City Council · Mar 25, 2025

City Council Meeting

▶ Watch recording Agenda Minutes Read the transcript4h 20m · 10 agenda items · 3 votes, all unanimous · 14 tracked topics, 3 in the wiki

4h 20m total — hover for items, click a segment to watch that part.

What was decided

4
Adoption of the agenda
Agenda approved unanimously.
Passed, unanimous
watch 15:04
6a
Consideration of the March 11, 2025 Regular Meeting minutes
Consent agenda approved unanimously, including the March 11, 2025 Regular Meeting minutes.
Passed, unanimous
not chaptered
✓15
Closed meeting – Consultation with legal counsel (non-litigation and actual/probable litigation)
Council convened a closed meeting at 11:21 p.m. under Section 2.2-3711.A.7 of the Code of Virginia and reconvened at 11:45 p.m. Council certified compliance with Virginia FOIA requirements by a 6-0 vote.
Passed, unanimous · 2 motions on this item
- Legal counsel consultation (non-litigation and actual/probable litigation)Council held a closed meeting for consultation with legal counsel on non-litigation matters and actual/probable litigation, then certified FOIA compliance upon reconvening.
watch 260:15

Presented

2 (special)
Closed meeting – Board and Commission interviews, appointments, and personnel matters · Council convened a closed meeting prior to the regular session to conduct interviews for Boards and Commissions, discuss appointments, and discuss personnel matters.
- Boards and Commissions Appointments[2 (special)] Council convened a special closed session to conduct interviews and discuss appointments to Boards and Commissions, as well as personnel matters.
3a
Proclamation – Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31, 2025 · proclamation, Proclamation presented by the Mayor to Reverend Emma Chattin of Metropolitan Community Church of Northern Virginia
- Transgender Day of VisibilityMayor Read presented a proclamation acknowledging March 31, 2025 as Transgender Day of Visibility in the City of Fairfax.
3b
Proclamation – Procurement Professionals Month, March · proclamation, Proclamation presented by the Mayor to Patti Innocenti (Procurement Manager), J.C. Martinez (Chief Financial Officer), and David Kundid (Contract Specialist)
- Procurement Professionals MonthMayor Read presented a proclamation acknowledging March as Procurement Professionals Month in the City of Fairfax.
7a
Public hearing on the Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvements Project · Public hearing held; no Council action taken. Transportation Director Wendy Sanford presented the staff report. Several residents spoke, both in support and opposition. The project has advanced to intermediate design/public hearing stage, prior to right-of-way acquisition.
- Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvementsin progresswikiPublic hearing held at the intermediate design stage. No Council action was required. Residents provided comments on the project design prior to right-of-way acquisition.
- Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place IntersectionThe intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place is the subject of planned improvements currently at the intermediate design/public hearing stage.
watch 53:45
7b
Public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget · Public hearing opened; no Council action taken. Multiple residents spoke regarding the budget, including requests to maintain arts funding (Fall for the Book, City of Fairfax Theatre Company, Fairfax Band Association) and opposition to a proposed real estate tax increase. The Mayor stated the public hearing would remain open until April 8, 2025.
- FY 2026 Budgetin progressPublic hearing opened on the proposed FY26 budget; the hearing was left open until April 8, 2025, with no Council action taken at this meeting. Council held a work session to discuss the proposed FY26 budget in detail; no formal action was taken.
- Fall for the BookMultiple speakers requested that the City Council maintain funding for the Fall for the Book festival in the FY26 budget.
- City of Fairfax Theatre CompanyRepresentatives of the City of Fairfax Theatre Company requested continued City Council support in the FY26 budget.
- Fairfax Band AssociationThe Director of the Fairfax Band Association requested continued City Council support for the association and the arts in the FY26 budget.
- Pickett Road Connector Trailin progresswikiOne speaker recommended cutting expenses on the Pickett Road Trail as part of budget reduction measures.
watch 105:18
11a
Work Session – Discussion on the proposed FY26 budget · Council recessed to a work session at 9:17 p.m. to discuss the proposed FY26 budget and reconvened the regular meeting at 11:02 p.m. No formal action taken.
watch 145:39
14
Council Comments and Committee reports out · Councilmembers offered comments including support for arts funding, Transgender Day of Visibility, and an upcoming Budget Open House. Councilmember Peterson requested a future work session on boards and commissions. The Mayor confirmed that Councilmembers Peterson and Bates would attend an upcoming meeting with VDOT regarding the George Snyder Trail.
- George Snyder Trailin progresswikiCouncilmember Peterson noted the Council is working toward a permanent resolution; the Mayor confirmed that Councilmembers Peterson and Bates would attend an upcoming meeting with VDOT and city staff to discuss the project.
- Boards and Commissions work sessionCouncilmember Peterson requested a work session after the budget to discuss boards and commissions, including conflict of interest forms.
- Budget Open HousecompletedCouncilmember McQuillen encouraged the public to attend the Budget Open House at the Stacey Sherwood Center on April 2, 2025.
watch 241:47

Recording · 4h 20m

▶ Watch from the start

15:044 · Adoption of the agenda
53:457a · Public hearing on the Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvements Project
105:187b · Public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget
145:3911a · Work Session – Discussion on the proposed FY26 budget
241:4714 · Council Comments and Committee reports out
260:1515 · Closed meeting – Consultation with legal counsel (non-litigation and actual/probable litigation)
Other items are not chaptered in the recording.

Topics touched · 14

Boards and Commissions Appointments
The City Council regularly conducts interviews and makes appointments to its various boards and commissions through a recurring process that involves closed sessions (typically held as special meetings or work sessions prior to regular meetings) followed by formal approval of appointments in open session. This process has occurred consistently across the tracked period from July 2024 through September 2025, with closed sessions convened on at least twelve separate occasions.
- The outcome of the September 16, 2025 closed meeting on Boards and Commissions interviews, appointments, and personnel matters has not yet been recorded.
- The outcome of the June 17, 2025 closed meeting on Boards and Commissions interviews, appointments, and personnel matters has not been confirmed (no minutes or actions report available).
Transgender Day of Visibility
Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) is an international observance founded in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall to celebrate the achievements of transgender and gender non-conforming people and raise awareness of the discrimination they face. The City of Fairfax has issued proclamations recognizing March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility for at least two consecutive years.
Procurement Professionals Month
Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvementsin progress
The Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvements project involves proposed physical changes to the intersection of Chain Bridge Road and Eaton Place within the city. The project was first discussed by City Council during a Special Meeting/Work Session on February 18, 2025 (agenda item 4d), at which no formal action was taken.
- Right-of-way acquisition has not yet occurred; the project must advance through that stage before construction can proceed.
- No Council vote or formal action on the project design has been taken to date; future Council action on design approval or right-of-way authorization is an anticipated next step.
This meeting in the wiki Overview
Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection
The Chain Bridge Road/Eaton Place Intersection Improvements is a City of Fairfax transportation project aimed at improving conditions at that intersection. The project was first discussed by City Council at a Special Meeting/Work Session on February 18, 2025, with no formal action taken at that time.
- No formal Council action has been taken following the March 25, 2025 public hearing; the next steps (e.g., Council vote on the project, right-of-way acquisition authorization) have not yet been…
- The project must still proceed through right-of-way acquisition before construction can advance.
FY 2026 Budgetin progress
The FY 2026 Budget covers the City of Fairfax's general and sub-fund appropriations, capital improvement program (FY 2026–2030), schedule of rates and levies, and real estate and personal property tax rates. Budget development began in fall 2024, with Parks and Recreation enhancements (staffing conversions, City Jobs program, Heritage programs) proposed in November 2024.
Fall for the Book
Fall for the Book is a local nonprofit literary festival that has been operating since 1997, founded as a partnership between the City of Fairfax, George Mason University, and the Fairfax County Public Library. The City of Fairfax has been a one-third owner/partner since 1998, providing an annual $25,000 grant that represents approximately 15% of the organization's budget.
- Whether the City Council ultimately retained, reduced, or eliminated the $25,000 Fall for the Book grant in the adopted FY26 budget is not recorded in the available material.
City of Fairfax Theatre Company
The City of Fairfax Theatre Company is a local performing arts organization founded in 2009 that has operated in the City of Fairfax for over a decade. It provides theatrical performances and arts education programs to the community.
- The outcome of the FY26 budget process — specifically whether the City of Fairfax Theatre Company received continued funding — is not recorded in the available material.
Fairfax Band Association
Pickett Road Connector Trailin progress
The Pickett Road Connector Trail is a planned trail project in Fairfax City that has been part of the city's comprehensive plan and funded through transportation dollars, having originated in the Parks Strategic Plan. The project drew sustained public opposition beginning at least in January 2025, primarily from residents and groups such as Friends of Akatank Creek concerned about impacts to remnant forests and wetlands in the Akatank Creek watershed.
- The Pickett Road Safety Audit is anticipated to begin in August 2026 — outcome and any impact on the trail design are pending.
- It is unclear whether the October public outreach meeting for Foxcroft Colony and Scout on the Circle residents was held and what conclusions or commitments, if any, resulted.
This meeting in the wiki Overview
George Snyder Trailin progress
The George Snyder Trail was a planned shared-use path project (VDOT UPC 112816) in the City of Fairfax aimed at improving multimodal connectivity along Fairfax Boulevard. The project received $20.6 million in I-66 Outside the Beltway concessionaire funding.
- The Wilcoxon Trail Extension (formerly George Snyder Trail Extension) feasibility study and alignment modification are ongoing — VDOT has preliminarily indicated the modification would not negatively…
- The financial consequences of cancellation — including repayment obligations for project expenditures — were referenced but not fully resolved in the record; the total amount given back between…
This meeting in the wiki Overview
Boards and Commissions work session
Budget Open Housecompleted
The City of Fairfax Budget Open House is a public engagement format in which residents and business owners can interact directly with city staff and elected officials about the city's budget. Two instances are documented in this record.
- As of March 24, 2026, it had not been publicly confirmed whether a budget open house would be held during the FY 2027 spring budget cycle (Council Member Peterson raised this question explicitly at…
Legal counsel consultation (non-litigation and actual/probable litigation)

“This meeting in the wiki” opens the topic’s history at this date.

Documents · 10

Reporter1
Closed Meeting Motion2
- Closed Meeting Motion 1
- Closed Meeting Motion 2
Presentation Memo1
Motion1
Consent Agenda Motion1
Draft Minutes1
Staff Report1
Presentation1
Minutes1

Filed in agenda order; the agenda names the item each belongs to.