City Council Meeting

Catherine Readgood evening i would like to call the regular meeting of june 9th 2026 to order thank you to all of our guests here in the chamber tonight as always it's always wonderful to see people wanting to participate in our city council meetings if you are able and so choose please rise for the pledge of allegiance and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, invisible, with liberty and justice for all. I will now ask the city's Refuse and Recycling Department to come down to the well for the proclamation acknowledging National Waste and Recycling Workers Appreciation Week.

Speaker 11I have to use this now.

Catherine ReadIt's always so important to be able to pivot and adapt. I want to thank all of you for being here. Thank you so much. You all are some of the most important people in this city. Beloved, I'm telling you. Beloved. Whereas. The nation celebrates the week of June 15th is National Waste and Recycling Workers Appreciation Week. And whereas the city employees who provide this essential service handling the solid waste in our city are often overlooked, despite their vital importance to the sustainability and sanitation of our city, demanding recognition and appreciation for their dedication and hard work. And whereas our crew members generally work very long hours and operate under all weather conditions,

ensuring the efficient removal of waste and recycling, crucial role in preventing the spread of disease, protecting our national resources from pollution, litter, and illegal dumping, and help maintain the appearance of the community, providing an essential service and dedication to our residents and city. And whereas committed staff members employed by the city make a significant contribution to the safety, health, and welfare of our residents, and whereas the city of Fairfax values and celebrates all of our trash and recycling workers, and all others employed in the refuse and recycling industry to serve residents. And now, therefore, I, Catherine S. Reed, Mayor of the City of Fairfax, do hereby proclaim June 15th to 21st, 2026,

is National Waste and Recycling Workers Appreciation Week in the City of Fairfax and encourage all residents and local businesses to participate in opportunities to thank our hardworking staff members in the sanitation industry. so much those who are here and those who are not miss stephanie kuka

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicewell thank you

Stephanie Kukastaffmayor and city council for recognizing national waste and recycling workers week today we honor the dedicated men and women who provide one of the most essential public services in our community each week in all types of weather and often under challenging conditions crews work tirelessly to keep our keep Fairfax clean, safe and healthy. Waste and recycling collection is consistently recognized as one of the most physically demanding and hazardous professions in the country. These employees perform critical work that often goes unnoticed. Yet our quality of life depends on their commitment and professionalism. As we celebrate National Waste and Recycling Workers Week, I encourage everyone to show their appreciation and here's a few simple ways slow down and

give collection crews plenty of space when passing or driving near crews place only accepted materials in your trash and recycling carts and please consider leaving a thank-you note or leaving treats or drinks for your collection crews on behalf of the City of Fairfax thank you to all of our waste and recycling workers for your hard work dedication and service to our community We are truly grateful for everything that you do.

Catherine ReadYes, thank you. you guys so much you are the best it's so important what

Speaker 11you do very much thank

Melinda Hofstetterpublic commentyou

Speaker 11all right nice job

Rachel McQuillenthank you

Catherine Readoh right thank you honestly our city loves our curbside picket more than and we have a lot to offer as a city but they love that most of all I'm going to ask the Juneteenth committee to come down those who helped put together our Juneteenth celebration for this year this will be our fourth annual juneteenth celebration and i'm very appreciative to those who have in fact worked every year to put together a wonderful celebration here in the city

Stacey Hardy-Chandlerall right

Catherine Readcome on down there we go there we go all right look at this wonderful wonderful Okay. Whereas, Juneteenth has been celebrated by the African-American community since the late 1800s, marking the anniversary of the arrival of Union General Gordon Granger to Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, bringing news of the Emancipation Proclamation, an act of two and a half years earlier, freeing enslaved people from bondage. And whereas this year's theme of Juneteenth brings balance to America's celebration of freedom holds special significance as it aligns with the nation's 250th anniversary, the semi-quincentennial or the cestercentennial, take your choice on that one, and reinforces the role of Juneteenth in completing the promise of liberty.

and whereas the city of Fairfax, though small in geography, holds a meaningful place in Virginia's black history with communities of free and formerly enslaved African Americans contributing to the social, spiritual, and civic life of the region since the 19th century. And whereas local landmarks such as the Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Fairfax Rosenwald School, also known as the Fairfax Colored School, Germantown Cemetery, and family homesteads stand as enduring testaments to the presence, perseverance, and legacy of African Americans in the city of Fairfax. And whereas June 19th each year is recognized as a time to celebrate the journey of black Americans from enslavement to full citizenship through Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era,

and the Civil Rights Movement, to the Black Lives Matter protests and the ongoing quest for social justice. stolen lives and stolen labor in Virginia in 1619 and spread across the southern colonies and in the western United States, culminating in a civil war over the establishment of free states or slave states, reached a turning point with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Now, therefore, I, Catherine S. Reed, mayor of the city of Fairfax, in concert with the City Council, recognize June 19, 2026 as Juneteenth in the city of Fairfax and urge our residents to join our Juneteenth celebration at the Sherwood Community Center on Friday, June 19 at 6pm. Let's come together to celebrate

the arc of the moral universe as it continues to bend toward the racial justice across our city, our commonwealth, and our country.

Speaker 11And who is speaking? Thank you.

Speaker 8Thank you so much, Mayor Reed. Good evening, Mayor, council members and city staff and members of our community. On behalf of the Fairfax City Juneteenth Committee, I want to say thank you for this proclamation celebrating Juneteenth. Juneteenth commemorates June 19th, 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston finally learned that they were free. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. It is a day that reminds us that freedom delayed is freedom denied, and progress requires people willing to continue pushing our nation closer to its ideals. This year feels especially significant because it's our country celebrating 250 years. And as we reflect on these 250 years of American history, we have to tell the full story of

our nation. Black Americans have been part of America's journey from the very beginning. Black labor helped build the country's foundations. Black soldiers defended it. Black entrepreneurs, educators, artists, activists, and public servants helped shape it. America's story is incomplete without Black America. And here in Fairfax City, this story continues. We honor Black residents, staff, families, businesses, faith leaders, and community advocates whose contributions have strengthened our city and helped make Fairfax a vibrant and welcoming community that it is today. Juneteenth is not only about looking back, it's about celebrating resilience, culture, community, and possibility. It is about ensuring future generations understand that there are both challenges that we overcome

and progress that remains possible when we all come together. So thank you so much again, Mayor Reed, City Council for recognizing Juneteenth and for supporting opportunities for our community to learn from our history while celebrating our future. I want to give a special thanks to staff. Without them, we wouldn't be able to put this together.

Catherine ReadCome join us. Thank you. A photo.

Speaker 11Yes, that's right.

Jennifer RoseAs tall as we are.

Speaker 11All right, big smile.

Rachel McQuillenAll right, perfect.

Speaker 11Thank you all so much.

Melinda Hofstetterpublic commentAll right. Okay,

Speaker 11I'm gonna go. Okay.

Catherine ReadI'm now going to ask the city's fire department and parks and recreation staff to come down as we proclaim CPR month.

Speaker 11All right. Good to see you. Good to see you. Good to see you.

Catherine ReadWhere are my people? Where are my people? Okay. Excellent. Whereas, according to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person dies every 34 seconds from heart disease. And whereas 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home, residents called upon to perform CPR will most likely be trying to save the life of a loved one or close friend. And whereas effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim's chance of survival, but only 40% of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander, and only 12% have access to an AED.

and whereas the city of Fairfax is committed to improving cardiac arrest care and outcomes through trained city staff conducting residential awareness and training programs on the use of hands-only CPR for residents and students in our local schools and encouraging local businesses, fitness centers, senior communities and faith-based organizations to purchase public access defibrillators for use during an emergency of Fairfax encourages all residents and visitors of our community to learn hands-only CPR and not be afraid to perform these life-saving skills on someone in need. Your actions can only help. If you see an unresponsive adult who is not breathing or breathing normally, call 911, push hard and fast on the center of the chest, and use an AED if available. Now therefore I,

Catherine S. Reed, Mayor of the City of Fairfax, on behalf of all residents of the City of Fairfax and in support of National CPR and AED Awareness Week, do hereby proclaim June 2026 as CPR month in the City of Fairfax and urge all residents to recognize the life-saving impact that CPR and AEDs have throughout our community and the globe. And with that, who

Speaker 11is speaking? Okay. Okay. Thank you, ma'am. I can hold it.

Speaker 20Thank you, Mayor, Council. I appreciate the opportunity to highlight the importance of CPR Awareness Month. The mayor stole some of my statistics I was going to use, but the American Heart Association recognizes and has statistics that prove you're twice as likely to survive if you have bystander CPR. Our statistics match that. In 2025, we resuscitated 20 patients, and over 47% of those received bystander CPR. I'm very proud of our staff. We've already trained this year over 1,450 students at Katherine Johnson and St. Leo's in partnership with Gwyneth's Gift Foundation. I've got to get that right. and our volunteers have trained over 40 people in their monthly trainings. If you're interested in learning hands-only CPR, please go to our website.

Our volunteer department holds trainings once a month. So just sign up there, and it's a great opportunity to serve your community. So thank you.

Catherine ReadThank you. All right.

Stacey Sommerfieldstaffby voiceSorry. I want to thank FIRE. Oh, thank you for letting me join them up here tonight. the rest of the community that the city of Fairfax is the first municipality in the state of Virginia to receive a grant from the Aliver Foundation. The Aliver Foundation is committed to increased awareness and access to AEDs at public sport outdoor recreation areas and sport facilities and the generous grant will provide a secure accessible AED unit that will be installed at Draper Park in the coming weeks and so this comes at a perfect time because the governor recently signed Senate bill 87 which will require AEDs to be available at government sporting facilities and outdoor facilities as well so this will

be the first one that we'll be seeing come to the city of Fairfax but there will be many more to follow so thank you everyone for helping us get this grant and supporting us through the process. What a great announcement.

Catherine ReadAll right, I'm going to ask Jennifer Rose of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce to come up and acknowledge our Spring Civic Connection graduates. So, Jennifer Rose. And graduates. Come on down, graduates. Come on. I can hold this for you. It's a service I provide. Graduates,

Jennifer Rosecome on down. So while they're coming down, I just want to thank the city, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the Fairfax Forward Foundation, which is our chamber's foundation, have now for the second cohort put together Civic Connections, which is a wonderful program designed for Fairfax City residents and business owners to learn how their city works. You know, I sit in that back corner every week at city council meetings. I get to see a lot of citizens speaking and engaging with council, which is wonderful, but they don't always understand how things work. So the chamber decided, well, we're going to help solve a problem. And this is our second cohort. Last fall, our first cohort graduated 29 participants.

We have 16 that are graduating tonight, giving us 45 better educated citizens. friends of the city, because we've got a few non-residents that participate, that are now able to go out into their community as ambassadors and help their neighbors and friends understand why things are the way they are and to get involved and to get engaged. I'm pleased to say that some of our graduates are now running for office, although that is not a requirement. You don't come through our program and have to run for office. But they're more engaged now. We had one graduate from the fall cohort who went to work for the town of Herndon because she fell in love with how important local government is. This is where it happens, my friends.

Local government's where it's at. So I'd love, again, to thank the city for their support. I know Matthew Kaiser's around here somewhere. He was instrumental in making sure that we were able to have our venues and all of the different programs and departments come and speak, all the staff that stayed late on Wednesday evenings to share their knowledge. So thank you, guys, everybody. Thank you for your support. Thank you. And congratulations to our cohort. Okay. Okay.

Stacy HallPhoto. Photo. Photo. Photo.

Catherine ReadAll right. Let's go

Speaker 11with the chin. Make sure we

Catherine Readcan see everybody. Okay.

David Goldbergpublic commentBig smile.

Speaker 11Great. Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer. Thank you, Jennifer.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicewe can move to the consideration for remote participation uh

Catherine Readcouncil member hall in

Stacy Hallaccordance with city council adopted policy and as permitted by virginia section 2.2-3708.2 i move to approve councilmember hardy chandler's requests properly submitted in writing prior to tonight's meeting for remote participate remote participation subject to compliance with the requirements outlined in the city of sorry in the city council adopted policy and applicable law in all or portions of the city council special meeting of june 9th 2026. is there a second

Anthony Amossecond okay

Catherine Reada motion has been made and seconded a roll call vote

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicehi I'm over Bates I councilman McCullen I motion passed unanimously we will go to the adoption of the agenda

Catherine Readcouncilmember Hall is there a motion to approve the

Stacy Hallagenda yes I move to adopt the agenda as presented is

Catherine Readthere a second second the motion has been made and seconded a roll call vote

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicecouncilmember Hall I councilmember Hardy Chandler all right councilmember Peterson hi councilmember Bates councilman McQuillan I motion passed unanimously we did not have any speakers sign up for initial general public comment so we can move to the consent agenda all

Catherine Readright are there any questions on any of the items on the consent start there okay seeing none is there a motion to approve the consent agenda councilmember home I

Stacy Hallmove to approve the consent agenda item 7a through e as presented and the accompanying motions in the staff reports

Catherine Readsecond a motion has been made by councilmember Hall and seconded by councilmember Peterson a roll call vote

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicecouncilmember McQuillan aye councilmember Bates aye councilmember peterson i council member hall hi council member amos hi council member hardy chandler aye motion passed unanimously we will go to the public hearings our first public hearing is a public hearing and council action on an ordinance enacting and authorizing a license agreement between the city of fairfax and fairfax e-roof committee for the placement of e-roof facilities on existing joint use utility poles and the public right away i'm going to recognize brian and Lubcom and our city attorney for the staff report.

Brian LubkemanstaffThank you, Melissa. Let's try this again. There we go. Good evening, Mayor and Council. I'll start with a little matter of personal privilege. Before this was initially done in 2021, I don't believe the city council, and certainly I had ever heard of an Eru facility. This has now been in place since 2021. As noted in the staff report, the current license agreement is expiring. I think the fact that you've received almost no comments about this other than individuals in favor of it shows how unobtrusive this is and what an excellent concept it is. So the staff report is self-explanatory. I know we have members of the public who would like to speak about this, so I'll keep my presentation very brief other than to note that the staff is recommending approval of

a new license agreement to continue this for another five years. any questions not

Catherine Readseeing a council member McQuillan

Rachel McQuillenI do have a question why five year

Brian Lubkemanstaffthat is the maximum period of time that cities in Virginia can do licenses

Rachel McQuillenyou've read my mind I was just gonna ask if we can extend thank you

Brian Lubkemanstaffabsolutely

Catherine Readokay so I will now open the public hearing mission to bury his public hearing been properly advertised yes

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceit has and I had five people sign up prior after I call those five people up to speak, we'll open the floor if there's anybody else in the room that would like to speak on this item. So I'm gonna call the first speaker up, which is Elliot Goldberg.

Speaker 22Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I would like to speak in favor for Fairfax Eruv. In 2021, your predecessors, we weren't in person, that was a fun time, we all did this on Zoom, helped create the first Eruv in Northern Virginia. There are several in D.C. and a number more in Montgomery County as well, but this was a very important first for the Jewish community here in the Fairfax area. Since 2021, the past five years have been uneventful and non-disruptive. That is from the Aruv's perspective regarding city operations and the life of its residents. Our Aruv Perimeter, I mean there's some material that you have in front of you. Our Aruv Perimeter is just over 20 miles.

It encompasses the eastern portion of the city where people who needed to walk carrying items to services either at Chabad on Little River Turnpike in Prince William or Olam Tikva a little further into Mantua neighborhood. So it helps where they live. As you know, that part of the city has a lot of different options for housing. So we have families that are in single family homes, in the apartments, in the condos. And so it really enables us to to support a diverse community. While our Eruv's route through the city itself uses approximately 100 utility poles, 75% owned by Dominion, 25% by Verizon. The way that the power lines are configured, most of them require no attachments, no modification whatsoever. So of those

approximately 100 poles, we are only seeking license put attachments on nine of them. And by the way, you'd say, what is the attachment? Here is a short one-foot piece of attachment, just a piece of PVC pipe. There's nothing in it, and it blends in perfectly well, we like to think, with all the other stuff that utilities and other users have on the poles. So it's not an eyesore. It blends in. And to date, we've heard nothing about any disruptions to the utilities, the pole owners, city services, residents, visitors. So I do want to extend, because I have 40 seconds left, I want to extend a special shout out to the city staff, to Brian and the folks in the public works department for their support in helping us make some route adjustments.

Last year with the realignments that's happening or going to be happening on Blenheim in front of the city of Fairfax High School, some of those poles were being moved and were no longer feasible for us. So, we were working with the city staff. We redesigned the route and they were very helpful in that regard. thank thank all the staff for helping us thank you very much for your time and have a good evening

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceour next speaker is Melinda Hofstetter

Melinda Hofstetterpublic commentmarried council members my name is Melinda Hofstetter I'm a resident of Fairfax the city of Fairfax my husband and I downsized from big house in within the city and within the Aruv to maintain our friends, our congregation, and so that our grown children, when they come to visit, can carry or push our grandchildren and to accompany us to services and to holidays when they come to visit. Otherwise, if there were no Aruv, we can't carry on Shabbat, so that would be sort of, that would be a big deal that they couldn't participate with us. I'm also the secretary of the AROV board and have been for several years now. When the AROV was going up, we spoke to Dominion Power and the other utilities about using their poles to establish the AROV.

And we said that we check the AROV every week, 52 weeks out of the year to make sure it's up. Every week they asked. In that case they said, would you mind telling us if there's a problem with our poles or wires because we don't check every week. So it's been a mutually beneficial relationship for us observant Jews, not just us, but the utility companies as well in more ways than one. Thank you.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceOur next speaker is Mandy Book.

Mandy Bookpublic commentMandy Book. Good evening, Mayor B. Good evening, Council Members. Thank you for the opportunity. I want to say that my name is Mandy Book. I am a realtor in this area over 20 years. I also happen to be a member of staff over at the Jewish Community Relations Council of greater washington and with both of my hats i just want to speak to the um really tremendous benefit that having an air roof has brought to our community over the years um in in essence in a nugget it helps us in a very tangible way to demonstrate just how welcoming fairfax city is to all of its residents which is a beautiful thing we saw that when we first approached the council you know some five years ago now and we we watched really the beautiful remarks of every single

council member in support and welcome and we were so touched by that we remain touched by that um this particular piece of communal infrastructure allows me to show my clients all kinds of property inside the city that maybe is more affordable than things a little closer to the synagogue it keeps our community diverse and thriving it welcomes young families young couples first-time home buyers all of these things to be able to join our community in a way that they couldn't if the infrastructure wasn't there. And as others have mentioned, it's a particular element of community infrastructure that it's nearly invisible and inconsequential to the rest of the world, but to us it's so significant.

So we thank you both for the structure and for the strength it brings to our community and for the incredible message of inclusivity and welcome that it sends to all of our area Jewish residents. Thank you very much.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceOur next speaker is David Goldberg.

David Goldbergpublic commentGood evening. My name is David Goldberg. I wish to please speak in support of renewing the license with the Fairfax Arab Committee. I first would like to express my gratitude and thanks to Mayor Reed for all the support you've given to the Pair of Committee and to the Jewish community in general as well to all the council for everything you all have done to help make Fairfax City a very inclusive welcoming place not just for the Jewish community but for all residents of the city. So thank you for that. My wife and I have lived in the city of Fairfax for just over 22 years. We've raised our children here. We have a dog here now, now that the children left. In any event, you know, as a Jew who is dedicated to

observing the rules of the Sabbath, the Shabbat, we're not, I'm dedicated to not driving anywhere. I don't, I can't, I have to walk. I do not get in a car on Saturdays from Friday night till Saturday night. And so to go to the synagogue two miles down the road, I have to walk. But for the era anything. I wouldn't be able to carry a bottle of water. I wouldn't be able to put a key in my pocket. I wouldn't be able to walk my dog because there's things you know with the leash and the other things you have to carry when you walk a dog. There's just you know carrying food to a neighbor's house to have dinner for example. All those things I wouldn't be able to do but for the error and the error of which is sort of this ritual enclosure. It is a ritual enclosure that extends the home that

in which I can behave as if I'm in my home instead of out in the streets is what allows us to do all of those things and to make the observance of Shabbat and all the things that we want to do on Shabbat doable, feasible. And so it's a really wonderful thing, and we just hope that I would ask and request that the council please renew the license for another five years. Thank you very much.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceOur next speaker is Shalom Simon.

Shalom Simonpublic commentWe're covering from knee replacement surgery. This is awesome. seeing representative democracy on a local level. Thank you so much for the time that you all put in and listening to your citizens. That's the way it's supposed to work. My name is Rabbi Shalem Simon. Much of the, maybe all of the Fairfax Arab Board watched the live stream of your meeting five years ago when you voted unanimously to approve All six of your predecessors spoke about the inclusiveness to all cultures and ethnic groups and how it enriched the social fabric of this community and how much it meant to the city of Fairfax. It worked. And as a side benefit, Fairfax actually became known nationwide among the religious Jewish

community of America as a welcoming place. I'm here to tell you how much it meant to the Jewish community of Fairfax and even more so today not just on a day-to-day or Shabbat Shabbat level but but on a grander and grander scheme of things we are currently living during a unfortunate rise in anti-semitism and we've even reached a state where we've had to coordinate with the city for police protection for some of our events and a positive vote here today sends a powerful message to the Jews of Fairfax and America that says you're still welcome here and a message that says you're part of the wonderful wonderfully diverse tapestry of Fairfax and that we value you today just as much as we valued you five years ago so thank you very much for your time and consideration

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceis there anybody else in the room that would like to speak on this agenda item

Catherine Readokay okay seeing none I will now close the public hearing is there a motion councilmember Hall

Stacy Hallyes I move that the City Council enact an ordinance approving and authorizing a renewal of a license agreement between the city of fairfax and fairx aroof committee for the placement of arrow facilities on certain existing joint use utility poles in the public right-of-way second is there any discussion on the motion

Catherine Readcouncilmember hall

Stacy Hallso i grew up in a very jewish area of wilmington delaware and i was googling before to see if we had an air roof in our area and we did not We actually had three synagogues within about a mile radius of each other. And I was not super observant growing up, but I was just surprised that in such an area like that, we didn't have anything like that, and they still actually don't have it now. So I'm very excited and happy to continue to support this and bring recognition to our wonderful Jewish population and community here. Thank you.

Catherine ReadAnd I appreciate the comments that you made about the previous mayor and council, And I want to say their names here because it really matters when people initially made a stand and welcomed you in this very important way into our community. It was Mayor David Meyer and council members Joe Harmon, Sang Yee, Janice Miller, John Staley, So Lim, and Tom Ross. And I hope in five years when this license comes up again, whoever is sitting in our seats will understand the responsibility that we have as a dais and as the local government to support this Eruv for as long as this Eruv needs to exist. So with that, I will ask for a roll call vote.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceCouncil Member Amos? Aye. Council Member Hall? Aye. Council Member Peterson? Aye. Council Member Bates? Aye. Council Member McQuillan? Aye. Council Member Hardy-Chandler? Aye. Motion passed unanimously. We'll go on to the second public hearing, which is a public hearing and council action of an ordinance amending and reenacting Chapter 38 in Parens Environment, Article 2 in Parens Noise, of the Code of the City of Fairfax, Virginia, pertaining to noise mitigation and the regulation of loud, disturbing, I want to recognize Brian Lubkerman, our city attorney for the staff report.

Brian LubkemanstaffThank you. Hello again, Mayor and Council. I won't say a lot of words this evening. We've talked about noise at a number of meetings, but if you'll review the staff report as you all have, in going through the first paragraph, I'll just note again, this is a continuation of the public hearing that was opened on March the 24th, continued to May 12th, and then to this meeting. As I noted, since the initial public hearing date, we've been having discussions receiving additional public input and additional changes have been proposed primarily due to a desire to avoid unintended consequences and to reduce enforcement issues. And as I noted when we started this process, the beginning point of the suggested revisions to the noise ordinance

were not that we have a huge problem in the city of Fairfax. I don't believe and I think the statistics show we don't have a large problem. We certainly don't have a problem in the City of Fairfax that's anything out of the ordinary compared to what other jurisdictions deal with, and I would argue we may actually have a better situation. But the fact remains that, as we previously noted, the last time the ordinance was visited was quite a number of years ago, and I identified the need to have updated definitions, to clarify certain things, to have items reflect sort of the changes in culture that have occurred changes in work habits the effects as we all know the pandemic and sort of the the modern

the advent of working at home a lot more so it's a it's a balance it's a balance between an understanding that there's an inevitable amount of noise in a suburban setting it's just simply impossible to to live without noise and I think many people would argue that living without noise wouldn't be a wouldn't be a lot of fun I mean it's part of the thing that makes life life worth living. However, there are circumstances and we decided that it made sense to recommend some tweaks. So we clarified exemptions. We clarified hours where there were absolute prohibitions. So there are absolute prohibitions in the noise ordinances proposed and then there are standards that are for measurement. And the absolute prohibitions are a recognition that there's just either certain times of

the day or certain types of noises that most everybody finds objectionable and certainly at certain times of the day. The other thing we found in the period between when the public hearing was opened is I had some conversations with some of the stakeholders and you all had asked that I do that. And so one of the exemptions in particular, and I'll go through this in a second, had to deal with items such as the city community pools, which was something that we just didn't think about. complaints about the city pools, but the fact that essentially they were de facto exempted from noise regulations was something that we felt we needed to address, and we did that in here. So, what I will do very briefly is just go through in the staff report, there were a

couple areas that I bolded. One question that came up, there had been some concern that we were introducing criminal penalties for noise violations. And what I wanted to make clear is it's an either or. The reason we included criminal penalties, and some other jurisdictions have done this as well, is in the very isolated, egregious situations, a civil penalty just won't cut it. We hope that we almost never have to use the criminal route. It's not favored. It's not a way to achieve compliance. But in circumstances where we just can't get compliance, at least that's a tool to have. was to introduce, and it's a little bit unique, but we thought it was worth a try, that if we cannot enforce on something, because again, the violations of the noise ordinance, as

with many ordinances, require that a city official witness the violation in most cases. But there is an avenue now for residents in egregious cases if they can convince a magistrate to go seek remedies in that manner. I will also note that despite noise ordinances, residents always, as with any matters involving neighbors and other residents, you don't lose your ability to seek civil remedies. If you have a neighbor that's trespassing on your property, you have remedies. You can do things. If you have a neighbor that's impeding upon your right to quiet enjoyment, and folks often misconstrue what quiet enjoyment means. It doesn't mean you get to enjoy your property quietly. You get to enjoy your property in an ordinary manner, and you get the right to expect your neighbors to comply and to respect your ability to use your property.

So civil penalties will continue to be the preferred route. We have an escalated system of enforcement on that. Another area, and the area that seems to be the greatest issue with respect to noise violations, has to do with the amplified sounds, music, speakers, et cetera. So when we originally drafted these revisions, we had floated the concept of essentially having the standard be that at any time of the day, if you could discern and hear any of these type of noises with your doors and windows closed, that that was a de facto violation. As we examined it further, we realized that there are some issues. And the primary issue is there's all sorts of different types of housing stock, all sorts of different types of construction quality, and all types of different sensitivities among residents.

So what we did instead is we went back to a time of day restriction on the doors and windows closed, and that would effectively be the nighttime. because I think most everyone would agree that nighttime is a time you don't want to hear a bunch of music or other sounds coming into your residence. So we back the time up from 11 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, and that's aggressive. And so I'm just offering that. I suggested 9. Council can certainly do something different. We can try this, and we can bring this back if it turns out that's too aggressive. And then extending to 8 a.m. every day. So I don't want to say it's a quiet time, but it's a recognition that there are times of the day that folks want relative quiet in their house.

Related to that, it's not just audible within residents with the doors and windows closed. It's if the noise can be heard more than 50 feet away from the noise source. So if you have a loud noise and it happens that it isn't heard in another residence because there's more than, you know, they're just not loud enough to hit somebody's residence, it's still not going to be permitted if it's more than 50 feet from the source of the noise generation. I'll note that within the residence, another has always been in the noise ordinance. We clarified the definition. We want it to be discernible and audible. And so there are definitions there that make it easier to enforce. At other times of the day, we will continue to have noise pressure regulations,

and I'll talk about that at the end of the staff report. Let's flip through a couple of other briefly here. The second clarification that I made between the original draft and now was we want to make sure that it's clear that the, on the noise level standards, it's not at the source of the noise, it's on the receiving property. So if I have a radio, if anybody still has radios, but if I have a radio on and it's noise decibel level at measurement, it's fine if it exceeds it on my property. It's when it crosses over my property onto another residential property that it becomes an issue. So the measurement is always at the property line or the area where it's likely to have the loudest sound. So we clarify that in this version as well.

The third, we talked about the noise within the property. We also had, yes, on the, and I talked about this briefly. The language we had in there is noises arising from any city-sponsored or partnered festival or event, and there was a period after that. And then what we did is we added language in this latest iteration to make sure that events that are indoor or outdoor activities occurring at or in any city park or city building that's permitted. So not to put a fine point on it, the largest issue currently is pickleball. We have pickleball going on at Green Acres. We didn't want that to be a de facto violation. I will say, I don't know if Ms. Summerfield is still here. We are always working on, as is every jurisdiction around the country, I would imagine, with dealing with pickleball and issues that arise.

And so that's an ongoing battle, but we wanted to make sure that that was covered. Any other activities going on in city parks, we didn't want those to be per se violations. And then we talked about the community pools. So the language we have in there is a community pool located within the city when the pool is open. because we didn't want to just blanketly exempt the community pools because if someone goes in there when it's closed and has a party, we wanted that to be a violation, there would be other issues there. And otherwise in compliance with any conditions promulgated by the city manager by permit or waiver. What we're anticipating is, and we had talked to at least one of the representatives of one

of the pools, is sort of getting a business plan, what the plan is for the pools to be open, what they anticipate their regular activities to be, and sort of memorializing it. but in an MOU or a list of standards so that there's something that we can look to if subsequent leadership in a pool or subsequent membership in a pool decides to exceed what's sort of permissible. Because, again, these pools, for the most part, are in residential areas, and we want to make sure that we're protecting there. And then the last thing, just wanted to go into the waivers again. We had a situation, the Genesis Formosus language, as you recall, with whatever we want to call February storm, there were some complaints about individuals having snow or ice, it wasn't

really snow at that point, ice cleared at all hours. And a lot of that was a function of the fact that it was very difficult to get contractors and you needed some pretty serious work to be done. So the ability for the manager to sort of waive the requirements of the noise ordinance on a short-term intermediate. So we'll work through that process and we'll probably come back and have a discussion with the council at some point about how that is going. want to have happen is have an inability in certain circumstances for the manager to be able to waive that and have to wait for some sort of formal action. The last thing is we are still recommending a delayed effective date. I know individuals want this to be in effect as soon as possible.

The comment I'll make is we have a noise ordinance. It's still operative. It still works. The enforcement issues are still the same. That's what I was going to say. The enforcement issues remain. So the nighttime enforcement, a lot of the enforcement, I'd say most of the enforcement, rests on the shoulders of the police department. You get calls after hours. For the number of violations or perceived violations that exist within the city, it doesn't make a lot of sense to sort of ramp up the number of staff that do noise enforcement. However, there are ways to do targeted enforcement. We're going to look at some of the more egregious cases and see if we can do, for lack of a better term, strike team or some ability to look at the situations and see if we can work on issues.

The other thing that we're really trying to do, the police department has been very good at this, is sort of community mediation, working with residents, trying to get them together to work through their issues so that you de-escalate. So we will continue to do that as well. So the suggestion in here is a delayed effective date of July the 15th. I'm actually asking this evening if council would consider doing a delayed effective date first. We would like to do a community education campaign between now and when this becomes effective. One of the things, as I mentioned when we first started this, was putting out a chart so that residents, and have it on the website as well, so that residents can

look clearly if they have a particular type of noise that they're hearing, what do I do, who do I call, what are my expectations? We'll do that and we'll do some communication and additional outreach to the business community. We've heard back and forth from some of the the businesses, especially the bars and nighttime activities. I've had some conversations. I think we've worked through most of those issues. We just want to make sure that we're able to work through all of that. So with that, I'm happy to answer any questions that you all have.

Catherine ReadAll right. I'll see if there are questions for Mr. Lubcom at this point. Council Member McQuillan.

Rachel McQuillenJust so I can better understand, the extension to September that you're requesting, or that it's to just educate the public to put some signage out?

Brian LubkemanstaffNot signage, but perhaps just two things that we need to do. We want to work out sort of the stepped-up enforcement ability. Now, we don't need an extension to September to do that. I mean, like I said, we have July 15th in here. If you don't want it to go all the way to September, then perhaps we'll just make it August 1st, which gives us a little more time to do it, I mean, between July 15th and August 1st. But we're not waiting to the date. We would just like a little bit of time from the date that the council on access, which hopefully would be this evening, to work out any of the kinks and just be sure that we're ready to go.

Rachel McQuillenOkay. I personally feel that our residents who have been waiting on this have been waiting and have been very patient, and I am not comfortable with extending it even further. I think it's completely acceptable to be able to provide some sort of educational component by the time that July 15th date. I'm not comfortable with pushing to September, but thank you.

Catherine ReadThank you. Other questions? Council Member Peterson?

Thomas PetersonJust take a picture. I'm going to maybe summarize and paraphrase and let you tell me if I understand this right, this quite a bit lots of issues here where things stand right now as I understand it is that we have covered the bases in terms of so far as we can tell all of the issues that need to be covered in the ordinance is that a fair character I

Brian Lubkemanstaffbelieve we have I never want to say we've absolutely covered everything because that's that that's a dangerous statement but yes I believe I believe we have

Thomas Petersonto the best of our ability

Brian Lubkemanstaffyes I'm not saying we're not going to come back again it's not going to be ten years but we think we think

Thomas PetersonOkay. As we've done that, my take is that you're comfortable that we have adequate enforceability as we've done that.

Brian LubkemanstaffEnforceability, yes. Enforcement ability is always the question, is whether we have the resources to do that.

Thomas PetersonBut we have the mechanisms.

Brian LubkemanstaffCorrect.

Thomas PetersonOkay. And then the final question is, we also have adequate discretion in terms of how we enforce out and graduate it but make the solution really you know sized right to what's going on is that a fair characterization that's correct

Brian Lubkemanstaffthe starting point the philosophy on enforcement on most items such as noise and and well i don't mean to belittle it but the more what we call the minor levels of violations is we always try to de-escalate first i mean the starting point is it would be great if and our police department does a wonderful job at this especially in the evenings they go out to citing people is a matter of last resort. So, yes, we have the ability to enforce. We try to do it on a graduated basis. And as I mentioned at the beginning, the new concept of criminal violations, I would be surprised if we see that very often at all.

Thomas PetersonBut we have the capacity, if somehow or other the message doesn't get through the first time, we can kind of carry it forward. First or

Brian Lubkemanstaffsecond, yes, absolutely.

Thomas PetersonAll right, thank you very much. Mr. Member Hall?

Stacy Hallthank you and thank you for all the work for staff and the police and everyone that went into this i know it was not easy and i know we thought we had it lined up and then you know fortunately we heard from the public and recognized that there were some concerns i'm happy with the timing of it as far as the pools had the option to understand that there was an issue and you know other businesses and other community events and activities so that we could try to really make sure that we're capturing as much as we can i think we do need to understand it's never going to be perfect then we would all be living in some sort of silence or some sort of super city, whichever you, you know, wherever you fall in the spectrum there.

I am also not in favor of delaying it to September 1st. The only, I'll call it moderation, that I would be willing to consider would be to give us maybe a two-week period where I recognize we're not going to be out there doing a lot more enforcement than we currently are, but, you know, maybe a two-week window after it's actually enacted to give people a reminder as opposed to, you know, that next level. but I do think that our staff and, you know, the city has done a great job of making people aware of this, all the outreach that has been done. So I don't know that we need to do anything, but I was open to what others wanted to say or thought about it, and that was my kind of, you know, maybe negotiation on it.

But otherwise I'm totally fine with July 15th, especially because I think people tend to do most of their loud situations more in the summertime, and I think September 1st is too late for that.

Brian Lubkemanstafffair I will say that the another area where we get a lot of noise issues have to do with college students residing within the city and of course during the summer they're not around but that's fair I think noise is an all-year problem

Anthony Amoscouncilmember Amos thank you I just had one question and a few comments just real quick for clarity on the property line versus the 50 foot and kind of how we're adjusting that how would that and this is mostly because I just recently How does that work with duplexes, if you don't mind explaining? Is it just from within the residence adjacent,

Brian Lubkemanstaffeven when they're connected? Yeah, obviously in a duplex, and the duplex example might also apply to apartments, right? Because if you're right next to each other, the noise. Yeah, I mean, obviously the 50-foot thing isn't going to come into play in duplexes that are next to each other. Exactly. It will come into play in a set of units and a unit 50 feet away or more. So that's why you have the double pay. audible in a residence with the doors and windows closed as the only criteria because you can generate a lot of noise and it's not in hurt in anybody's house but it's still loud enough to bother the neighbors because you might be sitting outside

Anthony Amosyeah i just want to make sure that was clear and

Brian Lubkemanstaffuh this is not and that is the current standard now

Anthony Amosyes so

Brian Lubkemanstaffwe're not changing that we're just clarifying it

Anthony Amosand that's not a dig of my neighbors y'all are great um the only other few things I mentioned one I just wanted to thank you I know you've been working on this for years at this point well maybe not yours but I appreciate it well the perception of some is years but just a thank you to staff on it and for really core coordinating and incorporating the comments and feedback you've received I know it was pretty robust and thank you for also reiterating that we always try to especially when it comes to code issues we always try to go to voluntary compliance first that is always the first mechanism we're not going out they're hunting people. That's just not how it operates.

Brian LubkemanstaffZoning is another example, as you all know. We try to work out zoning issues before they become violations.

Anthony AmosAnd you've said this multiple times, that this is really targeted at very unique or outlier situations, that it's not that we've had a significant number of issues. It's really in certain instances where we have repeat offenders that we just can't really enforce for this time being.

Brian LubkemanstaffYes. I mean, this really is clarifying and tweaking and changing timelines and then adding adding a few more tools in the toolbox but it's not as you know it's not a wholesale revision and it's not a recognition or at any point or a statement that we have a major problem in the city it's just it's modernizing the noise ordinance for lack of a better term

Anthony Amosthat's great the only other thing I'll say regarding the July 1st and September timeline I'm in agreement with my colleagues I think I think September 1st is too far out, primarily because we've had a robust public process to this point. I think we had our first major discussion on it last October, then we had another one in March, and we extended that period to include more feedback. And again, I think this is primarily targeted at very unique situations and repeat offenders that I think it would be better just to go ahead and start sooner than later. We can educate and enforce simultaneously.

Brian LubkemanstaffAnd that's fair. And in terms of extending out to September 1st, a lot of that was also just because of the comments we had received previously that we wanted to make sure the public was aware. But I agree with you. The public is aware of this. Respectfully, I'd still suggest July 15th. But extending beyond that isn't necessary.

Thomas PetersonCouncilmember Peterson? I know we covered this before. At least I think we did. But let me ask again for the benefit of the public. loud mufflers and drag racing where does that fit in to noise enforcement here in the city

Brian Lubkemanstaffthere there is a provision in here regarding vehicles there's also state law requirements regarding mufflers etc so that as i think we mentioned at the time as you can imagine the biggest problem with dealing with muffler issues is by the time you show up the muffler's gone and what it's attached to so um we will attempt to do that as much as possible but there are state here that deal with what you can and can't do to your vehicle and it just becomes an enforcement question

Thomas Petersonand

Brian Lubkemanstaffand we don't get a lot of complaints by the way I know that the ones that we the ones that you get are I'm sorry to say this audible you hear about them but there's not a huge problem in the city with with mufflers well

Thomas Petersonsome people think that I

Brian Lubkemanstaffunderstand all right certainly you it's a it's a problem

Thomas Petersonjust to clarify one prior thing you mentioned that there's a requirement for these incidents to actually be witnessed by enforcement personnel. I'm wondering, and this may get into kind of the literalism of the law here, how does that impact automation, remote sensing, and other technology-based approaches to enforcement? Does that render them meaningless or does it enable them because they fall under that definition?

Brian LubkemanstaffSo there is a pilot that's been authorized in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I'm not quite sure on the details of that, but the city manager may know a little more of it. I'll

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicebe loath to get into the legislation and legal aspects of it, but there is a pilot. I've asked the police department to look at automated noise enforcement related to vehicles in our city to see whether there's applicability here. it would be a different process not unlike what you would see from automated red light or speed zone enforcement so it would it would fall into what amounts with civil process it'd be different probably than what we would structure under our ordinance but there would be a mechanism for automated enforcement under that scenario there's a pilot that exists now we're looking at again our ability to potentially bring that to you as an option moving forward

Thomas Petersonthank you Thank you. That's really

Brian Lubkemanstaffgreat to hear. There are cost issues associated with that and because of the limitations on what you can use the funds that are generated from that. But in terms of automated enforcement generally, there's no enabling authority in Virginia for that generally with respect to noise violations. So we can't stick decibel meters up and monitor them remotely or record. There's just simply not that authority in Virginia.

Thomas PetersonIs there any interest and has there been any interest in the General Assembly towards enabling that?

Brian Lubkemanstaffaware I think the difficulty from a technological standpoint is again the same reason we have difficulties in enforcing with decibel meters is dealing with sort of the background noise in urban settings is I think technology will evolve sufficiently to be able to deal with this at some point it's not there yet

Catherine Readokay thanks any other questions councilmember Bates

Billy Batesso I think that where we've arrived here shows that this involves trying to find a balance between not wanting to over penalize what would otherwise be normal behavior, but also that we need to lend maybe a bit more teeth to what we have here for the cases where there really are egregious activities that detrimentally affects quality of life for their neighbors. so again really want to thank the city attorney and staff for all their work on this and I think it's also important to note that this is something that we can come back to later and I hope that we will continue to collect feedback and see how these new provisions work out as well as the new response and enforcement activities that we might see.

So I want to just clarify, so July 15th, we're okay with that?

Brian LubkemanstaffYes, certainly. The reason we suggested is we can certainly be ready to go.

Billy BatesYeah, yeah. All right. So it sounds like that's the consensus, and so I look forward to hopefully doing some good with this.

Catherine Readanything from you council member Hardy Chandler before we open the public hearing

Stacey Hardy-Chandlerno I just echo the sentiments of gratitude and all the work that went into this and incorporating the feedback I support the the July 15th timeline and even separate from this we talked about this for being more extreme cases. Before any of this, I hope that we all just encourage people to be neighborly and let people know when they're going to have a party or when something's going to happen. There are a lot of things that we can do to prevent some of the things simply by neighborly behavior, but I'm glad that we have this in place and all of the tweaks that have been made to bring it in alignment so I support it

Catherine Readthank you all right at this time I will open the public hearing mission to bury his public hearing been properly advertised yes

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceit has I had two people sign up prior to the meeting but looking back at the minutes from the March meeting they actually spoke when we originally opened the public hearing so they won't be able to speak again so I'm gonna just open the floor now if there's anybody else in the room they would like to speak on this agenda item for the noise ordinance

Speaker 11I just have a quick question. What about fireworks?

Brian LubkemanstaffAuthorized fireworks displays are permitted. They're an exemption under the noise ordinance. I'm sorry to answer the question directly. Let's

Catherine Readjust be very pragmatic and practical, Mr. Attorney. Yes. Excellent. All right. I will now close the public hearing. Is there a motion, Council Member Hull?

Stacy HallYes. I move that the City Council enact the attached ordinance amending and reenacting chapter 38 environment article 2 noise of the code of the City of Fairfax, Virginia pertaining to noise mitigation and the regulation of loud disturbing and unnecessary noises second a

Catherine Readmotion has been made by Councilmember Hall and seconded by Councilmember Peterson is there any discussion on the motion seeing none a roll call vote

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceCouncilmember McClellan aye councilmember Bates aye councilmember Peterson all right councilmember Hall aye councilmember Amos aye councilmember Hardy Chandler aye motion passed unanimously so we will go on to the second general public comment is there anybody in the room that would like to make a general public comment

Zach Burrowspublic commentThank you. I unfortunately was not able to speak before the vote, but I did have some comments I wanted to make, and maybe this can be addressed in a future conversation. My name is Zach Burrows. I think I know most of you. I've reached out to you in the past. I'm resident of Sutton Heights Community and also president of HOA. I came here to speak about the NORD ordinance. concerns in the past. Most of them are around adding to the language and modifying slightly. The noise ordinance obviously is there to help the welfare and health of the residents. That can be music. That could be fireworks. It could also be large vehicles, large trucks. We live on Pickett Road. We are surrounded by a number of other residential communities,

Parishers Keep, Pickett's Reserve. There is a planned development immediately next to our community. There's planned to be two very large warehouses with bays of upwards of 60 trucks. We've spoken with a developer in the past and they've indicated that there's not necessarily a limit on the hours of operation or the number of trucks that might be transiting. We could see hundreds of trucks coming overnight. As you can imagine, that would be a tremendous impact to our And those around us, we've spoken with the other communities and they share the same concerns. What I was proposing potentially to add to the noise ordinance was something to address planned, consistent, and loud noises overnight, which would include large trucks transiting that area.

Again, our concern is the overnight period where you have a large number of trucks, potentially 100 or so going up and down Pickett Road, revving their engines, using their air brakes at 2, 3, 4 in the morning. We already hear that with the tank farm, and our concern is that with a number, you know, potentially a large number of trucks added to that traffic, that will have an impact on us and our ability to enjoy our rest and our homes. What I was recommending potentially was to potentially modify the potential routes around. So there could be some language added that would potentially have those two businesses take an alternative route where they could, during the overnight hours, maybe go down south toward Little River Turb Pike and avoid going immediately along hundreds of residents of Fairfax City.

That hopefully would be of minimal impact to their business operations, but it would have tremendous impact for us as community members. So I would hope that potentially we consider this in the future to, again, balance the needs of our businesses and the residents of the community. Thank you.

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voicein the room they would like to make a general public comment

Catherine Readall right seeing none I will now recess the regular meeting to go into a work session we will stay in the council chambers our

Melissa Shinaberryclerkby voiceone work session item for tonight is discussion on sustainability matrix and green building policy I'll recognize Stephanie Kuka our sustainability program manager for the staff presentation

Speaker 11you'll have to go through teams

Stephanie KukastaffGood evening, Mayor and City Council members. So why are we here tonight? Over the years, Council priorities have expanded in regards to sustainability, energy, and waste programs. Over the years, the city has established ambitious sustainability goals, and we've made significant progress in meeting those goals through strategic capital investments, obtaining grants, and developing new programs and policies. As a result, the Environment Sustainability Division now manages an increasingly large and diverse portfolio of programs, projects, and initiatives. At the same time, programs are becoming more complex and there are new regulatory and compliance requirements the city needs to meet. While all the division's initiatives are important, available staff capacity and resources are limited.

And we're at the point where the demand for new initiatives and projects are exceeding the staff capacity. So we can't implement all these projects simultaneously. At the February 3rd work session, provided council with a status update on the division's programs and projects and shared some of the challenges we were having with staff capacity and implementation. Council requested that staff complete a project prioritization matrix and an implementation schedule to better sequence the division's programs and projects based on a defined set of criteria that was provided by council. So staff created the prioritization matrix and implementation schedule, which I will be discussing in future slides.

So the goal of this work session tonight is to align expectations regarding what can be accomplished with our available staff capacity and resources, and also establish a framework for decision making to help the city focus on efforts that have the highest priority and impact for the city. So as some background, the Environment Sustainability Division is charged with improving the environmental, economic, and social well-being of the community. The division manages a wide range of programs, including climate action, energy efficiency and renewables, waste reduction and recycling, environmental protection, collaboration, and education and outreach. For fiscal year 27, our division structure is shown on this slide.

Our division is located within Public Works. I serve as the Sustainability Program Manager and the division lead. We currently have two full-time vacant positions, the Environmental Sustainability Specialist and the Energy Programs Manager, which was just created this fiscal year. Thank you very much for your support with that position. We plan to post those positions this summer, and we'll hopefully have them filled by the fall. We also have an energy efficiency outreach coordinator. This is a fully grant-funded position, which is a one-year position and part-time. And McKay Pierce serves in this role, and he started with the city in April. I'll now discuss our current staff capacity. So for staff capacity, recurring day-to-day operations consume the majority of our division's

time as shown in this pie chart. Some of the example day-to-day tasks include ongoing administration of existing programs, public outreach, education and event management, interdepartmental and regional meetings and collaboration, data management reporting and metrics, customer service calls and visits, and citywide policy and planning support. So after the ongoing day-to-day tasks are completed, there are limited amount of time left for special projects. So for my position, I have approximately 13 hours a week available. The environmental sustainability specialist will have approximately 10 hours a week and the energy programs manager will have approximately 15 hours a week, assuming the majority of their time will be used for implementing the green building policy.

The energy outreach coordinator works 30 hours a week. However, they are only allowed to work on the energy efficiency conservation grant, which is also known as EECBG. So they are limited to what they could work on. So overall, the division has approximately 38 hours a week for special projects. and these are mainly CIP projects that are one-time projects and are not recurring so currently the division has 16 special projects majority of which are funded the ones that are not funded can be done internally with existing staff as mentioned earlier at the February 3rd work session the council provided staff with a set of criteria to evaluate and determine which projects would provide to the community. So using those feedback we developed these criteria. So these

criteria were used to evaluate projects and they evaluate if the project has compliance requirements or grant requirements, if they generate cost savings or revenue, they evaluate what their environmental impact is and also what impact they have for the community. So how what's the the scope of the project, how many people does it help, also does the project help vulnerable or residents and also does it improve public safety so for each of these criterion the staff came up with a score for each of them between one and five and then after scoring was done for each of the criteria the projects were ranked and sequenced based on their total scores and any logical dependencies So after that direction, I coordinated with senior leadership, including the city manager, assistant city manager, chief financial officer, and the director of public works to develop the prioritization matrix and score all of the projects.

Over several meetings, senior leadership reached a consensus on a final priority ranking and implementation schedule as shown in this slide. So we base this on the total prioritization matrix score, staff capacity, so how much time would staff need to spend on each of these projects, budgetary considerations, and also what are the city's needs and priorities. So after that consensus, the highest priority projects identified that our division would work on for fiscal year 27 include the EECBG grant, EV charging station installations that are mainly funded through the CFI grant, LED streetlight conversion project for the Dominion-owned and operated electric streetlights, implementation of the green building policy, the gas-to-LED streetlight conversion project,

data management setup, and the residential and commercial waste and recycling assessments, solid waste ordinance update, and the solid waste funding study. And then the priorities for fiscal year 28 and beyond include the sustainability strategic plan, climate action plan, solid waste management, five-year update, green building policy incentive research, solar feasibility assessment, electric vehicle readiness plan, EV charging station installations and solar energy installations. So please note that this schedule is subject to change and staff will do the best to implement these projects efficiently and effectively. The environmental and sustainability field is continually growing and advancing and we do

expect that new initiatives will be requested as technology improves, as best practices improve, as grant and partnership opportunities arise and when state and federal regulations are adopted. So this slide proposes an intake process for managing new initiative requests as we receive them. And some of the organizations that we receive requests from include the City Council, the Environmental Sustainability Committee, the public, senior leadership, and federal agencies. So when a new initiative request is submitted, what we're proposing is that staff would evaluate the proposed initiative against the matrix framework that we discussed at the previous slide, and then also what the existing staff capacity is, what available resources we

have, and what our existing commitments are. And then we'd analyze the opportunity cost of implementing the initiative, and then determine any prioritization adjustments. So if a new initiative And it is ranked high using our priority framework that we would evaluate if we do this project right away, what other projects would need to be deferred so that way we have staff capacity to complete that. That way staff is always working on the highest priority projects that have the biggest impact for our community. One of the other projects I'd like to go over in more detail with you is the green building policy. And what I'd like to review with you is the Green Building Policy implementation process,

which is shown on this slide. So as you know, the Green Building Policy is scheduled for adoption, for consideration for adoption on June 23rd. The Green Building Policy will include proposed standards for both the public sector and the private sector. When the policy, if the policy is adopted in June, we can immediately enact the public sector standards. However, some additional work will be needed to prepare for the launch of the private sector standards. So those will be enacted later on. By the fall of approximately September 2026, we hope to have the energy programs manager hired and onboarded. During fiscal year 27, staff will work on the pre-launch planning, preparation, and coordination

for the private sector green building standards. And then in July 2027, the private sector green building standards will be enacted and launched. And then annually, the staff will prepare an annual report on the green building policy implementation. So the council has regular updates for how green building policy implementation is going and if we're meeting our set goals. And then in fiscal year 31, we would conduct research to analyze green building incentive options. The proposed green building policy does not have incentives built into them, so we're proposing to analyze those after we've had time to get the, I guess, first phase of the green building policy enacted so we can learn some lessons

and also learn what would be the most impactful incentive give us the biggest environmental and economic and social benefits. And then in fiscal year 32, staff will present a five-year update of the policy, and that would include an incentive program if that is directed by the city council. And at least every five years, we would review and provide any updates to the green building policy so that way we remain up to date with best practices. So, in closing, we are seeking the Council's endorsement and acknowledgement of the prioritization framework which was covered on slide 6, the implementation schedule which was shown on slide 7, the intake process for new requests on slide 8, and the green building policy implementation

process on slide 9. I'm happy to jump back to those slides if you'd like to cover any of those. Thank you very much for your time and I'll now open it up to any council questions and comments.

Catherine ReadThank you so much for the presentation. Very illuminating. Councilmember McQuillan. I have

Rachel McQuillenone of those like deep dive questions. I'm looking at slide six and I'm just curious as to the differential between a one and a five, like one versus a five. what would that look like for something like the first component is this a compliance requirement or strict grant deadline yeah

Stephanie Kukastaffso that first one is more cut and dry so if it does have a compliance requirement it would get the full score of a five you know if it had a grant strict drink grant deadlines it would also be a five however it didn't it would be like a zero like an all or

Rachel McQuillennothing okay so

Stephanie Kukastaffthat was more of a yes or no

Rachel McQuillenokay for that one so so pick one that wouldn't explain to me just how that's weighted or scored, please.

Stephanie KukastaffSure. So I guess I'm trying to pick one that's, so for environmental impact. So there may be a project, so let's pick solar installations on city buildings, where the environmental impact, since the, you know, the solar panels, they wouldn't be very large projects. So the impact would be smaller than something that it was a citywide project like the LED streetlight conversion project, which is very large and has a very big impact for improving energy efficiency. Where we have limited, you know, roof space for solar, that would be a lower impact. So for that one, that would get a lower score because it's not a citywide impact for environmental benefits.

Rachel McQuillenUnderstood. Excellent. Thank you for going into a little more detail for me. And then I did have just one more question about the incentives. It looks like that wouldn't be until fiscal year 31. Will there be any reevaluation to see prior to going and studying that if it's something that we should be studying or if everybody else is doing it, so we should do it, or maybe no one's doing it, so we do, will we reevaluate if it's even necessary at that point, I guess, is what I'm

Stephanie Kukastafftrying to get to. Yes. So as part of the policy, we're proposing to do an annual report. So annually, we can assess that each year to see, you know, does it make sense to evaluate those incentives earlier? Because maybe we have a new enabling authority, which allows us to do certain things. So as best practices and regulatory requirements change, maybe we might want to do that sooner, or maybe we might want to extend it out. So there is flexibility in when that study would be completed. But as of now, based on the priority matrix ranking, that looks like it would be done in fiscal year 31. But, of course, the schedule is subject to change because things are in constant motion, especially with this kind of emerging technology.

Rachel McQuillenOkay. Thank you. Appreciate all that.

Thomas PetersonCouncil Member Peterson? It brings back memories. Councilmember Hall and I were on the environmental sustainability committee for some years and helped usher these forward. So it's great to see them graduating to actual implementation. You made this clear, I think, but just to reiterate, this is not a budget decision you're asking us to make. These are already funded or absorbable or otherwise possible existing resources, correct? Yes, they

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceare. I think the other thing to consider, I know Stephanie mentioned from the outset, is that based on council's investment in sustainability, we're not bringing you seven matrices. We're bringing you one because we have additional capacity now. So part of that is to credit Stephanie with all the work that she's done. You're just seeing a tip of the iceberg in the different scenarios that she drew up and iterations that we went through. So, again, based on council's investment and prioritization, we're able to lay this out. I also say that this is a living, breathing process. I know we're kind of inferring that through the discussion, but to Councilmember McQuillan's question, things may change as we go through, but we certainly wanted to bring you something to start with.

So I think that point is important also. And

Thomas Petersonit's a key point I would like to pick up on because my reading of this is that what you need from us is stability. You need to know that you've got an implementation pathway here that you can invest in and enact without the uncertainty of having it go off the rails and having to be reconsidered, et cetera. You're working, as I read it, with very tight choreography here in terms of your staffing and resources. You've done a great job of laying out pathways by which you can match those sources and uses together over a period of time. You've got a wonderful Gantt chart here. But if that keeps going back to the drawing board, it kind of makes life tough. And you've done enough of that? I think so.

I would be in favor of us giving you some real stability here. not that it should eliminate flexibility because we should always be monitoring things and making changes as needed, but I would really be in favor of providing you the stability that you need to move forward with these actions and get the show on the road. One quick note on stability and capacity. I would just observe, I think the environmental sustainable specialist is a replacement for Melissa McDonald. Is that correct?

Stephanie KukastaffYes.

Thomas Petersonand I know there are many highly qualified people in the marketplace today which is a wonderful thing on the other hand I kind of think those are big shoes to fill so she did a great job and we would be looking forward to other people coming in to try to follow in those footsteps I know these are desirable positions but I wanted to call that out because I think she deserves recognition for a lot of great work she did over the years here my last question and I don't want want to spend too much time on this, but if you go to slide 7 and it's the matrix with everything on it, there's nothing in there that I have reason to disagree with. I have a question or two, but I think the big question, and really this is for the public

also, in your words, when you go through these, we don't have the exact rankings behind all the different criteria that you used to do this. But what is it that resulted in these top actions rising to the top? Why did that happen? Why are these the best actions that rose to the top for the first half dozen or so?

Stephanie KukastaffYeah, so the first two are associated with a grant. So they had very high scores because they were grant related and had multiple community benefits for environmental impacts helping reduce costs for residents helping vulnerable communities etc so those two are going to be very impactful projects the streetlight projects save money for the city plus increase energy efficiency while improving public safety because it'll improve lighting, reducing glare, and also lighting pollution. So those are going to have a big impact citywide. Also the green building policy will be transformational for how future development will be conducted here in the city of Fairfax. So there's big environmental benefits plus economic benefits with that. Utility data management system will allow us to

to track our utility data, to make data-driven decisions, to reduce our environmental footprint while also saving the city money. And the residential and commercial waste assessments, ordinance update and funding study. So that's really gonna help improve our solid waste services which will reduce waste and save the city money while making our services more efficient and effective. So I guess those are some of the highlights for the projects that were going to be that had the highest ranking and

Thomas Petersonjust to then maybe ask another part of that for those that didn't end up the top said a lot of them are planning and assessment procedures and I don't know whether the the results of the ranking is really reflective of the tangible benefits that come with the actions that are more immediately implementable, which the top set of actions really look like they are, and whether that's what's going on here because the planning and assessment, with the exception of one study, I think, are really kind of down the pike, and that may be well justified. On the other hand, if you need to put planning and assessment in place to prepare for the future of preparing implementation, you might not want to let that go on too long because

then you've really got a delay before you can get the train on the tracks again so i i would just ask that you take that into consideration as you sort through this and if you have any if i've missed something on why that looks to be that way let me know but it does have the appearance that the planning and assessment work is kind of staged later probably for that reason is that a fair i think

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceit is um there's a significant spreadsheet you're not seeing i won't ask stephanie to bring it up but there this was data informed she just went over kind of qualitative overview of a lot of very well establishing the criteria and some of the outcomes of her process but there's a lot of data behind how she arrived at this i think the other thing about your point council member is that we're going to need to evaluate this on a pretty consistent basis in terms of you know what gets measured gets done and so you know as we go through this process and and start to do the work bring back the outputs and outcomes associated with that work and evaluate that in real time and so if we wait a year or two down the line we're going to miss opportunities to be doing

that type of ongoing assessment and and potentially pivoting where we need to pivot so an important part of this process is going to be the kind of the kpis and the metrics part of this as we go

Thomas Petersongreat thanks and again i think it's great to put this in four-wheel drive we really need to move ahead here. Thanks. Council Member Hall?

Stacy HallThank you. Thank you for all the work that went into this. Just a couple questions on slide 6. So there's six different criteria here. Presumably a max score then would be 30 if something were to check all of the boxes in all of the most appropriate ways. Are there any of these criteria here that are more quote unquote important than the others kind of factor in equally?

Stephanie KukastaffI guess for this scoring criteria, we weighted them equally.

Stacy HallOkay. Okay. So, and then if you're, you know, if you end up with the same score for different projects, then you would look at them together, discuss them further, and see, okay, well, these scored the same, but we really think X is better than Y in the short term compared to the long term.

Stephanie KukastaffYes, and there were multiple ties. So we evaluated those, and there were some where one project actually got a lower score than another. So an example of that was our solar panel assessment ranked lower than the installations, but you have to do the assessment before you can do the installations, so those were swapped. So it wasn't perfectly ranked based on the scoring, so we had to evaluate those and make those decisions project by project. okay

Stacy Halli appreciate that thank you i

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicethink to that question too uh it's important to recognize obviously uh compliance requirements and strict grant deadlines are going to tip the scale in a lot of ways so good question but that's certainly a variable that that factored in heavily

Catherine Readcouncil member amos and then council member hardy chandler

Anthony Amosi'll be quick and won't beat a dead horse uh great work this this is looking really good i i will say on slide nine a little disheartened to options pushed out that far I know that was kind of one of the things I raised originally with the green building policy was I don't really see why you would do that without the incentives already built in to some degree and I do feel like it'll be a missed opportunity especially the current climate and how difficult it is pro forma wise to get a lot of these developments moving forward and that's not just residential but I'm talking commercial retail

Thomas Petersonthe

Anthony Amosentire markets kind of in a tough spot so just kind of wanted to reiterate that but I understand part of it is a capacity issue staffing issue but also getting an understanding of moving forward and probably working with the development community just seems a little far out for my taste

Catherine Readcouncilmember Hardy Chandler

Stacey Hardy-ChandlerSo going back to slide number seven, and this might actually add to Councilmember Amos's comments. I love a Gantt chart, and typically the ones that I use have not only the implementation and this might be a part of some of the background information that you have supporting this higher presentation, but I'm just wondering for some of the later things. Is there pre work or pre pre phased components to this that actually happened before the implementation, the green on these timelines? And I say that because sometimes you'll get into a project and you look back retrospectively and you wish You had collected some data. And just wondering if some of the other information that is supporting this presentation actually addresses some of the, you know, preparation phases that lead into the implementation that support that work that's being done and maybe address things like the incentive deadline.

If the incentive evaluation is happening, for example, later, are there steps prior to that in terms of information or data collection that are happening that we may not be aware of?

Stephanie KukastaffWell, with the green building policy, I guess to address that one, we will be creating that annual report. So we can make part of the annual report evaluating incentives. Maybe we can make that a piece of it where we gather feedback from developers so that way we can collect data as we go. So that's something we can look into so that we're gathering input from the development community in that aspect. So that is an opportunity. So, yes, I guess there definitely can be pre-work. And we will be, you know, the green building policy is a living document. So that's something that we will be constantly looking at improving. But in the proposed schedule for updating every five years, how it's written in there, is at a minimum five years that it will be updated.

So if we're directed by council to do that sooner, that's something we can look into. And then another example of pre-work is the utility data management system. So right now, we don't have a system to track up all of our utility data. and that data is critical for the development of our climate action plan. So we're going to need a lot of data and information that will be used to develop the greenhouse gas inventories and climate action planning strategies. So having that utility data management set up first is definitely one of those steps that we need that information first before moving on to the planning effort. So that was something that we considered as well in the ranking of projects.

Stacey Hardy-ChandlerOkay. And so if I heard you correctly, some of the projects sequentially need to happen in order to support later projects and are actually the pre-work for some of the later projects. Is that kind of the case?

Stephanie KukastaffYes.

Stacey Hardy-ChandlerOkay. Okay. So I just wanted to emphasize that there may be things that happen before implementation. And so that's really helpful. you

Catherine Readother questions or comments councilmember Bates

Billy BatesI just want to thank you for your extensive work on this so just clarify the solar feasibility assessment and solar energy installations that includes city buildings except for schools is that right because schools are in the I believe the SCPS queue for their installations?

Stephanie KukastaffIt's actually both. So schools will definitely be more complicated. So I have started talking with our city schools administrator to see how that can happen. It can happen. However, it's very complicated because Fairfax County public schools pay the utility bills. But the city is responsible for any kind of infrastructure upgrades to our city school buildings. And that would include solar panels. So if we do want solar panels on our city schools, the city would need to fund those. However, it's a mixed incentive because the cost savings would then go to Fairfax County public schools. So we would have to have some kind of arrangement with them so we could somehow see the cost savings. So there would be another layer of complexity that we would have to work out some agreement there.

So that way we are seeing the benefits from reducing our utility bills from solar.

Billy BatesOkay. So there is a possibility that schools might be included in that after all, depending on how that works out.

Stephanie KukastaffYes. And we might even get it sooner with the upgrades that are being completed at our city schools. So I'm part of those discussions, and I am advocating to hopefully either make our roofs solar ready to ensure that our schools can support solar or somehow get solar in those major renovation projects. So I am working with them to figure out the feasibility of that. So one of the schools, the roof cannot support solar, but they are putting it in a new roof. So one of the things we're evaluating is do we have enough funding to make our roof more structurally supportive so we can install solar panels on it? So I guess there's multiple complexities there due to the funding structure and also roof structural capacity.

Billy BatesYeah, that's great to hear. As I recall, yeah, I do recall hearing that they were talking about making them solar ready, but great to hear that there's maybe possibly more that we're thinking about doing there. Yeah, so that's otherwise, again, you know, thank you for all your work on this, and I have faith in your judgment on how these were ranked in the implementation schedule. Thank you.

Thomas PetersonThank you. Council Member Peterson. So, Zaya, I want to ask the regional issue, and I think we always have to do what's right for us. On the other hand, what we can do is oftentimes affected by what others are doing around us. And I know that you are networked into the region and the advancements that other jurisdictions and your peer group are making on these kinds of issues in other areas. overall when you look across the whole package here how do you i guess compare this or benchmark us with other jurisdictions in the region in terms of their level of focus and investment on these kinds of issues

Stephanie Kukastaffoverall i mean we are a small city so in some ways the larger jurisdictions are ahead of us so arlington fairfax county alexandria do have very aggressive sustainability So in some cases we are behind, but we are catching up. One of the initiatives we do have planned is a sustainability strategic plan. And as part of that plan, I am suggesting that we benchmark ourselves. And one of the criteria programs we can use is the Lead for Cities framework. And so with that plan, we can then benchmark ourselves not only with jurisdictions in the region, but nationwide using the Lead for Cities framework. so we can use that to identify what new initiatives, programs, policies we can adopt to bring us to that higher level to improve the city's sustainability.

Thomas PetersonWell, great. Good to hear. And then on green buildings, my understanding is we're not alone in having a green buildings policy. Fairfax County, for instance, has an established policy. And I think this came up earlier. I don't think they include incentives for that. And one of the things that came up in the earlier conversation is the need for us to get started with the simplest program possible to get that established. And we certainly have a precedent in Fairfax County for them having done that. So this is a great, really a great step forward here that we're acting without delay to get this policy moving forward. And there's great precedent for that right here in the county itself. So thanks again.

anything else the

Catherine Readonly thing I will say is I think the key to all of this is that we have made a commitment of resources staff and we have prioritized this as something that's important to the city you know a five-year plan based on technology that is probably going to change so many times between now and 2032 that we don't even know and it just seems to go faster and faster and is a great plan but more more so it's the process you know allusions have been made to all the work that you did in your spreadsheet to kind of get to where we are as far as the the criteria you know and I have faith that this city has made a commitment to be at the forefront based on the resources that we have to give to this that this will be a priority and I hope that is true

regardless of who is sitting on this dais from now through 20 2032 that we will always prioritize and put resources in to being green to being sustainable to looking out for what we can do on climate and what we can do to help our residents and our businesses get on board too because some of this we can do and part of this is inspiring everyone to do what they can do and and this is to tell everybody we don't know what we don't know and sometimes you can't prepare for what you don't know but what you can prepare for is we will always prioritize this and keep it centered as a place where we are going to continue to put resources and so that i think is a consensus that i have heard from all the remarks here tonight on this plan so thank you again for the presentation and

for sharing with us the work that you've done so far thank you very much

Speaker 11thank you

Catherine Readand with that i convene the regular meeting and turn this over to our city manager. Thank you, Mayor and

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceCouncil. Future meeting topics. We covered this in pretty significant detail in our last meeting. Earlier today, you should have received your initial information on the 23rd meeting, and so there was some detail associated with that that you would have received. just as a review we had the green building policy today and then you'll see that adoption in public hearing on the next agenda on consent we have purchasing resolution and changes that need to be made there and then a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign the standard project agreement with nbta for the blendem project so those items are coming to you also have again amendments made to chapter 86 based on code changes at the state level

and then the public hearing on compensation for mayor and council scheduled for public hearing work sessions will be on the review and updates to small area plans and also on the north facts linear park design guidelines again much of that information has come to you today happy to answer any questions over the next week or so i think we've offered some one-on-ones to you on some of these these items too so looking forward to that next meeting on july 7th as we've just discussed before there'll be discussion on an application for gallery at city center we will bring back city level of service and dynamic capital impact model i think we discussed that today with staff and will probably offer one-on-ones with you ahead of that discussion so we can answer

any questions that's a pretty significant topic there also hoping to bring back on a little bit of a lighter note media scribe and our translation and and get a kind of an overview and and demo and and hopefully use of of that system that important system we've talked before about the consideration of award a construction contract for university drive you're going to see this twice both listed on the 14th and 28th depending on when we can get those items on the agenda um so those are those are coming forward um the 14th will be busy as we talk urban forest master plan bring you an update on that housing trust fund an update there an ongoing discussion on the small area plan zoning ordinance amendments and then a follow-up discussion on on code of ethics

moving into the 28th we'll bring back adus as we've talked about detached adus and that discussion at a public hearing and we have slated in here tentatively the one percent item depending on what happens in Richmond over the coming weeks. In the work session for the 28th we talked about the briefing on 3541 Chain Bridge Road and a redevelopment there and also the Courthouse Plaza as a application will be on that work session. That takes us to our break. However, I will note on here for the first, that'll be our first opportunity to meet earlier. We will certainly want to schedule as a staff and take any input from you on items to ensure we take advantage of that time at the work session to do work session.

And so we'll do that. And listed on here also, we have a tentative discussion on youth sports. I will take the time now to say that, you know, there's been ongoing community dialogue about youth sports. I know that we had a forum and we participated in a forum around that issue recently. We believe that it created somewhat of a framework to continue the discussion. We certainly would want to be a participant in that discussion, but I think there's still a lot of work to do around that. I've asked Stacy Summerfield to address any questions or concerns the council may have, but we would like to continue that momentum and to be part of that discussion and bring back potentially solutions, adjustments at that September 1st work session.

But I want to make that point because I know there's still some concern in the community, MORE SO FOCUSED I THINK ON SOCCER PROGRAMMING AND WE'RE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THAT AND WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THAT. SO WANTED TO RAISE THAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THIS DISCUSSION AND LET COUNCIL KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY GUIDANCE OR INPUT FROM YOU RELATIVE TO THAT.

Catherine ReadCOUNCILMEMBER HALL.

Stacy HallI THINK SEPTEMBER 1ST WAS THE TIME WE Should we expect that more things then will be added to that? That was

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicemy yeah, I think I was trying to say that earlier Yeah Yes,

Catherine Readthe only thing I will say is is we're looking at this We have a dwindling number of work sessions and meetings with the break in October I mean in August break in August, you know It's it's fewer meetings than you probably are realizing and fewer work sessions so that September 1st work session after the break might have a lot of things on it in fact I fully expect it will have a lot of things on it because we have such a limited number of meetings after that work session in order to actually vote on things that are going to be voted on by this council so just be aware time time is passing councilmember Peterson I

Thomas Petersonthink we discussed this last time I just in case July 14 under consent the construction contract for University Drive bike lanes which segment of University Drive is that your call

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicethe segment that we're talking about

Melanie Zippstaffby voicethis is a segment from North Street to Leighton Hall and then there's a change to the Leighton Hall intersection taking away the slip lane making that a i believe a four-way stop um with a right hand turn

Thomas Petersonand is there i think we may have raised this is there a plan for the segment that goes from there all the way down to fairfax boulevard with i can bike lane enhancement

Melanie Zippstaffby voicethere is not at this time um we have done the traffic calming along that intersection i mean along that stretch between layton hall and fairfax boulevard so adding in bike lanes along with the chicane chicanes the little curves will be difficult to do there isn't a plan right now for that there could be the option of putting sharrows in that area but it's not scheduled at this time. Okay,

Thomas Petersonthanks. And then just if you could clarify, we're canceling a University Drive intersection improvement project. That's number two, the tentative consideration of resolution to cancel. That's right after it, the second item there.

Melanie Zippstaffby voiceYes. I'm trying to think of what intersection that is. Oh, I know what it is. Sorry. The plan or the thought was that we were going to have to do a signalized intersection at Layton Hall and University Drive. We no longer are required. We don't require the signalization. So we're just returning those funds. And no dollars have been spent on that project.

Catherine ReadThanks. Council Member Hall.

Stacy HallThe University Drive just made me dog my memory a little bit. are we closely monitoring accidents at Fairfax Boulevard and University Drive? I know we've had conversations about the it's a left turn lane and a right and straight lane and I know that there's been signage added on both sides. I know Wendy's not here but I feel like that's still a very concerning intersection. I know I don't I don't love I don't mind turning left when I leave university to go on to fabrics boulevard from like the um compass coffee or andy's side of it but coming down university i feel like every time i go through that to continue straight it's it's like i'm ready i'm on the horn i'm ready to i'm happy i have my camera going in my car like

it's just it's concerning there still and i understand why we don't make it a right and straight lane but on the other hand some days i feel like people just end up going in the right left turn and a straight lane you sit there forever and you might be four or five cars back and you might not get to actually go through the intersection so I do feel like there should be some additional analysis of that intersection if there's no other opposition up here as to why we shouldn't but I just I don't think it's a very efficient use of that intersection for the timing of the lights so

Catherine Readthank you any other questions or comments at this point Mr. City Manager?

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceI have nothing more to

Catherine Readreport. Nothing more. Nothing more. All right. So that is our future meeting topic. So now I'm going to ask for the manager's report out. Nothing

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceelse for

Catherine Readme to report

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicetoday. Thank

Catherine Readyou. Oh, wow. You've done the whole thing. All right. In that case, we will do council comments. This time I'm going to start with Council Member Hardy Chandler.

Stacey Hardy-ChandlerWell, thank you. I'm going to just start out with really being impressed by all of the proclamations that we had today. And I just feel a strong connection to all of them. I feel for the waste and recycling workers. I know it's appreciation week, but I certainly appreciate them every Tuesday when they come by my home. and I just know the contribution that they make to our city that's often, as you mentioned, Mayor, overlooked. So every Tuesday is a waste and recycling appreciation for me. The Juneteenth acknowledgement, I was very honored to be awarded the Legacy of Freedom Award last year, and I just think this is a celebration for our community. We talk repeatedly about how inclusive and welcoming

we are. This is another signal of that that really reflects the evolution of what we celebrate. What we celebrate tells a story. And so again, I was very honored to be an award winner last year, and I absolutely plan to be at the celebration this year. And I encourage everyone to attend the celebration. The City Connection graduates was so happy to welcome them during the first day of their cohort and to now see them graduate. Really excited about the contributions that they have been making to our city and will continue to make with this additional information about local government and about all of the departments and everything they learned along the way. So really the beginning and the end of that for this particular cohort was particularly

rewarding for me. And CPR month, just my husband, because he knows CPR, during the time that, I want to say a year and a half ago, he was at a banquet. And because of what he had learned in in terms of CPR, he was actually able to save someone who was at the banquet. So all of these proclamations just feel like they're very close to home for me. And the other thing I just wanted to highlight was I really appreciate everyone who came out to the youth sports forum that we had on June. What is the month now? May 28th. We have to, I think. I think we have a responsibility as public servants to provide spaces for people to have conversations about what we value, how we're going to express that value, how we're going to work together as a community, how we're going to exhibit sportsmanship.

And so I think it was definitely not intended to be an ending, but a beginning. So I echo the city manager's comments about a commitment to seeing how this moves forward, not only for youth sports, but perhaps for other conversations that we need to get together and have around the same table. So I'm looking forward to what's going to evolve around that. And again, I think having hosting spaces for those kinds of conversations to happen is a really important part of public service. So that's the end of my comments. Thank you very much.

Catherine ReadAnd thank you. Councilmember Amos?

Anthony AmosThree quick things. I want to echo Councilmember Hardy Chandler's comments regarding Juneteenth and wanted to give a shout out as well for an event this Saturday over at Vienna Baptist Church, the Juneteenth Parade. So in addition to our ceremony next week, feel free to drop by that. I also want to recognize my church. They're hosting a cabaret Saturday evening at 7 o'clock. They're doing it for fundraising for annual partnership they do with Feed My Starving Children, where we do meal packing for kids around the world. And so highly recommend stopping by that and supporting them in that effort. And then just to also share the sentiments regarding the CPR training, as I shared earlier, 47% of cases were civilian.

CPR, resuscitation, and chest compression saves lives. So be sure to be well-trained. And if any of you watch YouTube and watch Dr. Mike, he always goes chest compressions, chest compressions, chest compressions. So make sure you know that. Councilmember Hall.

Stacy HallThank you. I just want to acknowledge the Wear Orange National Gun Violence Awareness Event that we attended on Sunday. It was great to be there. Councilmember Bates did a great job reading the proclamation in your absence. and it was just nice to see members of our community and the community at large come out to support something that is really near and dear. Again, very proud of this council for passing the firearms ordinance that we did. It's not perfect and it's not going to catch everything, but it certainly, like everything else we do, it kind of draws the line in the sand and says where we stand and what we're willing to tolerate. So thank you again to this council for making that happen.

I was very happy and pleased with the rest of you up here of Fairfax High School last week. It's always bittersweet since now my son is gonna be moving into that senior year one. I've always been the parent that just got to take the photos of other people's students and send them to them and get so excited and I'm gonna be a hot mess. I do want to congrats Old Glory on their match win over the weekend. They beat the team from Chicago. It was a fantastic match. The weather could not have been better. It was a little hot, but it was great. We had a really, really great time, and there was a ton of people there. Lots of residents were there. It was just a great, great opportunity, and if you did not attend a match this year, I highly

encourage you to check them out for next year. They're just amazing people, and I think one of my favorite things about them when we went to the very first dinner after the first match is that they invite the other team and they go there and they get together and they actually give awards to each of the teams you know they talk about like what great things the other team did and they all have a beer together and they all just have a really really good time and they play really hard on the field on the pitch and then they they come back and they hang out and i just think that's a really really cool example of what we all should strive to do and that kind of relationship that you know you put it all out there and then you still come back and then at

least be cordial and friendly to each other. Finally, I would like to wish in advance a happy Father's Day to all who celebrate on Sunday, June 21st. I kind of thought we were going to have another meeting between now and then, but we don't, and I'm not complaining. But so thank you to all of the fathers or stepfathers or whatever type of father you are to somebody else, father figure, anything. Our kids really need this. If you can do anything to help another child somewhere, please feel free. Thank you for everyone.

Catherine ReadCouncil Member Peterson.

Thomas PetersonI want to actually also thank everybody who was involved in celebrating the occasion on Sunday against gun violence. I had a chance to talk to Chief Pedroso while while we were there and he did express real appreciation for actions the council took altogether above and beyond the ordinance itself to put in place additional capacity for crime safety analysis and the police department. He felt that that was a very important enabling thing for the program. He also expressed real appreciation for the action that we took to try to foster greater cooperation and integration between our health and human services and police departments and to tap into the behavioral health management programs that are really emerging in this area.

So I think the council really deserves a lot of credit for going above and beyond and in this case not only doing an ordinance but strengthening it to ensure that there was some actual implementation capacity added to make this happen. that everybody who was there really appreciated that and it was a complete effort so much appreciated I wanted to double check June 30 is the Blenheim Boulevard construction information meeting here at City Hall is that correct I have that at five o'clock that's correct

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voiceyeah I think we we just received notice of that today we'll spend some more time together a message to you regarding that and then we'll flesh out a little bit more of what the communication strategy is going to be around that project and every other project that's going to be happening around that area so we have that significant piece but there will be a lot of other communication about how we're coordinating and deconflicting and explaining all the various things that are happening around that road as time goes on

Thomas Petersonreally appreciate that this so the meeting on June 30 is a meeting for the public

Daniel Alexanderstaffby voicethat's that's the intent

Thomas Petersonokay really good timing as I think everybody knows things are a bit busy on Blenheim Boulevard right now the construction and everything going on there a lot of interest I know everybody in Country Club Hills Daniels Run Woods Great Oaks Farcroft people who are going and coming from Fairfax High School Daniels Run elementary st leo's van dyke park you name it this is a really busy stretch and right now it's beginning this whole process that's going to run a stretch site I would just like to make sure the public is aware of this and to invite everybody to come on in and be a part of this and everything else you do it's a really important project but the way that it's carried out is going to be

really important as well so thank you so much for really paying attention to that The last thing I'd like to say is that Juneteenth is a day for celebration and commemoration, and it should be taken very seriously as a part of our nation's history. There's another part of Juneteenth that is a little bit different for me personally. I lost my sister Juneteenth last year, June 19, and I just wanted to acknowledge that we all miss her, and many people got to know her through my work here in the city and I wanted to be sure that we all continue to remember Sue she played a really active part in my campaign she played an active part in the work that I had done until she passed away on the council and I just wanted to you know share that and let my

family know that we're thinking of her too because like anybody who's had a loss in a family it affects a lot of people so thanks councilmember Bates I

Billy Batesjust want to echo my colleagues acknowledgments and congratulations and condolences and also thank our staff for another wonderful Fairfax pride this past Saturday really you know a powerful moment for the community and just want to express my support for continuing to celebrate the contributions and the lives of members of the LGBTQ community in Fairfax. Thank you.

Catherine ReadCouncil Member McQuillan.

Rachel McQuillenYes, I wanted to thank everyone, all of staff who presented this evening. Thank you for all of the time and attention you've put into all of the green building policy, everything. I also want to say a special thank you to our Fairfax City Fire Department for their CPR work with our Catherine Johnson Middle School students. One of those students was my child, and he came home right away and told me all about what he learned and how if I was choking, he's got it. We're good. We're not choking. I'm sorry. If I was in an emergency, he's got it, and I'm good. but over 14 1 450 students is is pretty incredible and so I just wanted to give a big shout out because they do it every year I also want to wish all of our middle school and elementary school

students city school school students a wonderful and smooth last day and a safe summer next week I know you guys are are hanging in there as is all the teachers and school staff I also wanted a happy birthday. She had her birthday a few days ago and also wish all of those fathers out there a wonderful Father's Day coming up.

Catherine ReadThank you. All right. I just want to say thank you to Council Member Bates for doing the proclamation for the Wear Orange Day. He ably covered that event as the acting mayor while I was gone this weekend. I want to thank everyone who came out for the pride event at the sherwood center on saturday at 11. i was at 11 a.m sitting in the notre dame basilica in montreal thinking of you all and hoping as council member bates expressed that our community will continue to be accepted and protected and safe in our city in our commonwealth and in our country but i appreciate all who came out to celebrate pride is all the month of june so So find a pride event. The other thing I would say is congratulations to George Mason University.

They just hired their new provost, Marion K. Underwood, from Colorado State University, who will be joining the university on July 27th. I think we should all make friends with the people next door. And the coach's caravan on Saturday, the 27th of June, will be in Old Town Square. And, again, we are fortunate to live next door to one of 131 R1 research universities. It provides opportunities for us. It provides opportunity for the students. And I know that this council is focused on how we can take our relationship with the university and make it a win-win for everyone involved. So looking forward to meeting Provost Underwood. And with that, I am now going to adjourn this meeting at 9.13 p.m. on Tuesday.

Thank you.