After nearly two years under COVID-19, the new Alexandria City Council was sworn into office Monday night (Jan. 3).
Monday’s snow storm and rising COVID numbers made the ceremony a virtual event. The specter of COVID loomed large over the ceremony, too, as Mayor Justin Wilson took the oath from Spain, where he has been stuck since contracting the virus during a holiday trip with his family.
Due to Monday’s snowstorm and rising COVID infections, the induction ceremony for new members of the Alexandria City Council has shifted to a virtual-only format. The School Board’s induction ceremony has been moved to a larger building for distancing.
Mayor Justin Wilson, who is stuck in Spain after contracting COVID, will be sworn in with City Council at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Councilman-elect Kirk McPike also recently tested positive for COVID and is isolating at home.
Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson’s vacation to Spain just got extended a few days due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Wilson is isolating in Spain, where he was with his family on vacation. His family has since returned to the United States after testing negative, Wilson said on social media.
Another single-day record for new COVID cases was set in Alexandria today, and the understaffed Alexandria Fire Department has made “vital changes” to contend with rising infections among staffers, including the temporary suspension of annual leave.
There were 460 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Alexandria on Today (Dec. 30), a 22% jump over the previous record of 376 cases set on Christmas day.
With Alexandria’s recorded COVID-19 cases at an all-time high, some changes have been made to the installation of the new City Council on Monday.
According to an email from the City of Alexandria, the location has been moved from Alexandria City High School to the Council Chamber in City Hall.
Inova discourages ER visits for mild, asymptomatic COVID testing — “With demand for COVID-19 testing high, Inova Health System says emergency room visits should be reserved for emergency and critical needs.” [Patch]
New restaurants coming to Shirlington — “Chinese-Korean eatery opens first Virginia location; beer hall to take over Capital City Brewing spot.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]
A development near Landmark Mall was deferred at the applicant’s request after the project was hammered by City Council for its lack of affordable housing and design issues.
Things had been looking positive for West End Associates LLC’s Landmark Overlook project — spread across 5901, 5951, and 5999 Stevenson Avenue and 2 South Whiting Street — as it headed into the City Council on Saturday. The project was approved by the Planning Commission and city staff.
Days after both school resource officers at Alexandria City High School were put on administrative leave, the Alexandria Police Department and Alexandria City Public Schools system are still unclear as to if or when those officers will be replaced.
The officers were placed on leave last Thursday after a “serious complaint” from a former student alleging “sexually inappropriate conversations” while she attended ACHS, according to the Washington Post.
Alexandria leadership are sticking to their guns on changes planned for the Torpedo Factory Art Center as it looks at building a new governing structure to plan out the art center’s future.
At a City Council meeting last week, the Council and Deputy City Manager Emily Baker discussed evolving plans for the Torpedo Factory and what direction the city should take. The art center is one of the most popular destinations in Alexandria, attracting an estimated 500,000 visitors a year.
At Planning Commission and City Council meetings next month, the city is looking to amend the zoning ordinance to allow for more co-living units to be built.
Co-living units are a type of shared living arrangement where individual bedrooms have shared amenities, like communal kitchens or bathrooms. These are usually rental units, for short or long-term stays. It’s the individual bedroom rented out, rather than the unit as a whole, in a co-living arrangement.
Earlier this week, City Council member Redella “Del” Pepper finished up a historic run in city leadership that includes an unparalleled treasure trove of stories about the behind-the-scenes battles that made the city what it is today.
Pepper joined the City Council in 1985 and has remained in office for 12 terms before announcing last November that she wouldn’t run for reelection.
