This is a sponsored column by attorneys John Berry and Kimberly Berry of Berry & Berry, PLLC, an employment and labor law firm located in Northern Virginia that specializes in federal employee, security clearance, retirement and private sector employee matters.
By John V. Berry, Esq.
Virginia is beginning to create plans for how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of climate change, on a state and regional basis thanks to millions of dollars from the federal government.
This June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded about $6 million in grants to Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality, regional planning organizations in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads and the Monacan Indian Nation to create two plans.
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) has proposed a new grant program to help curb flooding in the county.
The flood mitigation assistance program (FMAP) would reimburse residents and property owners for purchasing and installing approved products and services that reduce the risk of flood damage to their property.
Another strike may be on the horizon for the D.C. area, this time led by office cleaners who say wages have stagnated even after they were expected to keep working through the pandemic.
About 9,100 janitors, more than 3,000 of them in Northern Virginia, are voting this week on whether to go on strike if they’re unable to agree on a new contract with the Washington Service Contractors Association (WSCA) before the existing one expires on Oct. 15.
Reminder: Car Tax Payments Due Today — “Personal property taxes — better known as car taxes — are due on Thursday, Oct. 5. Bills were mailed this summer, and there are many convenient ways to pay…If you have a question or concern about your tax bill, contact the Department of Tax Administration.” [Fairfax County Government]
Silver Line Phase 2 Ridership Tops 3 Million — “One million people have used the Dulles International Airport Metro station since it opened last fall, Metro and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) announced Wednesday…Ridership passing through the six new stations has surpassed 3 million, with Dulles station accounting for about one-third of riders.” [Washington Post]
A survey of Reston Association members found high levels of interest in maintaining and expanding current parks and recreation facilities instead of investing in new facilities.
The survey results — which included over 1,700 responses and is among the largest RA survey to date — will inform RA’s future decisions about parks and recreation, particularly a long-range plan for facility maintenance and upgrades.
Planning officials in the Shenandoah Valley and central Virginia fear proposals to change Virginia’s transportation funding system could significantly reduce state funding for smaller transportation projects for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board has been reviewing the state’s transportation funding process, SMART SCALE, which has been in place for the past seven years.
This biweekly column is sponsored by The Mather in Tysons, Virginia, a forward-thinking Life Plan Community for those 62 and better.
When The Mather, a Life Plan Community for those 62 and better, opens in Tysons in early 2024, its modern apartment homes — some up to 3,300 square feet — will offer a great canvas for residents to decorate. With expansive views, open floor plans, and elegant fixtures, the homes are a dream for interior designers and those who love to refresh their décor.
Bitez — a restaurant that sells gyros and crepes — appears to be coming to the Village Center at Dulles in McNair.
According to the property owner’s website, the business is slated to open at 2443 Centreville Road in the former location of Tava Fry.
(Updated at 3:30 p.m. on 10/6/2023) The Fairfax County Police Department has come out in opposition to the prospect of enhanced powers for the two entities charged with overseeing its handling of community complaints and conflicts.
The department has adopted or is in the process of adopting all but nine reforms proposed by the nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and community members in a Police Reform Matrix Working Group (MWG), Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told the Board of Supervisors at a safety and security committee meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
