City Council Meeting
What was decided
- 4watch 24:26Consideration for remote participation by Councilmember Hardy-Chandler (Regular Meeting)
Approved unanimously (5-0) by roll call vote; Councilmember Hardy-Chandler participated via Teams.
Passed, unanimousUntil the next chapter, names Community Survey, Remote Participation Policy · read the transcript
- Actions out of Closed Meetingnot chapteredAppointment of Acting City Manager
Approved unanimously (6-0) by roll call vote; Melanie R. Zipp appointed as Acting City Manager effective November 1, 2025.
Passed, unanimous - 5watch 28:16Adoption of the agenda
Approved unanimously (6-0) with amendments: removal of item 12f (City Council Rules of Procedure) and addition of item 10c (Additional staff taskings regarding public safety).
Passed, unanimousDiscussed for 39m · also names George Snyder Trail ×7, Courthouse Plaza ×3, Willard Sherwood ×3, Urban Forest Master Plan ×2, Fairfax County Water Authority, Small Area Plans · read the transcript
- 7awatch 70:10Consideration of the October 13, 2025 Special Meeting minutes
Approved as part of the consent agenda (unanimous, 6-0).
Passed, unanimousUntil the next chapter, names Detached Accessory Dwelling Units ×6, Accessory Dwelling Units ×5, City of Fairfax 2035 Comprehensive Plan ×4, Courthouse Plaza ×4, George Snyder Trail ×4, Special Exceptions ×4 · read the transcript
- 8anot chapteredPublic hearing and Council action on a proposed resolution requesting General Assembly amendments to City Charter Sections 2.2(c), 3.1, and 5.2(f)
Public hearing held and closed; resolution approved unanimously (6-0).
Passed, unanimous- Resolution City Charter Amendment Request (Sections 2(c) 2(f))approvedResolution approved unanimously (6-0) requesting the General Assembly amend three City Charter sections: Section 2.2(c) to remove the 4% cap on transient occupancy tax, Section 3.1 to remove residual May election language, and Section 5.2(f) to remove the $50-per-meeting cap on board/commission member compensation.
- Transient occupancy tax City Charter Section 2(c)Charter amendment requested to remove the existing 4% cap on the transient occupancy tax on hotels, motels, and boarding houses.
- Election date City Charter SectionCharter amendment requested to remove residual May election language following the 2021 General Assembly-mandated transition to November elections.
- Board and commission compensation City Charter Section 2(f)Charter amendment requested to remove the $50-per-meeting compensation cap for board and commission members, leaving the matter to Council discretion.
- 10anot chapteredConsideration of request from Combined Courthouse, LLC for nine special exceptions at 10300 Willard Way
Motion to approve special exceptions failed 2-4; motion to deny special exceptions passed 4-2; motion to deny Certificate of Appropriateness passed 4-2. All requests denied.
Failed 2–4 · 3 motions on this item- Courthouse PlazadeniedwikiCouncil denied all nine special exceptions and the Certificate of Appropriateness (both 4-2, Bates and Hardy-Chandler opposed). The proposal for a 315-unit multifamily/12,000 sq ft retail building was found inconsistent with the zoning ordinance, comprehensive plan, and City design guidelines.
- 10300 Willard Wayin progressSite of the denied Combined Courthouse, LLC mixed-use development application; tax map parcel 57-2-20-004-D.
- 10bnot chapteredConsideration of an ordinance amending Chapter 54, Section 54-4, pertaining to prohibition on firearms at City buildings, public property, and permitted public events
Ordinance enacted unanimously (6-0) with an amended effective date of January 1, 2026.
Passed, unanimous- Ordinance amending Chapter 54 Section 54-4 (firearms prohibition)approvedEnacted unanimously (6-0) with an effective date of January 1, 2026 (amended from the proposed July 1, 2026 delayed date). Adds a prohibition on firearms at City-permitted events and adjacent rights-of-way, clarifies park prohibitions, and increases penalty from Class 3 to Class 1 misdemeanor.
- 10cnot chapteredAdditional staff taskings regarding public safety
All three taskings approved by Council acclamation.
Passed · 3 motions on this item- Public safety staff taskingsThree public safety taskings approved by acclamation: (1) police department to report on crime/safety data capacity gaps within 90 days; (2) police and HHS to explore crime prevention partnerships within 90 days; (3) city attorney to report on options to close the City Hall gun carry loophole within 90 days.
Presented
- Special Meeting – 2Consideration for remote participation by Councilmember Hardy-Chandler (Special Meeting) · Approved in the special meeting context per the actions report; remote participation authorized.
- Special Meeting – 3Closed meeting to discuss personnel matters · Closed meeting was held to discuss personnel matters; action taken out of closed meeting at the regular meeting (appointment of Acting City Manager).
- 7bConsideration of the October 14, 2025 Special Meeting minutes (8:00 a.m.) · Approved as part of the consent agenda (unanimous, 6-0).
- 7cConsideration of the October 14, 2025 Special Meeting minutes (6:00 p.m.) · Approved as part of the consent agenda (unanimous, 6-0).
- 7dConsideration of the October 14, 2025 Regular Meeting minutes · Approved as part of the consent agenda (unanimous, 6-0).
- 7eIntroduction of an ordinance authorizing a Deed of Easement between the City of Fairfax and Fairfax County Water Authority · Introduced and approved as part of the consent agenda (unanimous, 6-0).
- Ordinance Deed of Easement (Tax Map No 48-4-01-000-C and 48-4-01-003)proposedOrdinance introduced authorizing a Deed of Easement between the City of Fairfax and Fairfax County Water Authority for water main installation on City-owned property (Tax Map No. 48-4-01-000-C and 48-4-01-003); approved for introduction as part of the consent agenda.
- Fairfax County Water AuthorityDeed of Easement introduced to allow Fairfax County Water Authority to install, construct, operate, maintain and repair water mains on City-owned property.
- 12aWork Session: Policy Options for Detached Accessory Dwelling Units · Discussed during work session; no formal action taken.
- Detached Accessory Dwelling UnitsapprovedPolicy options for detached ADUs discussed during the work session; no formal action recorded.
- 12bWork Session: FY 2025 Preliminary Results & FY 2026 1st Quarter Financial Review · Discussed during work session; no formal action taken.
- FY 2025 Preliminary Results FY 2026 1st Quarter Financial ReviewFY 2025 preliminary financial results and FY 2026 first quarter financial review presented and discussed during work session; no formal action recorded.
- 12cWork Session: Suggested updates to the FY 2027 Financial Policies and Council Budget Guidelines · Discussed during work session; no formal action taken.
- FY 2027 Financial Policies and Council Budget GuidelinesapprovedSuggested updates to FY 2027 financial policies and budget guidelines discussed during work session; no formal action recorded.
- 12dWork Session: Update on the George Snyder Trail · Discussed during work session; no formal action taken. Significant public comment in opposition was received during the general public comment periods.
- George Snyder Trailin progresswikiStatus update on the George Snyder Trail presented during the work session. Multiple members of the public spoke in opposition during the general public comment periods; no formal action was taken at this meeting.
- 12eWork Session: Discussion on possible video testimony as an option for public hearing comment · Discussed during work session; no formal action taken.
- Video testimony for public hearing commentCouncil discussed allowing video testimony as an option for public hearing comment during the work session; no formal action recorded.
- 12fDiscussion regarding revised City Council Rules of Procedure · Rescheduled to November 18, 2025; removed from this meeting's agenda.
- Revised City Council Rules of ProceduredeferredItem was removed from the October 28 agenda and rescheduled to the November 18, 2025 regular City Council meeting.
Named in discussion
Tracked topics the transcript names that no agenda item is filed under. Their own pages and wikis do not yet record this meeting; the passages below are the only trace.
“We can, these are standards that involve the potential size of accessory dwelling units. There's different ways of looking at this, so either in terms of building footprint or square footage. Size standards are very common in ADU ordinances, and this is…”
“…is not consistent with the purposes and intent of the zoning ordinance and the comprehensive plan”
“…departments, to talk about how our government actually works. We just did a recent community survey where the results came back and said, we have one of the happiest communities in the country, happier on the national average, happier than other…”
“…first item is a consideration on a request from Combined Courthouse, LLC, for nine special exceptions for residential use standards, density, building height, sidewalk, street, trees, lot coverage, interior clear height, and vehicular cross-connectivity to…”
- Fairfax Village in the City3 passages, 2m
“And whereas Fairfax Village in the city is committed to supporting caregivers throughout our community who improve the quality of life for those who need additional support through the generous gift of their time. Now, therefore, I, Catherine S. Reed, Mayor…”
- General Fund3 passages, 2m
“…I have fiscal concerns with just because I really don't want to pull money from the general fund or our unassigned fund balance. So thank you.”
“…Green Acres Feasibility Study Committee, the work that ultimately led to the Willard Sherwood Community Center project, which I am here again tonight to support. I understand that some residents are concerned about cost, and that is a fair question.…”
“…city. And I was always like, no, this is Fairfax City. You're in the Fairfax City fire station right now. So it made me think, here in the city, we need to learn and understand how local government works. Many of you know I sit back there in the corner at…”
“…Thursday evening at the Sherwood Center listening to city staff promote the city's urban forest master plan. One of the goals of the plan is to strengthen tree and woodland conservation, including to conserve and expand the tree canopy citywide. Why should…”