Public Affairs

News Highlights

• To grow and diversify the economy, the Board of Supervisors allocated $500,000 in matching grant funding for agriculture and agrotourism businesses that qualify for a state grant to expand their facilities or add jobs in Fairfax County.
• Fairfax County has the fifth most agriculture jobs in the state, and the industry generates $780 million dollars in total economic impact in the county.

Tech companies are usually the focus when it comes to expanding the new economy. Fairfax County, however, is going back to the earth.

County leaders agreed on Tuesday to allocate $500,000 in seed money towards agriculture and agrotourism. The Board of Supervisors acted to set aside the economic development funds to help these businesses that want to expand their facilities or add new jobs.

The move was led by Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova.

Agriculture is a key industry that can help the county add new jobs and companies, Bulova said. While technology firms make up 25 percent of jobs in the county, many may not know that agriculture is a major employer in the county.

A new state-sponsored study finds that Fairfax County ranks fifth in Virginia in the number of people employed in agriculture jobs, and the industry generates $780 million dollars in total economic impact in the county.

There are 6,201 agriculture jobs in the Fairfax County, according to the University of Virginia’s research. In comparison, this total only trails slightly behind Loudoun County’s 6,701 jobs, the third most in the state.  

This study also finds that agriculture is a growing industry. At $91 billion, agriculture and forestry’s economic impact have increased 30 percent statewide since 2013, and employment has grown by seven percent.

In separate study this year, Virginia Tech states that agrotourism alone contributed $754 million to the county’s economy.

In recognition of this industry’s importance, board members directed that agriculture be added to the county’s strategic plan to expand and diversify the economy. Fairfax also will seek a $25,000 state grant to help its effort to create new policies to expand urban farming and agrotourism.

This follows other ongoing efforts to encourage this economic activity. The county is already working on new zoning rules for agrotourism. It is also encouraging vertical farming, or indoor farming, in vacant commercial buildings as part of the plan to reposition or reuse them.

The county’s seed money will leverage a state matching grant program called the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.

Under the state’s program, local governments may apply for a matching grant on behalf of businesses. To qualify, localities must also contribute money, along with the company. Fairfax County will require businesses to make a three-to-one match for any dollars the county pledges.

Last year, the county established a special fund for economic development, and it appropriated $5 million to kick start the Economic Opportunity Reserve Fund. The $500,000 allocated for matching grants will come out of this fund, and the Board of Supervisors must approve any spent.

The economic reserve was created to invest one-time, seed money into projects that will provide direct economic benefits to the county. This makes it different from traditional economic incentives that some governments offer to companies or developers. Qualified projects must be for capital development, property acquisition, or programming support for economic development activities identified in the Economic Success plan.

This economic plan also calls for attracting tech startups and entrepreneurs, especially in data analytics, cyber security, translational medicine, and other emerging technologies; creating innovation hubs and stimulating R&D activity in the county.

For more information on the matching funds for agriculture or agrotourism, contact Scott Sizer, Office of the County Executive, 703-324-2581, 711.

#  #  #

News Highlights

• The Board of Supervisors adopted specific  recommendations for condos in high-rise buildings in Tysons, opening up a path to affordable homeownership.

Seven years ago, the depressed condominium market looked unlikely to ever revive—or so thought the neighborhood leaders, housing advocates, developers and county officials when they crafted the plan to remake Tysons.

As a result, Fairfax County’s plan set its 20 percent affordable housing goal with apartments in mind, never distinguishing between rental and for sale housing which is done elsewhere in the county. This changed on Tuesday. The Board of Supervisors adopted specific  recommendations for condos in high-rise buildings in Tysons, opening up a path to affordable homeownership.

The new policy sets percentages for the total number of condos in a redevelopment project that should be designated as workforce units:

• 14 percent of affordable for-sale units if the units are provided on-site in the same development with the rest of the condos
• 16 percent of affordable for-sale units if they are provided off-site elsewhere in Tysons

Officials took action because the condo market appears to have rebounded since the Tysons plan was first put in place, and the county wants to encourage homeownership in Tysons. The need for a change became clear when the board approved the first new high rise condo in Tysons last summer.

Renaissance Centro, the developer of The Arbor, faced a challenge in meeting the 20 percent target, and received approval for a lesser percentage of affordable units and flexibility to provide units on- and off-site.

Financing and economics are more challenging for high-rise condos than they are for rental projects, said Fred Selden, director of Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning. New high-rise condo projects are much smaller than rental projects and find it difficult to take full advantage of the bonus density that is available for providing affordable units

The new policy opens the door for affordable homeownership. From the beginning, the Tysons plan has called for housing to be provided for a mix of incomes, in different unit types and rental as well as homeownership opportunities.

County officials came up with the new policy working with an advisory group that included affordable housing advocates, developers and former Planning Commissioners who helped create the Tysons plan.

To date, every new redevelopment project in Tysons has committed to fulfill the 20 percent goal. This will provide up to 4,200 affordable housing units in the future. Developers are also expected to contribute to an affordable housing trust fund for every square foot of non-residential development in Tysons. This policy has deposited more than $2.8 million into this fund as of this past June.

There is a large demand for affordable rental housing in Fairfax County. Approximately 31,630 rental units are needed for renters earning 80 percent of the area median income or below, according to the Virginia Tech Center for Housing Research.

#  #  #

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.

#  #  #

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.

#  #  #

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.

###

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.

#  #  #

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.”

###

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.

#  #  #

News Highlights

• County receives 2017 Governor's Technology Award for efficient, innovative use of big data and analytics.
• County's Democratizing Open Data program makes open data more useful to the public through infographics.
• This program was also honored in July at the National Association of Counties 2017 Achievement Awards.

Fairfax County has been honored again for innovation with the 2017 Governor's Technology Award for innovative use of big data and analytics in recognition of the county's Democrating Open Data program, which aims to make open data more accessible to the public. Receiving the award on behalf of Fairfax County were Chief Technology Officer and Department of Information Technology Director Wanda Gibson and Anne Cahill, manager of economic, demographic and statistical research.

Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson and Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth Nelson Moe presented the award on behalf of Governor Terry McAuliffe at a special ceremony at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond on Sept. 6.

“Every year, our Virginia agencies and localities receive national recognition for their innovative use of IT,” said Jackson. The Governor’s Technology Awards program recognizes public sector information technology (IT) projects that have improved government service delivery and efficiency. Winners are determined by a panel of government IT experts.

The primary goal of the county's Democratizing Open Data program is to make open data usable through powerful, yet intuitive, interfaces. County businesses, community based organizations and residents often seek information to inform them about demographic and economic changes occurring in Fairfax County.

The Democratizing Open Data program helps to bridge these gaps by working in tandem with conventional open data portals to provide selected data in a more user-friendly format. Many users do not have the expertise to extract and interpret the information they need from large open data files.

Interactive data visualizations enhance the ability of county staff, residents, community organizations and businesses to:

• Understand patterns, trends and challenges.
• Plan for service needs, programs and facilities.
• Evaluate services and programs.
• Obtain customized data for the purposes of business development, policy making and grant writing.

Cahill shares that "the Democratizing Open Data program has helped create efficiencies by putting more current and comprehensive information into the hands of our managers and program planners. The applications have been built to make updating the data extremely resource efficient while enabling users to retrieve publicly available information by themselves." 

In addition to an interactive demographic mapper, available interactive data visualizations include:

More Information:

• Demographics Unit
• GIS Open Data
• Transparency Portal
• Fairfax County Awards

At its meeting today, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors appointed nine members to serve on the Police Civilian Review Panel. The panel was established by the board in December to serve as another way for residents to submit complaints concerning allegations of abuse of authority or misconduct by a Fairfax County police officer.

Appointed to serve were:

• Hansel Aguilar, Fairfax
• Kathleen Davis-Siudut, Springfield
• Steve Descano, Springfield
• Hollye Doane, Oakton
• Douglas Kay, Fairfax
• Randy Sayles, Oak Hill
• Jean Senseman, Lorton
• Adrian Steel, McLean
• Rhonda Vanlowe, Reston

All panel members are Fairfax County residents and have some expertise and experience relevant to the panel’s responsibilities. More details about the individual members can be found on Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova's announcement about the panel.

“The Police Civilian Review Panel will act as an independent portal for residents to submit concerns or complaints regarding the county’s Police Department, and will serve to promote further transparency and openness in community policing,” said Bulova.

Panel members will serve three-year terms with a two-term limit, although some inaugural members will serve for less time to allow for staggered terms.

The panel will have the authority to request and review completed Police Department internal administrative investigations regarding a civilian complaint against an officer. It may also hold public meetings to review police administrative investigations and walk through with members of the community how the investigation was conducted, including findings of fact, evidence collected and witness statements.

"This is a fantastic group of diverse Fairfax County residents,” said Braddock District Supervisor John C. Cook, who is chair of the board's Public Safety Committe. “Our residents can have added confidence in our police knowing that this highly qualified group of people will be providing civilian review in a constructive fashion that will help our excellent police force become even more responsive to community concerns.”

The Civilian Review Panel was a key recommendation of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission, which delivered 202 recommendations in November 2015.