Dear Neighbor,

Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation allowing local governments to implement a five cent tax on single-use plastic bags to reduce the environmental damage that plastic bags cause to the Chesapeake Bay and the amount of plastic micro-particles that enter our drinking water sources. At this week's Board Meeting, I introduced a measure directing staff to prepare a Plastic Bag Tax Ordinance for community input and consideration by the Board of Supervisors in September 2021.

Recent studies have demonstrated that plastic bag taxes are effective in reducing plastic bag usage and the inevitable pollution that they bring. The General Assembly's legislation allows retailers to recoup two cents of the tax to account for any administrative costs during calendar years 2021 and 2022. I'm looking forward to reviewing the draft ordinance and will share how community members can provide input as soon as that information is available.

I'm also proud to announce that Fairfax County has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2040 in its energy use for government operations, including buildings, facilities, and transportation. In order to achieve this goal, the Board adopted an updated Operational Energy Strategy. I'm thrilled that the new strategy includes my initiative to end the installation of fossil-fuel-burning heating and water heating systems in County facilities. To address the climate crisis, we will need to aggressively decarbonize our buildings and there is no reason to install natural gas heating systems that will cost more to remove in the future.
Summer Concerts & Children's Series

Our Braddock Nights concerts and Arts in the Park children's series are going strong. It has been great to see so many of you out and enjoying the shows over the last couple of weeks. I'm particularly excited that our inaugural children's series performance last Saturday attracted nearly 300 people! I hope you'll join us for the remaining performances this week.

  • On Friday, July 16, at 7:30 p.m. Little Red and the Renegades will perform at Royal Lake Park as part of Braddock Nights

  • On Saturday, July 17, at 10:00 a.m. Marsha and the Positrons will take the stage at Wakefield Park

Continue reading below for more information on:

  • Summer Entertainment Series
  • Community Meetings on Lake Accotink Dredging Alternatives Scheduled for July 29 (In Person) and August 5 (Virtual)
  • Adolescents Ages 12-18 Urged to Get Vaccinated By July 19
  • Neighborhood Watch Training
  • DMV Connect at the Fairfax County Government Center
  • Braddock District Land Use & Environment Committee Meeting on July 20
  • Metrorail customers will have more time to ride with service extended to midnights starting Sunday
  • ECHO Food Drop-off Box 
  • Register Your Community's National Night Out Event
  • Fairfax Water Financial Assistance
Yours in service,
Supervisor James Walkinshaw
Summer Entertainment Series
Community Meetings on Lake Accotink Dredging Alternatives Scheduled for July 29 (In Person) and August 5 (Virtual)
After months of site assessment, sediment sampling, and analysis, county staff and their team of consultants are prepared to share their alternatives analysis with the community on options for the Lake Accotink Dredging Project. Two community meetings have been scheduled. An in-person meeting will be held on Thursday, July 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium at Annandale High School, 4700 Medford Drive, Annandale. Given the interest in this project, we want to make sure that everyone is able to participate. Therefore, a second, virtual meeting will be held on Thursday, August 5, at 7:00 p.m. The link to the meeting will be available on the project website. The presentation of the alternatives analysis will be the same at both meetings, so residents may attend in the format they find most comfortable. 
 
The county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and its contractor, Arcadis, will present the results of their alternatives analysis on methods for dredging the sediment from the lake, transporting the dredge material via pipeline to the dewatering location, selecting the dewatering location, methods for dewatering the dredge material, and disposing of the dredge material. The Alternatives Analysis Report prepared by Arcadis will be posted on the project webpage by Monday, July 19, so that residents have an opportunity to review it in advance of the meetings. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for community members to provide their comments. For those unable to attend or who wish to share additional thoughts, comments may also be submitted online.
 
Please mark your calendars to participate in one of these important meetings. While there will be some disruption during the dredging process (tentatively scheduled to start in early 2023 and run through 2025), we want to make sure we have the community’s input as we all work together to identify the best way to save Lake Accotink!
Adolescents Ages 12-18 Urged to Get Vaccinated By July 19
To get students fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for the start of the 2021-22 school year, parents need to act now.

It takes five weeks to be fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine currently available for adolescents aged 12 to 17 years of age. With the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) year beginning August 23, this means that students should get their first dose no later than July 19.

The Pfizer vaccine is a two-dose series administered 21 days apart. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it takes two weeks after the second shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

Parents can visit Vaccines.gov to find local vaccination opportunities.
Neighborhood Watch Training
Police Officers from the West Springfield District Station will be hosting Neighborhood Watch training on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. This training is required (one time only) before you may participate in your Neighborhood Watch Program. The meeting will be held via Zoom. You will need to sign up through the Eventbrite link to obtain the Zoom information. If you have any questions, contact PFC Tony Capizzi at (703) 277-2363.
DMV Connect at the
Fairfax County Government Center
DMV Connect will be at the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035) on Wednesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a break from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

They will be located in the South Atrium on the 1st Floor. Appointments are necessary, but they will consider taking walk-ins on a case-by-case basis. Schedule an appointment online.
Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee Meeting
on July 20
The Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee will be holding an electronic meeting on Tuesday, July 20, at 7:00 p.m. This month’s agenda contains numerous proposals of interest to Braddock District residents. It will include:
 
  • Presentation of the NLD Fairfax, LLC application to build a child care facility at 12019 Lee Highway, a follow-up to last month’s community meeting.
  • Presentation of the Sekas Homes, Ltd. application to rezone 6.51 acres just west of McKenzie Avenue and south of Lee Highway to build 11 single-family dwellings.
  • Presentation of the Fairview Fire Station project, to expand the existing facility at 5600 Burke Centre Parkway, and location of a temporary facility.
  • Discussion of the draft Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the northwest corner of Lee Highway and Waples Mill Road. Public Storage has expressed interest in consolidating the corner lot (currently containing an older house) with their self-storage property and constructing a 5-story, 63-foot tall, 150,000 square foot climate-controlled self-storage building on the site.
  • Updates on other pending Braddock District cases.
 
Braddock District Land Use and Environment Committee meetings are open to the public and interested residents are encouraged to participate.
 
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer or mobile app
Or call in (audio only)
(571) 429-5982
Phone Conference ID: 730 922 969# 
Metrorail customers will have more time to ride with service extended to midnights starting Sunday
Metro will expand train service to midnight, seven days a week starting Sunday, July 18. The extended operating hours are the first in a package of service improvements passed by Metro’s Board of Directors in June that will add more all-day rail service, create high-frequency bus routes and improve service across the region.

In addition to extending rail hours until midnight, Metro resumed late-night bus service to 2:00 a.m. in June on 36 routes, restored more service and improved the frequency of buses on high-demand routes. 

More bus and rail service improvements will follow in September. Trains will run more frequently all day, with service on Fridays and Saturdays running until 1 a.m. Last train times vary by station, check the station page for additional information.

Metro will provide more information and outreach later this summer to notify customers of the upcoming fare and service changes.
ECHO Food Drop-off Box
ECHO, a volunteer 501(c)(3) charity that gives food and financial help to families, and the Braddock District (9002 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, Virginia 22015) have teamed up to put a Food Drop-off Box right in front of the Braddock District Office. Many local residents and families are still struggling due to the pandemic and financial insecurity. If you would like to help, consider dropping off a food donation at the drop-box. ECHO's team will transport the donations to their pantry regularly.
Register Your Community's
National Night Out Event
National Night Out (NNO) will be Tuesday, August 3. The Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) strongly supports NNO as an opportunity to improve police and community communication. Whether it's a simple ice cream party, or an all-out festival, NNO is an opportunity to gather with your neighbors, get better acquainted, and talk about issues of common concern.

What is National Night Out?

  • Annual neighborhood-based crime and drug prevention event
  • Opportunity to show neighborhood spirit and strengthen partnerships with local police
  • Demonstrates neighborhood commitment to fight crime
  • Observed in thousands of communities in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world


Please note, if you register using a different link, FCPD will not receive notice of your event.
Fairfax Water Financial Assistance
Do you need help paying your Fairfax Water bill? Eligible residents can apply for assistance through the COVID-19 Municipal Utility Relief Program. CARES Act funds will only be available until all funds have been exhausted. Apply today.

To qualify, customers must meet certain eligibility requirements, attest that they are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus public health emergency, and submit an application to Fairfax Water no later than November 1, 2021.
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