City Waives Excess Trash, Brush Collection Fees in Wake of Storm

By CITY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
July 3, 2012

In an effort to aid residents in clean-up from the June 29 severe weather, the City of Falls Church will waive fees for excess trash and brush collection through Wednesday, July 11.  Governor McDonnell has declared a State of Emergency for Virginia as a result of the historic aftermath of the storm, and in this particular instance the City will be waiving the collection fees.

Solid Waste Collection

Residents do not need to use excess trash stickers on Wednesday, July 4 or Wednesday, July 11.  Use the City-provided gray rolling carts, personal containers, or sturdy trash bags.

Residents on barricaded streets are asked to place trash at the barricade.  Trash crews will not be able to pass through barricades.  Trash crews will make additional rounds on barricaded streets once reopened.

Brush Collection

Residents do not need to use brush stickers on Wednesday, July 4 or Wednesday, July 11.  Please take the following measures to aid collection:

• Place brush at the curb or within the parking lane where applicable; do not obstruct the sidewalks or right-of-ways.
• Cut large tree limbs into segments no longer than 8 ft.; brush that exceeds this length requires additional manpower and resources. Smaller debris can be bundled or placed in brown, compostable yard waste bags.
• Leave only vegetative matter for pick-up; this collection is exclusively for tree limbs and brush downed by Friday’s storm. Fee waivers do not apply to special collections.

Special Bulk Collection

Special collection fees and service remain in place as usual for items too large or heavy to fit into a trash container such as furniture, moving debris, and household appliances. Residents may request a special collection by calling 703-248-5160. For more information and fees, see the City’s website, www.fallschurchva.gov/SepcialCollection.

Missed Collections

To report a missed collection, please call the automated Solid Waste Hotline at 703-248-5160.

One-Third of Falls Church Still Without Power

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
July 3, 2012

One-third of the City of Falls Church remains without power as of mid-afternoon.  According to Dominion Power’s website, 1,912 of the City’s 5,748 accounts have not been restored as of 3 pm.  Other local jurisdictions are in much better shape.  In adjacent Arlington and Fairfax counties less than 10% of the accounts are without electricity.

City leaders criticized Dominion Power’s performance at last night’s Council meeting.

Mayor Nader Baroukh noted that at the peak of the outage caused by Friday’s violent storm over 82% of the City was dark, a greater impact than any other jurisdiction served by the utility.  “It’s not acceptable” he said.   He added that he and Vice Mayor Dave Snyder had several discussions over the weekend with Dominion representatives regarding the City’s water pumping stations but in his view the response was not adequate and not reasonable.  Baroukh also criticized failings of e911 Ssystem maintained by Verizon.

“Frankly we’ve been let down by Dominion Power and we’ve been let down by Verizon and I hope in the future there is some action we can take to make sure that will never happens again” Snyder said.  “Our citizens continue to suffer, our businesses continue to lose revenue.”

Both officials had high praise for the performance of City staff during the storm’s aftermath and last week’s barricade situation on Hillwood Avenue.  “All of them, to a man and to a woman, showed and are showing heroic dedication that money simply can’t buy” said Snyder.

FC to Celebrate 4th Of July with Readings, Music, Fireworks

By FALLS CHURCH TIMES STAFF
July 3, 2012

A full day of activities is planned for the 4th of July in Falls Church City, starting with Independence Day Readings at noon in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  Sponsored by the Village Preservation and Preservation Society, this  event focuses on the meaning of Independence Day and will give participants an opportunity to review the issues of the times and read the documents upon which our democracy and freedom are based.  The event, which lasts about 75 minutes, is free and open to the public.

In the evening, the City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks Department will present its annual July 4th Celebration on Wednesday, July 4 at George Mason High School (7124 Leesburg Pike). Musical entertainment begins at 7 p.m. with a live performance by Judo Chop. Fireworks will follow at 9:20 p.m.

The celebration is free.  Spectator seating will be available at George Mason High School’s Moore Cadillac Stadium and the Northern Virginia Graduate Center parking lot. Most of the spectator seating at the high school will be on the synthetic turf football field. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets for the field. Chairs will only be permitted on paved surfaces.

Parking is limited at the high school and visitors are reminded to not park in nearby shopping center parking lots, which are reserved for store customers. Illegally parked vehicles may be towed. Drivers near the high school are reminded to watch for a large number of pedestrians crossing Route 7, especially after the fireworks.

No alcohol, smoking, fireworks, or pets are permitted on site. Food, drinks and ice cream will be available for sale.

In the event of rain, the event will be held on Thursday, July 5 at the same time and location. Spectator seating on the rain date will be available at the high school, but not the Graduate Center parking lot.

To help defray costs of future fireworks programs, donations will be accepted at the event.

For more information, call Recreation and Parks at 703-248-5178 (TTY 711).

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Solid Waste Collection on July 4th. Solid waste pick up will occur in Falls Church City on Wednesday, July 4th.  Because collection may take place earlier than usual, residents are encouraged to place trash and recycling bins at the curb on Tuesday night, July 3rd.