Dear Neighbor,

I want to thank all of you who came out once again to support our Braddock District Stuff the Bus food drive! It was great to see our community's commitment to service, especially on 9/11 National Day of Service.

Speeding on neighborhood streets is a perennial concern throughout our community. While Fairfax County has a number of tools to address the issue, including Police enforcement, road diets, and traffic calming, it doesn't hurt to give drivers a reminder. That's why I'm happy to announce that we are distributing "Slow Down" yard signs from the Braddock District Office.

If you would like one for your yard, stop by the Braddock District Office (9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke, Virginia 22015) Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Please limit one per yard.

This week's Board of Supervisors meeting saw us make progress on some important environmental initiatives. First, we accepted the final report of the Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP). CECAP is a community-driven process focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Fairfax County. The report details the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, with interim goals along the way.

Next, the Board voted 9-1 in favor of my motion to implement Northern Virginia's first-ever plastic bag tax. The measure will go into effect January 1, 2022 and apply to disposable plastic bags distributed by grocery stores, convenience stores, and drug stores.

I'd also like to remind you that Early Voting begins tomorrow, Friday, September 17, for the November 2 General Election for Virginia governor and other state offices.

Three early voting sites will open that day, and voters can cast their ballots at any of these locations across the county:

A complete list of locations and times can be found further down this Advisory.

Join Supervisor James Walkinshaw for a virtual Community Update and Feedback Forum for the Braddock community on the future of Fairfax County on Monday, September 20, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To register, click here. The meeting will be held on Zoom, and registration is encouraged. Those who do not pre-register may use the meeting ID: 822 5069 8876 and the password Braddock2@ on the time/day of the event.

County staff will provide a brief overview of the process used to develop the proposed Countywide Strategic Plan. Participants will engage in an interactive survey and can ask questions.

Through extensive community engagement prior to the pandemic and throughout 2021, the plan charts a path for the future of Fairfax County focused on the following nine priority areas:

➢ Cultural and Recreational Opportunities

➢ Economic Opportunity

➢ Effective and Efficient Government

➢ Empowerment and Support for Residents Facing Vulnerability

➢ Health and Environment

➢ Housing and Neighborhood Livability

➢ Lifelong Education and Learning

➢ Mobility and Transportation

➢ Safety and Security

If you are unable to attend the meeting, view a copy of the presentation online. Be sure to also check out the short YouTube video on the nine priority areas and take the fourth community survey. Your feedback will be combined with previous input, analyzed for trends, and shared with the Board of Supervisors this fall.

For all other information on the strategic plan, visit the Strategic Plan’s website.

What are your transportation priorities? Is it to reduce congestion? Decrease fuel consumption? The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) has launched a survey to better understand the transportation needs of the community.

You can learn more about the survey, NVTA, and reducing traffic in Fairfax County on NVTA's website.

The survey is open to the public until tomorrow, Friday, September 17, 2021.

Fairfax County has launched an online tool to allow anyone to draw proposed new electoral maps for the Board of Supervisors and School Board.

New electoral districts are being drawn through the county’s redistricting efforts, and the public is encouraged to create proposed maps.

The mapping tool and instructions are online, and the deadline for the public to submit maps is this Sunday, September 19 at 11:59 p.m.

Draw a map now.

An introduction to the mapping tool is available in multiple languages:

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is holding a community meeting on Monday, September 20 at 7:00 p.m. to gather public input on factors to consider when making necessary boundary changes. Use this link to register for the meeting.

In addition, FCPS will be conducting a community survey until Friday, September 24. You can use this link to take the survey now. All FCPS parents will receive an email with the survey link to collect input.

Recordings of the community meetings will also be posted on the FCPS Boundary Policy website.

Find more information about the Boundary Policy Review on FCPS' website.

Take a virtual tour of one of the oldest homes in Fairfax County with the Historic Oak Hill Open House on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. You will learn about the architecture, but you will also hear the names and explore the lives of enslaved individuals who toiled at the site.

Richard Fitzhugh – a descendant of one of the first land-grant holders in Northern Virginia – constructed Oak Hill circa 1790 on the historic Ravensworth tract in Annandale. The late Georgian-style dwelling was renovated in the Colonial Revival style during the late 1930s by renowned restoration architect Walter M. Macomber. Its name comes from two large oak trees on the property.

This video tour, enjoyed last year by more than 1,000 viewers, is made possible by the efforts of the Fairfax County Park Foundation, Fairfax County Park Authority, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

To learn more about Historic Oak Hill, visit the Oak Hill website.

On Saturday, October 2, Supervisor Walkinshaw and Supervisor Smith will lead Team Fairfax in the annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Walk. This event raises support for scientific research, evidence-based resources, training, and advocacy. AFSP does life-saving work and I invite you to register today to join Team Fairfax BOS on the Walk.

Fairfax Water is reviewing its customer service practices to ensure that they support customers and the community effectively.

As part of this effort, they want to hear from you! Fairfax Water wants to hear about the issues that matter most and past experiences with Fairfax Water.

This survey should take 5-7 minutes. Your responses are anonymous.

Please complete the survey by Thursday, September 30.

The integrating Police and Community (iPAC) initiative, designed to increase one-on-one collaboration and engagement between police officers, residents, visitors and business owners in Fairfax County has launched. The goal of the fundamental program is to build upon the Fairfax County Police Department's already strong connection with the community by providing discretionary time and space for conversation and problem solving.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a chronic, debilitating, inherited condition that afflicts 100,000 Americans -- primarily African Americans and Hispanic-Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births. 

In remembrance of the late Clarissa Pearson -- founder of The Heart of Gold Sickle Cell Foundation of Northern Virginia -- the Foundation is sponsoring a blood drive during Sickle Cell Awareness month on Wednesday, September 22, from 12:00 p.m. through 5:00 p.m., at the Hilton Springfield (6550 Loisdale Rd., Springfield, Virginia 22150).

The Heart of Gold Foundation of Northern Virginia is a nonprofit that exists to help people fight SCD, while also advocating for people and their families affected by the disease. Their goal is to continue Clarissa's vision of supporting individuals and families via resources and advocacy.

Complete information about how, when and where to vote can be found at the Fairfax County Office of Elections website.

In Virginia there are three different ways to vote:

3- In-Person voting on November 2, 2021, at your local polling place.

Fairfax County will be offering In-Person Early Voting at numerous locations starting tomorrow, Friday, September 17 (please see list below). Information about early voting dates, times and locations can be found on the Fairfax Office of Elections website.

What You Need to Know:

Any registered Fairfax County voter may vote early at any Fairfax County early voting location.

Early in-person absentee voting is available for the November 2021 General & Special Elections at the following three locations from September 17 through October 30:

Visit the Vote by Mail page at the Fairfax Office of Elections website for complete details.

Online: Use the request form at the Virginia Department of Elections website,

1. Download, print, and complete--including your handwritten signature--a vote-by-mail application

-- OR --

2. Pick up a preprinted paper application at:

Submit your completed paper application using one of these methods:

Visit the Vote by Mail page at the Fairfax Office of Elections website for complete details. Ballots can be returned by mail, by commercial delivery, or at Drop Boxes.

Ballot Drop-Off Boxes

Ballot drop-off boxes are available at all early voting locations when locations are open for voting. The drop boxes are for voted ballots which are secured in the envelope provided to the voter. All instructions in the absentee ballot must be followed.

Voted ballots may be dropped off outside the Government Center at an attended drop box during business hours. An accessible, secure drop box is installed outside the building, permitting voters to drop off their ballots 24/7.

Voted ballots may also be dropped off at any early voting site during hours of operation.

On Election Day, ballots may be brought to your regular polling place when the polls are open.

November 2, 2021, General and Special Elections:

• Before you vote, check your registration status

• Find your polling place

• Make sure you bring an acceptable form of identification