Dear Neighbor,

June is Pride Month, a month-long opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ+ voices, culture, and equality. Here in Fairfax, it's an opportune time to reaffirm our commitment to One Fairfax -- One Fairfax that welcomes, respects, and celebrates all residents. I invite you to learn more about Pride Month by reading Fairfax County Public Library’s “From the Heart” guide. There you can find LGBTQ+ resources, local Pride events, and recommended books to read.

Last year, after many years asking the Virginia General Assembly for the authority to do so, the Board of Supervisors amended the County's Human Rights Ordinance and Fair Housing Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity. These are important steps toward a more equal and inclusive Fairfax County. But, while we've made progress, we know that members of our LGBTQ+ community continue to face discrimination. We know that transgender kids, for example, face higher rates of violence and suicide. Standing up and affirming that we support, accept, and love every member of our community is one way we can help.

I also want to remind you that the Solarize Fairfax program ends Wednesday, June 30. If you are interested in solar energy, please take advantage of this program! Those who decide to pursue solar through the program generally receive a 10-15% discount off current consumer rates for solar arrays and systems. Continue reading below for more detailed information.

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The Solarize Fairfax County program is back for a fifth year, providing county residents and businesses the chance to install solar arrays at a discount. From now until June 30, Solarize reduced rates will be available through a pre-qualified solar installer, Solar Energy World.

All County residents and business owners are eligible for a free, remote assessment to evaluate if solar is appropriate for their home or commercial building. Those who decide to pursue solar through the program receive a 10-15% discount off current consumer rates for solar arrays and systems.

In 2021, for the first time, the Solarize program is offering participants the opportunity to install battery storage systems in connection with their arrays. Additionally, residential Solarize participants are eligible for a complimentary, virtual home energy assessment to help improve their home energy performance holistically. Solarize participants can also bundle electric vehicle charging stations with their solar system purchase at a discount.

For additional information, visit the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination's website.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed a 20-member redistricting committee on Tuesday, June 22, to recommend new electoral boundaries for the Board of Supervisors and School Board districts.

The full list of committee members may be found on the County’s redistricting website.

The committee’s work will be compressed due to the late delivery of U.S. Census data to the County which isn’t expected to be received before mid-August. The group then will use the data to draw proposed districts August 30 to September 17 based on the timeline adopted by the Board of Supervisors. It’s expected the committee will present its report with proposed new districts to the Board on October 19. Then the Board is anticipated to hold a public hearing on these plans on November 7, and it will consider adoption of new districts on December 7.

The Fairfax County Health Department will host a vaccination clinic at the Hope Lutheran Church (4604 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003) this Saturday, June 26, from 12:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m.

Both the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be administered to patients. If you still need to get vaccinated, make sure to stop by! No I.D. or registration required.

On Monday, June 28, I will hold a virtual community meeting on a proposal by NLD Facilities, LLC to build a child care center at 12019 Lee Highway in Fairfax. The 2.32-acre site is located at the southeast corner of Lee Highway and Marymead Drive. It is zoned R-1 and currently developed with a single-family dwelling, with the remainder of the property as open space. Child care facilities are permitted in R-1 Districts with the approval of a Special Exception by the Board of Supervisors.

The applicant has proposed an Everbrook Academy, operated by child care provider Learning Care Group, Inc. The facility would be approximately 13,000 square feet with a 12,500-square foot play area to the rear of the building. Access would be provided from the Lee Highway service road. Enrollment would be up to 151 children at any one time, and the facility would have 26 employees. Thirty-six parking spaces in a surface parking lot are proposed. Hours of operation would be from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Beginning yesterday, Thursday, June 23, Fairfax County's Food Compost pilot program that began in November 2020 at the I-66 Transfer Station and the I-95 Landfill Complex was expanded to make the service available at three County-operated farmers markets and one non-profit market thanks to a partnership between the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and the Park Authority. 

Residents can now begin composting at the locations below.

5671 Roberts Parkway

Burke, VA, 22015

Saturday | 8:00 a.m. to noon | Through December 18

2501 Sherwood Hall Lane

Alexandria, VA, 22306

Wednesday | 8:00 a.m. to noon | Through December 22

765 Lynn St.

Herndon, VA, 20170

Thursday | 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Through November 4

*Food scraps drop off is available only during regular market hours. Please verify market hours before heading out to drop off your food scraps. Do not drop off scraps when the market is closed.

Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets (NOVA FSS) is releasing an updated Near Miss / Dangerous Location Survey, which allows community members to report dangerous incidents on streets, sidewalks, and trails.

Thanks to the Virginia Tech Graduate School of Urban Planning, whose students helped upgrade the survey, the NOVA FSS chapters (Alexandria FSS, Arlington FSS & Fairfax FSS) will be able to collect and analyze vital pedestrian and vulnerable road safety data and share this information with relevant County staff. The survey allows people to report specific location, circumstance of the danger, and other details of the near miss -- permitting NOVA FSS to monitor trends.

The survey provides a wealth of data and analysis that will be used to advocate for:

People can submit data through the survey anonymously or can opt-in to share their information to be included in any reports to authorities. The survey can be found on NOVA FSS' website by clicking the survey tab on each chapter’s menu bar. This video explains how users can complete the survey. 

Join staff from the Maintenance and Stormwater Management Division of the County’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and me at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 1, for a tour of the Lake Barton Dredging, Restoration, and Riser Modification project. The scope of work includes dredging and removal of 12,580 cubic yards of sediment as well as restoring and modifying the existing riser. A new sediment forebay for the southern tributary is being installed. A portion of the shoreline and upstream dam bench is also being rehabilitated. This project began last fall and is expected to be completed in October. Community members are encouraged to join and learn more about this project. The group will meet on the dam embankment near Summit Oak Way. Parking is available along Burke Centre Parkway (see map).

The Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) has announced the opening of an online public survey to assess climate vulnerabilities and risks within the community. This survey, which will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 2, is part of the Resilient Fairfax initiative, a county-wide effort to increase the community’s overall resilience to climate impacts.

The survey asks respondents to share their personal experiences with climate impacts such as flooding and preparedness for extreme weather and temperature events. Additionally, the survey seeks input from respondents on potentially vulnerable segments of the population and types of infrastructure within the county.

Findings from the survey will help to inform the development of the county’s first-ever Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. Respondents may complete the survey in one of four languages: English, Korean, Spanish, or Vietnamese.

Visit the Resilient Fairfax Public Engagement web page to access the survey.