Stafford County and the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Crystal Vanuch, Rock Hill District, are proud to release the annual “State of the County” video for 2022.
Stafford focused this year on advancing its strategic priorities for the community. Highlights of the year include a 15% pay raise to deputies with the rank of 1st Sergeant and below, one of the most significant transfers to Stafford County Public Schools ever, the construction of a new water tank, conducting a Community Survey, the launch of AskBlu – a new customer service online tool and the dedication of a new funding stream dedicated to transportation projects.
“While this video highlights the many things we have accomplished this year, it only scratches the service of all we have done to move the County forward,” said Chairman of the Board Crystal Vanuch, Rock Hill District. “This year, we made great strides in attracting and retaining high-quality employees, especially in the Sheriff’s Office. Employees are the bedrock of our ability to provide services to the community and when we invest in them, we want them to stay.”
The Strategic Plan includes seven priorities for the County: Healthy Growth; a Responsive Transportation System; the Heartbeat of Recreation, History and Culture; Quality Educational Opportunities; a Vibrant and Exciting Business Community; a Dedicated and Responsive Public Safety Team; and Organizational Excellence. Highlights for each area are detailed below.
Healthy Growth – Stafford values input from the community to help with decision-making. This year, the County completed its first-ever Community Survey with questions on growth. The Utilities Department has been busy with massive waterline upgrades in Ferry Farm and the building of a new Enon Road $6.25 million water tank to ensure we can fulfill water demand.
Transportation – The County funded a dedicated funding stream for transportation projects via personal property tax revenues. Stafford continued work on Road Bond projects on Hartwood Road, Cropp Road, Spotted Tavern Road, Winding Creek Road, Mountain View Road, Enon Road and more. The County also launched work on its first-ever Transportation Master Plan.
Recreation, History and Culture – Stafford debuted a new Instagram page to show off all its many offerings. The County debuted a new Parks website with a more streamlined registration process. A Tree Lighting Event drew thousands of residents. A parking fee program was implemented at the Historic Port of Falmouth Park after residents brought overcrowding to the Board’s attention.
Quality Educational Opportunities – The Board approved one of the largest-ever transfers to the Schools. They also funded the Schools’ step plan for teachers, giving teachers a pay raise in the range of five to 20%, bringing our pay into competition with other localities and giving the Schools enough to provide all the other employees with a 5% raise.
A Vibrant and Exciting Business Community – The County partnered with Comcast to bring broadband to more than 640 unserved residents in the County’s western end. Stafford embarked upon a broadband study to help formulate future plans for underserved and unserved residents. The Testbed continued to incubate and support growth in local businesses.
Public Safety – The Board was able to give Sheriff’s Office deputies with the rank of 1st Sergeant and below a 15% pay raise. This raise also applied to 911 operators. Fire and Rescue completed its first-ever Strategic Plan, and the Sheriff’s Office conducted a staffing plan – both actions help ensure Stafford can meet the needs of a growing population.
Organizational Excellence – Stafford maintains its triple-AAA bond rating, a distinction showing the County is excellent at managing its financial health. The County debuted the AskBlu customer response system and the Blu’s News monthly newsletter. To encourage more accessible access to information, the County created a new Public Record Online Portal, where users can find records of Board action dating back to 1870.
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative will accept post-holiday cut Christmas trees and greens at its Gainesville technical center at 5399 Wellington Branch Road, near Interstate 66 and Route 29, from Dec. 26, 2022, to Jan. 9, 2023. Consumers should leave greens in the parking lot area designated by orange safety cones.
All greens must be free of all decorations, ornament hooks, wires, and light strings.
NOVEC’s Vegetation Management employees will turn the greens into mulch to reduce landfill holiday waste.
“Recycling holiday greens is just another way we help area residents and the environment,” says Rick Carpenter, NOVEC Vegetation Management manager.
For more information about recycling holiday greens, contact NOVEC’s Vegetation Management department at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500, or [email protected].
Transurban, the operator of E-ZPass Express Lanes on Interstates 95, 395, and 495 in Virginia, today announced the 72-hour travel window from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving through Thanksgiving Day was the second busiest Thanksgiving travel period in the history of the lanes.
More than 155,000 customers took the lanes, with nearly one in four traveling for free at least once with an E-ZPass Flex set to HOV mode.
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of 10th Anniversary of the opening of the Lanes in November. In commemoration, Transurban released the annual State of the Lanes polling research that provides insights on how customers continue to value the expanded travel choices of the Lanes as well as a report detailing the significant impact the 495, 95 and 395 Express Lanes have had in transforming the region.
The primary research from a sample of 1,490 Washington D.C. area drivers found:
- 76% overall customer satisfaction
- 3 in 4 GWA drivers have used the Express Lanes up from 62% in 2021
- Nearly 7 in 10 drivers (69%) see a regional benefit from the Express Lanes
- Drivers are more likely to say they have carpooled for free vs. paid a toll to travel the Lanes at least once a month in the last 6 months – 54% vs. 47%
Over the last decade, E-ZPass lanes on I-495, 95 and 395 Â have saved nearly 10 million Greater Washington Area customers more than 33 million hours of time in one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S.
The lanes have also bolstered the local economy by creating an estimated 53,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic activity including the growth of existing businesses and the attraction of some of the world’s largest employers, including Amazon, Boeing, Raytheon and Capital One.
“More than 10 years ago, we started a journey alongside Virginia leaders to introduce a new way to travel, putting technology to work to unlock congestion and tangibly improve the quality of life of travelers in this region,” said Pierce Coffee, president, Transurban North America. “Now we are celebrating this partnership that is giving more people more time back in their day through choice and convenience.”
A holiday tradition cherished by thousands of Northern Virginia families, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Santa Trains will return on Saturday, December 10, after a two-year hiatus.
A total of 13 trains will depart from five VRE stations: Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, Woodbridge, Manassas, and Burke Centre. The 75-minute excursions begin as early as 8:30 a.m. and as late as 3:30 p.m. Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves will be onboard listening to children’s Christmas wishes and handing out goodie bags.
Santa Train tickets can be purchased at 10 a.m. on Monday, November 28, with half being sold online through Eventbrite and the other half at five locations. Each location will sell tickets only for the train station that corresponds to its location.
Online tickets generally sell out in less than five minutes. VRE recommends creating an account at eventbrite.com before tickets go on sale to expedite the checkout process.
Here’s a link to VRE’s Santa Trains Eventbrite page. Tickets are $5 in person and $6 online.
VRE Santa Trains, which have been running since 1995, are more than a holiday excursion. They include educational and charitable components. For many young passengers, the Santa Train is their first ride on the rails, so VRE takes the opportunity to promote rail safety. The railway also encourages riders to support the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots drive by bringing new, unwrapped gifts for a less fortunate child to their departure station.
The nation’s 13th largest commuter rail service, VRE connects Central and Northern Virginia with Washington, D.C.
The Stafford Regional Leo’s Club, with the support of the Aquia Harbour Host Lions, put together 45 bags of school supplies to donate a bag of school supplies to each of the 45 teachers at Stafford Elementary School.
The Stafford Regional Leo’s delivered the needed school supplies to the school and distributed them so the supplies could support some of the teacher’s basic needs and for students that may be missing some needed supplies.
The Stafford Regional Leo’s were able to purchase the supplies, colored pencils, markers, crayons, pencils, pens, paper, folders, notebooks, glue sticks, tissues, hand sanitizer, dry erase markers using funds they raised by spreading mulch in the Spring for those in the community that purchased mulch from the LEOs sponsoring Lions club, the Aquia Harbour Host Lions.
The Aquia Harbour Host Lions also donated monies to the school supply drive of the LEOs to show Thanks to the LEOs who have supported the Host Lions in many of their clubs functions. Events the LEOs supported were helping deliver the mulch, helping set and sell Christmas trees during the Hosts Lions annual Christmas sales, working at the Host Lions food booths during events and many other support efforts.
The Stafford Regional Leo’s hard work throughout the previous school year helped make this event a success and ensured that the teachers at Stafford Elementary School could start this school year off with some basic school supplies.
Non-profits may submit press releases and photos to news[AT]potomaclocal.com.
Beginning on August 25, Manassas National Battlefield Park will observe the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Second Manassas. For five days, through August 30, events will remember the cost of battle and include the destructive impact on area families and African Americans.
A few highlighted events include:
• Programming on August 27 at Brawner Farm Interpretive center featuring the living history and cannon demonstrations.
• Presentations by National Medal of Honor Museum Chief Historian Dr. Edward Lengel and West Point Curator of Arms and Armor Les Jensen.
• Special exhibit in the Henry House by the former United States Army Chief Curator Lt. Col. David Cole (ret.).
• Concerts by the Fort McHenry Guard Fifes and Drums as well as the 8th Green Machine Regiment Brass Band from George Mason University.
Other highlights include the return of the sword of Colonel Gouverneur Warren to the battlefield for the first time in 160 years. The sword is on loan from West Point Army Museum Collection, United States Military Academy, and is on temporary display in the Henry Hill Visitor Center.
The original wartime home of Lucinda Dogan, restored this past July by the National Park Service, will be open to the public for the first time in over a year on August 27 and 28.
For a complete schedule of events for the anniversary, visit the park website at nps.gov/mana. The visitor center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on August 27, and is located at 6511 Sudley Road, Manassas, Virginia, 20109.
The Prince William County Department of Facilities and Fleet Management recently received its first new, all-electric vehicle, or EV, with more to come.
The county’s new Chevrolet Bolt joins the fleet of 1,458 county vehicles that includes 24 hybrids along with its gas-powered vehicles.
“We’ve had hybrids in the fleet going back to 2008,” said Assistant Director of Prince William County Department of Facilities and Fleet Management Darrel Reynolds. “With the board’s direction to be carbon neutral by 2050, we have to start bringing in efficient vehicles now.”
The county is expected to have 80 all-electric, plug-in-hybrid or hybrid vehicles in its fleet by 2024. The vehicles will match user needs. “What we’re looking at is, as vehicles are due for replacement during the normal cycle, that there is a viable electric or hybrid version for the needs of each department,” Reynolds said. “We’re not going to give them an electric vehicle for the sake of giving them an electric vehicle and that we’re not just getting rid of vehicles just to bring electrics and hybrids in.”
All-electric vehicles and hybrids save expenses on maintenance and fuel. “All statistics state that there are 1,000 fewer moving parts in an EV, which means that you’re going to save money for maintenance and repairs,” said Prince William County Department of Facilities and Fleet Management Customer Service Manager Brent Lineberger. “For example, oil changes are a thing of the past with EVs. Your brake wear is reduced because you’re using regenerative braking to slow the vehicle, hence that kinetic energy is put back into the battery if you’re using a hybrid.”
Fuel-efficient vehicles benefit the county and pay for themselves in the long-term. “It’s going to make the county have less emissions coming out of tailpipes. It’s presumably going to save more money because you’re not spending $5 a gallon at the pump for fuel. You’ll be spending pennies for an electric charge,” Lineberger said. “Most of your maintenance costs are going to be reduced, but we have not seen the statistically in Prince William County yet. We’re looking at industry statistics.”
The county recently installed 10 charging stations at the McCoart Government Center and will install more at locations across the county as the need arises. “We are working with property management and facilities construction management to put together the infrastructure to support additional vehicles. Our goal is to have infrastructure in place prior to getting the EVs,” Lineberger said.
Facilities and fleet management will also require support as the county adds new vehicles. “Along with putting hybrids or EVs in place, we want to make sure that there is a vendor that can support us after the sale. Things fail and we need to have proper parts distribution,” Lineberger said. “We’ll also need training of our technicians to ensure that they are safe working around these products and that they can support the vehicles as we move in that direction.”
As manufacturers replace existing gas-powered models with comparable EV and hybrid models, Facilities and Fleet Management will be able to easily replace older vehicles. “It’s not going to be something that we have to justify why we’re giving them an electric vehicle. It should be the same thing they’re driving, just with a different power source,” Reynolds said.
The Chevrolet Bolt is rated for 275 miles to a charge, which will fit most of the county’s needs.
Submitted by Prince William County Government.
Starting July 22, 2022, non-resident visitors to the Historic Port of Falmouth Park, also known as Falmouth Beach, will be asked to pay a $25 parking fee.
The move is an effort by the Board of Supervisors to help reduce crowding and parking issues at the park. Residents of Stafford and the City of Fredericksburg will park for free with a valid ID showing residence.
“This park is in a flood zone and was never meant to be a high-capacity destination venue. The water on that stretch of the river is also hazardous,” said the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “While this was a difficult decision, we think charging for parking will cut down on some of the crowding from visitors, not from Stafford or Fredericksburg, making it a safer experience for everyone.”
Starting Friday, July 22, 2022, at 8 a.m., drivers will be asked to show identification to prove residency. Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, or military IDs. The residency will be determined by having one of the zip codes located in Stafford County or the City of Fredericksburg. Parking eligibility will also be determined by the driver’s status alone.
Those who are not residents will be asked to pay $25 per vehicle by credit card. Cash WILL NOT be accepted. Fishing passes will not count as parking passes for non-residents.
Three parking lots will be available for the park:
- The Historic Port of Falmouth Park lot parking lot
- The gravel lot at the Falmouth Intersection of Route 17 and US Route 1
- The lot at the Grizzle Center at 60 Butler Road
- No parking areas include River Road, Gordon Street, Carter Street and Amy’s CafĂ©. Towing will be strictly enforced. Please visit www.staffordparks.com for more information.
Starting July 22, 2022, non-resident visitors to the Historic Port of Falmouth Park, also known as Falmouth Beach, will be asked to pay a $25 parking fee.
The move is an effort by the Board of Supervisors to help reduce crowding and parking issues at the park. Residents of Stafford and the City of Fredericksburg will park for free with a valid ID showing residence.
“This park is in a flood zone and was never meant to be a high-capacity destination venue. The water on that stretch of the river is also hazardous,” said the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “While this was a difficult decision, we think charging for parking will cut down on some of the crowding from visitors, not from Stafford or Fredericksburg, making it a safer experience for everyone.”
Starting Friday, July 22, 2022, at 8:00 a.m., drivers will be asked to show identification to prove residency. Acceptable forms of identification include driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, or military IDs. The residency will be determined by having one of the zip codes located in Stafford County or the City of Fredericksburg. Parking eligibility will also be determined by the driver’s status alone.
Those who are not residents will be asked to pay $25 per vehicle by credit card. Cash WILL NOT be accepted. Fishing passes will not count as parking passes for non-residents.
Three parking lots will be available for the park:
- The Historic Port of Falmouth Park lot parking lot
- The gravel lot at the Falmouth Intersection of Route 17 and US Route 1
- The lot at the Grizzle Center at 60 Butler Road
- No parking areas include River Road, Gordon Street, Carter Street and Amy’s CafĂ©. Towing will be strictly enforced. Please visit www.staffordparks.com for more information.