Alexandria declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and the City Council also approved measures to assist the community as it weathers the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Justin Wilson said that the actions taken by City Council on Saturday are only the beginning.
Alexandria is looking to study a new accessory dwelling unit (ADU) policy in Alexandria with some community input.
ADUs are defined by the city as secondary, independent living units with a separate kitchen, sleeping area and bathroom, in converted garages or new structures detached from a primary residence.
Jaqueline Tucker’s head is still spinning. After a little more than two weeks on the job, she knows that she has her work cut out for her as Alexandria’s first-ever racial and social equity officer.
Tucker’s calendar is filling up. She’s currently meeting with department heads and just finished training with the department of community and human services. Her initial goal is to ensure that all Alexandria government employees receive racial equity training by the first quarter of next year.
School Board Approves New Budget — “The Alexandria City School Board has approved an Operating Budget for the 2020-21 school year focused on supporting students socially, emotionally and academically while also increasing graduation rates. The Operating Budget of $299.1 million is an increase of 4.4% on last year’s budget, in line with ACPS’ anticipated continued enrollment growth and needs.” [ACPS]
City Unveils New 311 System — “The City of Alexandria has launched a new customer service initiative called Alex311, to connect customers to more than 175 City services in a variety of convenient ways. The service includes new web, mobile app, social media and phone options to submit requests for service or information… Alex311 replaces the City’s previous Call.Click.Connect. service.” [City of Alexandria]
City Faces Dozens of Lawsuits — “Between 2014 and 2019, 101 lawsuits were filed against the city, and 20 of those cases are still active, according to data the Alexandria Times acquired through the city… Over the last six years, the city has faced 37 claims cases, 20 land-use cases, 15 civil rights cases, 12 employment cases, 11 real estate assessment cases, two FOIA cases, two mandamus cases and two procurement cases.” [Alexandria Times]
Restaurants That Locals Still Miss — “When you talk with locals about restaurants they miss, there’s usually at least one place they can name… We’ve received nearly 40 responses covering Old Town and other areas of the city. Places mentioned by multiple people included Austin Grill, Overwood, Mango Mike’s, Flying Fish and Geranio.” [Patch]
Half of Popular Duo to Perform at Birchmere — “On the evening of June 24, 1964, Washington was engulfed in Peter and Gordon-mania. Midway through the British duo’s performance at the Alexandria Roller Rink, a desperate Jack Alix, DJ at WEEL radio, halted the music and begged the crowd to please stop pushing. ‘I do remember it was a good gig, where the audience was crazy, with screaming girls throwing themselves at the stage and all that stuff,’ said Peter Asher, calling from his Malibu, Calif., home.” [Washington Post]
Alexandria Man Charged in Arlington Incident — “A 69-year-old Alexandria man is facing a felony charge after police say a minor, two-vehicle crash led to a physical altercation along Lee Highway… [The man] punched a window on the other car several times, then ‘produced a knife and allegedly attempted to strike the victim,’ according to Arlington County Police.” [ARLnow]
Alexandria City Manager Mark Jinks released his proposed, $799.9 million fiscal year 2021 budget at City Hall on Tuesday night, and it includes a 2 cent real estate tax increase.
Jinks, who also presented a $2.1 billion 10-year Capital Improvement Plan, proposes increasing the current tax rate by six cents over the course of six years — a 2 cent addition every other year — in order to pay for city and school system improvements.
After months of activism over the much-maligned Seminary Road Diet, the Facebook group dedicated to opposing the lane reduction has rebranded itself and broadened its focus.
On Sunday, the Alexandria Residents Against the Seminary Road Diet Facebook group was renamed “Bring Integrity Back to Alexandria! End Seminary Rd Diet & Other Bad Ideas.”
Alexandria Police are investigating the theft of nearly $184,000 from the city’s finance department in a suspected phishing scheme.
On Jan. 28, the department made a payment of $183,956.10 to what it believed was Integrity Construction
You may not be familiar with the city’s Historic Preservation Manager William “Al” Cox, but if you walked around Old Town you’re familiar with his work.
After 28 years of shaping the city’s policy on architecture and historic preservation and 10 years as the historic preservation manager, Cox is retiring.
Nobody knows where the styrofoam that washed up on Alexandria’s shore came from, but it was one part of the haul of debris that got swept up in a recent deep clean of Alexandria’s waterfront.
“We have a debris problem on the river,” said Jack Browand, division chief of Parks and Cultural Activities.
