The Vienna Town Council has a full agenda — from the upcoming budget to solar panels to public parking for Patrick Henry Library’s renovation — for tonight’s meeting.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the items the officials will consider.

Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget, Tax Rate

The Vienna Town Council will consider adopting the proposed $41 million budget and real estate tax rate of $0.2250 per $100 of assessed value for FY 2020-2021.

The town staff and officials revised the budget due to challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, expecting lower revenues and “a return to more normal circumstances by Dec. 31,” according to town documents.

The changes included decreasing the General Fund by $2.5 million.

Parking at Patrick Henry Library

The councilmembers are set to vote on a design and construction agreement with Fairfax County for the public parking included in Patrick Henry Library’s renovation.

In the agreement, the town would contribute funds for the design and construction of the parking spaces with options to terminate the agreement if the town decides to not move forward with the parking spaces.

More from the town documents:

The design costs for the Town are now capped at the lesser of 30% of the total design costs or $850,000, as compared to draft agreement with the lesser of 35% of the total design costs or $1,000,000. The construction costs for the Town are now capped at the lesser of 19% of the total construction costs or $4,200,000, as compared to the draft agreement with the lesser of 25% of the total construction costs or $4,500,000.

The Town has included funds for the design phase of this project in the 2020 CIP. The intention is to fund the construction phase of the project, at least in part, with transportation grants related to commuter parking. The Town currently is in the process of applying for grants.

The county’s Board of Supervisors also needs to vote on the agreement.

Solar Panel Push

Vienna officials will decide whether or not to approve offering Solarize NOVA this year.

The program, which informs residents and businesses on how to purchase solar energy, first arrived in the town in 2015 and is run by the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the nonprofit Local Energy Alliance Program, according to town documents.

“Since 2015, 29 Solarize contracts have been signed in Vienna for over 230 kW of power. Vienna is the highest zip code for solar kW within the Solarize NOVA campaign,” according to the documents.

The dates for the program are still being finalized, but people can expect the campaign to run from June to September.

COVID-19 Challenges

Vienna officials will also consider re-adopting an emergency ordinance that makes it easier for businesses to use outdoor space.

The ordinance lets Town Manager Mercury Payton allow temporary waivers of zoning regulations to businesses so that they can operate outside.

“Under normal circumstances, business owners would be required to pursue a formal process-delaying their ability to reopen and impeding support for [the] revitalization of the local economy in Vienna,” according to town documents.

The meeting is set to start at 8 p.m.

Image via Town of Vienna

Budget Public Hearings Start Today — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors starts its public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget today. [Fairfax County]

How Vienna Candidates Campaign in COVID-19 Crisis — “Candidates told the Sun Gazette they miss door-to-door campaigning, but are reaching out to voters through social media. The election’s date, which had remained a moving target until late last week, complicated matters further, they said.” [Inside NoVa]

Gov. Northam Says Child Vaccines Declining — “Due to COVID-19, the state is starting to see a decline in immunizations, Northam said, as parents decide not to take their children to the pediatrician for their vaccines.” [Inside NoVa]

Virginia Scores Poorly for Social Distancing — “Virginia has scored a D- while the City of Falls Church has received an overall social distancing grade of C+ based on community activity using metrics comparing current mobility data to that before the Covid-19 outbreak. The assessments come from data company Unacast.” [Falls Church News-Press]

APRIL 27: COVID-19 Update for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Personnel. Information is up-to-date as of 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. More: https://t.co/J5tdoSU2g4 #FCFRD #FFXCOVID pic.twitter.com/JMBpJ7r4OJ

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 27, 2020

Gov. Northam Makes Testing Work Group — “The group will “make sure all of Virginia’s public and private testing efforts are coordinated and pulling in the same direction,” Northam said during a Monday press conference.” [Inside NoVa]

Local Student Looks to Celebrate the Class of 2020 — “After Loudoun County seniors Arianna Wright and Aiden Bullis came up with the idea to sell class of 2020 signs and distributed 1,000, Abby Diamond wanted the same concept in Fairfax County. The Madison High School senior has started to sell signs reading ‘Class of 2020 senior #allinthistogether’ in support of the 2020 graduates. So far, she’s sold about 100 and has reached various high schools.” [Patch]

ICYMI: Foust’s Budget Meeting is Tonight — “Foust is set to talk to Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer Joe Mondoro about the budget, and answer people’s questions, according to his recent newsletter to constituents. The town hall is set to start at 7 p.m. [on Tuesday.]” [Tysons Reporter]

Distance Learning Challenges Plague FCPS — “School officials say that updates made by Blackboard over the weekend have not corrected delays with the system… The Fairfax County School Board is expected to receive an update on the rollout of distance learning on Thursday (April 23).” [Reston Now]

APRIL 20: COVID-19 Update for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Personnel. #FCFRD continues to fully staff all stations and apparatus. More: https://t.co/1FyydVv0Po #FFXCOVID #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/2KUCjRmAgD

— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) April 20, 2020

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Though many in-person events are canceled, organizations and businesses are setting up digital events to keep people occupied.

Tuesday (April 21)

• Free Mecial Traning — The American Red Cross in McLean is putting together digital training for people who want to learn about adult and pediatric first aid, CPR, lifeguarding and more at 9 a.m. This training is free but participants must sign up online.
• Online Budget Town Hall — Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust will host a digital budget town hall from 7-8:30 p.m. People can submit questions by calling 703-324-1114, post them in a comment under the Facebook Live event or email them in advance. The town hall will also be shown on Channel 16 and be streamed online.
• Virtual Trivia at Lost Dog Cafe — The cafe is hosting free trivia for community members starting at 7 p.m., streamed live from the location in McLean. This event is free and prizes will be mailed to winners, the event page said. People who want to support the eatery can order from the location’s menu and can use the code “delivery” for free delivery.

Thursday (April 23)

• Cyber Security Challenges with the Coronavirus Webinar — The Tysons Chamber of Commerce is hosting a free webinar from noon-1 p.m. for people who want to learn how to protect themselves and their businesses from new cyber-attacks. This event is free and registration is encouraged.

Friday (April 24)

• Mother Goose Minutes — Every Friday, the Mary Riley Styles Public Library will post a story time and music video for kids featuring Miss Laura starting at 10:30 a.m., the post said. Anyone who wants to check out the rhymes beforehand can find them online. The videos can be found on the library’s website after they are posted.
• Friday Art Focus — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library is hosting a free Facebook Live event at 3 p.m. with local artist and illustrator Samantha Fiddy. She will be recreating drawings sent in by viewers beforehand. Anyone interested in participating can tune in or submit work to be recreated to [email protected]. People can follow the library’s Facebook post for a link closer to the event.

Saturday (April 25)

• Virtual Independent Bookstore Day — Bards Alley Bookshop in Vienna is planning a virtual day of activities and guests from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to its Facebook page. Details have not been announced yet but people can check the store’s social media accounts for details. People can order books online for curbside pick-up (110 Church Street NW).

Photo via Bards Alley Bookshop/ Facebook

Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust plans to host a virtual town hall tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss the revised budget proposal for Fairfax County.

Fairfax County staff revisited the proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 and made changes to address the economic uncertainty and upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Foust is set to talk to Fairfax County Chief Financial Officer Joe Mondoro about the budget, and answer people’s questions, according to his recent newsletter to constituents.

The town hall is set to start at 7 p.m. tomorrow and will last until 8:30 p.m.

People can can submit questions by calling 703-324-1114, post them in a comment under the Facebook Live event or email them in advance to [email protected] and include “Dranesville District Budget Town Hall” in the subject line.

The town hall will also be shown on Channel 16 and be streamed online.

Delays are expected for the rollout of the Fairfax County Police Department’s body-worn camera program.

In late 2019, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved $4 million to begin implementation of the program.

But now in Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill’s revised budget for fiscal year 2021, the county plans to push back funding for 338 cameras for the Sully, McLean and West Springfield Stations in the second year of the program.

The county is also revisiting funding plans for 456 cameras for the third year of the program at the Fair Oaks, Franconia and South County district stations.

The proposed budget — which was scaled back considerably in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — maintains an increase of $1.77 million to support the first full year of the program.

Funding is expected to remain for 416 cameras that will be issued to the Reston, Mason and Mt. Vernon police stations, according to county budget documents.

As the coronavirus pandemic creates turmoil for the fiscal year 2021 budget considerations, Fairfax County Public Schools aims to mirror Fairfax County’s budget revision approach.

The Fairfax County School Board tackled changes to the FCPS budget during its meeting yesterday.

Marty Smith, the chief operating officer for FCPS, shared in a presentation that Superintendent Scott Brabrand is looking to mirror the reduction strategy being used for the county’s budget.

The presentation also noted that FCPS aims to maintain its existing staff, but will defer compensation increases to fiscal year 2022. Amendments and new strategic investments will also be pushed.

Extended Pay For Some Substitute Teachers

The school board also unanimously approved a motion that continues pay for part-time, temporary, hourly employees through April 24.

The motion applies to long-term substitute and does not include short-term substitute teachers.

The school board will reconsider pay for those employees when the superintendent provides more information to the board for the meeting on April 16.

At that upcoming meeting, the board will decide pay for the remainder of the school year.

“To Be Determined”

While FCPS is expecting several one time savings, many of the costs associated with the pandemic are still unknown.

So far, all of the financial amounts for categories, like social emotional supports and a COVID-19 second wave contingency plan, listed in FCPS’s “Post COVID-19 Response Plan” are “TBD,” according to the presentation.

Financial impacts related to unemployment and paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Act are also unknown at this time.

FCPS may also face another, yet-to-be-determined impact: more students.

Brabrand said during the meeting that FCPS must prepare for a possible influx of students.

“It’s a job creation area and we have families in private school who may be financially impacted,” he said.

Image via FCPS/YouTube

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn is hoping that more resources get allocated to small businesses as Fairfax County officials discuss the revised fiscal year 2021 budget.

Alcorn held a media call this morning (April 9) to discuss dramatic cuts and changes to the changed budget proposal, following a digital public hearing he held last night with residents.

“I’m not happy about the updated budget but it does reflect the reality we’re in right now,” Alcorn said during the media call.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill to revise suggestions for the upcoming budget, which were integrated into a draft and publishedon Tuesday (April 7).

Many of the changes include halting the expansion of new projects — focusing instead to retain projects already in progress, according to  Alcorn.

“We are going to see some delays on some of our affordable housing projects,” Alcorn said, “It’s disappointing to me because doing more on affordable housing will help the same folks who are being impacted by the Covid emergency… These are some of the same folks who have been laid off.”

Other programs that will likely be delayed are the implementation of body cameras for police officers and a freeze in salary for Fairfax County employees.

“It really is an attempt to put the breaks on anything new,” he said.

Alcorn said he also wants to see relief programs for small businesses in Fairfax County, which may happen.

Next Tuesday, the Board of supervisors will discuss a micro-loan program for local business owners impacted by the pandemic, Alcorn said.

The Budget Committee spoke last week about the potential for the program to offer up roughly $1 million for small businesses, but Alcorn suggested this number was meant to be a “place holder” until there was an opportunity for further discussion.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the final adjusted budget during the May 12 meeting, which was later than previously suggested in Fairfax County documents.

Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill is pitching major revisions to his budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The revised budget, which was released yesterday evening, eliminates a proposed three-cent tax rate increase and fee increases across-the-board in order to relieve pressure on the county’s taxpayers. Hill’s proposal also shifts spending to essential services only and removes all salary increases.

No net increase in the county’s revenues is expected.

The proposal maintains funding increases for the county’s health department the school’s health programs, as well as coordination for programs for those with developmental disabilities, and IT infrastructure for the November elections.

Roughly $9.6 million will be set aside in reserve funds to address the pandemic, in addition to eight new positions in the health department to address the county’s response.

“Protecting the jobs and current pay levels of the county’s existing employees continues to be of utmost importance as we progress through these challenging times,” Hill wrote in a letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Hill cautioned that uncertainty about the extent of the economic downtown complicates the budget process.

“At this time, we are unsure how long the current economic downturn will last as we do not yet know how long it will take for our country to begin to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

The county expects next year’s general fund revenues will rest at the 2020 level of $4.5 billion. This estimate assumes that the health crisis is over by July and that gradual recovery prompts the resumption of economic activity, according to the county.

Major hits to revenue streams like the sales tax, transit occupancy tax, and business occupancy tax are also expected. These losses are expected to offset an expected real estate tax revenue increase of 3.7 percent or $107.4 million. Hill said it was unlikely the state would be able to absorb the impact of revenue losses without adjusting allocations to local jurisdictions.

Here’s how revenue streams could be impacted:

• Personal property tax: Decrease of $9.5 million or 1.5 percent
• Sales tax: Decrease of $26.7 million or 13.5 percent
• Transient occupancy tax: Decrease of $7 million or 30 percent
• Business, professional and occupational licenses: Decrease of $17.2 million or 10 percent
• Land development services building and inspection fees: Decrease of $4.2 million or 10 percent
• Interest on investments: Decrease of $36.7 million or 62.6 percent

Fairfax County Public Schools will receive 0.3 percent more than last year’s budget, a fraction of the previously proposed 3.65 percent increase.

Residents can provide testimony on the budget via video, phone or online for upcoming budget hearings, which are rescheduled to April 28-30. The county board is expected to adopt the budget on May 12, after a mark-up meeting on May 5.

“As Fairfax County finds itself in a different reality, we will need to think about changes that may be necessary to maintain our premier status. Our future may be leaner, and will certainly be more efficient, as we use different tools to provide the services that are needed for our community,” Hill said.

Editor’s note: Tysons Reporter will temporarily have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.

Reston Hospital Center Buys Tysons Eatery — “HCA Healthcare Inc. has acquired a former Korean BBQ restaurant in Tysons that its subsidiary, Reston Hospital Center, plans to retrofit into an emergency center.” [Washington Business Journal]

Giant Donates to Local Food Banks — “Giant announced the donation of $550,000 and 1,200 hams to the five Feeding America food banks within its region: Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Tysons Company Has Free Web Services — Appian is offering free web services to businesses so that they can better manage COVID-19. [Cheddar]

McLean Group Urges Tax Rate Freeze — “Fairfax County officials are revising the proposed fiscal 2021 budget following dismal economic projections related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the McLean Citizens Association has some ideas on what spending reductions they should be considering.” [Inside NoVa]

#Tysons-based @IDme and San Francisco-based @SlackHQ have partnered to create a secure workspace that healthcare providers can use to share real-time information about the coronavirus. https://t.co/AgiyGwizoz

— Fairfax County EDA (@FairfaxEDA) April 4, 2020

Fairfax-based @CustomInk is partnering with @FeedingAmerica to get essential supplies to communities and people facing hunger in this time of uncertainty. https://t.co/EMTOak6wfl

— Fairfax County EDA (@FairfaxEDA) April 2, 2020