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Arlington County Civic Federation

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------
October, 2001 - Volume 86, No. 2 ------


October Meeting to Consider
Infill & Fire Resolutions

    October General Meeting
    7:00 pm
    Tuesday, October 2nd
    Virginia Hospital Center -- Arlington
    (Formerly Arlington Hospital) Conference Center
    1701 N. George Mason Drive

Page 1 picture -- The U.S. Flag being hung off the crash-damaged Pentagon, outlined in heavy black border with the caption, "In Memory of Our Fallen Relatives, Neighbors and Friends"

In a world turned upside down by a disaster borne of terror, your County and our Federation are carrying on.� We believe that by returning to these civic activities, we might rededicate ourselves to this democratic society -- where freedom is an ideal � a noble concept that no terrorist could ever bomb, burn or fly an airplane into and ever hope to destroy.

Here�s our agenda for October:

~~ October General Meeting ~~

County Reports on Disaster Response
(tentative)

Presentation of Report & Resolutions by Public Services Committee

Resolution on Proposed Zoning Changes Regarding Infill Development - Follow-Up to September 19th Special Membership Meeting held to discuss zoning changes.

As mentioned in last month�s The Civic Voice, many of the Federation�s member groups have heard that the County is considering significant changes in the County�s Zoning Ordinance Code that are intended to ease the impact of �infill development� on Arlington�s established neighborhoods. At September�s special meeting, we heard from an array of parties involved in this issue. We began with an explanation by Ms. Monica Craven, Chairman of the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee about the history of the issue. County Staff members provided an overview of the objectives of the changes and described in detail the three alternative groups of changes under discussion. After laying the groundwork, proponents of the changes (Mr. Ted Weihe and Ms. Nancy Iacomini) provided their rationale for supporting a decrease in the lot coverage size for houses. Mr. Terry Schoman provided a spirited description of impacts the changes may have on homeowners who may wish to make future improvements (additions, decks). Finally, Ms. Carrie Johnson, Chair of the Planning Commission, provided an explanation of when and how the changes could be effected. Next, Federation members were able to question the guests at length about the details and impacts of the proposed changes. At evening�s end, members filled out a survey, indicating their views on the issue, which the Federation�s Planning and Zoning Committee is using to develop draft resolutions for the membership to consider on October 2nd. The draft resolution is appended to the end of this email and will be posted on the Federation�s web site at �www.civfed.org.� If time permits, please look them over before the meeting.


Civic Federation to Consider Legislative Package at November 13th Meeting (Note the date change!)

The Legislation Committee, headed by Ms. Nancy Graham, completed it�s deliberations on September 10th and has provided an advance copy of the Legislative Package that we will consider at our November meeting and ultimately pass along as guidance to our legislative delegation. Due to space limitations, the draft package could not be inserted in this issue of The Civic Voice. In order to give delegates a chance to discuss the issues with their member organizations before November�s meeting, we will provide the advance copies to delegates at the October gathering. Remember, unless there is a rule change, the package will be considered as a whole (up or down vote), followed by additional legislative items as the membership may choose to add. If you have an additional item(s), you must bring 75 written copies of the item and deliver them 15 minutes ahead of November�s meeting. The Legislative Package will be sent via separate email.


PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE COMPLETES REVIEW � PROVIDES PUBLIC SAFETY RESOLUTIONS AT OCTOBER MEETING

Beginning last Spring, the Public Services Committee undertook a comprehensive review of County Public Services on behalf of the Federation. As a first step, the committee developed a survey for Federation Member Organization Presidents to complete and return. The returned surveys have formed the basis for a series of initiatives their committee will be pursuing in the coming year. Delegates will remember that last May, a resolution was introduced on to the meeting floor, principally concerning firefighter staffing. The Federation President referred the resolution to the Public Safety Committee and asked them to make this their first topic area to address. The Committee�s Chair, Ms. Tori Gorman, advises us that the committee has developed three resolutions for the Federation to consider at the October meeting. The draft resolutions are appended to the end of this email and will be posted on the Federation�s web site at �www.civfed.org.�


A NOTE FROM THE ACCF PRESIDENT

The disaster that occurred in our county on September 11th absolutely beggars the imagination. The horror of what happened to our friends, our neighbors, our closest relatives here in the Pentagon and in New York City leaves me at a complete loss for words before the magnitude of this calamity committed by others � those who would commit such evil acts. When I have asked myself � �how do we deal with this?� � time and again the answer, for me, lies in watching how our County�s Public Safety Staff has responded. They instantly responded with magnificent determination to control the conflagration, moving unhesitatingly to assist the survivors and continue to assist the investigators who will determine the true identities of the perpetrators. They did what they were trained to do and did it superlatively. In turn, our citizens have responded equally well in their own way. They have given blood, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars, made lunches and written words of encouragement. We are a county that is united behind the victims, our emergency personnel, our fellow citizens and our country.

In the coming months, as our servicemen and women respond to these acts at great risk to their lives and the security of their families, let�s remember them in our thoughts, prayers, and deeds as well.

God Bless America. Jim


FLYER ON BACK COVER

Arlington's Day of Remembrance and Appreciation
October 7th, 6 p.m.
Washington-Lee High School Stadium


RESOLUTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION AT OCTOBER 2001 MEETING

REPORT OF ZONING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE

Background From Committee --On September 19th the Civic Federation held a special meeting to address potential changes to existing zoning that would limit �coverage� for residential lots. Members heard presentations from a guest panel and then completed a survey developed by the Federation�s Planning & Zoning Committee. The 53 returned surveys were analyzed to develop the resolution below that will be voted at the October 2nd Civic Federation.

Proposed Resolution:

    Whereas, Civic Federation survey results indicated that�

    � An equal percent are for and against the current proposals while about 25% are undecided. Delegates do not believe that the proposed changes will prevent the homes cited as egregious examples of infill.

    � About half of the delegates and others attending the meeting do favor some sort of new coverage restrictions. However, only a third supported applying restrictions to all R-5 thru R-20 properties.

    � When asked to indicate support for specific options, none got support from a majority. The top selection was restricting coverage based on lot sizes (31%), followed by retaining the current limits (25%), no response (25%), zoning districts with caps (19%), and zoning districts (13%).

    � 50% of delegates are concerned that additional coverage restrictions will hurt home values. Members want more information about how proposed changes will reduce homeowners� flexibility for renovating and expanding existing homes.

    � A large majority does not agree with what is used to calculate coverage. The most frequently cited example was inclusion of driveways.

    � More people were concerned about oversize houses (44%) than pipestem development (28%). Those concerned about pipestems preferred to limit this development based on lot frontage minimums rather than on the lot geometry. And whereas, the Civic Federation has passed prior resolutions supporting efforts to control infill development, however the Civic Federation has not reached consensus about the current proposals to limit infill.

Be it resolved that the Federation urges County staff and the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee of the Planning Commission to:

    1. Better define the characteristics of infill that are undesirable and examine ways to control those characteristics.

    2. Reexamine the Zoning Administrator�s lists for calculating coverage.

    3. Provide data and examples about how various proposals for coverage restrictions will impact existing homes in each of the zoning categories (R-5, R-6, R-8, R-10, and R-20) and in different types of neighborhoods.

End of Resolution


RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

Proposed Resolution: Importance of public safety services

    Whereas, "public safety" includes those basic services (i.e., fire, police, emergency communications, emergency medical services, court services, court security, and the operations of our regional jail) that facilitate and allow large numbers of citizens to live securely in a relatively compact urban area such as Arlington County; and

    Whereas, public safety services have been operating with fewer budgeted resources than requested, and in some cases, at levels less than authorized for several years; and

    Whereas, public safety services employees have been working regularly scheduled overtime shifts in order to provide required service levels within the resource constraints placed upon them; and

    Whereas, public safety services are having difficulty attracting, recruiting and retaining qualified employees to maintain a stable and adequately-staffed workforce.

    Be it resolved, by the Arlington County Civic Federation that all concerned organizations -- governmental, private and advisory (e.g., the Emergency Medical Services Council) � are strongly encouraged to adopt solutions that will ensure that all of Arlington County�s public safety departments meet minimum national staffing standards and have the equipment necessary to meet the County�s emergency service needs; and

    Further, that the Arlington County Civic Federation urges the Arlington County Board expand the charter of the Emergency Medical Services Council to include review of the entire range of Fire Department Services and include the functions of the Emergency Communications Center; and

    Further, that the Arlington County Civic Federation recommends the County Board develop, maintain and adhere to a specific long-term investment plan that will ensure the community's public safety needs are well-preserved into the future.

END of first resolution

Proposed Resolution: Improving the number of building fire inspections

    Whereas, once commercial and government buildings are constructed and occupied, it is the responsibility of the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) to inspect all of them annually for fire code violations; and

    Whereas, there are approximately 6,000 properties in Arlington that require inspection every year, including child day care centers, schools, health care centers and residential facilities for the frail elderly; and

    Whereas, safety inspections are an effective way to prevent structural fires and save lives; and

    Whereas, building safety inspections are a primary line of defense against fire, especially in buildings where suppression equipment cannot reach; and

    Whereas, the County Board admits �current staffing levels are unable to provide adequate inspection services that are required. Last year we were only able to inspect and test 40 percent of all high-rise buildings; the state law and County Code require 100 percent;� and Whereas, currently 100% of fire inspections in high-rise buildings fail; and

    Whereas, with the additional construction of high-rise buildings and increased building density in Arlington County, the workload for the inspections program is expected to expand. Without additional staff, the number of inspections completed will decrease, endangering the lives and property of people who live and/or work in Arlington County; and

    Whereas, a December 2000 needs assessment study by the TriData Corporation for the ACFD recommended that Arlington County add two inspectors, one per year over the next two years, to meet the Fire Department�s inspection responsibilities; and

    Whereas, TriData is an internationally recognized expert in research and management studies, and training and technical assistance in the areas of fire protection, emergency medical services and emergency management; and

    Whereas, the TriData study categorized the need to hire additional safety inspectors as an �immediate� priority (the highest priority); and

    Whereas, Arlington County is expected to close FY 2001 with a multi-million dollar budget surplus, enabling the County to make significant headway in hiring the personnel necessary to improve the number of inspections every year, especially in high-risk, high-density high-rise buildings.

    Be it resolved, that the County Board should reaffirm its commitment to the health and safety of all Arlingtonians and the protection of public-use property against fire by following the recommendations of the TriData study and hire at least two full-time fire safety inspectors to the Arlington County Fire Department.

    Further, the Civic Federation requests that the Arlington County Board, in conjunction with the ACFD, establish performance measures to monitor the number of building safety inspections completed every year. These measures shall include, but are not limited to:

      � Percent of �inspectable� properties inspected per year, by category of occupancy (e.g. Assembly, Business, Educational, High-Hazard, Mercantile, etc);

      � Number and percent of violations found, by category of occupancy;

      � Number and percent of violations re-inspected, by category of occupancy;

      � Number and percent of violations cleared, by category of occupancy;

      � The number of emergency incidents of �inspectable� properties requiring an ACFD response, and the estimated dollar loss and casualties associated with them, by type of incident (e.g. fire, gas leak, etc.);

      � An �Honor Roll� � the names and locations of �inspectable� properties that have attained three consecutive years of �passing� grades in their annual fire inspection; and

    Further, the Civic Federation requests that these performance measures be compiled in a single report that is updated and made public every year; and

    Further, the Arlington County Civic Federation respectfully requests that the Arlington County Board respond in writing to this resolution no later than 30 days after adopting the FY 2003 Arlington County Budget. The response should include a summary of actions taken by the County Board in the FY 2003 budget to implement the recommendations made in this resolution.

END of second resolution

Proposed Resolution of the Arlington County Civic Federation: Meeting minimal staffing recommendations for fire suppression units

Whereas, it is the mission of the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) to provide essential emergency services, including an effective response to fire; and

Whereas, federal regulations require all firefighters to follow the �Two In/Two Out Rule� when conducting interior structural firefighting. This regulation states that the ACFD must ensure that at least two firefighters enter an IDLH atmosphere and remain in visual or voice contact with one another at all times (�Two In�) and at least two employees must be located safely outside to provide backup (�Two Out�).

Whereas, because of the Two In/Two Out Rule, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) mandates that a minimum acceptable fire company staffing level shall be four members responding on or arriving with each engine and each ladder company responding to any type of fire; and

Whereas, a first-arriving engine with four personnel can accomplish more in the early stages of a fire than an engine company staffed with only three: it can divide into two-person teams, meet the Two In/Two Out Rule, and immediately begin firefighting operations; and

Whereas, time is most critical in regards to effecting a rescue or making headway on controlling a fire, and four-person teams on firefighting equipment allow for a quicker and more effective attack in many circumstances; and

Whereas, meeting the four-man staffing requirement allows Arlington County to maximize efficient use of its fire suppression equipment and allow the County to rely less on mutual aid from other jurisdictions; and

Whereas, in Arlington County, eight (8) of the County�s fourteen (14) engine and truck companies do not comply with the NFPA�s standards. As a result, responding firefighters may have to wait for additional personnel to arrive on-scene before interior structural firefighting can begin; and

Whereas, waiting for additional personnel in order to comply with the Two In/Two Out Rule could endanger the lives of firefighters once they finally commence interior structural firefighting and could further exacerbate property loss; and

Whereas, a December 2000 needs assessment study by the TriData Corporation for the Arlington County Fire Department recommended that Arlington County increase the number of Fire Department FTEs to meet the NFPA staffing standards; and

Whereas, TriData is an internationally recognized expert in research and management studies, and training and technical assistance in the areas of fire protection, emergency medical services and emergency management; and

Whereas, the TriData study categorized compliance as an �immediate� priority by its research team (the highest priority) ; and

Whereas, Arlington County is expected to close FY 2001 with a multi-million dollar budget surplus, enabling the County to make significant headway in hiring the personnel necessary to meet this nationally recognized minimum safety standard for firefighters; and

Whereas, the ACFD�s failure to meet national minimum staffing standards can be attributed to a decade of neglect towards Arlington�s public safety services by the County Board.

Be it resolved that the Arlington County Civic Federation strongly recommends that the County Board provide the Fire Department with the budget authority necessary to phase-in an increase in the number of FTEs required over an appropriate period of time (no more than five years) until the minimum national staffing requirements for fire suppression units have been satisfied.

Further, the Civic Federation requests that the Arlington County Board, in conjunction with the ACFD, establish performance measures to monitor the emergency services provided by the AFDC. These measures shall include, but are not limited to:

    � Monthly mutual aid statistics for both the AFDC and outside jurisdictions that provide fire services in Arlington County: o Inbound: aid rendered in Arlington County by fire companies domiciled outside Arlington County; and o Outbound: aid rendered by the AFDC to jurisdictions outside Arlington County � Monthly average engagement times for both the AFDC and outside jurisdictions that provide fire services in Arlington County, where �engagement time� is defined as the elapsed time between receipt of an emergency call and the responding unit�s ability to render physical aid; and � The Number and type of emergency response calls, by month; and

Further, the Civic Federation requests that these performance measures be compiled in a single report that is updated and made public every year; and

Further, copies of this report shall be distributed as follows:

    � One (1) copy shall be posted on the Arlington County web site, www.co.arlington.va.us;

    � Three (3) copies shall be sent to every public library in Arlington County;

    � One copy (1) shall be sent to the president of every citizens� association registered with the County;

    � One copy (1) shall be sent to the President of the Arlington County Civic Federation

    � Additional copies shall be made available to the public upon request.

Further, the Arlington County Civic Federation respectfully requests that the Arlington County Board respond in writing to this resolution no later than 30 days after adopting the FY 2003 Arlington County Budget. The response should include a summary of actions by the County Board in the FY 2003 budget to help the ACFD move towards compliance. END of third resolution;


ACCF Officers

    President Jim Pebley 703-525-0766 jim+

    Vice President Dan Krasnegor 703-534-4024 dan+

    Treasurer Frances Finta 703-528-2882 (no email)

    Secretary Tim Wise 703-243-8345 tim+


Executive Committee

    Chairman - Dan Krasnegor 703-534-4024 - dan+

    Member - Robert Atkins 703-527-8859 - (voice or fax) - (no email)

    Member - Mileva Hartman 703-841-9287 - mileva+

    Member - Roger Meyer 703-671-3655 roger+

    Member - Patrick Smaldore 703-528-3935 - patrick+

    Member - Kim Smith - kim+


ACCF Committee Chairs

Recipients of this newsletter are encouraged to forward to all and any interested parties

Copies of the Newsletter are available for Download from the Civic Federation website. (That is a paper version statement: this page is the Web version.) the Civic Voice is also distributed by email.

The paper version of the Civic Voice uses a freshly updated design introduced in 2001 by Cheryl Whitehead, who can be reached through email to cwhite229@erols.com. This Web version using the same text but posted within the style confines of our Web page design, is put up by Randy Swart. If you have comments or complaints about either version, please contact the editor, Jim Pebley



This page was last revised on: December 28, 2003.
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