Fairfax County plans to hire a neutral observer this year who will help handle activities involving county government workers’ unions.
Although unions can move ahead with elections now, groups appear content to wait for the labor relations administrator to be in place.
“The labor relations administrator will be the neutral person, so they don’t work for us. They don’t work for any of the employee groups,” Fairfax County Human Resources Director Cathy Spage told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday (Feb. 1) at a Personnel and Reorganization Committee meeting. “They’re going to be like a judge.”
The person will be tasked with establishing and publishing union vote procedures and overseeing secret ballot elections, among other duties. Fairfax County government plans to use a contractor for the position and will accept proposals from Wednesday (Feb. 9) through March 9.
The Board of Supervisors could approve the new position on May 24, allowing the administrator to start this summer for a four-year term.
The county approved a historic ordinance in October allowing public-sector unions to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions on the behalf of county government employees.
The move was made possible by a 2020 General Assembly law that overruled a 1977 state Supreme Court decision barring public workers from collective bargaining.
According to the ordinance, if a union seeks to hold an election before the labor relations administrator is in place, the county would secure services from an impartial agency provider, such as the American Arbitration Association or another group.
As of Tuesday (Feb. 1), no union filings have begun. Units representing police, fire and general county government employees will be allowed to collectively bargain.
“Right now we are not ready to do elections,” Spage said. “We haven’t received any petitions to do elections.”
Following an election, a union acting as the exclusive bargaining agent must start contract negotiations on or before July 1 and conclude by Oct. 15 in order for an agreement to be in place for the next fiscal year.
That means the first collectively bargained agreement for Fairfax County government workers could take effect on July 1, 2023.
After years of discussions, a formal plan to redevelop part of Vantage Hill Condominiums — an aging development built in the late 1960s — has been filed with the county.
CM Vantage LLC — a McLean-based developer – plans to build 28 townhouses on the southwestern portion of the property, which currently houses an abandoned swimming pool, parking, and a common area.
Discussions on the proposal have been underway for years.
The condominium association, which manages the 152-unit development, plans to use the money after selling the abandoned portion of the property to address a backlog of improvements. The building was developed as an apartment complex in 1967 and was redeveloped into a condominium building in 1984.
Stakeholders have gone back and forth on this project for years. Designs were tweaked in 2020 to include fewer townhouses and more trees. Craftmark Homes, a homebuilding company in Virginia, had originally planned 31 townhouses that were closer to the main road.
Rear-loaded garages from internal lanes are planned. Trees will be preserved to the south and east of the proposed townhouses and the residential units will face an open gathering space.
The developer plans a “small-scale infill development that is in harmony with the character of surrounding development,” according to a Jan. 26 application.
As part of the plan, 64 parking spaces that are currently used by residents will be relocated. A total of 305 parking spaces are planned overall.
The county’s Affordable Dwelling Unit ordinance does not apply to the proposed development because it is less than 50 dwelling units.
The condominium building is one of Reston’s first developments. Maintenance issues have gone unaddressed for years, according to some condo association members.
So far, the application has been submitted and will be formally accepted by the county. Dates for formal review by the county’s planning bodies have not yet been scheduled.
Image via handout/Fairfax County
Herndon Police Warn of Scam — After reports of a scam, the Herndon Police Department is reminding residents that town employees do not request access to homes in order to check water quality or for any other reason. Water meters are always checked outside and town employees always present proper identification. [HPD]
Local Businesses Make Best Workplaces List — County-based companies dominated Virginia Business magazine’s 12th annual list of 100 best places to work in Virginia. Reston-based Troika Solutions came in at number two. [Fairfax County Economic Development Authority]
Spanish Captioning Available for Public Meetings — Beginning Feb. 8, Spanish closed captions will be available for all public meetings and live events on the county’s governmental channel. [Fairfax County Government]
Reston Man Charged with Assault for Punching Window — City of Fairfax police charged a Reston man with assault Tuesday afternoon in Old Town. The victim said the man walked up to a car, pushed the passenger side of the window and cursed at them. [Reston Patch]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
Fairfax County voters will have at least one primary on their hands in this year’s midterm elections.
Ally Dalsimer, an environmental advocate whose experience includes work under the Obama administration, is campaigning against Rep. Gerry Connolly for Virginia’s 11th District seat, which represents most of Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Dalsimer kicked off her candidacy in June but is now ramping up her campaign, with a virtual meet-and-greet on Sunday (Feb. 6), where she hopes to be able to talk to the public and listen to their concerns.
“I would just like the chance to talk to the people, tell them my thoughts and what I can do for them. And I want to hear back from them, questions, comments, the issues they’re concerned about,” Dalsimer told FFXnow.
Set for June 21, this will be the second Democratic primary that Connolly has faced since first assuming his current office in 2009. He previously defeated challenger Zainab Mohsini in 2020.
Dalsimer believes her professional and personal experiences have prepared her to serve in Congress as someone willing to reach across the aisle.
The daughter of a Scottish immigrant mother and a father in the U.S. Foreign Service, Dalsimer and her family spent time living in Central and West Africa before moving to Northern Virginia when she was 8.
She credits those experiences abroad with teaching her the value of respecting other’s differences and embracing other cultures, a message that she hopes to carry through efforts like her campaign sharing resources for the Afghan refugees.
“At the end of the day, in spite of the small differences between us, we’re all just people,” Dalsimer said.
Dalsimer’s career in environmental preservation began at a nonprofit foundation after she graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in public policy, environmental law, and economics.
From there, she went on to manage the Department of Defense’s Natural Resources Program, co-found several national conservation initiatives, and implement policy changes for natural resources while serving on the White House Climate Council under President Barack Obama.
In addition to the environment, Dalsimer is passionate about health care, particularly after losing her husband to cancer in 2015, mere days before his 52nd birthday.
While her husband had health insurance, Dalsimer is aware that there are others who aren’t as lucky, especially after the historic job losses triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. She supports the single-payer, universal health care system touted by progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“I don’t think anyone should be left without any way to get medical help just because they lost their job,” said Dalsimer.
Dalsimer also cites war as a subject she wants to tackle if elected. Her legislative goals include a law that would prohibit corporations from profiting from the sale of weapons and equipment meant for war.
“It’s one thing to sell an airplane for the purposes of travel and profit from the sale, that’s fine. That’s the free market,” Dalsimer said. “But to sell a plane meant for war and to gain a profit from it is just wrong in my view.”
Dalsimer says her interest in running for Congress grew out of the tumultuous events of 2020, including the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in response to George Floyd’s murder, as well as the Trump administration’s actions on the environment, such as the dissolution of the White House Climate Council.
After watching “Knock Down The House,” a 2019 documentary that followed four women running for Congress, Dalsimer got her son’s support to run for office and spent the next six months asking her neighbors and county residents for their opinion of her potential campaign.
She says the response was positive, especially since those she talked to were less than positive about Connolly.
“He’s against universal health care, and said he’d never vote for it,” she said. “He’s allowed corporations to profit from the sale of weapons of war, and there are those in the LGBTQIA+ community who say he hasn’t done anything for them.”
FFXnow contacted Connolly’s office for comment but did not get a response by press time.
A distillery and restaurant will transform a space at Reston Town Center, possibly at the end of this year.
Open Road Distillery — along with a chef-driven speakeasy-style restaurant Heirloom — will share a space at the former Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market (1871 Fountain Drive), part of numerous changes coming to the shopping-office-residential destination.
The Burn first reported the exact location of the new business.
Matthew Carlin, president of the West Falls Church-based Metropolitan Hospital Group, tells Reston Now that the end of 2022 is a target date for opening, but it will likely be pushed to the beginning of 2023.
“Having been born and raised in Northern Virginia, I have always wanted to be part of a great landmark like the Reston Town Center. We are excited to bring something truly unique to the Reston community,” Carlin also said in a statement.
The new space will feature a casual dining room, indoor/outdoor patio bar, live music and a tasting room with distillery tours.
The new distillery comes through Carlin and Metropolitan Hospitality Group chief operating officer Vince Spinoso, who have brought forth other restaurants throughout Virginia and D.C., including CIRCA, Open Road, Trio Grill, El Bebe and Salt. The distillery marks a new approach for the pair.
Carlin says they’ll be in need of many workers.
Photo via Google Maps.
A pedestrian was seriously injured in a crash at Baron Cameron Avenue and North Village Road in Reston.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries. The driver remained on the scene.
Eastbound Baron Cameron Avenue is closed between Reston Parkway and North Village Drive.
FCPD encourages residents to avoid the area.
Fairfax County is exploring the possibility of using public money to help fund new startups, particularly those from underrepresented entrepreneurs.
The county government has proposed a two-year pilot program called the Fairfax Founders Fund, where young businesses would get up to $50,000 in grant money.
The program could reverse a competitive disadvantage for the county and fill a gap that traditional angel investors have avoided, providing fairer levels of capital to Black- and female-owned businesses, county staff suggested at an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting on Tuesday (Feb. 1).
“People of color don’t have the same access,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said. “We believe that is wrong. We believe that we can get a better cultural and social return on investment.”
First proposed in July 2021, the pilot program is still being tweaked but could go before the board for approval this spring.
While celebrities such as Pharrell and Serena Williams and companies like Wells Fargo have sought to change that funding landscape, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Vice Chair James Quigley said, in general, that money is not going to early-stage businesses.
Officials also said that Black and women-owned businesses are underrepresented in investment opportunities, with the D.C. region far behind other states in drawing venture capital dollars.
According to the staff presentation, new Black-owned businesses start with just a third of the capital granted their white-owned counterparts. While 12% of the U.S. working population is Black, they only constitute 2% of startup executives.
Latino individuals constitute about 18% of the country’s working population and just 3% of startup executives.
In comparison, 79% of startup executives are white, even though data indicates that businesses with ethnically diverse leadership teams tend to be more profitable.
As currently proposed, the Fairfax Founders Fund would be open to for-profit technology companies based in Fairfax County that have earned up to $250,000 in gross revenue over the past 12 months. The business would match the county’s investment.
Staff have proposed devoting $500,000 to the program from the county’s Economic Opportunity Reserve, which was created in 2017 as part of its efforts to stimulate economic growth. The county would not get any kind of ownership in the companies.
However, officials caution that the program will require some patience from the county. Quigley, who cofounded the Reston-headquartered tech company GoCanvas, said there won’t be a Google startup coming out of it in three months.
Lee District Supervisor Rodney Lusk expressed excitement about the program.
“We do need to make Fairfax County a bit more competitive, and this program is going to be able to help us do that,” he said.
Reston Fire Results in $255,000 in Damages — A house fire in the 1200 block of Shaker Drive caused roughly $255,000 in damages. The fire started in the floor wiring, according to fire investigators. No injuries were reported. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Talks End on Gupta Project — The Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association says that it is disappointed the Gupta Family Foundation has discontinued discussions over a $250,000 beautification project at Lake Anne plaza. [Reston Patch]
Outreach on Parking Changes in Herndon Begins — The Herndon Police Department has launched a campaign to promote changes to the town’s parking code. No parking is allowed within five feet to either side of a public or private driveway, recreational vehicles cannot park in one place for more than 72 hours, and commercial vehicles cannot be parked in residential areas. [Herndon Police Department]
Future of Great Falls Grange Hall Contemplated — The Fairfax County Park Authority is coordinating a meeting with stakeholders to discuss the future of the hall and Forestville Schoolhouse. [Fairfax County Government]
Photo by Marjorie Copson
The Fairfax County Health Department will stop investigating every COVID-19 case to identify close contacts who may have been exposed to the disease.
County staff will instead focus their contact-tracing efforts on outbreaks and cases in high-risk settings, such as long-term care and healthcare facilities, the department announced today (Wednesday).
The move away from investigations of individual cases extends to schools and childcare facilities. Starting at 5 p.m. Friday (Feb. 4), the FCHD will only investigate outbreaks, defined by the Virginia Department of Health as three or more linked cases.
While health department staff will continue assisting with preventative measures, they will no longer investigate and provide guidance for every individual who tests positive for Covid.
“School Divisions and Private schools may choose to continue contact tracing close contacts, but this is no longer encouraged by recent VDH guidance due to the reasons cited above,” Dr. Robin Wallin, FCHD’s school health division director, said in an emailed statement. “VDH has developed a flowchart for parents to access as well to help them determine if they or their child should isolate or quarantine.
The county has released a toolkit with guidance on what people should do when they test positive. The health department also has a call center at 703-267-3511 that’s available to anyone with questions.
The changes reflect a shift in approach at the state level after VDH announced on Jan. 25 that it will start prioritizing outbreaks in long-term care and other congregate settings, as well as healthcare facilities and other high-risk settings.
Though Covid transmission in Fairfax County has declined over the past couple of weeks, health officials say the omicron variant spreads too quickly for it to still be feasible and effective to investigate every single case.
The county added 624 new cases today and is averaging 620 cases per day for the past week.
The FCHD reiterated that the best way to prevent Covid’s spread for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted, in addition to following health protocols, such as wearing a well-fitting face mask and maintaining six feet of social distancing.
A developer wants to repaint buildings and add a bike locker station if the town allows the company to redevelop the Herndon Residence Inn into multifamily housing.
The Denver-based hospitality business Stonebridge Companies bought the nearly 6.5-acre Residence Inn property in February 2020 for $17.25 million and has been working for over a year to get the property approved for reuse as multifamily housing. It would include affordable (so-called “workforce“) housing and market-rate units.
The town’s Architectural Review Board is reviewing proposed exterior changes and is slated to meet tonight (Wednesday) at 7:30 p.m.
A town memo provides the following context on how the review board’s decision will affect the application:
The board’s preliminary review and feedback is part of the official review process of a Zoning Map Amendment (ZMA) land use case currently in review for the conversion project. Following board review, the ARB chair will produce a report of the Board’s findings and provide it to the Planning Commission for consideration during its deliberation of the ZMA case. The project will return to the ARB as a formal item following approval of the ZMA and a site plan.
Among the changes, the bike locker station would be about 24 feet wide by 24 feet long and 6 feet high. Additionally, a refuse and recycling station would be added, but the applicant didn’t provide renderings at this point, according to the town.
Town staff said the proposed exterior changes are both acceptable and would help with the general improvement of the “out-of-date” hotel.
All three open seats for Reston Association’s Board of Directors are uncontested races this year. The month-long election for the organization’s nine-member board will be held next month.
Despite the lack of competition in the races, RA requires a 10 percent quorum to validate election results.
Glenn Small is running for an at-large director position. Irwin Flashman is running for the Lake Anne/Tall Oaks district director while Laurie Dodd is running for the North Point district director. All three positions are for a three-year term.
Dodd, who has lived in Reston for 26 years, has served on a variety of boards and community organizations, including Reston Community Center and the Reston Swim Team Association. She also ran unsuccessfully for Hunter Mill District Supervisor in 2019. Professionally, she is a child advocate attorney.
Her top goals include fiscal responsibility, member engagement and environmental sustainability.
“I hope to use my commitment to the community, ability to work with a wide range of people, and optimism to bring Reston Association forward while upholding our quality of life,” Dodd wrote in a candidate statement submitted to RA.
Flashman moved to Reston after launching serving at an environmental law practice in Puerto Rico. He was recognized as volunteer of the year in the 55+ category by RA. He hopes to prioritize board transparency, increased community with members, environmental issues and fiscal responsibility.
“The board should be upfront with the membership. It is the members’ money,” Flashman wrote in a statement.
Small, a former journalist and current consulting executive, said he works with nonprofit universities and colleges to achieve transformational change. His goals include understanding RA’s fiscal challenges, promoting outreach for RA’s members and identifying ways to protect recreational and open space.
“If elected, I believe I would bring an experienced, common-sense approach, first seeking to understand more deeply how RA operates, and then identifying ways to be helpful while respecting others and looking for ways to involve and include the most perspectives to help drive us to better decisions and better plans that will serve all of us.” Small wrote in a statement.
An online ballot will be posted on RA’s website at 5 p.m. on March 1. Members can also submit mail-in ballots.
Local businesses trying to revive operations could soon get more help as they seek to ward off persistent challenges due to COVID-19.
Fairfax County plans to create a new program called Fairfax Thrive that would use American Rescue Plan Act money to provide technical assistance to small businesses for digital marketing, financial planning, and staff retention, among other areas.
“The majority of our small businesses continue to report negative impacts from the pandemic,” Economic Development Initiatives Director Rebecca Moudry told the Board of Supervisors’ Economic Initiatives Committee yesterday (Tuesday).
Up to $10,000 in services could be provided for each company, which would allow the program to assist 620 small businesses, according to a staff presentation at the committee meeting. The effort could use $7 million in ARPA funds that the county government received to provide COVID-19 relief.
The county has already devoted millions of dollars in relief funds to support local businesses during the pandemic.
The Fairfax Relief Initiative to Support Employers (RISE) program awarded over $52 million in grants in 2020 to over 4,800 businesses and nonprofits, and the PIVOT Business Recovery Grant Program, which launched last summer, gave over $16 million to over 1,000 businesses, focusing specifically on the hospitality and arts industries.
The Fairfax Thrive program is seeking to reach more businesses than those previous efforts, with a potentially multi-year outreach.
“We’re proposing an expansive program in terms of who’s eligible,” Moudry said.
Eligible businesses could involve sole proprietors, home-based as well as commercial enterprises, and certain nonprofits. They would need to have fewer than 50 full-time workers per location and be negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unlike previous programs that had limited windows to apply, the new program envisions a rolling applications process.
As the pandemic stretches toward the end of two full years, top needs for small businesses now involve finding and keeping qualified workers, obtaining financial planning assistance or additional capital, and increasing digital marketing or brand development, the county found through a survey.
“At this point, financial assistance is no longer the No. 1 need that businesses require,” Moudry said, noting that cash was the top concern a year ago.
County officials are expected to further tweak the program based on feedback during the committee. The outreach could involve providing seminars or forums to swaths of businesses, such as those looking to hire more staff.
The Board of Supervisors could approve the program this spring, possibly launching it this summer. Supervisors said they would like it to start as soon as possible.
Town officials reviewed a contract yesterday (Tuesday) to make street improvements for pedestrians along a key corridor in Herndon.
The 0.57-mile project affecting Van Buren Street, from Herndon Parkway to Spring Street, will involve a “complete streets” enhancement, according to the town.
During its work session, the council approved putting the item on a consent agenda for its regular meeting next week, where it’s slated to get the go-ahead.
Upgrades include the addition of curbs-and-gutters, widening of travel lanes to 11 feet, on-and-off-road bike lanes in each direction, five-foot-wide sidewalks, added crosswalks, traffic signals at Alabama Drive and more.
At the meeting, the town noted that A&M Corporation Construction was the low bidder at $5.3 million. The project involves local, regional and federal funds, and the town is prepared to approve an $800,000 (approximately 15%) contingency.
It’s part of an effort to upgrade pedestrian and bicycle connectivity with the pending Herndon MetroStation.
Metro Looks for Bus Drivers — Metro is offering up to $2,500 in bonuses as it begins a campaign to hire more bus drivers. The agency is looking to hire nearly 70 bus drivers. [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
South Lakes Graduate Prepares for Winter Olympics — Maame Biney, a graduate of South Lakes High School and speed skater, is preparing for her second Olympics this month. She completed in 2018’s Winter Olympics in South Korea after winning the U.S. women’s championship in the 500-meter race. [Fairfax County Public Schools]
A Look at Local Jobs — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority has worked with 146 businesses and added nearly 9,000 jobs to the local economy. At the top of the list is Peraton in Herndon, which added 1,200 jobs. [Fairfax County EDA]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The county has officially begun thinking about the long-term future of Lake Anne plaza.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved tweaking the current budget to fund a master planning and visioning study of the aging village center. The board approved $250,000 to help fund the study at a meeting last week.
The move comes after the county hired a structural engineering company to survey the village center and complete an assessment of its condominium buildings.
The county has noted that more funding is needed to master planning and to support the long-term sustainable development of Lake Anne.
The county’s Architectural Review Board is seeking a supplemental report to fill gaps of a cursory review of the plaza that flagged nearly $37 million in repairs for the aging area.
The review was conducted by the county’s Department of Public Works and Environmental Services and Samaha Associates, an architectural firm, but the ARB said it failed to account for Lake Anne’s status as a historic district, among other concerns.
Photo by vantaghill/Flickr
