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| Monthly Newsletter from Chairman Sharon Bulova |
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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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Happy New Year, Byline Readers!
I hope everyone has had a great Holiday Season. Mine was filled with catching up with a lively and growing extended family. Now I'm glad to be back in the saddle.
 On December 22nd, my daughter Karin and her husband David flew in from Seattle with their two little guys, Finn (age 7 & 1/2) and Mac (age 6). Once suitcases were stashed in the guest rooms, Karin settled down with me at the kitchen table to share her newest favorite Christmas tune, a silly old song called "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."
The song must have worked its way into my subconscious because on Christmas morning I woke up from having the strangest dream. In the dream,
I was at the Fairfax County Government Center surrounded by staff from the Department of Management and Budget. In front of me was the budget: an enormous, thick tome filled with gleaming white pages. I exclaimed, "Give me a summary! We've just completed all those public hearings. What are we doing about people's requests?" Someone handed me a summary of what was proposed for additional funding following the public hearings.
I looked up, disturbed, and asked, "What about the hippopotamus?"
 There was a lot of uncomfortable guffawing from the budget staff surrounding me. Someone tried to explain why a hippo was an impossible request. I protested, insisting that we were just a few miles away from the National Zoo. Surely a hippo could be brought to the Government Center by truck or delivered by train via the Burke Centre VRE Station.
"Is anyone here from Zoning?" I asked. Someone (who looked a lot like John Yeatman) raised his hand, looking uncomfortable and perplexed. I pressed, "Is there any zoning prohibition about having a hippopotamus?" The John Yeatman-like person shook his head no.
Sorry, Byline Readers, the dream ended there. I don't know if a hippopotamus was ultimately delivered to the Government Center or to Burke Centre. It would have been quite the photo op!
Notes:
- John Yeatman was never in Zoning Enforcement. He retired after 27 years with the County as Director of Real Estate Assessments. I don't know how he got into this dream.
- The Hippo photos are compliments of Sue Mittereder, our former Legislative Liaison, now retired. Sue is a talented photographer and has led a number of trips through Africa.
- Adoption of the Budget is not at all like Christmas. There is a lot more discipline involved.
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Short of acquiring a hippo, our County staff performs many impressive and heroic tasks every day. See inside this issue of the Byline for an update on strategies to lower energy costs, to see how you can help families in need of food, to learn how you can weigh in on a County proposal regarding
Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and more.
Hope to see you at my New Year Reception on Tuesday!
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Sincerely,
Sharon Bulova
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
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| Barbecue, friends and photos at my 2019 New Year Reception |
Come hungry! My New Year Reception this year will be catered by the 29 Diner. Thank you to Fire & Rescue Local 2068 for their help with set-up and serving. Also at the event, m
y staff will be collecting canned food and non-perishable food items to donate to
Stuff the Bus
, as well as
pet food to donate to the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.
This will be my last New Year Reception at the Fairfax County Government Center, and I hope to see you there!
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| Help feed Fairfax families by stuffing the bus |
 Food pantry shelves are usually pretty full during the Holidays, but after the New Year "giving fatigue" sets in, most pantry supplies run dangerously low. To help fill the need, Fairfax County runs "Stuff the Bus," a food pantry giving program that partners with nonprofits, grocery stores and Fairfax County FASTRAN buses to restock depleted shelves.
All you have to do is a visit a participating grocery store near you during a collection event, buy some extra non-perishable food, and volunteers will collect the food you wish to donate. The food is then placed in an MV Transportation FASTRAN bus. When the bus is full, the donations are transported to the food pantry. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/stuff-the-bus for a complete list of participating locations and collection times.
Now in it's ninth year, Stuff the Bus has accomplished a tremendous amount with the help of generous Fairfax County residents:
- Collected more than 250,000 lbs of food
- Provided 170,000 meals to those in need
- Received nearly $50,000 in monetary contributions
- Aided more than 32 local food pantries in their winter food collections
- More than 5,000 community volunteers have contributed approximately 15,000 hours of service
Stuff the Bus runs from Martin Luther King Jr. weekend (Jan. 19) through Presidents Day (Feb. 18), 2019.
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The fate of chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs in Fairfax County
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 Did you know that chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs are currently prohibited to be kept as pets in Fairfax County? The Board of Supervisors is considering an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance that would allow these animals to be considered "commonly accepted pets" in Article 20 of the Zoning Ordinance.
I have heard from both sides of this prickly debate, including representatives from the Humane Society, Fairfax County Animal Shelter staff and
residents who would like to be able to own chinchillas, hedgehogs and hermit crabs
. If you have an opinion and would like to testify on this topic, the Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on
January 22, 2019 at 4pm
at the Fairfax County Government Center. Sign up to speak here.
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Upcoming public meetings on unmanned aircraft program
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 Fairfax County is developing a comprehensive Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program and would like to hear from residents on what they think. We are hosting six public information meetings located throughout Fairfax County.
Each public information meeting will include a static display of unmanned aircraft followed by a presentation outlining the program. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions from representatives of the Offic
e of Emergency Management, County Attorney's Office, Police and Fire and Rescue Department. The formal presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
To find out more about the UAS program go to
fairfaxcounty.gov/uas.
Please send your feedback or questions to [email protected] or through the feedback form located on the UAS webpage. Please submit your written comments before Feb. 8, 2019.
Jan. 14, 2019 (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
Mason District Governmental Center (Community Room)
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003
Jan. 16, 2019 (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
South County Governmental Center (Room 221C)
8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA 22309
Jan. 23, 2019 (6:30 P.M. - 8:30 p.m.)
McLean District Governmental Center
1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101
Jan. 24, 2019 (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
Sully District Governmental Center
4900 Stonecroft Blvd, Chantilly, VA 20151
Jan. 28, 2019 (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
Reston Community Center - Hunter Woods
2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston, VA 20191
Jan. 30, 2019 (6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
Braddock Hall - Kings Park Library
9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA 22015
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How we're reducing electricity costs in county buildings
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 Becoming a more energy-efficient organization is a priority for our Facilities Management Department and Fairfax County in general. Fairfax County recently adopted a new, broader operational energy strategy to significantly lower utility bills and carbon emissions.
Recent funding was allocated as a first-year investment in the strategy, which aims to reduce energy consumption in county buildings and facilities by 20 percent per square foot over 10 years. The funds are being used to replace incandescent or fluorescent lighting with LEDs in 18 facilities, including libraries, community centers and athletic fields.
Though implementing energy-saving technologies can require larger investments and longer-term planning, there are a host of solutions that can quickly, easily and inexpensively deliver significant savings, like the LED lighting retrofit, reducing lighting hours of operation, and changing temperature set points during times when buildings are unoccupied or closed.
What are we asking county employees to do? Simple, no-cost measures such as:
- Do not use personal electric heaters, refrigerators, coffee pots, toasters and other appliances at offices/desks. These appliances should be centrally located in designated kitchenettes.
- Turn off lights and equipment when not in use.
- Use task lighting at work stations in lieu of overhead lighting when working during off-hours.
- Dressing for off-hours temperatures, when minimum cooling and heating levels are provided.
While these measures are being implemented by the County, they are great tips for everyone to use in homes and private offices.
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| Capital One is now the tallest office building in the D.C. area |
Last month I helped cut the ribbon on Capital One's brand new world headquarters building in Tysons.
Driving on the Beltway, the Capital One Tower is one of the first things people see as they enter Tysons. The massive 31 story
building reaches 470 feet and is the tallest office building in the D.C. area. The tallest unoccupied building in the region is still of course, the Washington Monument.
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December 13, 2018 - Capital One Tower Ribbon Cutting
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5 Steps to help avoid the flu this winter
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Flu epidemics occur in the U.S. every year, but unfortunately, it is not possible to predict what the 2019 flu season will be like. The timing, severity and length of the season varies from one year to another, but most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, and it can last as late as May. Last flu season was one of the most severe in recent memory with 48.8 million illnesses, more than 959,000 hospitalizations, and 79,400 deaths nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Here are
five steps
you and your family can take to stay healthy in 2019:
1. Get the flu shot
2. Stay home if you're sick - please!
3. Wash your hands
4. Cover your cough with your upper sleeve or a tissue
5. Drink plenty of water
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration | January 19-21
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Mark your calendar for a full slate of events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including a keynote speech by civil rights activist and author DeRay Mckesson on Monday, January 21 at RCC Hunters Woods. The
Reston Community Center (RCC) is excited to add singer-songwriter Crys Matthews to its lineup of artists and activities. Matthews, a Herndon resident, has gained national acclaim for her music. In 2017, she was the grand-prize winner in the NewSong Music Competition. She also won the People's Music Network's Social Justice Songs contest at the 2017 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. Matthews will also be an artist-in-residence in Reston, where she will conduct a workshop for students at Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School. Matthews will perform January 20 at 2:00 p.m. at RCC's CenterStage. To see the entire weekend lineup, please visit http://bit.ly/RCCMLK2019.
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| "Everyone can be great because anybody can serve" |
 Each year the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday marking the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In recognition of Dr. King's message of peace and empowerment, this day has been designated as a national day of service - "a day on, not a day off."
Give Together: A Family Volunteer Day is designed to gather families with elementary school-aged children to work on service projects that support local charitable efforts.
Give Together provides parents the opportunity to teach the values of volunteering and giving back to the community.
Volunteer Fairfax is looking forward to engaging some wonderful families and event volunteers who will come together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy by performing fun, hands-on projects and educating our youth on the value of volunteering.
Middle and high school students are needed as Event Helpers to help set up and run service project stations.
Last year,
Give Together volunteers made:
- 531 Valentines for Foster Care to Success
- 412 Sensory Bags for United Community Ministries
- 27 classroom packs for Junior Achievement
- 347 scarves for the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center
- 524 dog toys for Homeward Trails
- 322 reflection hands about volunteering in the community
Register
HERE to give back and spread kindness on January 21, 2019!
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| Upcoming Shows at the Workhouse Arts Center |
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