While Fairfax County continues to offer highly competitive benefits and salaries, hiring qualified candidates is becoming a nationwide challenge. Hiring incentives can be a valuable tool in attracting the best talent available and to address this, the Board approved an ordinance change to give the County Executive the ability to offer up to $15,000 in hiring bonuses to attract highly qualified candidates for specific key positions including developmental disability support coordinators, emergency service clinicians, nurses, police officers and sheriff deputies. See currently County job openings...

I have heard from many of you who are experiencing challenges and missed pickups with your waste disposal companies, and particularly with American Disposal Services. As such, I was pleased to jointly bring a Board Matter to bring accountability and transparency to American Disposal, especially considering the health, environmental, and aesthetic impacts of missing pickups. The Board Matter directs the County Executive and the County Attorney to brief the Board on County efforts to address complaints from residents and provide an analysis of potential enforcement actions and other legal options.

Respectfully yours in public service,

Dan Storck

The following are highlights from the Board of Supervisors September 13, 2022 meeting, including items of particular interest to Mount Vernon residents. For additional information, please go to the County’s Board Agenda and Meeting Schedule. The clerk to the board's official Summary of Board Actions is available the week following each meeting. Information is also available by a video linked to the board agenda and the Board of Supervisors Highlights podcast. 

Para recibir la información de nuestro boletín electrónico en español, o para hablar con un hispanohablante, comuníquese con Madeleine Carcamo Reyes a su preferencia, por teléfono al (703) 780-7518 o por correo electrónico: [email protected].

To view the September 13, 2022 Board Package click here.

Item 2: Approved abandonment of a portion of a Richmond Highway Service Road (Route 5230) near Richmond Highway and South Kings Highway. The full item can be read on pages 207 - 215 of the Board Package.

Item 3: Approved the delinquent tax list for tax year 2021 (FY 2022). The full item can be read on pages 216 - 219 of the Board Package.

Item 14: Endorsed updates to the RTAP Cut-Through Traffic Program provides communities with guidance and procedures to identify and address issues with cut-through traffic in residential areas. Updates include:

Item 15: Authorized the Department of Transportation to apply for and accept $30 M in grant funding from the United States Department of Transportation’s FY 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All Discretionary Grant Program. The project proposed in our District is for Mount Vernon Highway at Aquinas Montessori School driveway near Mount Vernon High School. The full item can be read on pages 465 - 490 of the Board Package.

Mr. Chairman, it’s that time of the year again – the 7th Annual Tour de Mount Vernon Community Bike Ride will be on Saturday, October 22 at 8:30 a.m. This year we will be riding in the southern portion of the Mount Vernon District, beginning and ending at the Workhouse Arts Center. Again this year, there will be a 20-mile short ride and a 40 mile long ride, so riders of all levels are welcome. Riders will roll past Mason Neck State Park, Gunston Hall, Pohick Bay Regional Park, through Fort Belvoir to the National Museum of the US Army and return on the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail. This event continues to grow with the help of our partner, FABB - Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling. This event is focused on encouraging community members to explore the many treasures and hidden gems of the Mount Vernon District. After the ride, riders and volunteers gather for comradery, music and La Prima’s Famous Sweet Potato Chili. Learn more and register to ride...

As Chairman of the Board's Audit Committee, I brought forward this budget consideration item. The Auditor’s Office currently has two temporary staff positions that will soon reach the maximum allowable 900 working hours for these positions. The loss of these positions relegates the process to merely sampling data, instead of using computer data analytics tools, which would greatly reduce the effectiveness of their analysis.

By continuing this approach, audit staff can identify the full exposure based on actual numbers as opposed to extrapolated data. They are also better able to provide agencies with complete records for which exceptions were identified. Along with the efficiency garnered, data from this process has been helpful in assisting management with updating their records and improving oversight.

Directed that a budget consideration item be prepared for the purposes of including one full-time Data Scientist II merit position to continue the data analysis work and support the functions performed by the Auditor of the Board.

In 2019, the Board of Supervisors directed county staff to brief the Board of Supervisors and “take whatever legal action may be available” to address community complaints of late pick-ups, missed pick-ups, and a failure to meet commitments to customers by American Disposal Services. Subsequently, a settlement between Fairfax County and American Disposal Services led to a $2,500 civil penalty regarding code violations and a consent agreement whereby American Disposal Services had to regularly verify that it was working to improve service quality and compliance with the County’s Solid Waste Ordinance.

Unfortunately, since January of this year, the complaints against American Disposal Services have risen dramatically. All of us have heard from constituents who have experienced late pick-ups, missed pick-ups, and poor customer services. County staff from the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services have done amazing work with thousands of residents, helping them address individual issues with American Disposal Services. But, a better solution would be for American Disposal Services to meet the requirements of the County ordinance, keep its commitment to its customers, and address the myriad complaints that are only increasing in number. Read the full Board Matter...

Approved the repurposing of an existing office building at 5904 Richmond Highway to permit a new veterinary hospital for United Veterinary Care, formerly Ethos Vet. The veterinary hospital use will include a separate entrance lobby, check-in for 24-7 emergency care, radiation equipment, and an enclosed pet relief area, for a total of up to 7,000 square feet of additional development. The full item can be read on page 555 of the Board Package.

Approved the development plan, development conditions, modifications and waivers for Original Mount Vernon High School (OMVHS). Some project highlights include the existing teen and senior center, early childhood and adult education, culinary and business incubators, a commercial kitchen, visual and performing arts, flexible community space and incorporating several community non-profits. Construction highlights include historic building renovations, ADA compliance, wayfinding signage, Richmond Highway frontage improvements, geothermal heating, solar and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The full item can be read on page 556 - 557 of the Board Package.

Approved leasing the I-95 Lorton Landfill to Sun Tribe Solar, LLC for the purpose of installation, operation and maintenance of ground-mount solar photovoltaic panels.

The closed landfill portion of the complex is an ideal location to site ground-mount solar photovoltaic panels. The full item can be read on page 579 - 617 of the Board Package.

Shredding is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Events are from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., unless the trucks fill up prior to the end time. All participants must be in line by 11 a.m. to be served. There is a four (4) box limit, based on standard banker/copy box size (12.5” W x 15.5” L x 10.5” H). Learn more...

Love the environment and want to help a local elementary school? Bucknell Elementary school would love volunteers to help clean up and refresh their learning garden and school grounds from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the 17th! Learn more...

Gather around Mount Vernon Square Apartments to canvas the community and pass out Emergency Preparedness Kits. Residents will be attending a webinar earlier in the week to learn about the importance of emergency preparedness and will be expecting the kits. Kits will be hung on doorknobs. Learn more...

The Board of Directors of MWCOG has hired Slavin Management Consultants to assist with the executive search for a new Executive Director for MWCOG. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is an independent, nonprofit association where area leaders address regional issues affecting the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments comprises 24 local governments in the Washington metropolitan area, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, and the U.S. Congress. About 300 local, state, and federal elected officials make up its membership. For more details about this unique professional opportunity...

The 2022 Northern Virginia Hazard Mitigation Plan (NOVA HMP) is a multi-jurisdictional plan that includes Fairfax County, as well as the counties of Arlington, Loudoun and Prince William; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park; and the towns of Clifton, Dumfries, Haymarket, Herndon, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Occoquan, Purcellville, Quantico, Round Hill and Vienna. The plan update also incorporates the concerns and needs of other stakeholder participants. Fairfax County’s Department of Emergency Management and Security — along with the other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia — is seeking public comments on the proposed plan through 5 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2022. Learn more...

It’s back-to-school season in Virginia! Along with new backpacks, color-coded folders, Elmer’s glue and pencils, there’s another tool Virginia students need to succeed this year. Reliable high-speed internet is a key aspect of promoting academic equity and achievement. According to one survey, 70% of teachers assign homework that requires broadband access. That means students without an internet connection are often left behind. Cox Communications' affordability program for low-income households with K-12 students—called Connect2Compete-offers subscribers service speeds up to 100 Mbps download for just $9.95/month and access to over 3 million Cox Wifi hotspots. Learn more...