Arlington County Government: July 2021 County Board Meeting Agenda Highlights

Press release from the Arlington County Government:

July 9, 2021

The meetings, held in the County Board Room on the third floor of 2100 Clarendon Blvd., are open to the public. Visit the County website for information on speaking at a County Board Meeting.

The County Board has resumed in-person meetings.  Virtual participation options are available to the public through Microsoft Teams.  All visitors to the Ellen Bozman Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. must wear a mask or maintain a 6 ft distance from others.  If you are sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please consider watching the meeting’s live webcast or cable broadcast or participating virtually Microsoft Teams.  More information on how to participate or watch virtually provided below.

Send your written comments on agenda items to the County Board at CountyBoard@arlingtonva.us. All comments received by the Board are made part of the public record and are before the Board members as they consider items.

If you wish to comment during the Public Comment period at the start of the Regular Hearing, or on a Regular Public Hearing Item, register in advance on the County Board website, where you can also find more details on public participation in virtual Board Meetings, or call the Board Office at 703-228-3130 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Online Registration opens once the agenda for the meeting is posted, approximately one week before the meeting.

County Board meetings are live streamed on the County website and on YouTube and broadcast live on Arlington TV, the County’s cable channel, with live captioning on Comcast 25 & 1085 (HD) and Verizon FiOS 39 & 40. Videos of Board meetings are archived on the County website (with captions and staff reports) and on YouTube.

View the agenda and staff reports (Note: some reports are posted closer to the meeting date).

Civilian Oversight Board – After a series of engagement sessions with the community and the work of the Police Practices Group, the Board will consider adoption of a Police Civilian Oversight Board and an Independent Policing Auditor. The proposed ordinance, which is designed to modernize public safety and improve police accountability and transparency with the community, would authorize the creation of a seven voting member COB to review investigations and policy by the Arlington County Police Department. To read the staff report, scroll to item #59 on the agenda.

Collective Bargaining – After a public hearing, the Board will consider whether to allow collective bargaining for County employees. The move comes after the Legislature in Richmond gave localities the option to establish collective bargaining for the first time in recent history, last year. The Board will consider both the approach recommended in June by the County Manager and those views of employee associations prior to voting on the ordinance. To read the staff report, scroll to item #58 on the agenda.

Renaming U.S. Route 29/Lee Highway – The Board will vote on whether to rename U.S. Route 29 to Langston Boulevard within the boundaries of Arlington County between North Lynn Street to the western border of Arlington County with the City of Falls Church. This move comes after the Lee Highway Alliance working group of residents and business owners underwent an effort to determine a name that better reflects Arlington County’s values, promotes equity, and is welcoming to all people who work on, live on, and/or visit the corridor. The Working Group created an objective set of evaluation criteria and processes to ensure that the public process of selecting a name was transparent, inclusive, and reflected a commitment to the values of public engagement in Arlington.

The Board will also consider at a future date a recommendation for action by the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) to rename the state-owned portion of U.S. Route 309, also referred to as Lee Highway, or Old Lee Highway, to Old Dominion Drive from North Quincy Street to U.S. Route 29. To read the staff report, scroll to item #62 on the agenda.

Prevailing Wage – The Board will consider adoption of a prevailing wage provision to the Arlington County Purchasing Resolution for construction contracts of $250,000 or more, solicited on or after October 1, 2021. Prevailing wage rates provide a level of wages that is required at a minimum on any project that falls under an ordinance and will be determined by the Virginia Commissioner of Labor and Industry on the basis of applicable prevailing wage rate determinations made by the U.S. Secretary of Labor under the provisions of the Davis-Bacon Act. This proposed program design is intended to serve as an initial phase which would be revisited in the future based on the County’s learned experience and anticipated clarification to the State’s enabling legislation. To read the staff report, scroll to item #61 on the agenda.

Park Shirlington Loan – The Board will consider allocating up to $22.76 Million for a loan from the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) for a large renovation project at the Park Shirlington Apartments. Additionally, the Board will consider extending the existing $6M AHIF loan to the property from August 2021 to January 2022 and allocate an additional $124,000 in Tenant Assistance Funds for eligible existing residents at the Park Shirlington to offset rent increases as a result of these renovations. To read the staff report, scroll to item #60 on the agenda.

Lubber Run Community Center Solar Panels – To help achieve some of the renewable energy commitments in the Community Energy Plan, the Board will consider approval of a Solar Power Purchase Agreement contract to install solar panels on the Lubber Run Community Center. If adopted, this effort will provide renewable energy resourced power to the County for the next 30 years, bringing the building’s performance as close to zero-net-energy as currently practicable.  To read the staff report, scroll to item #34 on the agenda.

Arts Grants for Arlington-based Arts Organizations and Artists – The Board will consider allocating a total of $215,810 in financial support of Arlington County arts organizations and artists through its Arts Grants program as recommended by the Arlington Commission for the Arts. For Fiscal Year 2022, the Commission offered two types of grants. Individual Artist Grants provide direct financial support for individual artists that fund a proposed work. General Operating Support Grants provide direct financial support for general operating expenses to support an arts organization’s overall mission. Additionally, a number of applicants were eligible to receive an equity bonus award that will further the equity work of each organization and help prioritize equity and inclusion. For FY22, the Commission recommends awarding five individual Artist Grants and 17 General Operating Support Grants for a total of 22 grants. To read the staff report, scroll to item #36 on the agenda.

Return to Earn Grant Program – The Board will consider a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grant from the Virginia Community College System designed to help individuals transition back into the workforce. The grant, totaling more than $130,000, will match payments up to $500 from eligible small businesses located in Arlington County and Alexandria City for new hires to help cover the ongoing costs of childcare, transportation or other barriers to re-employment. The program will be administered by the Alexandria/Arlington Regional Workforce Council. To read the staff report, scroll to item #39 on the agenda.

The virtual Recessed Meeting will begin at 3 p.m. with reports from the Board Members and the County Manager.

The meeting will be live-streamed on the County website, and on YouTube, and broadcast on Arlington TV, the County’s cable channel, with live captioning, on Comcast 25 & 1085 (HD), and Verizon FiOS 39 & 40. Videos of Board meetings are archived on the County website (with captions and staff reports) and on YouTube.

View the agenda and staff reports (Note: some reports are posted closer to the meeting date).

No earlier than 6:30 p.m. the Board will hold a public hearing and consider items pulled from the Saturday Consent Agenda. Regular public hearings will be held after carryover Consent Agenda items are considered.

Capital Improvement Plan – The Board will vote on the proposed three-year Capital Improvement Plan for FY22-24. The Capital Improvement Plan is the funding plan for the County’s large infrastructure investments, and these proposed investments will focus on critical capital investments that are essential for the Arlington community. Since the County Manager presented the proposed CIP in May, the Board has been conducting work sessions with the Manager, County departments and Arlington Public Schools as well as a public hearing to encourage input and feedback on the proposed items. To read the staff report, scroll to item #64 on the agenda.

John Robinson Jr. Town Square – The Board will consider a use permit request to create a public park on County-owned property at 2400 Shirlington Road for the creation of the John Robinson Jr Town Square. The proposed public park is designed to be a public gathering space supporting events and learning about the Green Valley neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage. To read the staff report, scroll to item #63 on the agenda.

This press release was produced by the Arlington County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.