(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) County Board Chairman Jay Fisette sat down with Kojo Nnamdi and NBC4’s Tom Sherwood today on Nnamdi’s radio show, The Politics Hour on WAMU 88.5 FM.
Fisette discussed board vice chair Chris Zimmerman’s decision to step down from the Metro board, the firing of former county manager Michael Brown, and Arlington’s legislative priorities for 2011.
Fisette’s interview starts at 35:30 in the recording found here.
Here’s a sampling of the interview.
On Gov. McDonnell’s Government Reform Commission:
“We all have some high hopes that the Governor’s Reform Commission will come through with some good ideas,” including a loosening of Dillon Rule restrictions.
On the proposed privatization of Virginia’s liquor wholesale and retail business:
“It really wouldn’t accomplish what it set out to do.”
On the Community Energy Plan:
“Reliability and the cost of energy are going to be a huge issues [in the future… At the federal level there’s kind of a void over the past decade or so, no one has really tackled this, so it falls to local governments.”
“We’re in the process… of adopting a plan that will set goals, targets and strategies for generating, distributing and reducing the use of energy. It will make Arlington more competitive for business in the future.”
On former county manager Michael Brown:
“After a few months it became clear to us… that it was time to ask Mr. Brown to move on… Fortunately for us, our deputy county manager [Barbara Donnellan] stepped in and has done a terrific job.”
On Chris Zimmerman and the sustainability focus during Fisette’s time as board chairman:
“I would be surprised if the framework of sustainability isn’t at the core of what Chris continues to work on.”
On Arlington’s opposition to spot widening on I-66:
“Sprawl development is part of what has created this problem. Our stance it that until you’ve studied and looked at the alternatives,” like transit, widening “shouldn’t be the first reaction when there’s congestion.”