F.C. Police Chief: Public Will See No Change

F.C. Police Chief Harry Reitze.

In a budget work session of the Falls Church City Council, Police Chief Harry Reitze confirmed adamantly Monday that despite significant cost savings and retirements in his 33-member department, the public will see "no change at all" in uniformed patrols, criminal investigations and other vital services. Most of the personnel retirements are in the areas of administration and management. Four veteran offices retiring on June 30 are Captain Dan Ellis, Office of Emergency Management (24.5 years with the F.C. Department), Carolyn Pendleton, Dispatcher (28.5 years), Becky Keenan, Animal Warden (25 years) and Carmen Nichols, Administrative Assistant (9 years). In addition, leaving at the end of this month for new job in D.C. is Officer Dee Wilson. Also, the department will hire a certified fire marshal who will perform that function for the City and head emergency management operations, as well. That will relieve the City of hiring fire marshal services from Arlington.

2 'Photo Red Light' Intersections OKd

Falls Church Police Chief Harry Reitze confirmed to the F.C. City Council this week that the Virginia Department of Transportation has approved two intersection locations in Falls Church where "photo red lights" can be installed to deter running red lights. Reitze said the lights could be in operation by the end of the summer. Another two locations the City submitted were rejected by VDOT, and the City must submit new requests to add more locations.

BJ's Warehouse Set to Open by August in F.C.

In comments to the monthly luncheon of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields noted that the BJ's Wholesale Warehouse location currently under construction on Wilson Blvd. in Falls Church is now expected to be open by August. The construction is currently the second-largest underway in the entire D.C. region, he noted, and is expected to bring $400,000 a year in sales tax revenues to the City. He also noted that the Mad Fox Brew Pub at 420 W. Broad is also working toward an opening in June, and that the Pizzeria Orso on S. Maple and the Sfizi Cafe trattoria at 800 W. Broad are slated to open soon, as well.

President Obama in N. Va. Friday Morning

President Barack Obama will deliver an address on the subject of health care reform at the Patriot Center at George Mason University Friday morning. Doors to the event open at 9 a.m., and it is open to all who wish to attend. No banners or signs will be permitted, and the public is encouraged to limit bags and purses. The event is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m.

'Bad Hair Day' Performs at ArtSpace

"Bad Hair Day" is an accomplished, experienced and talented group of musicians who have been playing together for many years, consisting of brothers, John and Andrew Ratliff (Fuzzy Logic, Mersey Killers), on guitar, drums and vocals, Barry Gruver (Fuzzy Logic, Switchback) on lead guitar and vocals, and Matt Aukofer (Fuzzy Logic, Gadflies) on bass and vocals. They will perform at the ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple, this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. During their two sets, the band will be covering a large array of rock artists.

F.C.'s New Financial Advisors Urge More Fees

In its first report to the F.C. City Council last week, the recently-established Long Range Financial Working Group (FWG) rushed a handful of revenue policy recommendations into play at the outset of the Council's FY11 budget deliberations. A four-page, single-spaced report called on the City to retain a fund balance of 10 percent of its annual operating costs and to establish and enforce a more stringent set of fees and user charges for things such as water and sewer usage that will ensure that the actual cost of running the operations associated with them are fully covered by those fees and user charges. The group also unveiled a financial budgeting model on Excel, developed by FWG member Tom Kaye, that allows for a lot of "tinkering" with budget options while showing their long-term consequences. It is a model that City Manager Wyatt Shields said will be available to all citizens on-line so that they can test their budget balancing ideas for soundness from a long-range perspective.

Del. Kory Postpones Town Hall Meeting

A town hall meeting scheduled by State Del. Kaye Kory in the 38th District this Saturday has been postponed. No information about a new date is yet available.