Bulova Proposes Merger of Water Systems

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF

May 22, 2012

Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, has proposed that the City of Falls Church merge its water system with the County’s. 

Writing in response to recent comments by Vice Mayor Dave Snyder, Ms. Bulova states she believes such a merger would lower rates for residents of both jurisdictions.  However, she adds that if the City were to sell to its system to the “highest bidder,” rates for all its customers very well may increase substantially, as an investor-owned utility would have to charge higher rates to recover not only its purchase cost, but also the profit margin and tax obligattions that governmental utilities do not have.

Ms. Bulova also calls attention to a recent opinion by the Chief Counsel for the Army Corp of Engineers that the Washington Aqueduct, the provider of Falls Church’s water, is not permitted to sell water to a non-governmental entity.  The chairman adds that Virginia law does not permit the State Corporation Commission to authorize the operation of an investor-owned utility in the County without the approval of the Board of Supervisors.

The full text of the chairman’s letter is available here.

Vice Mayor’s Statement Regarding Water System Sale

Via CITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

May 14, 2012

During this evening’s Council meeting Falls Church Vice Mayor Dave Snyder commented on the proposed sale of the City’s water system.

“The City is taking the necessary steps to sell its public water distribution system after a long and concerted effort by Fairfax County to drive the City out of providing water service in the County.  The sale is not driven by financial stress in the City.  The City of Falls Church is financially sound, maintaining high bond ratings and high quality public services.”

“The City is taking responsible steps to divest its water utility assets with appropriate protections for our customers and utility employees embedded in the Agreement for Sale. The proceeds from the sale will be deployed to meet other core public needs.  Those who are concerned about private ownership of water utility systems should encourage Fairfax Water to participate in the bidding process.”

Concerning water quality:  “The City water system is a distribution system only.  Whichever entity purchases and operates the City water system in the future will continue to receive treated drinking water from the Washington Aqueduct, operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.  The Army Corps has a long track record of meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements for the water that we deliver to our customers.”

Rate structure:  “Rates will be frozen for one year after the sale.  If a private entity were to purchase and operate the water system, rates in the future would be regulated by the State Corporation Commission.”

Service level:  “Water service is one of the most highly regulated industries in the United States.  The State Corporation Commission regulates the level of service for private water providers in Virginia.”

Following the statement the Council voted, 5-0, to give preliminary approval for the sale, with Mayor Baroukh and Ms. Gardner absent.  A second reading and vote is scheduled for next month.  Final approval of the sale would be via a referendum.

LETTER: Thanks for Opportunity

May 3, 2012

Thank you to my supporters and to the many citizens of this fine City for sharing their time, ideas and efforts during the recent City Council campaign. I am honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to have met and learned from so many people that make our community great.

I applaud the choice our City has made; Dave Tarter, Nader Baroukh and Phil Duncan are all fine men and each will bring their unique strengths to bare as our representatives on City Council.  Congratulations to our four top notch representatives elected to School Board: Kieran Sharpe, Joan Wodiska, Justin Castillo and Charlotte Hyland.  I tip my hat to all of those who ran in yesterday’s election.  And, I salute the many citizens whose questions and concerns have helped strengthen our city and educate me.  Because of them I am better informed and better able to serve the community I love in the years to come.

Sincerely,

Paul Handly

LETTER: No Harm, No Foul in GOP Candidate Forum

By Mark Rhoads
May 2, 2012

A few weeks ago, an opinion was expressed in the Falls Church Times to the effect that it would not be proper for the Falls Church City Republican Committee to sponsor a non-partisan open forum for candidates for the City Council.   But members of the FCCRC including me argued that there was no inherent taint involved in the choice of an otherwise state partisan-affiliated group to sponsor a non-partisan forum open to all candidates and all citizens of any party who wanted to come to meet candidates in a public forum.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, April 22, about 73 citizens of Falls Church City affiliated with both state parties or no state party, attended a very lively FCCRC open forum in the Seniors Room at the Community Center to hear all the candidates for City Council including incumbent Mayor Nader Baroukh and candidates Phil Duncan, John Lawrence, David Tarter, William Henneberg, and Paul Handly .   Incumbent Mr. Lawrence Webb could not attend due to a trip to New York but he did speak to the FCCRC meeting on April 19 at the American Legion Hall.   I attended both the FCCRC open forum and the candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters at the City Hall on April 18.   The LWV forum was well organized and timed and all candidates had a good amount of time to speak for about two hours and questions were submitted in writing from the audience.   The LWV event was also televised on local community access TV.

At the FCCRC open forum on Sunday, most questions from the floor were about the newly-announced city plan to ban on-street parking on several streets including Hillwood, Lincoln, and West Street.  The parking lanes would be replaced by bicycle lanes and funded mostly by federal grant money.

When asked for a show of hands on whether they would vote “no” on the plan if they were Council members, only David Tarter did not raise his hand.  When asked whether they would vote to kill the plan and later bring back aspects of the plan that would not inconvenience neighborhoods, only William Henneberg indicated that he would.  Mayor Nader Baroukh protested that such a vote was unfair to him, as a current Council member. He indicated that the bill should be preserved, with approval deferred until problematic issues could be removed and there was more consultation with residents.

John Lawrence said that although he participated in the plan’s development, it was with the Council’s direction and City staff’s guidance on vetting the plan with residents of Falls Church City.  In response to a question about how much development of the plan cost, no estimate of staff time was available but the City may have paid a consulting firm up to $300,000.00 for work done so far.

No candidate responded to a question about whether the plan would require sidewalks in neighborhoods without them, such as Broadmont.

The proposal may already be dividing neighbors.  Apparently, some residents of cul-du-sacs off Lincoln Street say they will ask the City for signs prohibiting parking in their cul-du-sac by anyone who has a Lincoln Avenue address.  It was also reported that some Fairfax Country residents near Hillwood have already warned that they will seek to ban cars with Falls Church City stickers from parking in the area South of Hillwood and north of Arlington Boulevard.

GOP Committee Chair Ken Feltman, who is a resident on Hillwood, observed that regardless of the merits of the plan, the timing of its release and the failure by City staff to actively seek the views of citizens in affected neighborhoods has led to a contentious situation that could have been avoided.   Other questions for candidates from the floor were about the full or part-time safety inspection duties of the fire marshal, recycling rules for apartment buildings, and why only one taxi cab company appears to have a monopoly on radio calls in the city. More than 100 questions from the community were submitted by email to the FCCRC and there was not enough time to ask all of them during two and a half hours so preference was given to calling on citizens in attendance who had their hands up.

While the formats were different and the topic areas very different, I could see no hint of partisanship in either the LWV candidate forum or the FCCRC open forum. The Republican forum even included a short presentation by a candidate for Congress in the upcoming June Democratic primary for the 8th District, Mr. Bruce Shuttleworth, who spoke about how his petitions were able to withstand scrutiny to qualify his name for the ballot.   A Republican candidate for Congress in the same district, retired Army Col. Patrick Murray, had previously spoken to FCCRC members at their February public meeting at the Oakwood Apartments.  Incumbent Congressman Jim Moran (D) is also invited to attend a future FCCRC event at a time of his convenience.

So I believe that fears that the FCCRC could not sponsor a non-partisan forum open to all candidates and all citizens of all parties and independents were not well grounded and that for the local Republican committee, where there is no harm there is no foul.

Mark Rhoads is a member of the Falls Church City Republican Committee

 

 

Tarter, Duncan Win, Baroukh Re-elected in City Council Race

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
May 1, 2012

David Tarter and Phil Duncan won election to the Falls Church City Council while Mayor Nader Baroukh was re-elected on Tuesday following a competitive race that featured a crowded field of seven candidates. Incumbent City Councilor Lawrence Webb was defeated in his bid for another term. Robin Gardner did not seek re-election.

Mr. Tarter, chair of the city’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) and a former interim city attorney, earned the largest number of votes with 1293.  He is a commercial real estate lawyer in Arlington. Mr. Baroukh, an attorney for the Department of Homeland Security, finished a strong second with 1189. Mr. Duncan, also a member of the EDA and the owner of a city-based business called Civicatalyst Communications, gained third place with 1047 votes. Mr. Webb finished fifth with 672 votes.

John Lawrence, who was the leading vote-getter among those who lost during the last Council election in 2010, was the bridesmaid again, finishing fourth with 732 votes. A newcomer and the youngest candidate in the race, William Henneberg, was next with 652 votes, followed by Paul Handly with 514.

Although it’s not known how and why residents made their decisions, it may be instructive that two of the three winners are members of the EDA in a campaign season in which additional commercial development for the city emerged as a key priority for voters and candidates alike.

Mr. Duncan agreed. “The success of two people on the EDA does indicate that voters have a seriousness of purpose about economic revitalization,” he said.

He also congratulated all the candidates for a hard-fought and clean campaign, and said he felt badly for those who lost. “My heart goes out to those who didn’t win. The community was very well served by this campaign.”

Mr. Tarter, the runaway top vote-getter, said he was grateful for the support of so many City residents. “I am humbled and honored by the support of the voters of Falls Church. I appreciate the confidence they have shown in me. I look forward to tackling the many challenges the city faces and helping Falls Church realize its full potential.”

Mr. Baroukh said he is eagerly anticipating serving with the newly elected candidates.

“I thank all the citizens of Falls Church City who came out to vote today. I look forward to working with the new Council on continuing to make our City a great place to live.”

Sitting city councilors Ira Kaylin and Johannah Barry told the Times they were excited for the next Council term to start. Mr. Kaylin, who was elected in 2010, said: “I am truly looking forward to working with the new Council. I believe the upcoming years will be vital for the city.”

Ms. Barry, also elected in 2010, added: “This is a great opportunity to bring new ideas together. This time will be so important to addressing critical issues facing Falls Church.”

Four candidates for School Board were elected unopposed.  Kieran Sharpe, Joan Wodiska, and Justin Castillo were elected to four year terms, and Charlotte Hyland was elected to complete two years of the unexpired term of Patrick Riccards, who resigned to take a job in Connecticut.

The city registrar reports that 26 percent of the 8,758 registered voters in the city went to the polls, besting the 24 percent figure from 2010. Ward 3 had the highest turnout at 26 percent. Wards 1 and 2 reported turnout of 22 and 23 percent, respectively. The rest, 171 votes, were absentee ballots.

This was the last May election in Falls Church City, following a referendum decision by the voters last year to move City Council and School Board elections to November beginning in 2013.

The newly-elected members of both the City Council and School Board will begin their terms in July.

 

Election is Today in Falls Church City

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
May 1, 2012

The polls are open from 6am-7pm today in Falls Church City for voters to select three members of the City Council from a packed field of seven.  Four unopposed candidates for School Board also will be selected.

Incumbents Nader Baroukh and Lawrence Webb are on the ballot for Council, along with challengers Phil Duncan, Paul Handly, William Henneberg, John Lawrence and David Tarter.

For School Board, incumbents Kieran Sharpe and Joan Wodiska are seeking reelection to their current seats, while newcomer Justin Castillo is running for an open seat and incumbent Charlotte Hyland is running to fill the final two years of an unexpired term. Read more

FC to Vote Tuesday for City Council, School Board

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
April 30, 2012

Falls Church City residents go to the polls Tuesday May 1 to elect members of the City Council and School Board.  Seven candidates are competing for three positions on the City Council, while four School Board candidates are running unopposed.

In the City Council race, incumbents Nader Baroukh and Lawrence Webb are campaigning for reelection and are joined in the race by challengers Phil Duncan, Paul Handly, William Henneberg, John Lawrence and David Tarter.

For School Board, incumbents Kieran Sharpe and Joan Wodiska are seeking reelection to their current seats, while newcomer Justin Castillo is running for an open seat and incumbent Charlotte Hyland is running to fill the final two years of an unexpired term. Read more

Lawn Signs Reflect Voters’ Wide Choice of “Tickets”

By GEORGE BROMLEY
Falls Church Times Staff
April 28, 2012

For the first time in at least 50 years a Falls Church City municipal election will not feature a ticket or slate of candidates.  The venerable Citizens for a Better City (CBC) has stepped aside and no alternative organization has stepped forward to offer a list of their own.  Every candidate for City Council now is a true independent, free to run his campaign as he sees fit and take positions without consulting his running mates.

However, many unofficial slates of candidates have emerged via the signs sprouting on many local lawns.  Tickets of two, three, or even four contenders have been spotted, the last perhaps reflecting some discord in the residences, as voters may chose only three of the seven candidates.

Excluding unrealistic quartets, 56 different Council ticket combinations are possible:  21 duos and 35 trios.  Each candidate has 15 potential matches with his six opponents, either as a pairing or as one-third of a trio.

Yard signs may not be an accurate reflection of wider voter preferences, but in the absence of any formal poll data they provide the only indication of popular sentiments in the City.  Over the past week the Times has surveyed the signs while driving or more often walking through most streets and every neighborhood.

Some blocks are bereft of signs, but on others there are more signs in bloom than azaleas.  As a general rule, the closer one comes to a candidate’s home the more likely one will see more of his signs.  City-wide, signs endorsing Mayor Nader Baroukh, Phil Duncan, and Dave Tarter appear to be the most common, though not necessarily in that order.

The majority of lawns host single signs, but at least 20 full or partial Council tickets also are on display.  While Baroukh, Duncan, and Tarter are more frequently found on these tickets, all seven candidates appear to have at least one running mate.

The multiple signs on many lawns reflect that voters no longer have the ”straight ticket” option, which CBC always provided in the past and, given CBC’s historic success, proved very tempting.  Now every voter, like every candidate, is an independent.

How will the voters respond?  The field is an unusually strong one, leaving them with difficult choices.  Will they create full slates of their own or be more discriminating and vote for only one or two candidates?   The choices they make and the City’s future are in their hands next Tuesday.

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