May, 2005 - Volume 89, No. 9
ACCF General Meeting Notice
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 at 7:30pm
Hazel Conference Center
Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington
1701 North George Mason Drive
Agenda
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
7:30pm, Call to Order
1. Pledge of Allegiance (formal start of meeting)
2. Approval of Agenda and Minutes (Mar 1, 2005)
3. Treasurer's Report
7:50pm Program Begins
4. VA State Delegates Program
5. Committee Reports
6. Unfinished Business
7. New Business
8. Announcements
9. Adjournment
Message from the President
May Meeting: VA State Delegate Program
The Civic Federation will welcome Arlington's State Delegates and Senators to the May 3rd meeting; with a program beginning at 7:50 pm. our delegation to Richmond will speak about the recent session, including the state budget, and what became of the Federation's legislative agenda. Our Delegates and Senators will be available for questions from our delegates and alternates.
Two New ACCF Committee Chairs
Please join me in welcoming Kathryn Scruggs as the ACCF Housing Committee Chair, and Beth Wolffe as the ACCF Schools Committee Chair. Kathryn took over from Joe Wholey, and Beth has taken over from Roger Myer and Terri Prell. Many thanks to Joe, Roger, and Terri for the remarkable work they have been doing on these committees for the past several years. The Arlington County Civic Federation is grateful for your very noteworthy efforts.
Both Kathryn and Beth bring a wealth of civic experience into their Chairmanships.
All the best to Kathryn and Beth!!
Patrick Smaldore
Report of ACCF Revenues and Expenditures Committee with recommendations for the County's FY 2006 General Fund budget
By Bob Atkins and Randy Swart, Co-Chairs ACCF Revenues and Expenditures Committee
The report was adopted on April 5th as a Federation position by a vote of 55 to 8. Our budget would reduce the real estate tax rate by 11.1 cents below the current rate. This recommendation is 6.1 cents below the maximum rate now advertised by the County Board. In part that was achieved by recalculating revenue projections and carryover. We did not suggest any major cuts, and used the Manager's recommendations for affordable housing funds and a capital improvement program. Despite the tax rate cut, the budget would grow by 6.75% ($48.5 million) over the current fiscal year General Fund budget. Our budget added the Pay-As-You-Go capital that has been included in all Managers' proposals in living memory prior to this one, and some additional funding for maintenance of streets, hiring new police officers, an emergency siren system, a new health inspector and a TB nurse for the schools to replace the one lost by state cuts. We used the Schools transfer numbers agreed to by the County Manager and the Superintendent. The report also includes eighteen procedural recommendations for the budget process. In a separate vote, the Federation supported by a very narrow margin of 29 to 28 a variation of the Homeowner's Grant Program proposed by the County Manager. It would more precisely target additional new tax relief at a cost of $2.2 million. Our recommendation for that program would lower the maximum income to $45,000; lower the maximum liquid asset cap to $160,000 and double the amount of the grant to $1,000. The objective of the changes was to target the relief to the neediest and make the amount of the grant more significant. This was one of the two options (the other being no program) that were presented to the Task Force as the Federation position.
The full report can be found at the ACCF web site.
A Comprehensive Plan to Address Affordable Housing in Arlington
By Kathryn Scruggs, Chair ACCF Housing Committee
On March 1 the Federation accepted the resolution from the Housing Committee to support the Arlington County Board's February 15 resolution on housing and land use policies. Our resolution requested substantial formal participation in a public process to develop amendments to the General Land Use Plan and the affordable housing related provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. Now, the former Chair of the Housing Committee, Joe Wholey, has written a comprehensive plan for that public process. We will bring a resolution to the body as part of "New Business" at the May 3 meeting to support Joe's thorough criteria to ensure that the process can result in a positive outcome.
ACCF 89th Annual Awards Banquet
Our guest of honor and keynote speaker this year was our esteemed Arlington County Manager, Mr. Ron Carlee. Jackie Snelling received the Sun-Gazette Cup award from Scott McCaffrey, Editor of the Sun Gazette. Certificate of Appreciations went to: Dr Alfred Taylor, President, Nauck Civic Association, Portia Clark, Nauck Civic Association, Rebecca Krafft President, Douglas Park Civic Association, Joe Wholey, Past Chair of the ACCF Housing Committee, Nancy Graham, Co-Chair, ACCF Legislation Committee, and Beth Offenbacker, ACCF Community Relations Chair.
President's Awards went to: Jim Cole - Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington, and Debbie Powers - Arlington County Office of Emergency Management.
Congratulations to Everyone!!
For more information please go to the ACCF web site.
Letter to the County Board
Open Space Master Plan
April 13, 2005
Arlington County Board
#1 Courthouse Plaza, Suite 300
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201
Honorable Jay Fisette, Chairman
Subject: Open Space Master Plan/Public Spaces Master Plan Resolution
The attached resolution on the Open Space Master Plan/Public Spaces Master Plan was approved at the general meeting of the Civic Federation on April 5.
I understand that advisory commissions and staff will be working over the next two months to prepare a final draft of this plan for consideration by the County Board. The intent of THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: 1 of the attached resolution is that the reports of Open Space Master Plan Task Force subcommittees should be carefully considered in this process. Many residents participated in meetings of the subcommittees over an extended period, and it is important to take full advantage of those efforts.
We look forward to seeing the draft master plan, which will serve as the basis for public hearings.
We feel this is important, and we ask that you include it in your discussions of these matters. We look forward to your response to our letter. Please feel free to contact me via telephone at: 703-528-3935, or via email at; pat@civfed.org.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Patrick A. Smaldore Jr.
Patrick A. Smaldore Jr.
President, Arlington County Civic Federation
CC: Ron Carlee, Arlington County Manager
Tobin Smith Chairman, Park and Recreation Commission
Eric Sildon Chairman, Open Space Master Plan Task Force
ACCF Parks and Recreation Committee
ACCF Committee Chairs
Ad Hoc Airports Committee
By-Laws Committee
Community Relations Committee
Cultural Affairs Committee
Environmental Committee
Ben Axelroad, Chair - 703-525-3083
Housing Committee
Legislation Committee
Membership Committee
Frances Finta, Chair - 703-528-2882/fax 703-528-0182
Parks & Recreation Committee
Planning & Zoning Committee
Public Services Committee - Amy Levin, 703-521-4894+
Revenues & Expenditures Committee
Scholarship Committees
9/11
Jim Pebley - 703-525-0766
Tim Reese 703-533-0091, Co-Chairs
Teachers
Schools Committee
Special Events Committee
Frances Finta - Phone 703-528-2882/ Fax 703-528-0182
Transportation Committee
The Arlington County Civic Federation 2004-2005
Executive Committee Officers
President - Patrick Smaldore - 703-528-3935
Vice President - Anne Fisher - 703-838-8502
Treasurer - Frances Finta - 703-528-2882/fax 703-528-0182
Secretary - Tim Russo - 703-527-3693
Executive Committee Members
Arlington County Civic Federation
C/o Patrick A. Smaldore Jr.
3859 North Second Street
Arlington, VA 22203-3803
This page was last revised on: May 3, 2005.
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Arlington County Civic Federation
