June, 2004 - Volume 88, No. 10
Election of Officers, Committee Reports and Solid Waste Management Plan at June Meeting
June General Meeting, Tuesday, June 1, 2004. 7:30 PM Hazel Auditorium, Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington
(Map)
Elections
The June meeting will begin with elections for the 2004-2005 Civic Federation Officers and Executive Committee. The Nominating Committee has presented the following slate: President-Patrick Smaldore; Vice President-Anne Fisher; Treasurer-Frances Finta; Secretary-Tim Russo; Executive Committee (5 members) - Nancy Graham, Burt Bostwick, Stan Karson, Jerry Auten, and Jim Pebley. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor. Pursuant to our bylaws, all Officers and Executive Committee members must be delegates or alternates to the Federation at the time of election.
Solid Waste Management Plan
Arlington County is in the process of updating its Solid Waste Management Plan and staff from the County's Department of Environmental Services have asked to come back before the Federation to present highlights of the draft plan, and to hear comments from Federation members. The plan will guide the County's refuse and recycling programs for the next 20-years. More information on the Solid Waste Management Plan is available on the County's web site.
Committee Reports
Most of the work of the Federation goes on behind the scenes at the committee level. The June meeting will offer a chance to learn what our committees have been up to in the past year. Each of our committees has been asked to give at least a five minute presentation detailing what's been accomplished in the last year. Who knows-you may like what you hear and decide to join up for next year!
Several Committee Reports will be more substantive, including those from the Bylaws Committee, Airport Issues Committee, and the Parks and Recreation Committee:
The Airport Issues Committee was set up just a few years ago, and they've been one of our hardest working committees. This will be the first substantive presentation to the Federation on what the committee has been up to. As part of the presentation, the committee will entertain questions from Federation members, and will ask the Federation to approve a resolution as follows:
Whereas, Draft FAA Part 150 Noise Study materials reviewed by the Arlington Civic Federation Airport Issues Committee omit recommendations for specific noise abatement measures strongly supported by the AIC, other Citizen Associations, and the general public (as voiced at the June 2003 FAA Part 150 Noise Study public hearings), And;
Whereas, the stated reason for not recommending specific noise abatement measures is based on speculation concerning the likelihood of FAA approval of any given measure,
Therefore be it resolved that the ACCF recommends that the Reagan National Airport Part 150 Study Advisory Committee directs the inclusion of popular and reasonable abatement measures without prejudice based on expectations of FAA approval or the availability of funding for further studies that may be required to implement a specific measure.
Bylaws
As reported at the May meeting, the Bylaws Committee considered several Bylaws amendments proposed by the President and recommendations from Frances Finta. Following thoughtful consideration, the Committee voted to unanimously recommend the following amendments, which will be considered at the June meeting:
ARTICLE VII, Committees
Section 2
Insert as new sentence at end of current section: "A listing of the membership of the committee shall be provided to the President and the Secretary."
Section 3 to read as follows:
Committee reports shall be in writing. A copy of the report, containing the names of all who attended the meetings which considered the subject(s) of the report, shall be given to the President and to the Secretary. The annual report shall contain the names of all committee members who served during the year."
ARTICLE IV, OFFICERS
Section 7, Duties of officers
(iv) Treasurer
Insert as sentence 3. "The Treasurer shall give a financial report at each regular meeting of the Federation, and at the October May meeting of the Federation, shall name the organizations in arrears with dues. The Treasurer shall maintain a roll of member organizations, their officers, delegates, and alternate delegates and all other persons or organizations pertinent to the operation of the Federation.
The Parks and Recreation Committee met twice since the last Civic Voice to consider the County's proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), including a $50 million line item for North Tract planning and construction, and other matters. Arlington Parks Division chief Steve Temmermand attended the first meeting, and Park and Recreation Commission chair Toby Smith attended the second. The Committee will be asking the Federation to approve the following five resolutions:
1. The Arlington County Civic Federation recommends that the Arlington County Board separate parks and recreation from other bond referenda on the November 2004 ballot.
2. The Federation recommends to the Arlington County Board that County staff clearly differentiate the purposes of these programs so that Arlington residents can most effectively interact with and monitor these programs.
3. The Arlington County Civic Federation recommends that the County Board instruct its appointees to the NVRPA to seek a new policy requiring NVRPA's staff to provide prominent public notices for proposed projects and to follow within its member jurisdictions those procedures (for example, adherence to applicable master plan recommendations and requirements for public review of site plans and environmental assessments) that the respective jurisdiction requires for comparable private projects or the jurisdiction's own comparable public projects.
4. Given the current site plan proposal, the Arlington County Civic Federation recommends that the property at 1101 Lee Highway in Rosslyn should retain its present zoning and GLUP designations, and should not be rezoned from S-3A (public use) to C-O-1.5 for private development.
5. Whereas, the Transportation and Pedestrian Initiatives subsection of the Department of Public Works section of the proposed Fiscal Year 2005 - Fiscal Year 2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) describes five Trails and Bikeways Projects to be funded in Fiscal Year 2007, and
Whereas, these projects have not undergone public review focusing upon impacts on natural, scenic and historical resources, as prescribed by public regulations including County Administrative Regulation 4.4 and Paragraph 32 on page 14 of the 1994 Arlington Bicycle Transportation Plan,
Therefore, the above public review and environmental assessment should be completed for Trails and Bikeways Projects before the County distributes to the public the Fiscal Year 2007 - Fiscal Year 2012 CIP.
Committee News
Steve Baur of the Airport Issues Committee has continued to be active in the Part 150 Noise Study currently underway for Reagan National Airport. The Airport Issues Committee participated in a series of public meetings held in April, where a draft of the Part 150 Noise Committee recommendations for noise abatement was presented. While the noise abatement recommendations go further than those presented in the last Part 150 report submitted in 1992, the Airport Issues Committee feels that there are additional recommendations which should be added to the final report, such as: 1) the use of continuous (gravity) descent from the 10-mile point north of the airport, 2) enforcement of the 10-mile turnaround point north
of the airport, and 3) discussion of a tightening of nighttime noise limits. In addition, the report suggests to the FAA that a committee composed of regional representatives devise the appropriate way points for a center of the river flight line. We have requested that the Civ Fed, through its Airport Issues Committee, be represented on this committee. The revised Part 150 report will be available at the end of the summer, and
will be presented in a public meeting in Arlington (site to be announced). For further information, please contact Steve Baur (steveb+; 703-525-5580) or Steve Geiger (steveg+; 703-522-0026)."
Environmental Affairs Co-Chairman Rob Simmons is finalizing the environmental survey questionnaire to be distributed in locations widely accessed by the general public, such as libraries. Anyone desiring to see improvements in current conditions pertaining to the environment is encouraged to take, fill out and return the instrument. Participants can not only include specific suggestions but also rate, on the basis of their perceptions, the condition and outlook for a number of categories, including, for example, air and water quality, the tree canopy. erosion prevention and recycling. There will be opportunity to prioritize the issues thought most important. On the basis of returns, the environmental committee will know what areas the public would like to see first addressed. Thus there will be a factual basis for future public forums and possible resolutions on the subjects deemed most needing community attention. It is hoped that all interested enough to pick up the questionnaires will return them promptly after expressing their concerns and opinions. There will be instructions on the forms stating to who they are to be directed.
At its last two meetings the Committee has been stimulated by most informative presentations by a County forester and by a representative of the County Environmental office who was also involved with Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment. She spoke with us about the state of local water quality and also explained the Livable Neighborhood Water Stewardship Program. We have had a total of five monthly meetings since our Committee was reactivated this January. Our next meeting is scheduled for the third Thursday in September.
We would like to endorse the second annual Watershed-Friendly Garden Tour scheduled for Sunday, June 13th from 1 to 5 pm. For information call 703-228-6427.
The Executive Committee provides guidance to the Federation during the month between meetings, responds to the needs of our various committees, works hand-in-hand with committee chairmen to identify the most topical challenges facing Arlington, and helps craft the educational offerings at each of our meetings and for our special forums.
It has been a real privilege to serve as Chairman of the Executive Committee for the past two years. The dedication to the Federation and what it represents, the breadth and depth of knowledge among the delegates serving on the ExCom, and their desire to do the best job possible is truly awe-inspiring. A very special thank you is extended to my fellow delegates - Nancy Graham, Randy Swart, Bobi Wallace, Ken Marcus, and Stan Karson who so ably filled in when Bobi had to resign because of pressures from work and school - and to the officers, Francis Finta - Treasurer; Tim Wise - Secretary; Pat Smaldore, Vice President; and the indominatable Dan Krasnegor, President.
A final thank you goes to all the hard-working Committee Chairs. Their energy and creativity, their ability to identify some of the more serious issues and bring knowledge to the delegates through various programs, reports and resolutions, was wonderful.
A new Executive Committee will be elected next Tuesday - new leadership, new ideas and energy. I hope all delegates and alternates will help your representatives on the 2004-2005 Executive Committee by sharing ideas, concerns and suggestions and by being willing to work when asked!
The next meeting of the Executive Committee - and its location - will be determined by the new ExCom.
The Housing Committee held its regularly scheduled meeting on May 11 at Joe Wholey's home. Members present were Donna Glynn, Stan Karson, Kathryn Scruggs, and Joe Wholey.
The committee reviewed three recent events in the light of Housing Committee priorities: (1) Civic Federation Housing Program (3/2/04: The committee will follow up to obtain relevant information on changes in Arlington County demographics; (2) Civic Federation Housing Forum (4/17/04): Though the forum was successful, the committee will seek greater publicity for future events of this kind; (3) County Board actions on the FY 2005 budget and on affordable housing guidelines for site plan projects (4/24 and 4/27/04): The committee will monitor the results of those actions; (4) Dominion Hills Civic Association presentation (5/6/04): The committee will pursue issues related to the availability of "affordable and workforce housing" for individuals and families at three income levels: low-income (up to approximately $39,000 for a family of three), moderate-income (up to approximately $66,000 for a family of three), and middle income (up to approximately $95,000 for a family of three).
The committee noted that, on December 2, 2002, the Civic Federation had adopted a resolution supporting the creation of a broad-based coalition to develop a plan for home ownership for Arlington public servants, and that the Federation had referred to the committee a resolution proposing that the Federation support the Alliance for Housing Solutions.
The committee decided to approach the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, which has also adopted resolution supporting the creation of a broad-based coalition to develop a plan for home ownership for Arlington public servants.
The committee decided to continue to seek opportunities for presentations to civic associations and other ACCF members on affordable and workforce housing and the Alliance for Housing Solutions, and to develop communications on affordable and workforce housing and AHS via the Federation's Civic Voice newsletter.
For more information, please contact joe+
Want to influence the 2005 session of the State Legislature (maybe)? Join the Legislation Committee. The Committee will meet at 7:30 on August 23, August 30, and September002013. I have reserved the conference room at Northern Virginia Hospice, 4715 N. 15th Street, Arlington. This location is the old Woodlawn School near the Virginia Hospital Center. You can reach the center from either N. Glebe Rd. or N. George Mason Dr. From Glebe Rd., turn left on 16th St. and left again on either Abingdon St. or Buchanan St. Go one short block to N. 15th St. Turn right on 15th St. from Abingdon or left from Buchanan to the parking lot. From George Mason, turn right on 16th St. and right on Buchanan or Abingdon to 15th St. If you are interested in participating, please contact Nancy Graham at (703) 243-4650 or e-mail nancy+. Heads up to all who are interested in trying to influence the State Legislature in 2005! The Legislation Committee will meet on August 23, August 30, and September 13 (we skip Labor Day). The location will be announced later. New members are welcome. If you have questions, you can contact Nancy Graham at (703) 243-4650 or nancy+.
The Public Services Committee is still heavily invested in the Arlington Prepares Campaign. We're coming down to the finish line for the June 5th Arlington Prepares Door-to-Door, a project designed to: get Arlington-specific emergency preparedness information to each of our 93,000 households and many of our businesses; Establish and activate the nine PERMANENT Resource Centers for the three emergency districts - North, Central and South - and to brief representatives from our civic associations, condos and apartments on how these centers will be used in real emergencies (the June 5th briefing to which all civic associations, etc. have been asked to send representatives); and review our ability to activate neighborhoods - this is where the delivery system comes in - and a special thanks to the CERTs, Neighborhood Watches, Scouts, service groups and all the other citizens who have volunteered to deliver and assume a role in the event of an emergency.
This is obviously an enormous undertaking, and Anne, Jackie and Kim in particular want to personally thank all the civic/citizen associations and condominium members that have demonstrated a willingness to work on this project!
Other events coming up for Arlington Prepares - of which the Civic Federation is a Partner - include a Disabilities Forum June 14th, the County Fair (for which we're all signed up to take a turn manning the CivFed booth, right?), and a county-wide E Prep Fair, Table Top exercise and communications drill in October. While waiting for these events, all our delegates and alternates are encouraged to consider signing up for ArlingtonAlert, a text messaging warning system for serious events that occur in Arlington (weather and other) at www.ArlingtonAlert.com and to consider purchasing a NOAA Weather Radio with S.A.M.E. capability (which means it can be programmed for our area instead of the whole country!).
Another issue that Public Services worked on earlier this year has percolated up again - the Public Defenders Office for Arlington. This was approved by the General Assembly through the BUDGET process at the last moment. While we certainly advocated for a Public Defender for Arlington, we did so with conditions of quality. There appears to be some rancor among members of the General Assembly that using the budgetary process circumvented the legislative process. As such, it is possible that legislation will be introduced in the next session to repeal the Public Defender Commission. One proposal being suggested is to substitute the Public Defender Commission with a Commission on Indigent Defense. The Public Services Committee will be monitoring these developments very closely. The goal is not a "public defender" office per se but rather quality representation by skilled counsel, adequately trained (including minimum continuing education requirements) for the type of case being tried, adequately supplemented with appropriate investigative and related staff, adequately compensated for the hours necessary to represent clients well and fairly, and limited in the number of cases being handled by counsel to insure that sufficient time can be devoted to an indigent client's defense. Stay tuned!
All of us who served on Public Services this year appreciated the opportunity to do the research and present the information to our fellow delegates. Those who worked so tirelessly at various times throughout the year include Anne Fisher, Amy Levin, Kevin O'Brien, Patrick Smaldore, Kim Smith, Jackie Snelling and Bobi Wallace. Please consider joining this committee next year. Its responsibilities are great - and we NEED YOU!
While the Federation's committees provide opportunities to stay involved and make a difference, it won't help you, unless you and your organization participate. You say that you don't have time? You can't stand meetings? Well, thanks to the hard work of Jay Wind, there is a new, easy way to stay in the loop. Internet discussion groups have been established for all Civic Federation Committees. The new discussion groups make it easy to join committees, participate in discussion, and to keep up-to-date on the latest news without taking up all your time. Anyone who belongs to a Civic Federation member organization is eligible to join up. To sign up, all you have to do is go to www.civfed.org/egroups.htm and follow the instructions on the page.
From Your President
It's hard to believe, but it's been two years since you, the Federation Delegates and Alternates, elected me to serve as your President. As Federation tradition has it, having finished two terms as President, I won't be seeking another term (well, perhaps that would be the case even if it wasn't tradition!) Before I leave office, I want to take the time to reflect a bit, and leave the Federation with some thoughts about the future.
First off, it's been an honor and a privilege to serve the Federation. As many of you know, I've been involved in many (many!) Arlington-based non-profits over the years, and the dedication and hard work of the volunteers who run the Civic Federation is unequaled. The Executive Committee, including outgoing chair Kim Smith, past-Presidents Randy Swart, Bill Gearhart, Jim Pebley, Scott McGeary, and Jeanne Mostrom have given me unparalleled guidance and support. Pat Smaldore, our Vice President for the past two years has always been there when called upon to lend a helping hand or take charge of a meeting. Our committees and their leaders have kept me and the Federation abreast of the latest developments in the County, and helped with ideas for programs, and labor in putting together presentations, meetings and forums. There are many, many others who have contributed to the Federation, too many to mention really. To all-I say thank you-the Federation truly is a team-based organization. One that made my job easier.
As I leave the office of President, I want to encourage the new leadership to find ways to make sure that everyone who wants to participate has the opportunity to do so, and that those who haven't traditionally participated find it easy to do so. One of the Federation's goals should be to educate its members and the community about important issues in the County, and I hope that the Federation will continue to serve in this role.
In the end though, one of the most important things that new leadership brings is a new perspective. New ideas and the change that they bring are the lifeblood of any organization, and the Federation is no exception. I am excited to see the Federation grow, change, and adapt to meet the needs of its members. I fully expect the Federation to be going strong in another 88 years. With that, I say good bye and good luck.
Dan Krasnegor
The Arlington County Civic Federation
Officers 2003-2004
President Daniel Krasnegor (dan+)
Vice President Patrick Smaldore (pat+)
Treasurer Tim Wise (tim+)
Secretary Frances Finta (703-528-2882)
Executive Committee
Chairman Kimberly Johnson-Smith (kim+)
Vice Chairman Nancy Graham (nancy+)
Member Stan Karson (stan+)
Member Ken Marcus (ken+)
Member Randy Swart (randy+)
Committee Chairs
Airport Issues (Co-Chairs)
Bylaws (Co-Chairs)
Community Relations
Cultural Affairs
Environmental Affairs (Co-Chairs)
Housing
Legislation (Co-Chairs)
Membership
Frances Finta 703-528-2882 (no email)
Parks & Recreation (Co-Chairs)
Planning & Zoning (Co-Chairs)
Public Preparedness Initiative
Public Services (Co-Chairs)
Revenues and Expenditures (Co-Chairs)
Scholarship
Schools (Co-Chairs)
Special Events (Co Chairs)
Transportation (Co Chairs)
Newsletter Editor:
Dan Krasnegor 703-534-4024
Arlington County Civic Federation
c/o Dan Krasnegor
1305 N. Longfellow St.
Arlington, VA 22205
This page was last revised on: June 30, 2004.
|
Arlington County Civic Federation
