Public Affairs

To accommodate the new models for senior living facilities, Fairfax County created new zoning rules for continuing care facilities.

The Board of Supervisors adopted the zoning changes on Dec. 4, 2018. The action establishes a new zoning district—the Planned Continuing Care Facility District—and it also creates continuing care facilities as a new land use category.

Zoning officials said the change was needed to meet more modern operational needs of retirement communities and nursing facilities. They often provide multiple types of housing and services in a single facility, from independent living to assisted living to nursing or medical care. These combined uses were previously not allowed in a single, integrated facility, but now the new rules give senior living companies the flexibility to determine the features and services best suited to serve their residents.

Previously, the county’s zoning rules made distinctions between independent living, assisted living and nursing homes, regulating them as separate uses. The ordinance imposed limits based on housing features, such as whether kitchens are provided; type of person living at the facility; and type of services provided.

The change is akin to how the county’s zoning rules treat colleges and universities, zoning officials say. Rather than separately regulating each individual use at these institutions—which can range from housing to restaurants to sports stadiums—zoning rules look at colleges and universities as a whole that’s a sum of its parts.

The new zoning district makes continuing care facilities the primary use, but it also could allow for secondary, accessory uses in these districts like offices, restaurants, retail and recreation in certain circumstances. The new district also includes limitations to ensure they are compatible with surrounding neighborhoods, including:

• Located in areas with adequate road capacity.
• Located in areas with public water and sewer service.
• Located on properties that are a minimum of five acres unless modified by the Board of Supervisors.
• Be up to 75 or 100-feet tall and provide 30 or 50-foot setbacks, depending on what kind of development is adjacent to the continuing care facility.
• Set aside a minimum of 20 percent of the site as open space unless modified by the Board of Supervisors.
• Allow the Health Care Advisory Board to provide recommendations to the Planning Commission on proposed continuing care facilities in rezoning cases.

The adopted new zoning rules also allow continuing care facilities in planned districts like Burke, Tysons or Reston.

The zoning changes support the county’s 50+ Action Plan. As demographic experts forecast a major uptick in the numbers of older adults in the county, there will be an increasing demand for senior housing. By 2040, people age 50 or older will make up about 33 percent of Fairfax County residents—or about 452,000 people. In the next 22 years, the number of residents between ages 70-79 will more than double compared to 2010.

For more information, contact the Zoning Administration Division of the Department of Planning and Zoning, at 703-324-1314, TTY 711.

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Massive job layoffs at large factories dominate the headlines when it comes to news about manufacturing.

What may be surprising, however, is that small, handmade craft manufacturing is making a comeback. More than two-thirds of manufacturers in Virginia employ 20 people or fewer, according the U.S. Census Bureau.

To help more of these businesses to open, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted new zoning rules on Dec. 4, 2018, for what’s called small-scale production. The law greatly expands the areas where artisan manufacturers can set up shop.

Furniture, custom jewelry, textiles, baking, coffee roasting, vertical farming and 3D printing — these are the kinds of cleaner, quieter, small, maker-businesses that the new regulations will help.

County leaders want to encourage more small-batch makers to go into business because they can help revitalize neighborhoods, fill empty buildings and create new jobs. Craft manufacturers can fill vacant commercial space no longer viable for traditional retail while enlivening older commercial areas with new activities and local enterprise.

Previously, craft manufacturing was only allowed in industrial districts, except for craft breweries and distilleries. Now, these producers will be allowed in most commercial and mixed-use districts, from Annandale and Richmond Highway to Tysons and Reston.

The new rules define small-scale production broadly to include the entire manufacturing process from design to production to packaging. The rules also allow these makers to offer retail sales, training and education.

Small manufacturers would be limited in size to 6,000 to 10,000 square feet, depending on the zoning district where they’re located. However, most craft manufacturing businesses are less than 5,000 square feet.

The new regulations also include restrictions to ensure these small businesses are good neighbors, such as requiring production and storage to be inside to prevent noise or odors.

Because craft manufacturers can act as both producers and retailers under the rules, this dual role makes the businesses a good fit for mixed-use areas. They can help draw foot traffic to older established areas and bring new life to neighborhoods.

To bolster this placemaking function, the zoning regulations require these manufacturers in commercial or mixed-use districts offer retail sales, tours, classes or other direct interaction with the public.

As part of the overall effort to stimulate urban manufacturing, the Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization is also conducting a study of these businesses in the county, in conjunction with a national specialist in this field. The study will outline recommendations for supporting small-scale production countywide, and is expected to be completed by early next year.

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Reston Midline’s 1.8 million square feet in mixed-used development became the latest major development approved near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved JBG and EYA’s development plan on Dec. 4, 2018.

The action allows the development team to remake the 17.5-acre property located on the south of Sunset Hills Road between Wiehle Avenue and Michael Faraday Drive.

This property lies within a half-mile east of the Metro station, joining Comstock’s approximately 3 million square feet in approved, mixed-use development next to this rail stop.

Today, the site is developed with four low-rise office buildings and a surface parking lot that were built from the mid-60’s to mid-80’s.

Residential Development in Four New Urban Blocks

Primarily residential, Reston Midline is planned for eight buildings spread across four new blocks. In total, it will offer 1,058 dwelling units, 259,845 square feet in office space and 251,150 square feet in ground floor retail:

• Block A: Located at the intersection of Wiehle Avenue and Sunset Hills Road, this block includes an eight-story, independent living facility with 127 units and an eight-story, 325-unit apartment building.
• Block B: Located along Wiehle Avenue, north of the Dulles Toll Road, this block features a 14-story office building—the tallest in the development—plus an eight-story, 225-unit apartment building.
• Block C: South of Sunset Hills Road along Michael Faraday Drive, this block consists of a seven-story, 218-unit apartment building, along with a six-story apartment building with 39 units.
• Block D: A six-story apartment building with 70 units, plus 56 townhomes, make up this block located north of the Dulles Toll Road along Michael Faraday Drive.

The project will set aside 14 percent of residential units for affordable housing. The entire development also includes ground-floor retail in every building except the office and townhomes.

The county’s approval also allows JBG and EYA to pursue two alternative development plans for blocks C and D. On block C, the smaller of the two apartment buildings could be replaced with 35 townhomes. On block D, the apartment building could grow to a nine-story building with 90 units and an additional 24 townhomes would be added.

Road, Bike and Bus Improvements

The development team will make two major road improvements that will help to build out the local street grid in this area. They will extend Reston Station Boulevard from Wiehle Avenue to Michael Faraday Drive, and they will construct new lanes on Michael Faraday along the development’s frontage. This completes the construction of Michael Faraday Drive into a two-lane road with street parking and bike lanes. Two developments on the east side of Michael Faraday Drive will complete the other half of this road.

To provide a connection to the W&OD Trail, JBG and EYA will add a new crosswalk and pedestrian signals at the intersection of Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive. A new, high-visibility crosswalk will also be built at the intersection of Reston Station Boulevard and Wiehle Avenue to make a pedestrian connection to the Silver Line station.

The project also provides on-road bicycle lanes along Wiehle Avenue, Reston Station Boulevard, Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive. The lanes on Reston Station Boulevard and Michael Faraday will help provide access to the Metro station, and the project includes a 15-dock bikeshare station.

Four, future Fairfax Connector bus stops will be included with the development—one each on Wiehle Avenue, Reston Station Boulevard, Sunset Hills Road and Michael Faraday Drive.

New Urban Parks

Reston Midline dedicates 29 percent of its site as open space, more than recommended by the county’s land use plan. The nearly three acres in parks, includes:

• Wiehle Avenue Promenade: This is a two-block, linear park along Wiehle Avenue that includes public art, accent lighting, landscaping, tree bosque, bicycle racks, game tables and outdoor seating and tables.
• Block B Park: Accessed by staircases at either end, an elevated park will be located on top of a parking garage between the apartment and office buildings on this block. Its main feature will be an artificial-turf lawn that will provide space for games like bocce ball, game tables, moveable furniture and landscaping.
• Front Porch Park: Located along Reston Station Boulevard at the southwest corner of block C, this 15,180-square-foot park is intended to be the development’s central gathering space. It will be designed with an event lawn, water feature, shade structure, seating, bicycle racks and outdoor dining areas.

Surrounding Development on North Side of the Metro Station

Reston Midline will rise up next to other mixed-used developments approved for this area. To the west, Comstock’s Reston Station Promenade will put 1.3 million square feet directly across from Reston Midline. Immediately adjacent to the Silver Line station, Comstock’s Reston Station project was approved for 1.7 million square feet.

To the east, two residential developments have been approved along Michael Faraday Drive. Pulte’s Lofts at Reston Station was greenlighted for townhomes and an apartment building, and similarly, Rooney Properties’ 1831 Michael Faraday Drive project will offer townhouses and apartments.

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Following 17 months of public engagement, Fairfax County will move forward with proposed zoning changes for Reston.

The Board of Supervisors is anticipated on Dec. 4 to authorize public hearings on the zoning changes for early next year. The Dec. 4 meeting will not be an opportunity for public input.

The proposal seeks to increase the maximum allowed “population” density from 13-persons per acre to 15 in the Reston Planned Residential Community (PRC) District. This 13-persons per acre limit has remained unchanged for several decades and does not accommodate the future residential growth anticipated in the Reston PRC near the future Silver Line Metrorail stations.

The other proposed change is to increase the limit of 50 dwelling units per acre to 70 in the transit station areas planned for mixed use development. This would mainly affect the Reston Town Center Transit Station Area.

County planning officials say the Reston PRC zoning change is needed to put into action Reston’s Master Plan that accommodates the potential for future growth during the next 40 years, especially around its Silver Line Metrorail stations. If the update isn’t ultimately adopted, Reston may lose its unique zoning designation that has shaped the community for the past 50 years, officials warn.

While some residents believe development in Reston would be halted if the zoning ordinance update isn’t passed, county planning officials say this is unlikely. However, developers may simply seek to rezone properties to other districts to build the development envisioned in the master plan. This could result in a patchwork of different zoning districts across Reston, ending the cohesive zoning that shapes most of the area today.

Reston’s primary zoning district is the “Planned Residential Community” District, and the ordinance includes a maximum, persons-per-acre density which is uncommon elsewhere and not applicable to any other zoning districts in the county. This density figure is not based on Reston’s actual, total population. Instead, it is based on a formula for household size multiplied by the number of housing units divided by the 6,245 acres in the PRC zoning district for Reston.

Today, there are approximately 12.46-persons per acre currently in the Reston PRC District based on the number of housing units built, under construction and approved to be built. County planners say the current 13-person cap may soon be exceeded based on development proposals that are under review now.

However, planners stress that the zoning changes do not facilitate residential development on either of Reston’s two golf courses. The master plan clearly calls for the Hidden Creek and Reston National courses to remain—and any proposals for residential development would require amendments to both the master plan and zoning ordinance. This is underscored by the county’s legal victory three years ago against one of the courses that failed in its attempt to redevelop without first seeking a change to the master plan.

Under Reston’s Master Plan, about 60 percent of future growth is concentrated around the three Metro stations. These are areas that would be largely unaffected by the person per-acre density maximums, and another 30 percent is located within the village centers where the limit would apply.

The master plan was adopted following a seven-year effort that ended in 2015. It included a community task force composed of residents and landowners; outreach to all of Reston’s 150-plus clusters, condos and apartments; and more than 200 community meetings.

County planning officials said they may consider some limited changes to clarify certain aspects of the Reston Master Plan based on feedback from residents. Namely, they might incorporate a population target and guidance for monitoring development levels and reporting outcomes on the plan's implementation annually, as was included in the plan for Tysons. However, these changes would ultimately need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.

The Reston plan calls for new transportation improvements and the transportation strategy identifies required improvements, including the Soapstone Connector, Town Center Underpass and Reston Parkway widening. Last February, the Board of Supervisors adopted a $2.1 billion funding plan to help build new roads, improve intersections and construct new local connecting streets in the transit station areas.

New parks will be built following the guidance in the master plan. As a result of approved development proposals so far, there are over 30 acres of urban park spaces, plus a new athletic field, that have been pledged to the county.

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Quiet cul-de-sac Roland Clarke Place is becoming the hub for new, lower-density residential development in Reston.

Woodfield Acquisitions will replace a vacant, two-story office building at 1941 Roland Clarke Place with a new 308-unit apartment building.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will consider this redevelopment plan at their Dec. 4, 2018, meeting.

The project would join two other residential developments immediately to the south, along Sunrise Valley Drive. Sekas Homes is building a 34 townhouse community called Sunrise Square on the east side of Roland Clarke Place. To the west of the cul-de-sac, Toll Brothers is erecting 54 townhouses in its Valley and Park development that the county approved two years ago.

Woodfield’s seven-story apartment building will be situated about mile between the Wiehle-Reston East and Reston Town Center Metro stations.

The building includes two interior courtyards for residents, along with an outdoor pool and seating on a third-floor patio. The apartment’s architecture will feature contemporary design with a rhythmic pattern of windows and balconies. The plans include a 409-space, eight-level parking garage behind the building, facing the Dulles Toll Road.

Woodfield also has future plans to remake the adjacent, five-story building at 1950 Roland Clarke Place that it will bring forward for approval at a later date. The developer is the contract purchaser for both office buildings that are currently owned by the law firm Greenblum & Bernstein.

Both offices sit on a 6.5-acre site that was previously approved for more than a million square feet in new office and retail development. However, Woodfield pursued residential development because the site wouldn’t support commercial uses due to its lack of visibility at the end of the cul-de-sac, according to the development application.

The project sets aside 31 percent of the site as open space with .84-acres of parks. The first floor will be set back 40-feet from the street to allow for a linear park along the front. This park will provide outdoor tables, terraced seating and water features that include a water wall, splash pad and reflecting pool.

Woodfield will also build an interim, 26,610 square-foot linear park along the south side of the office building at 1950 Roland Clarke Place until this building is redeveloped. This recreation space will offer a 6-foot-wide, meandering asphalt path, benches, picnic tables, and bocce ball court.

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As part of its ongoing efforts to foster more innovation and entrepreneurship, Fairfax County will contribute $1 million to help Reston-based innovation hub Refraction expand.

The investment is anticipated to generate 800 new tech jobs, train 2,500 workers and lead to $200 million in new capital investment over the next five years. It will also support the nonprofit’s new apprenticeship program, jointly developed with the Northern Virginia Community College to train talent for startups and high-growth companies.

“Refraction is exactly the kind of partner that will stimulate our local economy,” said Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova. “As a county, we’re making strategic investments that help to support and grow our region’s innovation ecosystem, such as offering tech startups access to entrepreneurial expertise so they can scale their businesses.”

The Board of Supervisors approved the economic development funds at their Nov. 20, 2018 meeting.

Refraction provides a collaborative and open community for startups and high-growth companies, offering educational programs and networking and mentoring events.

“We are excited about the county’s strong support of Refraction’s mission to nurture and mentor startups and help create jobs,” said Esther Lee, CEO of Refraction. “This catalytic investment will help us accelerate and increase our impact in the regional innovation ecosystem. We look forward to working closely with the county and partners like Amazon and Comcast in this important work.”

In addition to its work with entrepreneurs and startups, Refraction will partner with the county’s chief equity officer and public schools to train girls and students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities on entrepreneurship skills.

The focus on women and minorities is especially important, county officials say. It supports the county’s social and racial equity policy called One Fairfax, as well as the tech industry’s efforts to increase the diversity of its workforce.

The county’s funding will also help the innovation hub move into a significantly larger space in Reston. Refraction is facing increasing demand for its services and is committed to staying in Reston, despite offers from other jurisdictions to relocate.

In the five years since its founding, Refraction’s track record has proven its value to ecosystem. More than 100 companies have been members of the Refraction community, collectively raising $126 million in capital.

Under its agreement with the county, Refraction will report its financial results and success metrics annually.

Fairfax County wants to nurture more tech startups because they produce an outside impact on the economy. Startups account for nearly all net job creation, according to multiple economic studies.

Technology firms also produce new jobs outside the industry and boost social equity, finds University of California economist Enrico Moretti. Every new high-tech job creates five additional professional and nonprofessional jobs in the local economy.

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Sears, Toys R Us, Mattress Firm and Best Buy are among the companies that announced major store closures this year. These retailers make up some of the nearly 5,000 stores to turn off the lights in 2018.

As retailers shutter their brick-and-mortar locations, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved  changes to the land use plan on Oct. 30, 2018, to make it easier to convert empty storefronts into other uses. The changes offer the flexibility to repurpose these vacant spaces into entertainment venues, doctor’s or lawyer’s offices, cultural or civic uses like libraries or makerspaces.

The move is part of the county’s overall efforts to make land use and zoning regulations more modern and flexible. As the county grapples with about 18 million square feet in empty office space, it adopted land use changes that ease the way for offices in mixed-use areas to be repurposed. In March, similar changes were made for suburban offices.

While there are signs that so called “retail apocalypse” may be reversing, county officials wanted to act in light of longer-term changes in retailing.

Today, e-commerce accounts for 9.6 percent all retail sales nationally, and this figure could grow to 25 percent by 2021, according to IHL Group, a retail advisory firm.

Although the trends point to more online shopping in the future, the county’s retail vacancy rates are lower than those regionally and nationally. Its overall rate ranks at 2 percent, according to CoStar’s data for the third quarter of this year. This amounts to about 719,000 square feet of empty retail space.

Fairfax County also boasts the lowest vacancy rate in the D.C. region—or at half the metro area’s 4 percent rate. Nationwide, retail vacancies reached 4.6 percent, according to a recent report from real estate firm JLL.

In contrast, the last time Fairfax County faced a 4 percent retail vacancy rate was during the recession years of 2009 and 2010.

There is a total of 35.7 million square feet of retail and related commercial space in the county. Seventy-five percent of this space is located within what the county calls Activity Centers, which are areas planned for the greatest amount of future growth and include mixed-use development.  These centers include places like Seven Corners, Merrifield and Tysons.

Retail buildings in the county range from freestanding commercial structures to many types of shopping centers, including strip and neighborhood shopping centers, big-box “power centers” and regional malls.

Neighborhood shopping centers, which are often anchored by a grocery store, have been most impacted by vacancies in Fairfax County. One in five have some empty storefronts, and this figure rose 2.5 percent since late 2016.

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The public is invited to the launch of the Fairfax County Drug Court program on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. in the fourth-floor jury assembly room of the Fairfax County Courthouse, 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. “As we embark on this new and important journey, I encourage the community to join us to find out more about the program, ask questions and share this information,” says Circuit Court Judge Penney S. Azcarate.  

Drug courts are specific docket programs that target criminal defendants who have alcohol and/or other substance use disorders. Fairfax Circuit Court was approved by the Virginia Supreme Court Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee to establish a drug court in fall 2017. A multidisciplinary Fairfax County Drug Court Team has undergone comprehensive state and national training in preparation for the new docket, which is anticipated to begin in October. Team members include representatives from the following areas: prosecutors, public defenders, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, probation, judge, clerk, evaluator and the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office.

The Fairfax County Drug Court is a felony probation violation phase progression model that takes a participant 14 to 24 months to complete. After an eligibility assessment, if selected, the participant will be ordered into drug court with the non-violent felony probation violation dismissed; probation will be terminated on successful completion of the program. This process takes place in lieu of jail.

Recognizing that substance addiction is a chronic and recurring disorder, drug court programs maintain continuous supervision over the recovery process of each participant through frequent court status hearings, urinalysis and reports from the treatment providers to the supervising judge. Drug usage or failures to comply with other conditions of the drug court program are detected and responded to promptly. According to the U.S. Department of Justice drug court evaluations, the recidivism of offenders who have been diverted to drug courts is reduced between 50 percent and 60 percent. Studies also have shown that, even with treatment costs included, drug courts saved localities an overall average of $5,600 to $6,200 per offender.

The Fairfax County Drug Court is one of several new Diversion First initiatives that offer alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and substance use disorders who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The goal of Diversion First is to intercede whenever possible to provide assessment, treatment or needed supports in order to prevent repeated encounters with the criminal justice system and promote a healthier community.

For further information and reasonable ADA accommodations, contact Drug Court Coordinator Sarah Gary.

Fairfax County provided the seed capital to launch a new regional program to help technology companies in the D.C. region grow.

Called the Tandem Product Academy, the program will assist tech entrepreneurs in the greater Washington region to scale their product-based businesses. The approximately four-month long academy is free for selected companies. Companies may apply now for the 25 spaces available for the first cohort that begins on Oct. 13, 2018.

The Tandem Innovation Alliance, a community of more than 5,000 innovators, entrepreneurs and supporters, announced the academy’s launch today.

“We see tremendous potential to grow many more technology product companies in Fairfax and around the region,” said Eta Nahapetian, Fairfax County’s Economic Success coordinator. “In support of the county's efforts to grow and diversify the economy, we're investing in the Tandem Product Academy to support the region's innovation ecosystem and to galvanize growth in the many existing businesses in our region that would benefit from learning the complex skills required to grow a successful technology product business."

Fairfax County seeks to spur more innovation and entrepreneurship, and its investment in the academy follows other efforts to bolster the region’s innovation economy. This includes the county’s sponsorship of the Fosterly Startup Census and the county’s partnership with other Northern Virginia governments to secure a regional, $737,500 state grant to train, attract and retain workers in cybersecurity, data analytics and computer programing jobs.

The Tandem Innovation Alliance, a community of more than 5,000 innovators, entrepreneurs and supporters, launched the academy. It was founded with regional cooperation from governments, business, technology and economic development organizations, universities and nonprofits in Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia. Partners currently include Fairfax County, Greater Washington Partnership, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Technology Council, Prince George's Chamber of Commerce, Virginia CIT, Maryland TEDCO, Robert H. Smith School of Business and AARP.

“Our program will operate downstream from our region's more than 130 accelerators, incubators and co-working communities,” said Jonathan Aberman, founder of the Tandem Innovation Alliance. “It is equally suitable for companies that are looking to pivot from services to products, are creating new technology with federal funding or have received angel capital and would like to get experienced help. We want to be as open as possible and let the market determine where this program is most useful."

Academy participants must be senior leaders of a business that has a technology product ready for customer adoption and whose company, within the last 12 months, has done any of the following:

• Had gross revenue in excess of $500,000
• Obtained at least $500,000 in capital from sources other than the founder's immediate friends and family, or
• Received at least $500,000 in federal research and development funding.

A committee of faculty members and partners will select up to 25 qualifying businesses prior to the first full day of classes on Oct. 13.

The teaching team includes award-winning faculty from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and successful technology entrepreneurs from around the region.

The Tandem Innovation Alliance's mission is to help innovators looking to develop a technology product-based business to answer the question “what comes next?” It brings together the .com, .gov and .edu communities to pool resources and provide opportunities to help innovators grow their businesses through a curated community of events, content and opportunities.

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Fairfax County has received two Governor's Technology Awards, presented during a ceremony at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond on Sept. 5. The awards recognize the use of information technology to drive innovation and protect information, specifically for the county's new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office and next generation cyber security.

Winners were named in nine categories as judged by a panel of Virginia government information technology experts.

“With these awards, we honor the innovative ways that state and local government and universities are using technology to solve problems, increase efficiency and reduce costs,” said Gov. Ralph Northam. “I congratulate our honorees for their leadership and commitment to making government work better for all Virginians.”

Centralized Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) Program Benefits

The first of its kind in Virginia, the county's FOIA program is leading the way by coordinating all incoming FOIA requests to ensure legal compliance, transparency and efficient response. The Countywide FOIA Office was established in March 2017 to act as a single FOIA point of contact to the public; oversee policy, procedures, operations and training; and develop and manage a newly created centralized FOIA request tracking application (VFOIA Tracker). The VFOIA Tracker was implemented in January 2018 and is being utilized by more than 100 staff to efficiently and effectively track all incoming FOIA requests.

Fairfax County receives over 6,000 FOIA requests per year. Since the establishment of the office, benefits include:

• Shorter response times (one day less on average)
• Reduced record request costs through increased fee waivers
• Popular public records proactively made available online in user-friendly formats

“This award highlights how technology and cross-agency collaboration can strengthen the ways that we engage with the public on government business,” said Amanda Kastl, countywide FOIA officer.

Next Generation Cyber Security Protects Private Information

The Next Generation Security Program protects business' and residents' data and sensitive information. This builds upon the county's performance record of maintaining business continuity and service delivery with no data breaches.

In addition to protecting sensitive data, such as tax records and personally identifiable information, the program's mission is to develop and enforce security policies and use artificial intelligence software that constantly evolves to stay on pace with modern and emerging security threats.

Chief Information Security Officer Mike Dent explains that "as data moves both inside and outside the network, our suite of smart security tools is constantly monitoring and learning. This insight allows our dedicated team of information security experts to see beyond the obvious, detect problems and stop them before they can cause any harm."

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