Dear Friends,July's meetings took three days. We handled issues associated with the pandemic as well as more traditional items.    WETA & ShirlingtonThe County Board continues to take up some of the typical land use issues. We approved WETA's expansion plan and renewed their incentive grant to keep   our public broadcasting station in its longtime home of Shirlington. I’m delighted. While our agreement with WETA was supported by just about everyone, the item of amendments to our General Land Use Plan (GLUP) zoning for Shirlington divided many people. This was understandable. We … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,June continued to be a turbulent time on the Board and in our nation. I’ll briefly cover our board meeting, but talk more about COVID-19 and Systemic Racism, both of which I view as plagues on our nation and which have been consuming most of our time.  COVID-19We moved into Phase 2 on June 15th and likely will move to Phase 3 in a few weeks. We set up a way for restaurants to be able to provide increased outdoor seating without a lengthy permit process. Through our “We Are Covered” program businesses, churches and apartment buildings can fill out an online form and … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, This email is just a quick one to let you know that Christian Dorsey, I and others are leading a Solidarity Walk in a peaceful protest against racial oppression, demanding meaningful and urgent reforms for racial justice on Saturday, the 6th at 12 noon. The details are in the invitation, which I hope you will share with your own friends. We will wear face coverings and keep some distance between us. The events of the last few days are just too much for us to stay home. Together, we will walk from Courthouse past the Iwo Jima Memorial, across the … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,  This has been a very difficult week in our nation and in our County. On top of the spreading pandemic we have seen: the graphic murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis on May 25th; the continuing anger and rage across the country at yet another such murder; the violent break up of a largely peaceful protest at Lafayette Park on Monday so that the President could have a photo op; and the withdrawal of our Arlington police from the Park because of the misuse of their presence.  (Please see the Board's letter condemning Mr. Floyd's murder.) I’ve … [Read more...]

https://libbygarvey.com/2020/06/03/1689/

Dear Friends, When I first decided I should update you on entering Phase 1, my plan was to focus on Covid-19. This update still does that. But now that we have learned of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis and the anger and grief it has understandably sparked around the country, I’d like to talk a little about how we navigate these dark times.A Cancer in our NationI am committed to equity and I believe Arlington, as a community, is too. However, this pandemic has revealed how very far from equity we are. Our vulnerable populations suffer far more than the rest with higher … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, COVID-19 continues to dominate all of what the County Board does and our May meeting was no exception.   Manager’s Authority:This week we voted to extend our continuity of government ordinance until June. This legally allows us to continue to do our work virtually; and for some of our commissions to continue their work virtually as well. There was some concern that we were granting too much authority to the County Manager during the pandemic. While the ordinance allows the Manager to take actions that he ordinarily would bring to the  Board first, he does … [Read more...]

Dear Friends, Today, five of my regional colleagues -- from Fairfax, Loudoun & Prince William Counties & the City of Alexandria -- and I participated virtually in Governor Northam’s regular COVID-19 Update press conference. We spelled out the reasons, based on scientific data that Northern Virginia is not yet ready to safely move to Phase 1 of the Governor’s reopening strategy. Regional leaders, health directors and staff spent most of the past weekend making sure we all understood the current situation in ou r region and worked to coordinate what we wanted the … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,We continue to be busy on the County Board. Last week we adopted our budget and handled some more usual land-use decisions, including approving the Artis Senior Assisted Living facility on Lee Highway. Of course, COVID-19 continues to consume much of our time.  FY’21 Budget ($1.3 Million): This budget is about $56M less than first proposed in January. We kept the tax rate the same, so real estate taxes will go up by the rate assessments, but not more. During this time of crisis, some people may have difficulty paying their taxes. We decided that targeted assistance … [Read more...]

Dear Friends,  As readers know, my Vice Chair, colleague and friend Erik Gutshall has been battling brain cancer. He announced on Monday that he has decided to resign his position on the Board. After Erik joined the Board in 2017, we became friends and found that we were aligned on many issues. We came to appreciate each other’s strengths and, this year, became a strong leadership team. My heart aches for him and his family. His presence on the Board will be dearly missed. Erik and his family have appreciated the cards, letters and emails of support that have been pouring in. Please … [Read more...]