city government | ALXnow

Alexandria Moves Forward With Southern Access to Potomac Yard

Published April 16, 2020 at 11:30AM

While city business has mostly been limited to pandemic related emergencies, the Alexandria City Council is moving forward with time-sensitive decisions about southwest access to the new Potomac Yard Metro station.

Southern access to Potomac Yard was a selling point for businesses and organizations moving into the parts of that area, but was cut back to save money on the project. The new plan does not include the full southern entrance as originally envisioned, and instead replaces it with a bridge that connects to the northern entrance.

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Alexandria Allows Sidewalk and Parking Lot Vending for Restaurant and Retail

By Vernon Miles

Published April 10, 2020 at 5:20PM

The same day that take out and delivery for mixed drinks opened up throughout Virginia, the City of Alexandria announced a suite of eased restrictions on businesses in Alexandria.

The biggest of these is opening up sidewalks and parking lots to vending for restaurant and retail establishments. In a press release, the City of Alexandria announced that retail and restaurants can set up shop on adjacent sidewalks or parking lots.

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Torpedo Factory Art Center a Ghost Town, Artists Haunted by Rent Payments

By Vernon Miles

Published April 10, 2020 at 3:15PM | Updated April 10, 2020 at 10:48PM

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town(staff photo by James Cullum)

Update 10:40 p.m. — City Spokesperson Craig Fifer noted that the city has offered deferred payment of certain businesses taxes until June 30 and offered 12-month payment plans after that, which is the same offer available to the artists. Fifer also said that rent is paid to the city because the city owns and manages the building, with management resumed in 2016.

Artists can still access their studios and derive value from having a place to work, make online sales, and store their supplies and art. Because some artists derive more income from walk-in sales than others, it would not make sense to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to studio rent. We notified each of our 119 leaseholders on March 31 that they could request rent relief with just a simple email, and only eight so far have done so.

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Inside Alexandria’s Emergency Operations Center (It’s Nearly Empty)

By James Cullum

Published April 9, 2020 at 2:00PM | Updated April 9, 2020 at 4:07PM

Alexandria’s Emergency Operations Center is fully operational through the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s nearly empty.

Ray Whatley, the city’s acting emergency manager, is operating the EOC with a skeleton crew of four full-time staff in the Public Safety Building at 2003 Mill Road. The EOC remains pivotal during the city’s first bonafide emergency since the facility opened last year.

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Budget Cuts Push Back T.C. Expansion and Waterfront Redevelopment

By Vernon Miles

Published April 8, 2020 at 10:30AM | Updated April 8, 2020 at 1:53PM

Alexandria City Hall (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 1:10 p.m.) As expected, this year’s $753.3 million city government budget will be significantly cut down — with a $46.6 million reduction from the operating budget and $140.6 million in the capital budget put forward in April.

City Manager Mark Jinks called the new document “Budget 2.0,” representing the possibility that its contents are subject to change at next Tuesday’s (April 14) City Council meeting and throughout the budget process. Jinks said the total projected revenue loss for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal year is $92.2 million, and that the sharp reduction in the budget is due to a deferral of the 2 cent tax residential tax increase initially proposed and a steep drop off in commercial tax revenue.

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More Trash from At-Home Workers Straining City’s Garbage Infrastructure

By Vernon Miles

Published April 6, 2020 at 4:30PM

Taking out the trash in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The city is pleading for residents to minimize their trash after piles have steadily grown higher as people are staying at home during the pandemic.

Residential trash tonnage has increased by 40% over the last month, according to a press release.

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City Manager Presents Radically Changed FY2021 Budget Proposal

By James Cullum

Published April 2, 2020 at 10:15AM

Alexandria City Hall (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

City Manager Mark Jinks presented the City Council with preliminary estimates for a $743.5 million fiscal year 2021 budget on Wednesday night — a $56.4 million reduction from the budget he unveiled in February.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Alexandria to drastically change its budget over the course of the last month. Preliminary cuts include eliminating the previously proposed 2 cent real estate tax increase, implementing a city hiring freeze [except $2 million to hire new Health Department staff], deferring raises for city staff and reducing the multi-million dollar transfer to Alexandria City Public Schools.

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Alexandria Urges State to Ease Up on the Cocktail Restrictions

By Vernon Miles

Published April 1, 2020 at 4:30PM | Updated March 15, 2024 at 2:38PM

With restaurants in Virginia now relying on take-out and delivery for their survival through the pandemic, Alexandria is joining other localities in urging the state government to allow restaurants to make cocktails to-go.

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Alexandria Library Boosts eBook Selection During Quarantine

By Vernon Miles

Published April 1, 2020 at 11:30AM

The Charles Beatley library in Alexandria (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

While Alexandria’s library network is closed for the foreseeable future, the library has a new selection of electronic options to help Alexandrians through the quarantine.

“The City of Alexandria has given the Library $50,000 to purchase additional eBooks and eAudiobooks,” the city said in a press release. “With Governor Northam’s announcement that Virginians are to stay at home, residents need virtual options to Library services even more than ever.”

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Morning Notes

By James Cullum

Published April 1, 2020 at 9:00AM

A trail near the Braddock Road Metro Station in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

Noah Lyles Relieved Olympics Postponed — “It was a little relief to see that it’s been decided to postpone the Olympics because my first concern was that everybody would be healthy and everybody would have a fair place to compete.” [Running Magazine]

Former Medical Employees Plead Guilty to Running ‘Pill Mill’ — “Two women pleaded guilty yesterday [March 30] for their respective roles in helping run a “pill mill,” which led to the fraudulent dispensing of thousands of prescription opioid pills.” [DOJ]

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Alexandria Leadership Ask Residents to Respect Gov. Northam’s Stay at Home Order

By Vernon Miles

Published March 30, 2020 at 3:15PM

Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay at home order for all Virginians that will be in effect until June 10 unless otherwise rescinded or extended.

Northam made the announcement in a press conference today, and said that those congregating in groups of ten or more could be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor. The order requires that Virginians stay at home unless they are getting food, medical attention, going to work or getting a little fresh air.