Hello,
A.Y. contributors just completed reviewing the County Board's agenda for it's annual "Christmas in July" Meeting. (AHIF Christmas gifts are still being wrapped). This year the County Board is making it a three day celebration - July 16th, 19th, and 20th.
Again this year there's a gift for everyone, County's bureaucracy, APS, for-profits, and non-profits both on the Regular Agenda and the Consent Agenda stocking stuffers.
Going down the Consent Agenda it's interesting to note the various memoranda of agreement between the County and various entities where no cost estimates are provided (e.g., MOA between the County and Bishop O'Connell High School).
As usual, the big expensive gifts are going to the developers via the Regular Agenda. This year the New Urbanist County Board is outdoing itself trying to pack as many people, vehicles, and human activities into as little space as possible (e.g., Christmas gift to Penzance for massive redevelopment of one block in Rosslyn).
As usual, no proffers from developers, or if there are you can be certain the proffer is a money-maker for the developer. And wealthy non-profits are again receiving hand outs via the Consent Agenda.
Entire meeting agenda should be on-line by tomorrow, including AHIF gifts.
Cindy
57 comments:
Then there's the County Board's "Secret Santa Program". Wealthy non-profits like the Signature Theater receive expensive taxpayer-funded presents throughout the year.
Oh, like The Hallmark Channel this week?
Christmas in July Gift to Bishop O'Connell HS?
Taxpayers gotta love that $40 million going-on $60 million Longbridge Aquatics Center.
Secret Santa Program? How about how much taxpayers will pay for "Arts Truck" funding over the next several fiscal years?
Secret Santa Program? How about a brand new taxpayer-funded condo office suite for APAH?
Secret Santa Program? How about a major Christmas-in-July corporate welfare gift to Penzance with the Developer's financials and site plans for APS and County property to be redeveloped unknown?
Christmas in July? How about the $8.5 million PTL (Pass The Loot) AHIF buyout to the congregation of Arlington Presbyterian Church?
How about Christmas in July to contractors? County is extending its practice of allowing contractors to submit low bids for construction projects and then coming back and asking for more during the project because of "contingencies".
Victor Hoskins takes money from road paving to built gold-plated gondolas to the Potomac Yard Convention Center.
When will Taxpayers be told about their $250 million Convention Center in Potomac Yards that's been 2 years being planned?
Today's CB meeting proved yet again that the CB can't be a Scrooge or a Grinch to any developer, no matter how messed-up a deal is approved and no matter what the future consequences.
It gets worse. County Board's Christmas in November Meeting will be held three days before the elections.
The contractors will now receive a 10% contingency plus they get to ask the CB for a bail out if their costs are excessive.
No wonder the County's Independent Auditor retired after 6 months.
LOL --- Pirates of Penzance
Other contractors will receive no-bid contracts and get to ask the County Board for a bailout if they hit a spring while excavating a hillside.
How much is the "Arts Truck" going to cost us in, say, FY 19?
Does Bishop O'Connell receive a legal taxpayer-funded bailout via Arlington Parks and Recreation?
Where are the Republican Party and the Arlington County Taxpayers Association? Do they even bother anymore? I know the news media are corrupt.
"Pirates of Penance" acted at the CB meeting yesterday. LOL.
What a bunch of Urban Village Idiots. Have only a vague idea of how much demand for public infrastructure these mega-infill redevelopments they approve are creating.
News Media are corrupt? As in the Post's coverage of the CB meeting yesterday --- more of the same-old he said, she said, they said.
Wait until Christmas in November on November 5th
These so-called "Journalists" and "Editors" are paid more than $100,000 per year for basically being Chamber of Commerce boosters.
APAH received a free office condo from AHIF funds. I wonder if the taxpayers will pay the utilities and maintenance as we do for the Signature Theater?
Next up tonight (July 19th) is a mixed-use redevelopment on the Pike with affordable housing that isn't affordable for Pike service workers, more than 400 new parking spaces, and no proffers from the developer for the additional 46 students projected to attend Arlington public schools.
Biggest and best Christmas in July gift was last night's present to the redeveloper of Wellington Apartments on the Pike - 401 units of luxury market rate bonus density for 105 Committed Millennial Units unaffordable to low-wage restaurant and retail woorkerrs who work on the Pike. Plus, no proffers demanded fron the developer for the 46 aditional students expected to attend Arlington Pubic Schools at $19,000 per student per year. No traffic mitigation (except for bicycle storage on-site) for another 450 vehicles that will drive through the adjacent neighborhoods of single falily homes.
Agree. Committed Affordable Units = Committed Millennial Units.
Can't have minority single Moms who work at fast food restaurants with a couple of teenage sons living in the renovated Wellington.
How much will the County's future fleet of Arts Trucks cost the taxpayers? County Government's latest Lomo Liberal social welfare experiment to solve the problem of unemployed Millennials with fine arts degrees.
Christmas in July? Politburo of the People's Socialist Republic of Arlington voted to give every unemployed Millennial with an arts degree an Arts Truck, a contract to drive around displaying his or her art, and an affordable studio in the Wellington to create more art.
John Vihstadt voted against the Arts Truck Program.
Stay tuned to tonight's Westover meeting at Swanson Middle School when County Board members will wring their hands and say there's nothing they can do to prevent middle class residents from being evicted from their affordable Westover apartments.
Tonight at the Swanson Middle School meeting they were basically wringing their hands and saying there's nothing we can do unless Westover pursues becoming a historic district. After spending thousands of hours on making and approving deals to give tens of millions in corporate welfare to their corporate cronies on July 16th, 19th, and 20th.
Westover Meeting was a total charade. Rather than discussing purchasing the remaining older garden apartments and modernizing the existing commercial strip County Staff discussed the hugely complex process of making Westover into a historic district.
John Vihstadt, Jay Fisette, and Katie Cristol attended, although not together. Planning Commission Chair Nancy Iacomini and Planning Division Director Robert Duffy also attended. Libby Garvey did not attend, she's reportedly on her way to her summer home in France.
Same people who just spent tens of millions of our tax dollars bailing out the owner of Ballston Common Mall. And holding 3 days of Christmas in July meetings to distribute presents to their pet people, for-profits, and non-profits.
Independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement attended and asked why the non-profit housing agencies can't buy the remaining Westover garden apartments owned by for-profits.
What a disgrace to "Progressive Government".
I thought the County Board was elected at-large to represent the interests of 230,000 Arlington residents, not the interests of a few non-residents who are becoming filthy rich gentrifying us out.
I am 64 and I would like to retire but I can't because I have to save as much as I can, so when I do retire I can pay the future taxes on my small 3 bedroom, 2 bath home which is assessed for $800,000.
Go Audrey. She has my vote in November.
Does anyone know how many members of the Arlington Presbyterian Church congregation will share the $8.5 million in AHIF funds the County Board gave the Church in return for the Church's property and whether any of the members of the congregation still live in Arlington?
New Urbanism is a corrupt ideology that thrives on neglect...older infrastructure allowed to become run down and then the people or organizations who own the older infrastructure get the County to subsidize the redevelopment of their property, using tax dollars or taxpayer supported incentives.
No the absolute WORST point in the last CB meeting was when they awarded a $450,000 gift to another IT startup, Eastern Foundry LLC, (Agenda Item 36) while they completely ignore deteriorating retail and restaurant infrastructure that provides them with tens of millions in sales tax and meals tax revenues.
New Arlington Way - Take from the Needy, Give to the Greedy
School Board just spent $92,000 for initial funding of interscholastic frisbee.
Christmas in July? How about Libby Garvey diverting VDOT-DRPT multi-modal transportation grant funding (agenda item 37) to her fellow bicycle fanatics?
Gee, I wonder why Arlington's independent internal auditor resigned after 6 months?
Christmas in July? APAH was given a condo office suite -- Agenda Item 50.
So it's going to be really hot this week. Anyone see the bikesters riding around when it's 95 degrees? You won't see them in 6 months when it's 5 degrees either.
Where's the ART bus service for my residential neighborhood?
New Urbanists HATE anyone who renovates and modernizes his/her restaurant, retail, commercial, or residential building. Anyone who wants to is given the run-around for years by DES.
The New Urbanists who totally control Arlington despise the family that owns The Italian Store in Westover. The family totally fkd up the Smart Growth "planning" to tear down and redevelop the entire block (including the Post Office) into a 6-story mixed use millennial crib with ground floor retail and restaurants.
How do I opt my neighborhood out of smart growth 'planning'?
Yes, it's true. The Smart Growth fanatics either don't live in Arlington or live in a neighborhood of Arlington that's off-limits for Smart Growth.
Dump them all, starting with Lyin' Libby in November.
"Live in a neighborhood of Arlington that's off-limits for Smart Growth"? You wouldn't be referring to A$hton Heights and Jay FiSette and Mark $chwarts, would you?
Everybody - Want to know just how far removed the Smart Growth fanatics are from the consequences of Smart Growth? Go to addresses.com and look up where the people who inflict Smart Growth on us live. You will have to search DC and MD as well as VA.
FYI, Barbara Donnellan (Fairfax County resident) hired Carol Mitten (DuPont Circle resident) to become Deputy County Manager just before Barbara retired. Carol has direct responsibility and over both Economic Development and DES. Oh, BTW, she's also DC City Council Chair Phil Mendelson's long time significant other.
Oh for heavens sake.
Post a Comment