Arlington County is lifting its vaccine mandate for anyone who works or volunteers for county government.
The change today (Thursday) coincides with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ending the national public health emergency.
“Effective May 11, 2023, consistent with the end of the National Public Health Emergency, employees (including contractors and volunteers) are no longer required to provide proof of vaccination status for employment,” Arlington County spokesman Ryan Hudson told ARLnow in a statement.
“Employees are still urged to engage in mitigation measures as appropriate and to stay up to date on vaccinations,” he continued.
Arlington County mandated vaccines for all government employees in August 2021, requiring those who were unvaccinated to submit to weekly testing. Unvaccinated employees were told to get the jab or an exemption before Feb. 1, 2022 or face job loss.
A group of people who decided not to get the vaccine, largely first responders, petitioned the county for “more reciprocal ideas,” such as continuing testing. The mandate seemed to work somewhat, with the number of unvaccinated workers dropping from 278 to 174 in about a month.
By March 1, 2022, some 125 people obtained exemptions. The county said everyone complied with county policy and no one was fired.
The CDC’s emergency declaration at the start of the pandemic empowered the federal government to track Covid cases and deaths with greater granularity, among other measures. Now, it says it is time to integrate its emergency response into programs it already has.
“As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic — with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities,” it said in a statement, adding that these changes will make its Covid response more sustainable in the long term.
The CDC says vaccines, treatments and testing will remain available but the data it publishes and the sources it uses will be different.
“Case data has become increasingly unreliable as some states and jurisdictions may no longer collect case data, testing results are sometimes not reported, or some individuals skip testing all together,” the CDC notes.
Some of these factors, plus vaccines and three years of exposure, may explain lowering case rates in Arlington. The county is seeing about five cases per day, down from about 60 cases a day this past winter, per Virginia Dept. of Health data.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a statement this morning that the ending of the public health emergency declaration should be followed by the implementation of laws and policies that will strengthen the health system, prepare us for the next such crisis, and address the end of the asylum policy known as Title 42.
When COVID-19 hit, Congress acted with force and urgency to save lives and livelihoods, taking actions that were made possible by the Public Health Emergency declaration, which opened the door to a wealth of additional tools and flexibilities. More than three years later, I’m proud to know that our nation has reached a point where we can move beyond the emergency stage of COVID-19 and the corresponding PHE declaration. Now, it’s up to Congress to adopt more permanent policies that reflect the valuable lessons we learned during this crisis, and that allow us to move forward rather than backwards. We must continue to strengthen our public health response capabilities, ensure that health care is affordable and easy to access through robust telehealth options, and improve the security of our southwest border while creating a better functioning asylum process and a reasonable path towards legal status for those who are undocumented. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress on these issues.
The following in-depth local reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an early look at what we’re planning to cover each day.
When a member of Arlington County’s climate change committee took the dais earlier this month, she told the Planning Commission that she had good and bad news.
After evaluating the environmental commitments from JBG Smith for its Americana Hotel redevelopment project, the Climate Change, Energy and Environment Commission (C2E2) gave the project a score of 64.
“Sixty-four is a terrible score but it’s one of the best scores we’ve given,” member Cindy Lewin said.
She commended JBG Smith for participating in national and local programs incentivizing sustainable projects, and, at her request, meeting with a coalition focused on decarbonizing buildings. But, she emphasized, the building will still use significant fossil fuels.
“Arlington County is not going to be able to meet its commitments to climate change, to carbon neutrality and to its [Community Energy Plan] and sustainability goals if we continue to approve so much development,” she said.
Arlington County, which has long been recognized nationally for its commitments to environmental sustainability, is trying to move away from fossil fuels. The burning of such fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere and contributes to a warming planet and other climate changes.
Since resolving in 2019 to neutralize its carbon emissions by 2050, Arlington County has already reached an important milestone toward that goal and knocked out other goals along the way.
In January — two years ahead of schedule — all county operations moved to renewable electricity, mostly because it is buying electricity from a new Dominion solar farm in rural Virginia. Arlington hired a first-ever Climate Policy Officer, purchased electric school buses and published the first edition of a quarterly publication showcasing its climate progress.
“Arlington, in general, is performing very well,” says Arlington County Board Takis Karantonis. “With what we set out to accomplish, we are at a nice level of completion.”
He says going forward, gains will be harder to achieve.
“We will have to electrify transportation and convince people not to drive so much,” he said. “We will have to make sure that new buildings are built at far higher standards than they were before.”
ARLnow spoke with leaders of a half-dozen environmental advocacy groups and every one of them commended the county — but said it is moving slowly and disjointedly toward electrifying everything from county buses to private development projects to single-family homes.
If it moved faster, they say, the county would live up to its reputation and show organizations and individuals these lifestyle and business changes are not only possible but necessary.
“What the scientific community is saying is that we have to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 if we are to avoid going past what we need to to keep temperature rises at a manageable level,” C2E2 Chair Joan McIntyre said. “This is a critical thing we have to move quickly on and there’s a sense that that urgency is not seen in how the county is moving forward.”
These leaders hope the long-awaited climate czar, Climate Policy Officer Carl “Bill” Eger, will have the authority to steer a “whole of county” approach to reaching carbon neutrality. Julie Rosenberg, who leads the Arlington branch of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, says she has “ridiculously high expectations” for Eger.
“My hope is that he has staff and brings enthusiasm to decision-making and expectations so that it doesn’t feel like they look up and their bosses are so focused on getting the job done today,” she says. “I was a bureaucrat. It’s hard to run the train and envision a new path ahead but we have to do it. We don’t have a choice.”
In a conversation with ARLnow, Eger said some siloing is inevitable in local government but many divisions of Arlington’s government are working to solve problems collaboratively. His vision for a “whole of county” approach goes beyond the headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
“As we look to the future, we are looking at a ‘whole of community’ thinking,” he said. “The county is the trusted institution standing behind the foundation of the work, bringing up community foundations, neighborhood groups, institutions, nonprofits and universities, to bring together resources and creativity, ways of problem solving and embedded intelligence to work toward contributing to solving climate change.”
He says his first aim is to integrate climate into policy conversations the way the county evaluates equity in its major policy discussions so it remains top-of-mind for the government.
This afternoon, Arlington County will officially debut its “renovated and reimagined” headquarters in Courthouse.
To celebrate the conclusion of the $4.8 million project, it is hosting an event and ribbon cutting ceremony today (Wednesday) from 3-6 p.m. at the Ellen M. Bozman County Government Center, located at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
“As part of the celebration, Arlington will officially open the new full-service Courthouse Library, a new Arlington Welcome Center, and a new Permit Arlington Center, and the USS Arlington Community Alliance and the Arlington Historical Society will unveil a full model of the USS Arlington,” the county said in a press release.
Commissioned a decade ago, the USS Arlington honors the 184 people who died on 9/11 as well as the local and regional first responders who responded to the attack.
“Additionally, the open house will feature government services, an introduction to Rank Choice Voting, NARCAN training, public art projects, music, children’s story times, crafts, and more,” the release said.
Arlington County Board members, County Manager Mark Schwartz, Arlington Public Library Director Diane Kresh, a Ukrainian musician and the county’s poet laureate are set to be in attendance.
Interior renovations began in September 2021. The county also added conference rooms and renovated the lobby, second and third floors, the ninth-floor break-room and parking garage-level common areas.
Funding came from a $23.7 million tenant improvement allowance that was provided by property owner JBG Smith when the county renewed its lease in 2018. The county used part of its tenant allowance on a contract to design the interior changes.
(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Arlington County is delaying the Residential Permit Parking online application process until next week due to “unexpected technical issues.”
“Despite testing in advance, our vendor’s Residential Permit Parking online application system is currently down to resolve these technical issues to our satisfaction,” Dept. of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O’Brien said this morning (Wednesday).
She added that the website is expected to relaunch the week of April 10, which is next Monday.
Annually, people who live in residential areas near commercial corridors pay for permits for street parking in Residential Permit Parking zones. The process typically begins in April and by July, the county begins issuing tickets to people parked in these zones without the new fiscal year’s permit.
The county changed its permitting system last year and had to delay the application window one month to finish making tweaks to the new software. Then, many residents experienced issues obtaining permits in time for enforcement in July, so, to account for late-summer travel, the county delayed ticketing until September.
In a March letter to RPP zone residents, alerting them to the forthcoming application window, the county thanked residents for their patience last year “as we worked through a tricky software transition.”
“We expect this season’s process to be smoother and look forward to serving you again,” said the letter, a copy of which was shared with ARLnow.
But resident David Remus immediately encountered problems when he accessed the system on Monday, the software’s launch day.
The system would not let him add any short-term visitor passes to the order, he told ARLnow. He noticed the system went down that afternoon, perhaps for attempted bug fixes. After it went back online, he said he could not apply for the number of permits he selected.
“When I tried to isolate one type of permit at a time, the system timed out after a few minutes, with an error message stating that the system is not online,” he said. “This is nothing but gross incompetence on the part of the county government.”
Resident Carol Burnett, meanwhile, logged on for the first time while the system was down Monday afternoon.
“Last year the Arlington County residential parking permit program was a mess with lost applications, late arrival of permits and general confusion. They had all sorts of excuses,” she said. “Looks like we’re in for another messy year this year.”
An anonymous tipster opined “It is SUCH a cluster. SUCH a cluster.”
The county processed more than 100 RPP applications on Monday before encountering problems and deciding to take the system offline, O’Brien said.
Residents can either wait for the online system to be re-opened or apply for a permit in-person at the county headquarters at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Suite 214. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., O’Brien said.
Residents who need support in the interim can email [email protected] or calling 703-228-3344.
“The seasonal application process will continue for the next several months and we will make sure everyone receives their permits and passes in a timely manner and with no issues involving FY 2024 enforcement, which begins in July,” O’Brien said.
Arlington County made several changes to the program two years ago, reducing available permits for households with driveways, raising fees for additional vehicles and visitor permits, while lowering prices for low-income residents. It also allowed residents in some multifamily buildings to join the program.
(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) An Arlington County program for neighborhood improvements may be trending towards smaller-scale projects.
After getting a new name and developing new equity criteria, the Arlington Neighborhood Program is taking more steps to reimagine how it supports community projects identified by residents.
A new survey is being conducted — it’s open through next Wednesday, April 5 — asking residents what kinds of projects they would like to see the Arlington Neighborhoods Program, formerly the Arlington Neighborhood Conservation Program, approve.
So far, the most popular responses, such as pollinator gardens and murals, depart significantly from the lighting and sidewalk updates and park construction projects that typically secure county approval.
“Work with churches to reforest their large grounds, which are now typically in lawn grass,” one person said.
“Bird and bat boxes!” suggested another. “Bats eat mosquitoes and finding some places to put bat boxes would benefit the overall population.”
Another popular suggestion included drop-off points for canned food and other basics in partnership with restaurants, supermarkets, food banks, shelters and faith-based groups.
Possibly dovetailing off the humorous bulletin board in Penrose Park, one user suggested more neighborhood bulletin boards for posting announcements, offers to share surplus garden produce and other free stuff. Others suggested more shade and water features in parks for hot days, community murals and sidewalk art.
Some suggested larger-scale safety improvement projects, such as traffic calming measures, pedestrian bridges over Route 50 and better walking conditions, including more trees and smoother sidewalks, between Columbia Pike and Pentagon City.
The pivot is one fruit of soul-searching by a work group, which began in 2019, to figure out how the program could better serve residents, resulting in a report published in 2021.
At the time, ANP was supporting fewer, more expensive projects, which were causing participation rates to decline. The Fort Ethan Allen interpretive project, pictured above, cost nearly $500,000, and the four most recently approved projects, including street lights and new sidewalks, cost between $268,700-$985,000.
“The Program spent four times more in the last ten years than it did in the 1990s, yet it produced fewer than half the number of projects due to substantially higher median project costs,” the report said, noting that funding for the program has not kept up with the increased cost of delivering infrastructure.
It also faced accusations of inefficiency and bias toward wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods.
“This disparity exists despite very few projects proposed from several neighborhoods in the northernmost reaches of the County with predominantly White households and where a few of these neighborhoods do not participate,” the report says. Read More
A battle over how to improve public confidence in county government has driven a wedge between two large community organizations in Arlington.
The Arlington branch of the NAACP is leaving the Arlington County Civic Federation after a bitter battle over two resolutions intended to recommit the local government to the “Arlington Way.”
The clash came to a head last night (Wednesday) when delegates to the federation of civic groups voted 75-32 for a resolution, introduced by some former CivFed presidents, that included harsh criticism of county processes.
The NAACP had proposed a milder substitute resolution, focused on improving public engagement.
The tussle is downstream of two shifts in Arlington. The first occurred amid the racial reckoning of 2020, which resulted in CivFed pledging to be more diverse. The second occurred as Missing Middle, the proposal to allow greater density in single-family home neighborhoods, laid bare issues many residents say pervade civic engagement.
“A few years ago, the NAACP joined CivFed in a good faith attempt to assist the organization evolve, transform and grow; however, our organizational mission, vision, and values don’t seem to align well,” NAACP President Mike Hemminger said in an email shared with ARLnow. “We wish the CivFed the very best in the future.”
He said the NAACP has appreciated the chance to engage with members in recent years.
“Our sincere prayer is that your organization will one day accomplish the diversity, equity, inclusion and sense of belonging that so many are craving from leader organizations in the community,” he said.
CivFed President John Ford said he was disappointed to learn of the NAACP’s decision last night, especially after 98% of members voted for its admission to the federation in 2020.
“CivFed and NAACP continue to share many goals, and the many associations and warm, respectful relationships we have built with our NAACP colleagues will endure,” he said in a statement. “We hope they may seek to rejoin us in the future. And I am certain that the two organizations will continue to collaborate in many areas for the benefit of all Arlingtonians.”
While there is one overt reference to Missing Middle, long-standing criticisms of this zoning amendment permeate the text and its 100-plus footnotes, including one resolution.
It urges the County Board to adopt a policy “preventing implementation of plans, policies or projects (new major initiatives or revisions) in the absence of a thorough and data-supported analysis of the potential and cumulative impacts.”
The NAACP instead urged the county to invest “more resources in comprehensive planning and developing a more sophisticated, data-driven toolkit for anticipating, addressing, and communicating likely impacts from County policies.”
The original resolution ruffled feathers of other community groups, too, including YIMBYs of Northern Virginia, a group advocating for more housing that has been vocal in the push for Missing Middle housing in Arlington.
In its own statement, the group said an appendix to CivFed’s motion is a “100-page laundry list of personal attacks, vague accusations of dismissiveness by County staff and Board members, unfounded insinuations of conflicts of interest by Advisory Group appointees, plus multiple direct attacks on YIMBYs of Northern Virginia.”
A branch of Arlington Public Library housed in the lobby of Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse will reopen next week.
On Monday, March 13, the library will debut a new name and new amenities added as part of $4.8 million in renovations to the government office building. Interior renovations to some floors of the building at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse began in September 2021.
“The new Courthouse Library, formerly known as Plaza Library, will feature contemporary furnishings, a new children’s book and media collection, and space for library programming such as storytimes and author talks,” Arlington Public Library Communications Manager Anneliesa Alprin tells ARLnow.
“Courthouse Library, a full-service branch, will feature the ‘Grab & Go’ express book collection and a ‘Library of Things,’ including do-it-yourself tool kits and handy gadgets,” she continued.
The renovations were funded through a $23.7 million tenant improvement allowance that was provided by landlord JBG Smith when the county renewed its lease in 2018.
Starting Monday, patrons can place holds and use the book drop then, Alprin said.
Courthouse Library will have the following hours:
- Monday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Tuesday: 12-8 p.m.
- Wednesday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Very excited for the reopening Courthouse Library! @ArlingtonVALib pic.twitter.com/C0zaYkrpAE
— Jane Fiegen Green (@janefgreen) March 6, 2023
There will be a grand opening for the county government building on April 12 from 3-6 p.m.
“We’re opening the new full-service Courthouse Library, debuting a new Arlington Welcome Center and new Permit Arlington Center,” the county said in a release. “We will also be joined by the USS Arlington Community Alliance and the Arlington Historical Society to unveil a full model of the USS Arlington. Join us for a festive afternoon with an open house featuring government services, music, children’s story times, crafts, and many more surprises. All ages are welcome.”
The county also added conference rooms and renovated the lobby, second and third floors, the ninth-floor break-room and parking garage-level common areas.
The opening comes ahead of planned community engagement effort to discuss how the library system can best to meet the needs of residents.
“In the second half of 2023, the County Manager’s Office and Arlington Public Library leadership will engage with the community in longer-term strategic discussions about these issues and how to best provide library services in a changed and changing environment,” County Manager Mark Schwartz wrote in his proposed 2023-2024 budget.
These conversations will likely cover how to prioritize the competing needs of new locations and established locations, how to build a sustainable budget for library collections and how to staff libraries reliably. Arlington libraries have stayed afloat via “an over-reliance on temporary employees,” Schwartz says in the budget.
Arlington County is holding a remembrance event tomorrow on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The event, co-organized by the Arlington Sister Cities Association, is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. Friday, outside of Arlington County government headquarters, at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse.
“During the event, members of the Arlington County Board will offer remarks, the County’s Honor Guard will raise the flag of Ukraine, and the national anthems of both the United States and Ukraine will be performed,” the county noted in a media advisory.
In a press release today, the county noted some of the work undertaken by the association to support Ukraine since the start of the conflict. The western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk is one of Arlington’s five sister cities.
The press release is below.
Feb. 24 marks the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the effects of the invasion profoundly impacting the Ukrainian people and the international community. Over the past year, Ukrainians have remained resilient and strong as they continue their fight for freedom against tremendous odds.
Ukraine has held its defense and resisted Russian influence with unwavering support from the U.S. and the international community. Arlington County is proud to be part of that community as we maintained a show of support and solidarity for Ukraine and Arlington’s sister city, Ivano-Frankivsk.
“As we recognize one year of conflict in Ukraine, Arlington proudly continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and our sister city, Ivano-Frankivsk. We applaud the resiliency, courage, and strength the people of Ukraine have shown the world in their struggle for democracy,” said County Board Vice-Chair Libby Garvey. “Many people in Ukraine today are living under unimaginable conditions as they fight for their freedom against the aggression and cruelty of another nation. The free world cannot let such aggression and cruelty stand, so, in many ways, they are fighting for all of us. On this one-year anniversary, we hope the people of Ukraine are heartened by the support they continue to receive from around the world, including here in Arlington.”
About Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Ivano-Frankivsk, renamed in 1962 in honor of Ukrainian poet and writer Ivan Franko, has become one of Ukraine’s most innovative and modern cities. Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk share several similarities including a population of approximately 230,000 residents and a size of 26 square miles (67 km²) and 32 square miles (83 km²), respectively. Much like Arlington, Ivano-Frankivsk has made major efforts to ensure that streets and public spaces are open, inviting, and accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk were formally declared sister cities on March 4, 2011, when they signed the agreement. Since then, both communities have hosted government delegations, student exchange programs, and share information with public safety responders.
“Arlington’s response to the crisis in Ukraine is a powerful reminder to us of the importance of sister cities and the strength of the relationship between Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk,” said Hanna Eun, Chair of the Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA)’s Board of Directors. “ASCA is an integral part of Arlington’s international community that works to provide special programming, cultural promotion, and encouraging understanding between sister cities, especially during times of conflict. Whether it be in 2014 or 2022, Arlington and the Arlington community continue to promote global awareness and international support.”
Arlington County courts, schools, government offices, libraries and community centers will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.
Along with the closures there will be a reduction in service for ART buses and Metro buses and trains. Additionally, there will be no parking meter enforcement in Arlington.
The county’s trash, recycling and yard waste collection will continue as normal despite the holiday.
Arlington County is holding its first in-person MLK Tribute event since the start of the pandemic on Sunday, as well as several volunteer events.
The U.S. real estate market is facing significant headwinds, but Arlington property assessments are continuing their march upward.
Arlington County announced today that overall assessments of residential and commercial properties rose 3.6% for 2023, compared to 3.5% for 2022. Residential values are up 4.5% while commercial values are up 2.6%.
“The increase in property values continues to show that Arlington remains a place people want to live and work,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a statement. “And it’s the revenue generated from these real estate taxes that help to fund the County’s high-quality services and public services for residents, visitors, businesses and workers.”
The average single-family home in Arlington is now assessed at $798,500, compared to $762,700 last year. The rise comes despite the local real estate market experiencing many of the challenges also seen in the national market, precipitated by rising interest rates.
The rate of property value increase, however, has slowed compared to the previous two years. Residential values were up 5.8% in 2022 and 5.6% in 2021. In 2020, residential values rose 4.3% and were outpaced by a 4.9% rise in commercial values, prior to the pandemic causing the office vacancy rate to spike and values to in turn go down.
Arlington has for years relied on a balanced residential and commercial tax base, which allows it to grow its budget and embark on large projects while keeping real estate tax rates at levels slightly below many of its Northern Virginia neighbors.
The weakness in office assessments, while offset by rises in other commercial property like hotels and apartment buildings — and bolstered by new construction — is a contributing factor what is currently projected to be a nearly $35 million budget gap.
Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz is scheduled to present his proposed FY 2023-2024 budget to the County Board next month.
Local homeowners, meanwhile, will be able to view their new assessments online after 11 p.m. tonight (Friday), the county said. There is an appeal process for those who disagree with their assessments.
More on the newly-released assessments, below, from the county press release.
Arlington County officially has a new auditor.
Jim Shelton, who was previously auditor for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, was appointed by the Arlington County Board on Tuesday and slated to start work today.
Shelton’s work in Fairfax County included finding opportunities for “increasing county revenues, reducing expenditures, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resources.” In a statement, County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said that he will help ensure “that the performance of government provides maximum value for taxpayers.”
Chris Horton, Arlington County’s independent auditor since 2016, left the post last year. It was not revealed why Horton left.
More on Shelton’s appointment from an Arlington County press release, below.
At its Organizational Meeting on January 3, 2023, the County Board appointed Jim L. Shelton as the County Auditor. Mr. Shelton will be responsible for conducting independent and comprehensive audits and reviews of County programs and operations. He will also serve as the primary staff liaison to the Audit Committee.
Under the direction of the County Board and the Audit Committee, and in parallel with the County’s internal audit function within the Department of Management and Finance, Mr. Shelton will develop annual work plans for and conduct programmatic and operational audits and reviews of County departments and operations.
Mr. Shelton brings 24 years of audit review and financial management experience to Arlington County. For the last nine years, he served as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Auditor, managing audit work plans, conducting audit reviews, and developing recommendations focused on increasing county revenues, reducing expenditures, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of resources. “The Board is excited that Jim Shelton brings a wealth of experience that will grow and mature the Office of the County Auditor in supporting the Board’s goal of ensuring that the performance of government provides maximum value for taxpayers,” said Christian Dorsey, Chair of the Arlington County Board and Co-Chair of its Audit Committee.
Mr. Shelton holds a BS/BA in Accounting from Xavier University and an MBA from Fontbonne University. He is a Certified Risk Professional by the Bank Administration Institute (BAI) and a Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association member.
The Board voted unanimously to approve Mr. Shelton’s contract. He will start work with the County on January 5, 2023.
