Friends,
The June County Board meetings and the last 9 days since I wrote you have been extremely busy. On COVID 19, we moved into Phase 2 and are slated to start Phase 3 next Wednesday, July 1st. At the June Board meetings, the County Manager presented a draft Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)--including a proposal for Body Worn Cameras--that is far shorter in duration than the usual CIP.
|
|
|
|
The driveway we re-chalked: Ashlawn teachers and friends outside the home of the fourth grader who chalked for justice. Yes, the County made a mistake. We can, must, and will do better.
|
|
Also at the June Board meetings, the Board allocated more funding through the Federal CARES Act for small businesses ($1.6 million) and those most in need of housing assistance and food. We approved added seat capacity for our schools at the Career Center next year and held a listening session on policing and racial justice. I have also been working in support of innovation on virtually engaging our Commissions. Finally, we made a mistake with respect to a fourth grader's chalk messages and as a County we are working to correct it.
COVID 19
On COVID 19, Phase 2 was beginning when I last wrote. Restaurants have come back in just these last few days. The daily numbers in Arlington have been very positive on a relative basis--low case and hospitalization rates--even as Arizona and other states across the country are seeing spikes. Next Wednesday, July 1, we will move to Phase 3. Some of you have written and are concerned. I understand your concern; I offer you a few items to consider.
The numbers on COVID in Arlington have been decreasing in terms of the number of cases and the percentage of tests that are positive. In addition, we did another full day of testing on June 19th--Juneteenth--at Barcroft and we still have had low rates of positive test results and hospitalizations.
What Does Phase 3 mean:
- Masks still required in indoor public spaces
- Overnight summer camps closed
- Remote work encouraged
- But, child-care centers will be allowed to reopen
- The cap on large social gatherings will rise from 50 to 250.
- Restaurants and nonessential retail businesses will be able to operate at full capacity, with physical distancing measures.
- Swimming pools, indoor gyms and fitness centers can open at 75 % capacity.
- Barbershops and hair salons can take walk-ins, but with masks and distancing.
- Entertainment venues, such as museums and zoos, will be permitted to open at 50 percent capacity, with a cap of 1,000 people at outdoor venues.
Am I still concerned about disproportionate positive rates among our Latinx residents? Yes. We are working to drive testing and resources to our Latinx communities who are more often essential workers and, unfortunately, more often in greater economic need. Am concerned about an overall uptick in Arlington? Yes, but we will stay vigilant, have an excellent team of contact tracers, and, ultimately, we must operate as a region---there is going to be physical movement between DC, Fairfax, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun.
We are focusing and will continue to focus our resources on testing those most in need, and we will ask for your help in reporting a lack of social distancing: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/f00c518a06a24102a7ae61fb0090640c However, with just 7 cases this past Tuesday and a 4.6% positive rate, we must recognize that personal responsibility and community responsibility--asking each other politely to stay safe--is where our region is as a whole.
|
|
|
|
The County Board and School Board met on Tuesday of this week to talk about the CIP--Capital Improvement Plan
|
|
The above video relates to County action on Body Worn Cameras and our scaled down Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This one-year plan focuses on projects already underway, and includes a bond referendum that we will all vote on in November.
The Board also voted last week to approve changes to the Columbia Pike Library to build seats for students at the Career Center with the goal of completing as much of the work as possible during the shutdowns for COVID. We are moving forward with body worn cameras. Click the above link for the work session with the School Board or go here: https://budget.arlingtonva.us/cip/ for the presentations.
|
|
|
I am extremely pleased that we provided additional, targeted funding for small businesses at our June meeting. This included small grants for employees of up to $10K for businesses who suffered 35% losses: this is better than the Federal PPP program. I encourage you to click the above button and read about it in detail. The Board also allocated more funding for housing for those most in need and for hunger relief for seniors, again. With thousands of Arlington residents unemployed, I hope we all can keep those most in need top of mind.
|
|
|
|
The video of the Board's Listening Session on Policing/Racial Justice and Equity. Go to the end for brief Board Member remarks or skim through to hear your neighbors.
|
|
On Thursday of last week and in over 1,000 emails since June 1, you shared with us your desires for racial justice, your thoughts on policing, and your commitment to equity. We listened for 4 hours and to over 84 speakers. You were smart, heartfelt, and inspiring. The Board committed to the Obama Mayor's Pledge (https://www.obama.org/mayor-pledge/) and in my concluding remarks I committed to a citizen review commission. I have much more to learn, but am committed to listening, learning, and action.
I want to share my impressions of the Arlington police officers I have met and spoken with: I have found the women and men that serve us to be respectful, compassionate, honorable, and well-trained. I do not know all of our officers or all experiences and I am a white male: my experiences and beliefs are not representative of individuals or communities of color and I have been listening and will continue to listen and learn from our diverse community. I believe we have a different recent history and record than Fairfax's police, where I grew up. Make no mistake, not all of our data is as good as I want it to be, and we can and will do better, but our police are well-educated, trained, and are committed to serving us.
|
|
Many of you serve on commissions. I am working hard to open up virtual meetings so that you can serve Arlington County safely in this difficult time. Stay tuned for progress on that over the next two days.
The last major event of the past 9 days was when a fourth grader who wrote Black Lives Matter and Silence is Complicity who had much of her chalked messages power-washed away by the County. I won't sugarcoat it, our County made a significant and troubling mistake, compounded by the fact that it was made on Juneteenth. Click the button above to read what happened.
We apologized and have much work to do to operate through a more equitable lens. That said, I hope you will read the County Manager's memo to our employees, which I think is the right start, albeit, as he says, just a start. I will be working through my appropriate role as a Board Member in the context of our County Manager form of Government to make sure we follow up on this. We can, must, and will do better.
|
|
Two resources and an ask for you:
- If you want to learn about housing policy in Arlington in light of COVID, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIe05_UldI8 for this one hour video of the June 23rd workshop. Email me if you want the power points.
- If you are a Federal employee or know a federal employee who might be able to donate their leave time to Renee Gutshall, please email me. The Gutshall family must stay in our hearts and I hope we can lift them up in this way.
Over the last week, a thought has come to mind again and again: we must work to be as good as you--the deeply good people in our community I've met and have the honor to represent.
And that thought is why I continue to serve you with a full heart,
Matt
|
|
|
|
