Public Affairs

News Highlights

• Board of Supervisors and School Board adopt a social and racial equity policy that commits the county and schools to consider equity when making decisions or developing or delivering programs or services.
• Equity benefits everyone, and it boosts economic growth for families, businesses and our economy.
• As recognized in our strategic Economic Success Plan, equity is a driver for the county’s future economic growth.

This week, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board adopted a joint social and racial equity policy called One Fairfax.The School Board adopted the One Fairfax policy at its meeting on Nov. 20. The Board of Supervisors adopted One Fairfax at its meeting on Nov. 21.

This joint policy commits both boards to consider equity in decision-making and in the development and delivery of future policies, programs and services. One Fairfax offers a framework—or “lens”— for the county and schools to look intentionally, comprehensively and systemically at barriers that may be creating gaps in opportunity.

“Fairness is our shared value as Americans, and every child should have an equitable chance to succeed if they work hard,”said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “Not only does One Fairfax recognize that our commitment to equity is the right thing to do—but it also recognizes that equity is an economic imperative to help every resident thrive.”

“The foundation for a successful community is a school system where all students have access to an excellent education—no matter where they live, where they come from or what challenges they may face each day,” said Fairfax County School Board Chair Janie Strauss. “The One Fairfax resolution and policy renew our promise to focus on each child by name and by need and to continue to develop a workforce that reflects the growing diversity of our student population.

Equity generates better economic outcomes—greater economic security for families, increased revenue for businesses and an even stronger local economy, says a growing body of economic research. Cities and counties with greater social and racial inclusion have stronger and longer periods of economic growth, and they have faster per capita income growth.

Although Fairfax County has achieved an exceptionally strong local economy and high quality of life, as its population has grown and diversified over the last 25 years, inequities in income and opportunity have also increased. These inequities carry a high price tag, according to a study by the nonprofit research and action institute Policy Link and the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity at the University of Southern California. The study found that Fairfax County’s gross domestic product would have been $26.2 billion higher in 2012 if its racial gaps were closed.

The One Fairfax policy identifies 17 areas of focus to promote equity including community and economic development, housing, education, environment, and transportation. It also creates shared definitions, along with a process to implement the policy.

Policy development work began in July 2016 when both board adopted a joint resolution to form the policy. The One Fairfax policy was developed through intensive collaboration between schools and county officials that included conferring with national experts and examining best practice models. Senior leadership and staff were provided equity-focused training to increase their shared knowledge and to better understand the role of equity in government and education.

The county and schools look to further engaging with the community to identify equity goals and opportunities for working together to foster equity. “Leadership Fairfax is eager to work with the county, schools and community to identify actions that address these inequities,”said Karen Cleveland, president and CEO. “We signed on as a co-sponsor of the Equitable Growth Profile because we immediately recognized the potentially devastating impact on our community without action and the compelling economic opportunities when everyone is given the chance to succeed.”

Recognizing that equity drives growth, Fairfax County’s Strategic Plan to Facilitate Economic Success pointed out, “No community has a preordained right to prosperity. Prosperity can only be achieved and sustained when a community's citizens, businesses, and government work in concert for everyone's benefit.”

For more information, visit the county's One Fairfax webpage of the school's One Fairfax webpage.

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News Highlights

• Mustang Sally in Chantilly is Fairfax's newest microbrewery, and county officials, who attend the grand opening, want to see this industry grow as part of the efforts to diversity the economy.
• Craft beer is big business in Virginia, employing more than 8,900 people and producing more than $1 billion in economic impact.
• Fairfax will celebrate craft breweries with its first ever Workhouse Brewfest on Aug. 13, 2016.

Mustang Sally, the newest brewery in Fairfax County, opened its doors in Chantilly on Wednesday.

The craft brewer joins more than six others in Fairfax, and county officials attended yesterday’s grand opening. Officials are celebrating this industry growth as the county works to diversify its economy under its strategic plan for economic success.

"Fairfax County is really interested in helping to grow the tourism community, wine industry and now the microbrew industry,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova.

Craft beer is now big business in Virginia. These breweries employ more than 8,900 people and produce more than $1 billion in economic impact in the state, according to the Brewers Association.

This expanding industry helps Fairfax achieve the goals in its economic plan, including encouraging entrepreneurs and innovation; promoting arts, hospitality and tourism; supporting events that cultivate a vibrant, energized community.

& very thankful for the warm welcome & trem support fr @fairfaxcounty, @visitfairfax & #Dulles Regional Chamber! https://t.co/bXeWJJypQt

— Mustang Sally Brewing Co. (@msbrewing) May 26, 2016

Congrats to @msbrewing on their grand opening celebration! #FXVA is lucky to have you! #vabeer #craftbeer Open til 9 pic.twitter.com/pBXx55C2RW

— Visit Fairfax (@VisitFairfax) May 25, 2016

The county will celebrate the industry with its first ever Workhouse Brewfest on Aug. 13, 2016. The event will offer nearly 100 craft beers from 30 breweries, bands, arts, and food. It will take place at the Workhouse Arts Center on the historic grounds of the former Lorton Prison that is being redeveloped into a mixed use community.

Mustang Sally will be joining four other local breweries at the event:

• Caboose from Vienna
• Fairwinds from Lorton
• Forge from Lorton
• Lake Anne Brew House from Reston

Check this listing to find other craft breweries and beer pubs in our area.

Sean Hunt of @msbrewing was beery happy to have @fairfaxcounty, @VisitFairfax & #Dulles chamber leaders at opening. pic.twitter.com/AlpW9Qb32Y

— Fairfax County EDA (@FairfaxEDA) May 25, 2016

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News Highlights

• Board of Supervisors adopt One Fairfax Resolution that directs the development of a racial and social equity policy to ensure all individuals in Fairfax have an opportunity to reach their highest level of personal achievement.
• Board Chairman Sharon Bulova said: "This is a formal declaration that will help shape decisions regarding education, land use, zoning and public-private partnerships."
• As recognized in the board's Economic Success Plan, equity is a driver of the county’s future economic growth.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors adopted the One Fairfax Resolution. The resolution directs the development of a racial and social equity policy to ensure all individuals in Fairfax have an opportunity to reach their highest level of personal achievement.

An intentional focus on racial and social equity positions Fairfax County to proactively and collectively, with schools and communities, including businesses, faith organizations, nonprofits and others, identify and improve policy and institutional strategies that will not just eliminate gaps, but increase success for all. The resolution is intended as a joint effort between the Board of Supervisors and Fairfax County School Board, with the School Board slated to review the resolution later this month. 

“One Fairfax emphasizes the importance of making County-wide decisions through the lens of racial and social equity,” said Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova. “This is a formal declaration that will help shape decisions regarding education, land use, zoning and public-private partnerships. I am proud to represent a county that values our diverse community and supports our students, residents, workforce, and business owners of every race, socio-economic status, and background.”  

Over the last several years, Fairfax County has undertaken several initiatives to address disparities in a variety of areas including juvenile justice, education, employment, self-sufficiency, health, and child welfare. Most recently, the Board of Supervisors recognized the importance of equity as a driver of the county’s future economic success in its 2015 adoption of the Strategic Plan to Facilitate Economic Success; and the Successful Children and Youth Policy Team (SCYPT), comprised of County and school leadership and community representatives, has identified racial and social equity as an integral component to improving educational, health, and life outcomes for youth.

“We are excited to work with the schools and all of our partners in SCYPT to collectively identify gaps and intentionally adopt policy and strategies that will help to ensure all youth have an opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Patricia Harrison, deputy county executive of health and human Services.

Fairfax County’s Strategic Plan to Facilitate Economic Success adopted in 2015 also lays out goals and strategies to maintain and enhance our strong and vital community in order to sustain and grow our economic prosperity. One of the unique elements of this plan is the inclusion of social equity as a primary component. Specifically, Goal 5, Action Item 5.5 of the Plan calls for the exploration of policy opportunities, strategies or frameworks to address the issue of social equity within the context of economic success. Adoption of the One Fairfax Resolution is the first step to meeting this requirement.

One Fairfax moves us beyond embracing our growing diverse population to implementing a growth model driven by equity. A racial and social equity policy provides both the direction and means to work together with schools and communities to eliminate disparities and build a vibrant and opportunity-rich society for all.  

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News Highlights

• Over 35% of students have experienced high levels of stress and over 25% reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row.
• Fairfax County has launched a new initiative to help children, youth and families access mental health and substance abuse services called Healthy Minds Fairfax.
• Healthy Minds Fairfax is a community collaborative that strives to build meaningful partnerships to ensure that all youth are socially, emotionally, mentally healthy and resilient.

The teen years can be tough.

With new choices, increased responsibilities from school and planning for the college or the future, teens and young adults are feeling the pressures. According to Fairfax County’s most recent youth survey, over 35% of students experienced high levels of stress and over 25% reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row. More than 13% reported that they had considered suicide.

But help is here.

Fairfax County has launched a new initiative and expanded services to help children, youth and families access mental health and substance abuse services through a coordinated network of county agencies, schools and private providers.

Healthy Minds Fairfax is working to identify high quality resources, supports and opportunities for families to help further social, emotional and healthy growth for all children, youth and young adults across Fairfax County. According to James Gillespie, director of Healthy Minds Fairfax, elevating awareness and helping families navigate access to care is a major component of the initiative. “When people are seeking help - it may be during a crisis, or, at least extremely stressful circumstances - we’re trying to make it easier for families to find, use and pay for mental health and substance abuse services in our community.”

Healthy Minds Fairfax’s new website identifies services for people experiencing mental health and substance abuse issues; offers prevention resources to enhance awareness and help reduce the stigma that can discourage people from seeking help for mental health conditions; as well as intervention services and supports.

Healthy Minds Fairfax is a community collaborative that strives to build meaningful partnerships to ensure that all youth are socially, emotionally, mentally healthy and resilient in Fairfax County communities. Its public partners include:

• Fairfax County Public Schools;
• Falls Church City Public Schools;
• Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board;
• Fairfax County Departments of Health, Family Services, Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and Neighborhood and Community Services; and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.

Private partners include: 

• NAMI-Northern Virginia (National Alliance on Mental Illness in Northern Virginia);
• the Autism Society of Northern Virginia;
• Formed Families Forward;
• Inova Kellar Center;
• Dominion Hospital;
• For Children’s Sake of Virginia;
• Northern Virginia Family Service;
• and many other behavioral health providers in the Fairfax-Falls Church community.

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Ballots and voter information is now available in four languages by the Fairfax County Office of Elections, including English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean.

Spanish language voter information has been available since 2011 for county voters, as required by Section 203 of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Vietnamese language is a federal requirement effective December 2016. The Fairfax County Electoral Board added the Korean language effective for the June 13 primaries since the county is very close to meeting the federal requirement.

Fairfax County is the only jurisdiction in Virginia with the additional language requirements.

The Voting Rights Act mandates that a state or political subdivision must provide language assistance to voters if more than five percent of voting age citizens are members of a single language minority group and do not ‘‘speak or understand English adequately enough to participate in the electoral process’’ and if the rate of those citizens who have not completed the fifth grade is higher than the national rate of voting age citizens who have not completed the fifth grade.

Read the Federal Register announcement, including language requirements for other counties throughout the U.S. (begins at bottom of second column).

Voting information and resources that are now available in all four languages includes:

• Ballots
• Voter Registration Forms
• Absentee Ballot Applications 
• Bilingual election officers (at many poll locations)

In addition, the Office of Elections has language access for voters who call 703-222-0776 or email voting@fairfaxcounty.gov. For more information on voting in the June 13 primaries watch the county's Facebook Live on Monday, June 5 at approximately 2 p.m.

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News Highlights

• Zoning laws were updated to better define commercial vehicles and make enforcement easier.
• As before, the updated law only applies to commercial vehicles parked on residential properties, not public roads.
• For the first time, the law prohibits trailers, like the ones used to transport equipment, and it prohibits vehicles based on their dimensions.

What counts as a commercial vehicle was made clearer under Fairfax County’s zoning rules, as the Board of Supervisors approved changes on Tuesday.

The changes were needed to make them simpler and easier to enforce. The county’s code enforcement inspectors have faced challenges under the previous rules with a number of cases going to the Board of Zoning Appeals. As an example, the appeals board ruled that a six ton dump truck was not a commercial vehicle.

As before, the rules only apply to commercial vehicles parked on residential properties, not on public roads. Other laws regulate commercial vehicles parking on streets, and these codes are enforced by the police.

Five key changes were made to the zoning ordinance:

• Deleting the carrying capacity: The previous zoning rule defined a commercial vehicle in part as having a carrying capacity of 1,500 pounds or more. This specification was deleted because many SUVs and trucks that many people drive for personal use exceed this criteria. A Ford F-150 pickup truck can carry 12,200 pounds, for example.
   
• Removing the reference to advertising: Under the previous rules, a commercial vehicle also was defined as displaying “advertising lettering.” This description was removed to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Now, the rules display “indicators that the vehicle is designed or used for commercial purposes.”
   
• Adding vehicle size: The rules now specifically prohibit commercial vehicles based on their size: vehicles that are longer than 21 feet—including ladders or other equipment attached to it—eight feet in height or 8.5 feet in width. Non-commercial vehicles are not subject to any size limitations.
   
• Prohibiting all tow trucks and trailers: Under the old rules, wreckers that exceeded 12,000 pounds were banned from parking on residential properties. Now, the rules prohibit all towing and recovery vehicles regardless of weight. For the first time, trailers, like those used to transport lawnmowers or other equipment, were added to this list of prohibited vehicles.

Unchanged is provision that one commercial vehicle may be parked at a residence if it is owned or operated by the homeowner and provided it is not a specifically prohibited commercial vehicle.

The following vehicles are prohibited from parking on residential lots:

• Food trucks
• Garbage trucks
• Tractor-trailers
• Semi-trailers
• Cement-mixers
• Dump trucks
• Construction equipment
• Towing and recovery vehicles
• Trailers used for transporting equipment whether attached or unattached to another vehicle
• Vehicles, including any appurtenances attached to it, that are greater than 21 feet in length, eight feet in height or 8.5 feet in width
• Vehicles carrying commercial freight in plain view
• Vehicles with more than three axles

There rules also define vehicles that are not considered commercial, including:

• Vehicles actively providing delivery, repair or moving services
• Government vehicles, like police or fire trucks
• Boats, horse trailers and other recreational equipment
• Vehicles used for ride sharing services like Uber or Lyft

For more information or questions about these rules, contact the Zoning Administration Division of the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning at 703-324-1314, TTY 711.

To make a complaint about commercial vehicle parked on a residential property, call the Department of Code Compliance at 703-1300, TTY 711. Call the Fairfax County Police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131, TTY 711, for complaints about commercial vehicles parked on public roads.

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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.

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