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The Council Connection
your connection to City Council by:
Mayor Justin M. Wilson
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Alexandria, Virginia
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February 1, 2020
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In This Edition

Council Initiatives
Freedom House Purchased
Preserving Affordable Housing
Ethics & Transparency in Government
Facility Collocation
Virginia Tech
Enhanced West End Bus
Host a Town Hall
Upcoming Issues: Eisenhower East, Pocket Park Planning & Road Paving

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Quick Links
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E-Mail Me [mailto:[email protected]]
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Past Newsletters [[link removed]]
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City of Alexandria Website [[link removed]]
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Pay City Taxes Online [[link removed]]
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Review Real Estate Assessments [[link removed]]
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Crime Mapping & Statistics [[link removed]]
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Call.Click.Connect [[link removed]]
(Submit Service Requests to City Agencies)
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Board & Commission Vacancies [[link removed]]
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Real-Time Traffic Data [[link removed]]
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Alexandria Health Department Restaurant Inspections [[link removed]]
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Report Potholes [[link removed]]
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Schedule Child Safety Seat Inspection [[link removed]]
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Smoke Detector Installation Request [[link removed]]
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Real Estate Tax Receipt Calculator [[link removed]]
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License Your Dog or Cat [[link removed]]
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Report a Street Light Outage [[link removed]]
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Events/Updates
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President's Day Parade
The annual George Washington Birthday parade returns to the streets of Old Town!
[[link removed]]
On Monday, February 17th from 1 PM - 3 PM, the parade is always an essential part
of the season!
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Stormwater Fee Credit Application
Are you an Alexandria property owner who is implementing stormwater best practices
[[link removed]]
on your property?
Between now and February 15th, you can apply for credits off your fee. Full information
including the online submission form is available. [[link removed]]
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Presidential Primary
On Tuesday March 3rd voters across Alexandria will go to the polls to participate
in the Democratic Primary to choose our next President [[link removed]].
Voting locations will be open from 6 AM until 7 PM. The sample ballot is available
online for review. [[link removed]]
Absentee voting has already begun for this primary, both in person at 132 N. Royal
Street or by mail. You may apply to receive a ballot by mail online. [[link removed]]
The Republican Party will not be holding a primary in Virginia to nominate a candidate
for President. A statewide convention will be held later this year.
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Free Tax Assistance
Starting today, eligible Alexandria residents can receive assistance in completing
their Federal taxes.
Sessions are held on Saturdays and Wednesdays between now and April 11th. [[link removed]]
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The City Academy
The City is accepting applications for participating in our City Academy. [[link removed]]
The nine week program, beginning in March, will help you understand the way your
government works!
You may apply online today [[link removed]].
The deadline is this Friday.
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Community Police Academy
Sign up now to participate in the Alexandria Community Police Academy. [[link removed]]
This acclaimed program is one of the Police Department's key public outreach efforts.
Sign up today! [[link removed]]
The deadline is Friday.
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Eco-City Academy
The City's newest academy is the Eco-City Academy. [[link removed]]
This 6 week program begins April 1st and will equip residents to be Eco-City Ambassadors!
Sign up today! [[link removed]]
The deadline is Friday February 12th.
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Arlandria and Del Ray Planning
Our Planning Department continues outreach related to the update of the Arlandria
and Del Ray Plans.
Today, from 10 AM until noon at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, our staff will
conduct an Open House. [[link removed]]
Please stop by and share your thoughts!
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Summer Camp Fair
Working to plan your child's summer and need help?
The Alexandria PTA Council will be hosting their annual Summer Camp Fair on Tuesday
February 20th from 5:30 PM until 8 PM at the T. C. Williams Cafeteria. [[link removed]]
This event brings together over 40 summer camps of all kinds!
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Mental Health First Aid
To improve our community's response to those in mental health crisis, our City sponsors
free Mental Health First Aid training. [[link removed]]
There is training for youth and adults. Sign up online today. [[link removed]]
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Be A Snow Buddy!
Volunteer Alexandria and the City work together to recruit "Snow Buddies." [[link removed]]
Snow Buddies work across our City to help residents who are unable to clear snow
during inclement weather.
Sign up today!
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REVIVE Training
Twice a month the City offers free training to residents seeking to learn how to
spot and reverse an opioid overdose. [[link removed]]
No RSVP is required, and attendees receive a free medical kit upon completion.
Help become a lifesaver in our community!
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Welcome to February! February is when City Council enters the busiest period of
our calendar.
For the past few weeks, the Alexandria Health Department has been working closely
with the Virginia Department of Health on education, surveillance and planning relating
to the "novel" coronavirus outbreak. [[link removed]]
At this point the Virginia Department of Health has not confirmed a case of the
virus in the Commonwealth, but there are patients under investigation [[link removed]].
On February 18th, the City Manager will present his proposed Fiscal Year 2021 Operating
Budget and a 10 year Capital Improvement Program.
Once the budget is presented the Council begins a busy schedule of worksessions
[[link removed]]
designed to explore each portion of the proposed budget documents.
Your input is very valuable in this process.
Let me know how I can help. Please contact me anytime [mailto:[email protected]]
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Council Initiatives
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Freedom House
Between 1828 and 1861, over 100,000 enslaved African-Americans passed through 1315
Duke Street in the City of Alexandria. This building was the headquarters for one
of the largest domestic slave trading operations in our nation. [[link removed]]
The City has now agreed to purchase the building from the Northern Virginia Urban
League to ensure the preservation of this important historic resource. [[link removed]]
While the purchase will be locally funded [[link removed]],
the Governor has proposed $2.4 million of state funding in his budget [[link removed]]
to support the rehabilitation and development of the historic resources on the site
Operating from a prominent location, this human trafficking operation brought enslaved
African-Americans from the Chesapeake Bay area to a holding pen surrounding the
building, where they were then forced by foot or by ship to Natchez, Mississippi
or New Orleans.
Today, known as Freedom House, the building has been owned by the Northern Virginia
Urban League since 1996 and is being operated as a museum in partnership with the
City.
Last year, the City extended financial support when the Urban League's finances
prevented successful operation of the museum [[link removed]].
Facing the financial burden of supporting the maintenance of the old facility, the
Urban League placed the property on the open market. [[link removed]]
This property is a significant piece of Alexandria and our nation's history. The
history depicted in the museum today, and the history yet to be unlocked in the
building is a story that must be told. I believe we must work to ensure this history
remains accessible to the public.
Additionally, fundraising efforts have begun immediately to support private interest
in this important resource. Please join me in donating to support this effort. [[link removed]]
I am excited about the opportunity that this acquisition presents for the City to
better discover, interpret and educate the public on a vital part of American history.
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Preservation of Affordable Housing
Our City's Housing staff has now assembled the financing for the acquisition of
a West End property that had been on the market. [[link removed]]
With this purchase, which closed earlier this week, the building and its units will
be preserved as committed affordable housing.
The Avana Alexandria Apartments [[link removed]]
is a building located at 3001 Park Center Drive. It consists of 326 apartments,
with most currently affordable at market rates to residents making 70% - 80% of
the Area Median Income.
The purchase was made by the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation [[link removed]]
(AHDC), a housing development non-profit created by the City, and it will represent
two firsts:

* As part of the Commonwealth's Amazon incentive package, the Virginia Housing Development
Authority (VHDA) was provided new resources to invest in areas potentially impacted
by the new Amazon housing demand. This is the first proposed use of those funds.

* JBG Smith, one of the largest private developers in the region, recently created
the Washington Housing Initiative [[link removed]].
With the related Impact Pool, JBG Smith has created an investment vehicle to provide
financing to support affordable housing. This is the first ever use of this fund.
In addition to these more creative sources of funding, the City is also providing
$8 million of lending to support this acquisition.
Last month the City hosted our 2020 Housing Summit [[link removed]].
The event was designed to draw residents and policy experts from around the region
and the nation. The attendees discussed the status of the City's implementation
of our 2013 Housing Master Plan [[link removed]]
along with discussion of our continued housing challenges and the options to address
those challenges in the future. It was a thought-provoking session and you can review
the presentations and videos for all of the sessions online [[link removed]].
During my presentation [[link removed]]
at the beginning of the session, I discussed the City's achievement toward our goal
of creating of preserving an additional 2,000 committed affordable units before
2025. Through a variety of efforts, the City has accounted for 1,404 of the 2,000
housing units we are working towards.
Of the 1,404 units 735 of them have been created through partnerships with non-profits
and the City's housing authority, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
These partnerships have typically utilized Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
(LIHTC) and braided several different funding approaches. Creating housing that
remains affordable regardless of often unforgiving market conditions, requires creativity
and a little luck.
With this purchase [[link removed]],
AHDC will be able to operate the building as committed workforce housing for decades
to come. This is an exciting arrangement that highlights the partnerships required
to make affordable housing happen in our city.
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Transparency in Our Government
Next week, nearly all elected officials in the state [[link removed]]
are required to submit an annual Statement of Economic Interests [[link removed]].
While these documents are subject to public inspection in our Clerk's office, at
my request, over four years ago, Alexandria became the first local government in
Virginia to post these disclosures online [[link removed]].
About 16 years ago, Alexandria became one of the earliest jurisdictions in Virginia
to post local campaign finance reports online [[link removed]].
Anyone can easily review who finances the campaigns of Alexandria's elected officials.
In 2009, I along with then-Councilman Smedberg and then-Councilman Krupicka, successfully
sought approval from Richmond [[link removed]]
to impose new restrictions on land-use applicants. Specifically, the new laws we
adopted require land-use applicants to reveal any financial interests that they
might have with policymakers [[link removed]].
Seven years ago, we made improvements to the motions that the City Council makes
and votes on to initiate executive sessions. These changes serve to provide our
residents with more information about the closed sessions that Council conducts.
Seven years ago, we moved the Council's work sessions from the Council Work Room
(off camera) into the Council chambers so that the public can more easily observe
our discussions.
The City also began posting online the reports of our Internal Auditor for public
review [[link removed]].
In January of 2016, the Council adopted a Transparency Resolution to consider ideas
for improving transparency in City operations [[link removed]].
The adopted resolution included language that I drafted requesting that our Clerk
begin producing an annual report detailing the Council's use of executive session
during the previous year. Executive session is a closed meeting of Council, neither
televised nor witnessed by any members of the general public, for specific purposes.
The Code of Virginia strictly limits the circumstances where the City Council can
meet in executive session [[link removed]].
As a practical matter, the sessions are used primarily to address personnel issues,
litigation strategy, and the acquisition or disposition of public property. In the
case of the latter two examples, the executive sessions are used to protect the
City's negotiating posture and thus protect the taxpayer dollar.
Before going into executive session, the Council must vote on the reason for the
executive session. After the executive session concludes, the Council must return
into public view and each member must certify that we complied with the law during
the private session.
The latest of these executive session reports is now posted and available for public
consumption [[link removed]].
It shows that the Council met in executive session 14 times during the last Council
term and each vote to go into executive session was unanimous.
I have always believed that, as Justice Louis Brandeis wrote in 1913, "sunlight
is said to be the best of disinfectants." I do believe that government should continue
to seek new ways to provide public accessibility to information about their government,
to ensure ethical and accountable government.
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Municipal Facility Collocation
Under-investment in our basic infrastructure has challenged our ability to provide
critical services.
Despite large efforts to address deferred capital investment in recent years, three
years ago the City stood at a crossroads. With a perfect storm of infrastructure
needs for school, sewer, city facilities, transportation and recreation, the practices
of the past will not sustain us in the future.
The City Council's adoption of the City's Operating and Capital Improvement Budget
in 2017 included making a new 10 year commitment to invest in our municipal facilities,
including new schools and new fire stations.
In adopting that budget, we knew that doing things the way we had always done them
was not sufficient. To ask that much of our taxpayers we also had to take a dramatic
step forward and bring together the disparate visions of the City and School municipal
facilities plans.
To do so, we created the new Ad Hoc Joint City-Schools Facility Investment Task
Force [[link removed]].
This blue-ribbon group brought together significant expertise to help the City prioritize
and streamline a municipal facilities vision that ensures the success of City and
School services for decades to come.
In 2017 the City Manager constituted the new Ad Hoc group, and in 2018 the group
concluded their work. You can watch the meetings and read the materials online
[[link removed]].
In concluding their work, the Task Force presented their second and final deliverable
[[link removed]]to
the City Council and School Board. These recommendations proposed a series of process
reforms designed to improve the joint management of the City's infrastructure work.
The Task Force recommended a rethinking of the processes and collaboration associated
with the development of both the City and Alexandria City Public Schools' (ACPS)
Capital Improvement Programs.
One of the findings noted by the Task Force was:
"Creative and innovative solutions that have occurred are the result of ad hoc and
reactive efforts rather than a cohesive replicable process."
They also recommended that "...leadership proactively challenge traditional practices
and methods for capital project and service delivery by exploring new best practices
to keep Alexandria competitive..."
They further encouraged "embracing opportunities such as public private partnerships.
joint use, co-location, shared municipal services, adaptive reuse..."
Implementing these recommendations requires both the City and ACPS to step out of
our comfort zones and modify processes that have been utilized for decades. Their
recommendations have provided the Council and School Board with a charge to unify
our capital budgeting processes.
Years later, things are much better. The collaboration between the City Council
and School Board, between the City Manager and the Superintendent and between the
City Staff and the ACPS Staff is far more collaborative and constructive. Here's
the latest staff report on the status of implementing these findings. [[link removed]]
Yet, we still have work to do. While we have had some success in facility collaboration,
there is still considerable opportunity to work together at each municipal site
and determine the right mix of uses, agnostic of whether these services are seen
as traditionally "school" uses or traditionally "city" uses.
In October, at a joint worksession, the Council and School Board discussed these
issues in depth. You can watch the discussion online. [[link removed]]
As we move forward, the City and the Schools are working to create a "Joint Facilities
Master Plan" to help guide future collaboration. We need your help! On Thursday
February 13th, there will be a meeting to engage members of the community in the
development of this plan. [[link removed]]
In March, the City Council and School Board will gather for our budget joint worksession.
At that session, the two bodies will discuss the adoption of facility collocation
principles to guide future collaboration.
With your input, we can more efficiently utilize our resources and respect the sacrifice
of the taxpayers who have provided them.
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Virginia Tech Campus Takes Shape
It has now been over a year since, in conjunction with the announcement of Amazon
placing a portion of its new "HQ2" in the Crystal City section of Arlington County,
Governor Northam announced that part of the Commonwealth's incentive package will
include state funds to support the creation of a new Virginia Tech "Innovation Campus"
in Alexandria [[link removed]].
Late last year, the Virginia Tech Foundation submitted its first concept plans to
the City for the construction of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus and related
office, retail and residential development [[link removed]].
To obtain early community input, a meeting was held with a presentation detailing
the submission [[link removed]].
You can watch the video of the full public presentation online [[link removed]].
Later this month, the Virginia Tech Foundation and JBG Smith will be hosting two
community meetings to educate our community on what is proposed and solicit feedback.
The first meeting will be on Thursday February 13th at the National Industries for
the Blind (3000 Potomac Avenue) at 7 PM. [[link removed]]
The second meeting will be on Wednesday February 19th at Ferdinand T. Day Elementary
School (1701 N. Beauregard Street) at 7 PM. [[link removed]]
While originally announced to be in Oakville Triangle, Virginia Tech decided that
a property in North Potomac Yard (where the movie theater currently is) made more
sense given their future growth plans. In June, the leadership of Virginia Tech
was back in Alexandria to announce the new location they had selected the property
for their future "Innovation Campus." [[link removed]]
Integral to the Commonwealth's attraction of Amazon was access to the talent Amazon
will require to grow. The creation of a new $1 billion graduate campus will provide
a pipeline of talent for our entire region [[link removed]].
In doing so, this new investment in our City will spur new job creation, catalyze
redevelopment in Potomac Yard, Oakville Triangle and beyond, as well as open up
new educational partnerships for our schools and non-profit organizations.
In November, I wrote in this newsletter about our partnership with Arlington to
ensure that the benefits of these new investments accrue to all in our communities
[[link removed]].
As this campus begins to take shape, our work continues.
The initial development approvals will come to the Planning Commission and City
Council in March, with public hearings and input opportunities at both meetings.
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Enhanced West End Bus Service
As part of the Commonwealth's I-395/95 Express Lanes project, $22 million annually
will be provided to the jurisdictions along the corridor to support new transit
initiatives.
The City submitted two successful applications for a portion of this money [[link removed]].
The second-highest rated submission was the City's proposed expansion of the DASH
AT1 route to provide more frequent service to West End locations.
This funding allowed for the creation of the new AT1 Plus, which so far has increased
monthly ridership on the route by 26%! [[link removed]]
In an environment where resources for transportation infrastructure have been shrinking,
state policymakers have frequently been enamored with public-private partnerships.
The Commonwealth has been using public-private partnerships to advance transportation
projects, including new High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. Through these arrangements,
a private entity finances a portion of the transportation improvement in exchange
for the ability to collect tolls from use.
I am skeptical of the overall merits of using these types of agreements to develop
major transportation infrastructure. Yet, that is a decision for state policymakers
not for local ones.
Under Governor McDonnell, there was an effort to create new HOT lanes on Interstate
395/95 to cover the 35 miles from the border with the District of Columbia south
to Stafford County.
Both Alexandria and Arlington had concerns over the details of the proposal. Mainly,
what impacts the operation of the new lanes would have on local streets and air
quality, as well as potential impacts to private property in order to expand the
existing highway right of way.
At the time, Arlington County filed a Federal lawsuit [[link removed]]
to oppose the proposal. While the City did not join the litigation, the City did
adopt a resolution expressing the concerns [[link removed]]
on the details of the proposal.
In the end, state Government chose to remove the section of the lanes that went
through Alexandria and Arlington.
Five years later, Governor McAuliffe and his administration made a new proposal
for extension of the HOT lanes into the District of Columbia. [[link removed]]
That proposal was implemented and launched recently.
The additional revenue provided to the City by this agreement has allowed for new
transit expansion serving our City.
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Host a Town Hall in Your Living Room!
As Mayor, I am continuing my regular series of Town Hall Meetings.
You supply the living room and a bunch of your friends and neighbors. I will supply
the Mayor who will hopefully have the answers to any of your questions about our
City.
Just drop us a line [mailto:[email protected]] and we'll get a Town
Hall on the calendar! Thanks for the interest!
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Upcoming Issues

Eisenhower East
First approved in 2003, the Eisenhower East Plan [[link removed]]
was one of the first small area plans adopted in the City's nearly two decade comprehensive
update to our City's Master Plan. Since the plan adoption, this area has come to
include the Carlyle neighborhood, and many large employers, including the Patent
and Trademark Office, the National Science Foundation, and Motley Fool.
With requests pending for additional density in the plan area, the City undertook
a new comprehensive update of the plan.
On Tuesday, the Planning Commission will consider this update [[link removed]],
which includes:

* New Affordable Housing obligations
* New School Site
* New Open Space network
* New Flexibility of land-uses within the plan area
Assuming the Planning Commission makes a recommendation on this plan update, this
will come to the City Council at our Public Hearing on Saturday February 22nd.
Please let me know your thoughts. [mailto:[email protected]]
Pocket Parks
For the past 8 years the City has been planning the future of its parks, led by
our Park and Recreation Commission. That has led to the adoption of new comprehensive
plans for our Citywide Parks [[link removed]]
and our Neighborhood Parks [[link removed]].
We are now working to plan future of our pocket parks. A pocket park is a park that
is under a half acre. The City currently has 25 different pocket parks around our
community and they support quality of life in the neighborhoods they exist.
Our Park Planning staff have now released a draft plan [[link removed]]
that was based on input received from residents who know and enjoy these parcels.
The draft plan will go to the Park and Recreation Commission at their hearing on
February 20th. Public input is welcome prior to and during the hearing.
Paving Survey
Later this month when the City Manager presents his proposed Capital Improvement
Program, it will include a proposed paving schedule for streets around our City
for the next three fiscal years.
In advance of repaving, the City looks to implement components of our Complete Streets
Policy [[link removed]]
to address safety, mobility and access concerns. By utilizing planned repaving,
the City can be more efficient with the investment of tax dollars.
As the City prepares to repave streets that currently are planned for in our Fiscal
Year 2021 (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021), we are now soliciting for community input
as to what concerns exist on the streets currently.
The streets we are soliciting for input on include:

* Alfred Street (First Street to Church Street)
* Cameron Mills Road (Virginia Avenue to Allison Street)
* Morgan Street (North Chambliss Street to cul-de-sac)
* Rayburn Avenue (North Beauregard Street to Reading Avenue)
* Reading Avenue (Rayburn Avenue to North Beauregard Street)
* West Street (Duke Street to Wythe Street)
The survey is available online and the deadline is February 7th. [[link removed]]
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Mayor Justin M. Wilson
703.746.4500
[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
www.justin.net [[link removed]]
Alexandria City Hall
301 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Paid for by Wilson For Mayor
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Mayor Justin M. Wilson | 301 King Street | ALEXANDRIA | VA | 22314