Public Affairs

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

• County receives second place national technology award as an innovator and leading jurisdiction of its size.
• County recognized for aligning IT strategy with business objectives.
• Honor highlights county's citizen communication and engagement, social media strategy, MyFairfax personalized user portal and regional emergency coordination.

Fairfax County was again honored as a technical innovator, placing second among counties of its size in the annual Digital Counties Survey. Fairfax County has been ranked in the top five for six consecutive years, earning first place two times during this span.

The award was presented at the National Association of Counties (NACo) annual conference on July 23 and accepted by Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross. Deputy County Executives David Molchany and Pat Harrison, Chief Information Security Officer Mike Dent and Community Services Board Director Tisha Deeghan were also in attendance.

The evaluation and awards are given through a partnership between the National Association of Counties, Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government (CDG). Wanda Gibson, Chief Technology Officer and Director of the Department of Information Technology, credits "the visionary leadership and governance model in Fairfax County, which fuels our agile innovation strategy that aligns with County goals, includes participation of the tech-savvy citizenry and adjusts to community needs.”

The county was recognized for milestone achievements in citizen communication and engagement including:

• The NewsCenter publishing platform and social media strategy.
• MyFairfax personalized single sign-on web portal to securely conduct business with the county, including electronic payments.
• Best governance practices to align IT strategies with county business objectives.
• High achievement in flexible technology infrastructure, agile development, and effective use of resources. 
• Leading and coordinating emergency response across the national capital region (NCR) through interoperable communications initiatives including identity management and data exchange.

The Digital Counties Survey evaluates localities on their ability to demonstrate successful outcomes, improve services and boost efficiencies through the strategic use of technology. Winners were chosen based on their work to innovate, improve transparency and proactively address citizen demands and expectations.

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More Information:

• NewsCenter and Social Media Hub
• MyFairfax
• Fairfax County FY 2016 Information Technology Plan (PDF)
• Fairfax County Awards

At its Feb. 14 meeting, the Board of Supervisors appointed Richard G. Schott, a 27-year Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) veteran, as Fairfax County’s first independent police auditor. Schott will report directly to the board, which approved the creation of the position in September 2016 as a follow up to one of the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission. He will begin on April 17.

Among his roles, Schott will be responsible for:

• Monitoring and reviewing internal investigations of Police Department officer-involved shootings, in-custody deaths and use-of-force cases in which an individual is killed or seriously injured.
• Requesting further investigations if he determines that an internal investigation was deficient or conclusions were not supported by the evidence.
• Issuing public reports for each reviewed internal investigation.
• Reviewing all resident complaint investigations of alleged excessive or unnecessary force by officers.
• Producing annual reports that analyze trends and recommend improvements.

“I am pleased to welcome Richard Schott as the county’s first police auditor,” says Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. “This is one of the major recommendations of the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission. In this newly established position, Mr. Schott will provide increased accountability and transparency to the Fairfax County Police Department.”

Schott has spent his entire 27-year FBI career as a special agent working with local law enforcement officers, and for the past 16 years has provided training to members of state and local law enforcement agencies, including legal issues associated with police officers’ use of force and deadly force.

He has extensive experience with Color of Law violations, including reviewing police reports and citizen complaints, recommending to U.S. Department of Justice attorneys whether or not to proceed with investigations and conducting the ensuing investigations.

Schott is also an instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, where he has taught thousands of new agents on basic constitutional criminal procedure and the legal ramifications involved when an agent uses force.

He was previously the associate division counsel for the Atlanta Division of the FBI, where he supervised the division’s forfeiture program. As a special agent for the Birmingham Division, he orchestrated security for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games’ soccer events in the area.

Schott has published 12 articles on various legal topics and is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Schott is also an adjunct faculty member for the University of Virginia.

Schott received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of New Orleans and his juris doctorate from the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. He will receive an annual salary of $143,000.

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Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh informed Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department, on Friday, May 19, that he found no basis for criminal liability on the part of the Fairfax County police officer involved in the deployment of deadly force on Jan. 16, 2017, at 13316 Covered Wagon Lane, Herndon,Va. The Fairfax County Police Department will conduct an internal investigation in accordance with its standard operating procedures. Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond F. Morrogh's report can be found here.

News Highlights

• The approved real estate agreement supports the revitalization of Bailey's Crossroads, bringing about 355 new apartments, site for a possible new, future county or private office building and new connector road.
• The deal involves a land swap. As a result of the transaction, the developer Columbia Crossing will end up with a consolidated 4.47 acre property along Moncure Avenue where it can build new housing, and the county will own an approximately 2.76 acre plot.
• The Bailey's Community Shelter will remain at its current location until a new facility is ready.

Fairfax County’s plans to revitalize the location for the current Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter were revived on Tuesday after an attempt that stalled last year.

The Board of Supervisors approved a real estate deal that will bring new housing, a site appropriate for a future new county or private office building, and a future connector road to the neighborhood. The agreement is with Columbia Crossing, and it involves a land swap that gives the county and developer consolidated properties for their respective plans.

Last year, the county negotiated an almost identical agreement with AvalonBay, but the developer terminated the contract. Following the deal’s end, Columbia Crossing expressed interest in a similar agreement with the county. The company owns the land that AvalonBay had planned to buy to trade with the county.

Columbia Crossing proposes to build approximately 355 mid-rise apartments along Moncure Avenue, and the county wants a consolidated parcel for a future office building and road extension to connect Seminary Road and Columbia Pike. Under the deal, the county and the developer also agreed to seek a joint rezoning that will be needed before either can move forward.

Agreement Details

The county owns an approximately 1.32 acre property at Columbia Pike and Moncure Avenue and has an interest in adjoining right-of-way. This property is where the Bailey’s shelter is located today.

The county will swap this land for an adjacent 1.49 acre property that is owned by Columbia Crossing.

In separate transaction, the county will buy a 1.44 acre site owned by Landmark Atlantic where the 52-year-old Bailey’s International Center stands today. The county entered into a contract to buy the Landmark property last April, and it expects to close on the deal later this year.

As a result of these transactions, the developer will end up with a consolidated 4.47 acre property along Moncure Avenue for its proposed mid-rise apartment development. The county will own an approximately 2.76 acre consolidated plot for a possible future new office building and connector road.

As a key component of the deal, the county does not need to vacate the current Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter until Oct. 31, 2019. This will allow the Bailey’s shelter to operate at its current location until a new facility opens on a commercial property a quarter mile away at 5914 Seminary Road.

It should also be noted that the agreement with Columbia Crossing doesn't commit the county to build an office building on its parcel.  The consolidated county property could accommodate a possible East County Human Services Center as identified in the county’s Capital Improvement Program. This center would consolidate human services functions currently operating from various leased spaces in the area. The decision to build a new county human services center, or to continue leasing space, will be considered by the Board of Supervisors at a future time.

Advancing Economic Success

This project supports the county’s Economic Success Strategic Plan, which calls for creating higher density developments in revitalization areas and realizing the value of county land. Columbia Crossing’s housing will be located in the heart of the revitalization district for Baileys Crossroads.

Our economic success plan also seeks to use public-private partnerships to maximize the return on investment potential for all county assets, including land and facilities, by leveraging partnership opportunities to construct and operate infrastructure and facilities throughout the county.

In 2010, the county updated the land use plan for the Bailey’s Community Business Center to recommend the development of a “town center” with a mix of uses. Columbia Crossing’s proposal helps to advance the broader vision for a revitalized Bailey’s Crossroads.

When the joint rezoning moves forward, county officials and staff will seek public input, and they look forward to working with the developer and all stakeholders, including the Mason District Land Use Committee and others. The rezoning will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors will ultimately decide on this important revitalization project.

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News Highlights

• New report card highlights health and human services performance in six areas: connected individuals, economic self-sufficiency, healthy people, positive living for older adults and individuals with disabilities, successful children and youth, and sustainable housing.
• Data and information outlined will help form HHS priorities.
• Report card will be updated annually.

The Fairfax County Health and Human Services (HHS) System recently launched an online report card to share how its programs and services strengthen children, adults, and families, and therefore, improves our entire community. The Health and Human Services Report Card highlights the performance of the HHS System around six desired results: connected individuals, economic self-sufficiency, healthy people, positive living for older adults and individuals with disabilities, successful children and youth, and sustainable housing. As the HHS System works to enhance the social and economic well-being of Fairfax County citizens and communities, it is expected that the report card will further motivate community partners to continue contributing to HHS efforts.

“One of the most important advancements driving health and human services delivery in Fairfax County is performance management and using data to drive change,” said Patricia Harrison, Deputy County Executive of HHS. “To demonstrate accountability for the public investment in health and human services, we have committed to doing business in a way that can show how persons we serve are better off as a result of our services. This approach, based on a national Results-Based Accountability™ model, allows us to measure impact and collectively strengthen the well-being of residents through collaboration with the community.”

This dynamic web tool provides a set of goals and indicators which highlight current HHS priorities. Residents and partners are encouraged to access the report card to:

• Get data and information on how HHS is progressing towards goals in six community result areas
• Access brief descriptions about the impact of each indicator
• Link to more details about county trends and emerging issues

Sample data from the report card:

• Successful Children and Youth
  • Goals - Improve the ability of children to get a healthy start in life; Improve the ability of children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed; Improve the ability of children to succeed academically
  • Sample Indicator – Children who have a medical home/primary care provider
  • Trends – Increasing: Currently 95% compared to prior value of 92%
     
• Sustainable Housing
  • Goals – Increase safe, affordable housing; Prevent and end homelessness
  • Sample Indicator - Individuals and families who are housed
  • Trends – Decreasing: Currently 64% compared to prior value of 68%

Data will be updated annually through the ongoing efforts of workgroups comprised of HHS staff and community partners. The Fairfax County HHS System will also use the report card to guide strategies that lead to improved outcomes for individuals served by its programs and services.

The HHS Report Card can be found on the Live Healthy Fairfax Community Health Dashboard at www.livehealthyfairfax.org. The Community Health Dashboard is a web-based data resource that hosts the HHS Report Card and over 100 other indicators from a variety of topic areas, such as health, education, the environment, and public safety. The site also features four short video tutorials to help visitors access and use the site.

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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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Today, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Carryover package following a public hearing. Fairfax County Executive Edward L. Long presented his recommendations for use of FY 2017 Carryover Funds at the board meeting held July 25. Carryover is the process by which certain unspent or unencumbered funds for commitments to pay for goods and services at the end of one fiscal year are reappropriated to the next fiscal year. FY 2017 ended on June 30, 2017.

The FY 2017 Budget Carryover package includes:

• $58.88 million to be allocated in the carryover package as follows: 
  • $35.81 million for funding county reserves and infrastructure needs based on county policy.  
     
  • $15.40 million to fully fund the demolition of the Massey Building (Public Safety Center), which is anticipated to be vacated by the end of 2017.
     
  • $1.52 million for the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) Project using permit fee revenues received in FY 2017 and funding for 10 positions, fully offset by anticipated FY 2018 revenues, to continue the ongoing investment to improve the county’s land development process.
     
  • $0.50 million placed in reserve for gang prevention efforts in the community. In addition, $1.1 million is allocated to the Community Services Board to increase residential treatment and medical detoxification beds to begin to address the growing opioid epidemic. An additional $2.5 million is set aside in reserve to provide ongoing flexibility as the county works to develop additional strategies to combat opioid use.
     
  • $0.76 million for funding other requirements such as the Aug. 29 School Board at-large special election, Park Authority equipment needs and one-time funding to support the county's summer entertainment series. In addition, at no net cost to the county, 11 positions are added to address increasing public assistance caseloads and one position is added to support workload requirements related to the maintenance of Fairfax County Public Schools' vehicles.
     
  • $4.89 million in reserves associated with disbursement increases funded in the carryover package.
     
• $0.80 million to be held in reserve to address critical one-time requirements and funding needs. When added to the $0.24 million held in reserve as part of the FY 2018 Adopted Budget Plan, a total of $1.04 million is available for one-time requirements in FY 2018 or FY 2019.

More information on the Fairfax County Budget can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/budget.

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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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