Public Affairs

News Highlights

• County officials encourage all startups to answer the census by Jan. 5, 2018
• Fairfax County is sponsoring this second, annual census because leaders want to encourage the birth of more startups, which generate an outsized impact to economic growth.

For the second year, Farifax County is sponsoring Fosterly’s annual regional startup census, and county officials are encouraging entrepreneurs in the county to participate.

On average, it only takes about 20 minutes to complete the online census questionnaire, and it is open to all startups and companies participating in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland entrepreneurial ecosystem. The information provided will be anonymized and used to generate community average in a final report that will be published early next year.

The count is intended to offer granular data about the DC region’s startup and innovation ecosystem. Fairfax is financially backing the effort because county leaders want to spur more entrepreneurship to help grow and diversify the economy.

The census will help support the startup community by:

• Providing participating companies with a free personalized year-to-year and regional benchmark report.
• Empowering local governments, economic development agencies and BIDs to leverage feedback for economic growth and planning purposes.
• Putting people to work by powering Fosterly's Spring 2018 gender and race blind intern match.

Last year’s census—the first conducted by Fosterly—found that Fairfax County led with the most startups in Northern Virginia. The county was the headquarters location for 14.5 percent of these young, dynamic firms. The 2016 census tallied responses from hundreds of startups, and Fosterly analyzed 32,000 data points to produce the 75-page summary report.

Fairfax County’s plan to boost the economy aims to foster an environment where successful entrepreneurship breeds more even more startup activity. These young firms produce an outsized economic impact, economists say.

Startups employ three percent of the nation’s workers every year—yet they account for 20 percent of net jobs created. This finding came from research conducted by economists from the U.S. Census Bureau and University of Maryland.

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News Highlights

• zMod will make the county’s zoning ordinance more agile, flexible and forward thinking.
• The project in its first phase will prioritize three key ordinance amendments for review: minor modifications, planned development housing districts and creating broader, more general zoning categories.
• zMod supports the county’s strategic plan to grow and diversify the economy.

Fairfax County launched a major initiative to modernize its zoning ordinance that was first established 40 years ago. Dubbed “zMod,” the effort will help the county carry out its strategic plan to grow and diversify its economy.

The modernization plan was presented on Tuesday, March 28, at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ Development Process Committee.

“We want to be sure that our ordinance is forward thinking in terms of being able to accommodate uses that we don’t know about today that will be here in the future,” said Barbara Byron, director of the Office of Community Revitalization, who will lead the project.

zMod will work in tandem with the county’s existing process for amending its zoning laws by prioritizing proposed changes of county-wide significance. The first phase focuses on three key areas:

• Prioritizing key zoning ordinance amendments for updates.
• Reformatting and restructuring the ordinance to make it more user friendly, such as including more charts, tables and links.
• Improving the county’s overall process for how the zoning ordinance is updated.

Three amendments will be prioritized:

• Updating minor modification provisions to make them more flexible, allowing the county to more efficiently approve minor changes to proffers and development conditions.
• Updating the regulations for planned development housing districts.
• Reviewing use definitions to create more generic categories to accommodate current, emerging and future uses, like makerspaces, urban farming, and live-work units.

The minor modification process would be streamlined, to better react to changing needs or market conditions. These minor changes include things like permitting a new use, like a makerspace, in an existing shopping center.

Specifically, the county proposes three changes. First, it would expand the circumstances in which these changes may be approved administratively. Secondly, for issues that warrant Board consideration but do not rise to the occasion of requiring a public hearing, the county executive could bring items to the board to approve as part of the Board’s meeting agenda. Finally, the county would create a process whereby single issue changes like changing a building’s height would be brought forward for public hearing with a tightly focused review and in an expedited timeframe.

As a second priority, the county’s planners intend to overhaul the planned development housing zoning districts. These districts created in the 1980s were intended for larger housing subdivisions in greenfields. In recent years, however, this zoning category has been used for smaller, infill developments. Among other things, this has created long-term issues for homeowners when restrictions are placed on how they can use their yards and maintenance issues when a limited number of homes can include the responsibility to own and maintain features like retaining walls, athletic facilities and roads.

Finally, officials want to create more general zoning use categories that combine uses of similar impact into broad categories for consistency and ease of understanding and implementation. This shift will permit for greater agility, so the county won’t need to make zoning updates to accommodate specific new uses.

Byron pointed to restaurants as an example. The county would establish a general category to combine the three categories of similar uses currently contained in the zoning ordinance today and to keep pace with changing trends in the industry, such as fast casual restaurants.

County planners have already conceptualized possible categories, but the county would like to begin with restaurants as a test case. This also will yield economic benefits since restaurants are the fastest growing segment of the retail economy, Byron said.

To help implement zMod, the county plans to hire consultant services, and the county executive’s proposed FY 18 budget includes two new staff positions to work on the project.

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News Highlights

• Fairfax County's energy-saving initiatives and strategies helped the county decrease the greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings by 21 percent from 2006 to 2015.
• Yet the county's total square footage on which we pay utilities increased by 24 percent while still achieving significant emissions reductions. 
• As a whole, Fairfax County achieved a 10 percent reduction per capita in greenhouse gas emissions.

Electricity powers our everyday life, but it’s also one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in the D.C. region. 

21 Percent Reduction in Carbon Footprint for Buildings

Fairfax County officials say reducing their energy use at government buildings reduces these emissions while also saving on utility bills. Energy-saving initiatives and strategies helped the county decrease the greenhouse gas emissions from its buildings by 21 percent from 2006 to 2015. These initiatives and strategies save or reduce electricity and natural gas use throughout the county’s building portfolio.

This cut in the county’s carbon footprint exceeds or equals other jurisdictions in the region despite increasing population growth and service delivery. During the past nine years, the county significantly increased the number of its buildings to keep up with residents’ needs, including constructing or renovating new libraries, fire stations and police stations. We increased the total square footage on which we pay utilities by 24 percent while still achieving significant emissions reductions.

Fairfax's Energy Savings Goals

Fairfax’s facilities managers aim for a yearly 1 percent reduction in energy use per square foot in many buildings. The county is working towards this goal by retrofitting, upgrading and installing new equipment, like energy control systems.  These efforts reduce carbon emissions and energy costs.  We saved over $1 million in utility bills during a three period from 2012 to 2014.

The county uses computerized energy monitoring and control systems in 98 of its buildings. These electronic systems allow energy managers to make adjustments to energy use based on real-time data.

The county also has invested in many projects to reduce energy consumption. For example, LED light bulbs were installed at the Government Center and Adult Detention Center. The lighting controls that were installed at three main county office buildings decreased monthly electricity use by 34 percent. As another example, the new variable air volume boxes at the Government Center produced a 15 percent reduction in electricity consumption compared to conventional pneumatic systems that were replaced.

Fairfax’s energy saving efforts directly support the county’s commitment to cut regional greenhouse gas emissions.  We pledged to work with the region to roll back overall emissions to 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050, and we also committed to reduce the county government’s own operational greenhouse emissions.

The county’s overall efforts to reduce emissions are making good on its pledge to decrease these heat-trapping gasses that cause global warming, said Kambiz Agazi, Fairfax County’s environmental coordinator.

10 Percent Reduction in Overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions

As a whole, Fairfax County achieved a 10 percent reduction per capita in greenhouse gas emissions. The finding comes from a 2016 study conducted for local governments in the D.C. region. It compared emissions in 2005 to those in 2012.

Residents and businesses produce 97 percent of greenhouse emissions, Agazi said. The county government, including the public schools, account for only 3 percent. So, the public plays a critical role in stopping global warming.

Residents can take simple actions that both benefit the environment and their wallets, said Agazi. For example, people can curb electricity use just by unplugging electronics when they’re not being used. Residents also can get advice and other energy saving tips through Energy Action Fairfax.

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News Highlights

• The Washington, D.C. region ranks as the second most walkable metropolitan region in the nation, behind New York City. Tysons and Reston Town Center contribute to making our region a walkable place. 
• Fairfax County's strategic plan to boost the economy calls for encouraging the development of more of these places.

Places like Tysons and Reston Town Center contribute to making the Washington, D.C. region the second most walkable metropolitan area in the nation, just behind New York City. This finding comes from research by the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis of the George Washington University School of Business.

The research also singles out Annandale, Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners in Fairfax County as so called "WalkUPs," or walkable urban places. They are characterized as dense, mixed use areas that are accessible by foot, bike, bus, rail and cars, and the university's research finds that walkable, mixed use development produces large economic and social benefits compared to drivable suburban development.

Fairfax County officials say the research on WalkUPs highlights why the county is encouraging pedestrian-friendly, urban development as part of its strategic plan to boost the economy. They point to recent efforts to redevelop Reston, Seven Corners and Tysons, as examples.

Walkable urban places only make up a small portion of a metropolitan area's land mass. They make up about one percent of the land of the approximately 4.1 billion acres of real estate in the DC region, according to GW's Christopher Leinberger's previous research. This amounts to about 17,500 acres in total.

For example, Fairfax’s land use plan envisions that 90 percent of the county will remain as suburban neighborhoods. Future growth, however, is concentrated into walkable, mixed used areas. In fact, the county's plan calls for putting 99 percent of possible, future office, retail, hotel and industrial development into these mixed use areas, along with 83 percent of new housing.

Economic Benefits

While small in terms of the amount of land, walkable places generate outsized economic benefits, including:

• Higher Rents: On average for the 30 metros studied, the rents per square foot for offices, retail and apartments are 74 percent higher compared to drivable suburbs. In the DC region, this figure is 66 percent, and this premium has grown by 10 percent between 2010 and the fourth quarter of 2015.
   
• Higher Economic Output: The most walkable urban metro areas have a higher GDP per capita than less walkable ones, as well as a substantially higher percentage of highly educated workers who produce this higher economic output. In the D.C. region, for example, 51% of residents over 25 have college degrees, the highest rate in country.

These walkable places also help Fairfax as it strives to become an innovation hub. These hubs, which attract startups and new technology companies, are city-like, transit-accessible places.

“They’re dense cores where there’s an unusual amount of activity, both residential, real estate, commercial activity, but then also research occurring inside transit-accessible areas that are connected with broadband and other amenities,”  says Scott Andes, a senior policy analyst at Brookings Institution that is studying the phenomenon.

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News Highlights

• Fairfax County will join with 246 mayors nationwide in their vow to fight climate change.
• This action recommits the county to its ongoing efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, following the county leadership 10 years ago to create the national Cool Counties declaration.
• The county has already cut its per capita emissions by 10 percent.

As national policymakers waver on their resolve to combat climate change, Fairfax County will join with 246 mayors to strengthen its pledge to fight global warming.

Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors endorsed joining the nationwide Mayors National Climate Action Agenda.

“Joining the Mayors Climate Agenda is a recommitment to the excellent progress Fairfax County is already making to protect and preserve our environment,” said Chairman Sharon Bulova. “For over a decade Fairfax County has been working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to promote local sustainable practices. Along with our residents, businesses and regional partners we proudly join this network and will continue to do our part on the local level to help address climate change.”

Fairfax County led a similar national effort 10 years ago called Cool Counties. This declaration commits the county, along with local, state, and federal governments, to cut the D.C. region’s overall greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.

Through the adoption of Cool Counties, Fairfax County has already committed to the three main pillars of the Mayors Agenda:

• Developing a community greenhouse gas emissions inventory
• Setting near- and long-term emissions reduction targets
• Developing a climate action plan

The county has reached its initial goal, cutting its per capita emissions by 10 percent. This finding from a 2016 regional greenhouse gas inventory conducted for the D.C. area’s local governments. The region’s next inventory will be released later this year.

However, it will be increasingly difficult to reach the region’s goals as federal polices reverse critical efforts to cut emissions like the Clean Power Plan, said Kambiz Agazi, environmental coordinator for the county. Power plants and the electric grid are one of the largest sources for the D.C. region’s emissions.

Fairfax officials also said that they need residents to help in the fight too. Residents and businesses produce 97 percent of emissions, Agazi said. The county government, including the public schools, account for only 3 percent.

Because electricity use generates about 40 percent of emissions regionally, Fairfax County is helping residents and businesses save money on their utility bills while reducing their carbon footprint:

• Sign up for discounted solar panels: Like Groupon for solar, Fairfax County is partnering to offer one-time, low prices with two companies through June 30. Get more information at a meeting on Thursday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m., at the North County Government Center, 1801 Cameron Glen Drive, Reston. Or, register Or get started by registering online for a free assessment to see if solar is right for your home—no commitment required.
• Get expert advice on energy savings: Energy Action Fairfax can identify energy experts to help homeowners and neighbors learn about common places where energy is wasted, steps they can take, energy audits and more.
• Checkout a thermal camera from the library: Go to the library to check out a thermal camera that attaches to your smartphone. It will allow you to see hot and cold spots in your home that aren’t visible to the naked eye. You’ll be able to see your way to savings by finding air leaks and poor insulation.
• Apply for a matching grant: Apply for a matching grant for projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy or improve water quality.As part of theFY 2018 Environmental Improvement Program, the county awarded the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District $75,000. This money is for expanding the grants that empower homeowner associations, places of worship and individual homeowners to implement on-the-ground sustainability projects.

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News Highlights

• The new environmental vision builds on the successes from the original vision and it continues the county’s leadership regionally and nationally.
• The vision isn’t an action plan, but it guides the county’s sustainability initiatives and programs.
• The new vision adds climate change and energy, recognizing the county’s leadership and our commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Fairfax County adopted a new environmental vision to guide its sustainability efforts in seven broad areas, ranging from land use to waste management to climate change.

The Board of Supervisors ratified it at their June 20, 2017 meeting, and it updates the board’s original environmental agenda that was put in place 13 years ago.

“Fairfax County is committed to protecting our environment, and I am proud of our many accomplishments that contribute to a green, healthy and sustainable community,” said Chairman Sharon Bulova. “I have supported the Tree Preservation Ordinance, Stormwater Ordinance, Green Building Policy, Private Sector Energy Task Force, Energy Action Fairfax, and the Green Building Partners Program. I look forward to promoting our updated environmental vision as well, which includes even more on carbon emissions, recycling and preserving natural ecosystems for generations to come.”

The county revised the vision to account for new opportunities, techniques, regulations and budget requirements and progress achieved.

“The board’s 2004 environmental vision provided an extraordinary opportunity to reshape and reframe Fairfax County’s approach to ensuring a healthy and resilient environment for its residents, businesses, and visitors,” said Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross who chairs the board’s Environmental Committee. “The updated vision, which includes a new section addressing climate change, recognizes the successes that resulted from the original vision, and continues Fairfax County’s role as a leader on environmental issues, both regionally and nationally,”

While it is not an action plan, the vision is important because it helps to guide our environmental sustainability initiatives and programs.Two key principles direct the vision:

• First, we must conserve our limited natural resources.
• Second, we are committed to providing the resources needed to protect our environment.

The community strongly called for climate change and energy to be added, and county leaders agreed it was critical to state our commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

The vision recognizes ongoing efforts for a low-carbon future like spearheading the creation of the national Cool Counties pledge, said Kambiz Agazi, the county’s environmental coordinator. Under this initiative, Fairfax County cut its per capita emissions by 10 percent, meeting our declared initial goal.

The vision now connects more closely to how the county provides services, and it focuses on seven core service areas, stating:

• Land Use: “The county will continue to refine and implement land use policies and regulations that accommodate anticipated growth and change in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and equitable manner while revitalizing older commercial centers, protecting existing stable neighborhoods, supporting sustainability and supporting a high quality of life. The development priority will be mixed use, pedestrian and bicycle-friendly transit-oriented development in activity centers. Policies and regulations will result, throughout the county, in the development and enhancement of vibrant and vital pedestrian and bicycle-friendly places where people want to live, work, shop, play, learn and thrive in a healthy environment, ensuring the protection, enhancement and restoration of natural resources, and the provision, in building and site designs, for the efficient use of resources.”
   
• Transportation: “A dependable, safe, efficient, accessible, and multi-modal transportation network is necessary to support the travel needs of Fairfax County residents now and into the future. The county will continue to develop policies and strategies that reduce the dependence on single-occupancy vehicle trips through smart development, efficient use of the transportation system, and by expanding the county’s bicycle, pedestrian and transit infrastructure. The county will pursue transportation strategies in support of regional attainment of air quality standards.”
   
• Water: “Fairfax County considers the protection, restoration and enhancement of environmental quality through the sustainable management of its water resources to be one of its highest priorities. Through its policies, regulations, and outreach to the community, the county will implement the best available technology, including advanced and innovative practices to protect and restore streams, wetlands and associated aquatic resources, promote water conservation and ensure the most effective stormwater management, advanced wastewater treatment, and the safest, most reliable drinking water supply for future generations.”
   
• Waste Management: “Fairfax County will use integrated waste management principles to ensure future waste management system capacity and sustainability. The county will promote policies and practices that maximize resource conservation and pollution prevention. The objective is an increase in waste reuse, diversion and recycling. Furthermore, the county will strive to decrease the amount of material disposed of; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by managing landfill gas; encourage the development of renewable energy and alternative fuels for buildings and vehicles; and preserve open space, green space, and wildlife habitats.”
   
• Parks and Ecological Resources: “Parks, trails, and green space provide habitat and other ecological resources that promote the physical and mental well-being of residents through supporting healthy lifestyles and allowing for interaction with our natural environment. A comprehensive county trails system, such as the Cross-County and W&OD Trails, can provide means for environmentally responsible transportation.  Ecological resources that include the soil, water, air, plants, animals, ecosystems and the services they provide are considered natural capital and green infrastructure. The public, or ecosystem, services provided by this green infrastructure are often more cost-effective than the engineered alternatives, and thus are managed as any other infrastructure or capital asset through deliberate inventory, planning, maintenance, enhancement, and restoration to ensure healthy, high functioning, and resilient ecosystems and environment. Maintaining healthy, natural ecosystems is a priority of Fairfax County.”
   
• Climate and Energy: “The county will continue its leadership and commitment to promote and encourage energy efficiency and conservation efforts and renewable energy initiatives by employees, employers and residents. The county will work with local authorities, businesses, and residents to encourage sustainable reductions of the county’s geographical emissions that will contribute to achieving the targets as identified by the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The county also will continue to support attainment of air quality through regional planning and action.”
   
• Environmental Stewardship: “An informed community works together with Fairfax County and its partners to care for and responsibly manage our treasured natural resources. In partnership, Fairfax County will continue to coordinate and promote education and outreach programs that encourage personal stewardship and promote initiatives at a countywide level.”

We began the process to update the vision last year, and the community’s extensive feedback shaped the final product. We held three public meetings and conducted two online surveys with almost 880 people who provided feedback.

The Board of Supervisors first adopted its vision in June 2004, and it was subsequently revised in March 2007.

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News Highlights

• As allowed by state law, the county will now charge violators a $10 per sign administrative cost.
• This is in addition to the $100 civil penalty per sign.

Following action by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Fairfax will begin recovering a portion of its costs for enforcing the Signs in the Highway Program as allowed by state law. Violators will now be charged a $10 per sign administrative cost in addition to the $100 per sign civil penalty that is currently levied against offenders.

The Signs in the Highway Program began in 2013, when the county entered into an agreement with VDOT to enable it to remove signs from public rights-of-way. The board selected 99 major highways on which to focus its efforts. Most are two-lane, divided highways like Route 286 (formerly Fairfax County Parkway), Route 50 and Route 28. Signs are not removed from neighborhood streets, nor are they cleaned up based on public complaints.

[GIS MAP]

The Sheriff’s Community Labor Force collects signs every week from Tuesday to Thursday. The crews, made up of well-screened offenders monitored by a Sheriff’s deputy, visit each highway in the program at least twice per month. Signs are stored at the I-66 Transfer Station for five days, allowing owners time to reclaim them. After this time, the signs are destroyed. This effort costs the Sheriff’s Office approximately $180,000 annually.

Over the past three years, crews have picked up an average of nearly 30,000 signs per year—more than 75,000 in total since the program started.

In May 2016, the county further developed its enforcement efforts by identifying violators, documenting their illegal signs, and issuing warning letters and invoices to the offenders. The county spent approximately $120,000 on these efforts in the last year in addition to the Sheriff’s Office costs. This amounts to an average cost of $10 per sign.

Since the County began fining sign violators, it has collected more than $30,000 in civil penalties.

Residents can also play a major role in keeping the highways clean by volunteering with a VDOT-sponsored Adopt-a-Highway group. These groups may pick up trash and signs along roads VDOT identifies.

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Fairfax County officials want residents to be aware about possibly misleading marketing practices by one or more solar energy companies.

Consumers have reported that a solar company claims to be working with the county as part of Solarize Fairfax County. This program ended on June 30, 2017. Fairfax County is not working with any solar companies, nor does the county endorse any companies.

Earlier this year, the county partnered with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program, or LEAP, to offer the Solarize program. However, LEAP operated the program, including selecting and negotiating rates with two qualified solar companies. Fairfax County did not choose the companies that participated.

For advice on installing solar or finding a qualified company, contact the Local Energy Alliance Program at 703-517-7251, TTY 711. You also may contact Fairfax County’s Consumer Affair Branch at 703-222-8435, TTY 711, to get advice and tips on researching companies before doing business with them.

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Fairfax County Executive Ed Long has presented an organizational assessment  of the county’s Fire and Rescue Department, produced by the Titan Group, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., to the Board of Supervisors.

The report covered discrimination, harassment, retaliation and bullying, as well as equal employment issues, workforce morale, internal communications, leadership, and the sufficiency and effectiveness of existing Fire Department and county complaint and grievance procedures.

“I am very proud of our Fire and Rescue Department. These individuals risk their lives for our safety every day,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “The county and Fire Chief Richard Bowers requested this study to help us identify those areas needing improvement. The findings in this report have brought some important issues to our attention that must be addressed. It is critical that every member of the Fire and Rescue Department is treated with dignity and respect.”

The cultural assessment report was based on the perceptions of department members who participated and it identified five core themes of the department’s culture based on the most prevalent responses and comments from participants.

• Dedication – Noted to be high across the department. A low attrition rate was noted with a high number of respondents acknowledging job security.
• Leadership – Generally positive comments were given about station level commanders and civilian supervisors, but concerns were raised about senior management including a lack of trust and accountability, as well as a fear of retaliation.
• Bullying/Harassment/Discrimination – There is a perception that these issues do exist in some areas of the department and need to be proactively addressed to change the current culture.
• Conflict Management – A lack of trust in senior management and a lack of understanding of the department and county grievance process, and perception that discipline is unfair and not applied consistently.
• Hiring/Promotions – Members expressed concerns that the department hires applicants who do not have the necessary experience, motivation and skills, and that competitive selection processes for staff positions and promotions are perceived as unfair and not equitable.

These themes were identified from the responses to an online survey of uniformed, volunteer and civilian members of the department. This survey was distributed to department members by email, kept open for three weeks, and had a 62 percent response rate. In addition, 65 one-on-one interviews were conducted and 33 members participated in focus groups. Personnel were selected randomly for the interviews and focus groups. Additional one-on-one interviews were conducted with personnel who specifically requested to be interviewed. Also, 16 members of the department who had previously filed a grievance or complaint were asked to be interviewed, and eight agreed to participate.

In addition to identifying these core theme areas, the report also included recommendations for future action. The county executive has established an Executive Review Committee, which will oversee the implementation of changes and improvements made in response to the report. 

“It is clear from the results of the cultural assessment of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department that we have some challenges ahead. I take these results very seriously. Under my leadership, and with the support of my senior management team and county leadership, we have the opportunity to strengthen the department as we move forward. The issues will not be solved overnight and with any cultural shift, it will take time and hard work to bring about the necessary transformation, which I am committed to doing,” said Fire Chief Richard Bowers.

“My responsibilities will be to review the assessment in detail, form work groups to include representatives from various stakeholders, including employee groups, diverse department members, and partners such as the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs, and develop an action plan for the Executive Review Committee by May 1, 2017.”

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News Highlights

• Fairfax County will receive five awards at the NACo Annual Conference July 21-24.
• Awards received represent programs that contribute and enhance county government.

Fairfax County received five National Association of Counties 2017 Achievement Awards, recognizing effective and innovative programs that contribute to and enhance county government in the United States. NACo will recognize the award-winning counties at its 82nd Annual Conference and Exposition July 21-24 in Columbus, Ohio. 

Awards are given in 21 different categories that reflect the vast, comprehensive services counties provide. Each nominee is judged on its own merits and not against other applications received.

Civic Education and Public Information

• Citizen Scientist Floatable Monitoring Program - Department of Public Works and Environmental Sciences
  The Citizen Scientist Floatable Monitoring Program is designed as a hands-on, year-long collaboration between the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and Fairfax County Public Schools.
  
  Scientists from DPWES and students from several schools across Fairfax County work together to monitor levels of floatable (stream litter) that is reaching our local waterways. Students are encouraged to use collected data to create an action plan for reducing the amount of floatables reaching their stream. The program fosters a connection between the students and their environment while providing DPWES with information about floatable loading in specific streams.

County Administration and Management

• Democratizing Open Data - Neighborhood and Community Services
  The Democratizing Open Data program makes some of the open data provided by Fairfax County universally accessible through the use of interactive visualizations that allow viewers to explore data through intuitive but powerful interfaces.
  
  The program aims to convey complex information in a clear and visually effective manner.
  
  Fairfax County’s interactive data visualizations hosted on the county’s website help to bridge the gap between data, accessibility and understanding.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety

• Diversion First  - Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board; Fire and Rescue; Office of the Sheriff; Police Department; Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court; Office of Public Affairs
  Diversion First is a program which offers alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness or developmental disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low level offenses. Diversion First changes the way behavioral health and criminal justice systems interact, resulting in better outcomes for individuals and the community. The program is designed to prevent repeat encounters with the criminal justice system, improve public safety and promote a healthier community.

Information Technology

• Courtroom Interpreting Control System - Court Technology Office
  The Fairfax County Court Technology Office (CrTO) led a collaborative effort including judges, court staff, deputy sheriffs, interpreters and technical staff to implement a technological solution to improve the interpreting processes in the courtrooms and during arraignment and advisement hearings with the Adult Detention Center (ADC).
  
  The new interpreting system developed a customized touch panel control device that supports both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting in the courtrooms. The updated interpretation process has improved overall courtroom audio, streamlined courtroom interpreting tools and improved processes with the ADC during remote arraignments that allow non-English speaking individuals to speak directly through an interpreter.
   
• Mobile Connected Courtrooms - Courts and Information Technology
  Fairfax County Courts and Department of Information Technology researched, designed and implemented a new digital courtroom platform which allows users to wirelessly connect their personal devices to the existing courtroom evidence presentation system, known as Courtroom Technology Management System (CTMS).
  
  CTMS 2 was designed to migrate to digital industry standards and accommodate digital technology by integrating wireless device capabilities into the courtroom evidence presentation process. This required a significant upgrade to maintain compatibility with evolving PC and laptop configurations, support wireless handheld devices (Android and Apple) and provide better video quality by supporting higher digital resolutions.

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