Author: ARLnow.com

Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. Started by a Pentagon City resident who has spent the past several years working in local TV news, ARLnow.com seeks to distinguish itself with original, enterprising, up-to-the-minute local coverage.

Arlington Dems to Conduct Voting via Mail for School Board Race

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Democrats say they’re planning to conduct the upcoming School Board endorsement caucus via the mail, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“This extraordinary procedural change supports Virginia’s stay-at-home order and recommended social distancing measures necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic,” the local party said, in a press release.

Starting today, Arlington Democrats can request a ballot online. The ballot request deadline if May 7, and the deadline for submitting the ballots is May 30.

There are five candidates — Steven Krieger, Cristina Diaz-Torres, David Priddy, Sandy Munnell, and Terron Sims — seeking the Democratic endorsement in the race for the School Board seats being vacated by incumbents Tannia Talento and Nancy Van Doren. A sixth candidate, Symone Walker, is no longer seeking the Democratic endorsement and is instead running as an independent.

The full press release about the vote-by-mail change is below.

After consulting with the five candidates seeking the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee to fill two open seats on the Arlington School Board, Arlington Dems today launched a process to conduct its endorsement caucus by mail. This extraordinary procedural change supports Virginia’s stay-at-home order and recommended social distancing measures necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic.

“We had lengthy internal discussions about how to run our endorsement caucus responsibly during the coronavirus pandemic,” Arlington Dems Chair Jill Caiazzo said. “We determined that, given our available resources, the only safe and reliable option for a large-scale caucus is to conduct the vote by mail.”

The caucus will take place in four phases:

  1. Voter Validation and Ballot Request. Effective today (April 7) at 9 a.m. EDT, Arlington Dems will launch a secure online ballot request form via the Arlington Democrats website at www.arlingtondemocrats.org/school-board-caucus. To begin the process to receive a ballot, prospective voters will provide standard identifying information that will allow Arlington Dems to validate that they are Arlington County registered voters. Although online submission of the form is strongly preferred, a PDF version will be available for downloading and mailing to Arlington Dems. All ballot requests must be received (not postmarked) by May 7.
  2. Ballot Mailing. Registered voters whose requests are received by the May 7 deadline will receive their ballots by U.S. Postal Service mail. Ballots will be mailed on a rolling basis. Arlington Dems will include stamped, self-addressed envelopes with ballots, which voters are strongly encouraged to use to return their ballots. They will be returned to a post office box exclusively devoted to receiving School Board Caucus ballots.
  3. Voting. The deadline for receipt (not postmark) of completed ballots by Arlington Dems is May 30. Voters are strongly encouraged to immediately complete and return their ballots to ensure they are received by the deadline. Candidate representatives will be able to watch ballots being retrieved from the post office box and secured through live video-conferencing or in person, the latter provided they observe recommended social distancing measures. No ballots will be counted until all are collected after the May 30 deadline.
  4. Counting and results. Arlington Dems will begin counting the ballots the morning of May 31, or as soon as possible after that date. Observing recommended social distancing measures, Caucus leadership will open envelopes and validate the authenticity of enclosed ballots. Candidates or their representatives may observe the process via live video conferencing. Arlington Dems will use a process to anonymize ballots during the ballot counting, which will be conducted using a virtual procedure.

(more…)

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Three COVID Cases at Pentagon City Apartment — “Three residents of the largest apartment building in Arlington — The Bartlett owned by JBG Smith Properties — have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to messages sent to Bartlett tenants.” [Washington Business Journal]

Elton John Tweets About Barrett Elementary Video — “The staff at @BarrettAPS recorded their own music video to @TaronEgerton’s version of ‘I’m Still Standing’ and it’s so much fun!” [Twitter]

Library Launches ‘Quaranzine’ — “Liz Laribee, the programs and partnerships librarian at Arlington Public Library, says she thinks in puns. So, when the word ‘quaranzine’ popped into her head a little over a week ago, it gave her an idea. On April 3, the library published the first issue of Quaranzine, a weekly online collection of works by local artists responding to the coronavirus pandemic.” [DCist, Arlington Public Library]

Dems See Few Refund Requests After Event Cancelled — “Arlington County Democratic Committee leaders say the party did not take a big financial hit due to the cancellation of its Blue Victory Dinner, which traditionally brings in about a third of operating revenue for county Democrats each year. ‘We had very few folks ask for refunds,’ party chair Jill Caiazzo said… Democratic leaders offered those, who were willing to let the party keep the ticket prices, access to an online event.” [InsideNova]

ACFD Accepting Donations of Food But Not Supplies — “Thank you all for the generosity. You are amazing!! We have have been getting a lot of questions about donating PPE (masks, gloves, respirators, etc). At this time we are NOT collecting any supplies.” [Twitter, Arlington County]

BREAKING: Erik Gutshall Resigns from County Board

By ARLnow.com
County Board member Erik Gutshall at 2018 organizational meeting

(Updated at 8:10 p.m.) Erik Gutshall, who was hospitalized with a brain tumor earlier this year, has resigned from the Arlington County Board.

Gutshall made the announcement Monday evening in a Facebook post. He has been absent from Board meetings for the past couple of months, and on March 1 revealed it was due to a brain tumor.

“As a result of this health issue, it saddens me deeply to announce my resignation from the Arlington County Board,” Gutshall wrote today.

The full post is below.

Friends,

Thank you for all the support that you’ve given me over the past month as I undergo treatment for brain cancer. My family and I really appreciate all the kind words and encouragement while I’ve been dealing with this sudden, difficult diagnosis. As a result of this health issue, it saddens me deeply to announce my resignation from the Arlington County Board.

I decided to run for elected office because I believe in the power of community voices to make a difference in our County. Serving Arlington for the past 2+ years as a Board Member and many years before that as a Planning Commissioner has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I’ve had the honor of working side-by-side with many Arlingtonians who always inspired me to work harder and to do more. I will miss working with my County Board colleagues, whom I hold in the highest regard. Even though this is a particularly difficult time for our County and country, I know that I’m leaving this position in very capable hands.

For now, I’m looking forward to quarantining at home with my wife Renee and our children.

I thank you all for putting your trust in me. It has truly been an honor to serve you.

With highest regards,
Erik Gutshall

Gutshall was elected to the County Board in 2017, after Chairing the Planning Commission, a county press release noted.

“The Board will consult with the County Attorney about the next steps, as required under Virginia law, for holding a special election to replace Gutshall on the County Board,” said the press release.

Local officials and community members have offered words of encouragement and sympathy for Gutshall since his initial announcement and after tonight’s word that he is resigning.

“We are deeply, deeply saddened by Erik’s resignation from the County Board this afternoon for health reasons,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said, in a statement Monday night. “As they have been for the past weeks, our hearts continue to be with Erik and his family. Erik’s statement reflects who he is, identifying his belief in the power of our community and focusing on the critically difficult time we are in as a County and as a country. We have missed Erik’s presence with us at this critical moment in Arlington’s history, and we will continue to miss him. We ask that you join us in continuing to support Erik and his family during this difficult time and send messages of love and appreciation for his work and friendship.”

https://twitter.com/parisa4justice/status/1247305010125340672

The County Board is accepting well wishes from the community and will pass along email to Gutshall and his family.

BREAKING: Proposed County Budget Slashed

By ARLnow.com

No raises, few areas of additional spending and a couple of delayed openings.

That’s the summary of County Manager Mark Schwartz’s revised budget proposal, as announced by Arlington County on Monday afternoon.

The new Fiscal Year 2021 proposed budget “focuses on core essential services of government, retaining the existing workforce and proactively responding to the pandemic,” the county said in a press release.

The revision comes as Arlington expects a projected $56 million drop in revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, dealing Schwartz’s formerly “good news budget” a $34 million reduction while tacking on $21.6 million to Arlington Public Schools’ already sizable budget gap.

Local and state governments have been bracing for big reductions in revenue as the pandemic causes sales tax, meals tax, hotel tax and other types of revenue to plummet.

Schwartz’s new budget proposal allocates more than $10 million for relief efforts, including food assistance, help for local businesses and nonprofits, and employee assistance. County services in the new budget are mostly kept as the current budget year’s levels, and proposed county employee pay increases have been nixed, per the county press release.

Other proposed, money-saving efforts including delaying the openings of the newly-built Lubber Run Community Center and Long Bridge Park aquatics center, as previously suggested by County Board Chair Libby Garvey.

The County Board will now hold a joint budget and tax rate hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 23. Final budget adoption is scheduled for Thursday, April 30.

After advertising no tax rate increase, the County Board can only keep the current rate steady or lower it. The average homeowner is still likely to pay more in property taxes, however, given a rise in property assessments.

The full county press release is below.

As the County faces the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, County Manager Mark Schwartz presented the Arlington County Board with a revised FY 2021 Proposed Budget that focuses on core essential services of government, retaining the existing workforce and proactively responding to the pandemic.

County staff estimates a nearly $56 million drop in anticipated revenue for the FY 2021 budget–$34.0 million on the County side and $21.6 million for Arlington Public Schools.

“What was unthinkable two months ago is now in front of us,” Schwartz said. “Businesses have laid off staff, residents have lost jobs, schools have closed and only the most essential functions continue.”

In February, Schwartz presented a budget that added back targeted investments in areas that were falling behind after two years of reductions. Now, his revised budget maintains only the current levels of service, removes all salary increases, places many projects on hold, uses funds from the Stabilization Reserve, and removes almost every addition proposed only a few weeks ago.

The budget delays the opening of the Lubber Run Community Center and the Long Bridge Park Fitness & Aquatics Center until FY 2022.

The County Manager’s revised budget also responds to the pandemic. It provides funding to meet projected demand in direct life/safety services to our residents, such as housing grants, permanent supportive housing, and identifies $2.7 million for emergency needs, such as food assistance. An additional $7.5 million is set aside for potential assistance to small businesses and nonprofits, service delivery recovery and employee support, and possible additional shortfalls in revenue.

The County Board now will take up the Manager’s proposal and is expected to vote on the amended budget on Thursday, April 30. There will be a public hearing on the new FY 2021 budget proposal, followed immediately by a tax hearing, on Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m.

Before the pandemic, the County Board voted to advertise a tax rate of $1.013 per $100 of assessed value for Calendar Year 2020 ($1.026 including stormwater). By law, the Board can adopt a tax rate no higher than the advertised rate.

Person Found Dead in Metro Tunnel Near Pentagon City Station

By ARLnow.com

Police are investigating a death on the Metro tracks in Arlington over the weekend.

Arlington County firefighters were dispatched to a Metro tunnel near the Pentagon City station shortly after 8:30 a.m. Sunday, according to ACFD spokesman Capt. Justin Tirelli, after a track inspector found a person on the trackbed.

Medics pronounced the individual dead on the scene and the investigation was turned over to Metro Transit Police, Tirelli said. A Metro spokesman did not respond to a request to comment from ARLnow.

Blue and Yellow line service was suspended between National Airport and the Foggy Bottom and L’Enfant Plaza stations, respectively, until shortly after noon Sunday. At the time Metro’s Twitter account described the incident as a “police investigation” and “an unauthorized person on the tracks.”

Flickr pool photo by Erinn Shirley

JUST IN: Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Now Above 200

By ARLnow.com

Just six days after the number of COVID-19 cases in Arlington topped the 100 mark, the county is now reporting more than 200 cases.

As of Monday morning there were 203 known coronavirus cases in Arlington County, according to the latest Virginia Dept. of Health data. An additional 35 cases were reported Sunday, the county’s steepest daily increase so far.

Statewide, there are 2,878 known cases, 497 hospitalizations, 54 deaths and 24,521 cases. Neighboring Alexandria has 93 reported cases, while Fairfax County — with about five times Arlington’s population — has 488 reported cases.

The state health department’s data shows relatively few cases among those 19 years of age and younger, but those 20 and up appear similarly susceptible to contracting the virus.

Morning Poll: Should Arlington Public Schools Have a Spring Break This Year?

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Arlington Public Schools is on spring break this week, which is prompting some people to ask… why?

During normal times, spring break allows teachers and students to get a needed week-long break, leading up to final exams and the end of the school year. It also allows parents to plan vacations and getaways.

During the coronavirus crisis, however, everyone is (or should be) staying at home, so vacations are not really a thing. Parents, many of whom are working from home, have to pull double duty as their kids’ at-home enrichment coordinator even with school in session — more so when it’s not. Meanwhile, the workload for students, who no longer need to worry about SOLs and other high-pressure tests, has been greatly reduced.

This is not to mention APS’ laudable meal distribution for families in need, which buckled under the strain of distributing five grab-and-go meals on Friday for the week ahead. The school system ran out of meals amid long lines, according to the Washington Post.

The argument for keeping spring break is giving students and staff long-planned time off, while giving APS — especially hard-working teachers who have been figuring out how to educate students from a distance — extra time to figure out how to proceed for the rest of the year.

But given all the disruption to everyday life caused by the virus outbreak, should spring break have been cancelled this year?

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Governor Urges Va. Residents to Wear Masks — “Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday urged all residents to wear a cloth mask if they must leave their home… In light of the state’s prohibition of wearing masks law, Northam said Friday that “no law enforcement will be bothering anybody because they have a covering on their face.” [Patch]

One-Day Donation Drive Results — Arlington County collected 3,484 food items, 269 boxes of N95 masks, 323 boxes of surgical masks and 740 homemade masks during a one-day donation drive on Friday. [Arlington County, NBC 4]

VHC Gets Mask Donations — “We continue to be amazed by the generosity of our community! Shout out to all of the individuals and businesses who have donated food and supplies to our team on the front lines of COVID-19.” [Instagram]

Pub Owner Now Working As Cop — Mark Kirwin, the Irish-born owner of Samuel Beckett’s in Shirlington and Kirwin’s on the Wharf in D.C., has closed both pubs during the coronavirus outbreak and is instead spending his days working as a reserve police office in the District. [RTE]

AM Water Main Break in Courthouse — Updated at 9:35 a.m. — “NB & SB N Courthouse Rd closed between 13th St N & 14th St N until further notice for emergency repairs. Seek an alternative route.” [Twitter]

ARLnow Weekend Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Another week of social distancing, and it’s still not clear how many are to go.

Earlier this week Gov. Ralph Northam said Virginia might see a surge of coronavirus cases as late as the latter half of May. That could push our at-home isolation well into to summer.

Let’s hope that our distancing efforts pay off and we resume some semblance of normal life before that.

Here are the most-read articles on ARLnow this week:

  1. Virginia is Now Under a Stay-at-Home Order
  2. Police: Store Employee Charged After Shooting Would-Be Thief
  3. Clarendon Trader Joe’s Closed After Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus
  4. Photos: Drug Bust Near Columbia Pike
  5. Store Owner Goes on Fox News to Blast Decision to Charge Employee for Shooting
  6. Reported Coronavirus Cases in Arlington Top 100
  7. Arlington County Announces First Coronavirus Deaths
  8. Ask Eli: Impact of Coronavirus on the Real Estate Market, Part 4
  9. County: Clap for Healthcare Workers Tonight at 8 p.m.

Feel free to discuss those stories, or anything else of local interest, in the comments.

And now here it is, your moment of zen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-StlVEFdMM/

County Commission Meetings ‘Cancelled Until Further Notice’

By ARLnow.com

Arlington prides itself on citizen participation in government, but public engagement is taking a backseat to practical necessity during the coronavirus crisis.

On Wednesday, members of Arlington’s galaxy of advisory commissions and boards were told that their meetings have been put on hold for the foreseeable future.

“As you may know, we issued a continuity of operations ordinance that offers some flexibility for the County Board and other appointed bodies to meet virtually — but only for decisions directly related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and other essential continuity of business matters,” Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in an email.

“While commissions and advisory boards do important work, it is not necessarily essential to the crisis in front of us, which is our key priority at this time; and which is the only kind of work legally covered under the ordinance we adopted,” she continued. “As of March 31, 2020, ALL Commission, advisory boards, workgroup and subcommittee meetings are cancelled until further notice. However, there may be a few exceptions that will require some additional review and approval prior to taking any actions.”

“The Arlington Way has been killed by COVID-19,” one tipster told ARLnow in response to the mass meeting cancellation.

Garvey’s email went on to outline how commission chairs can request in writing the scheduling of a virtual meeting for an item involving “business essential for addressing the coronavirus or the continuity of business operations for the County.”

The “continuity of business operations” includes “the adoption of the budget, the approval of tax rates and fees, and appropriations of funds necessary to keep government running,” Garvey clarified, in response to a series of questions from ARLnow.

Asked whether the temporary halt to commission meetings — including key bodies like the Planning Commission and Transportation Commission — will delay development approvals before the County Board, Garvey said it depends.

“The Board will assess pending applications to determine whether they should be considered or can be delayed,” she said. “If the proposals are considered, the public process for development proposals will occur to the extent possible and consideration by advisory commissions, such as the Planning Commission, will occur.

The County Board chair said that the county’s actions are consistent with an opinion issued by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring two weeks ago, in response to concern from elected officials that they were unable to comply with both the governor’s order to limit public gatherings to 10 people or fewer — and freedom of information laws that require in-person meetings that are open to the public.

“The cancellations are primarily to protect the health of commission members, staff, and the public,” said Garvey. “Matters that can be delayed are being delayed. The AG’s guidance has been considered in determining whether important matters that cannot be delayed can be considered electronically.”

“We are all learning how much FOIA and other regulations were put in place at a time when no one contemplated 21st century technology or a pandemic,” Garvey wrote in her letter to commission members.

Arlington Expected to Get Second-Smallest Share of Stimulus Checks

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County is an affluent place. So affluent, in fact, that according to one analysis we are expected to get the second-lowest percentage of coronavirus stimulus checks in the U.S.

The study by the financial website SmartAsset ranked the 200 largest U.S. cities by the predicted percentage of residents who will receive the means-tested checks from Uncle Sam.

Here’s how the IRS describes who’s getting what:

Tax filers with adjusted gross income up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns will receive the full payment. For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$150,000 thresholds. Single filers with income exceeding $99,000 and $198,000 for joint filers with no children are not eligible. Social Security recipients and railroad retirees who are otherwise not required to file a tax return are also eligible and will not be required to file a return.

Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive an economic impact payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples and up to $500 for each qualifying child.

SmartAsset used 2018 Census data to figure out which places will get the highest and lowest percentage of checks.

Arlington, Alexandria and D.C. all ranked in the top 10, as did four San Francisco Bay Area cities. Arlington ranked No. 2 on the “fewest” checks list.

In terms of cities getting the most checks, the top three are: 1. Hialeah, Florida; 2. Sunrise Manor, Nevada; and 3. Brownsville, Texas.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

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