If you had two minutes to talk to all five members of the County Board, what would you want to say? This challenge was accepted by over 80 people at the recent Townhall hosted by the County Board on Oct. 26. I witnessed it all, sitting in the back row of the County Board room. About three hours in all – and I have to say, those benches are not that comfortable. I came away with many thoughts and impressions. Someone asked me if such events are worthwhile. That is a tough question, which I dodged then, and will dodge here (until next week). I will say it was an interesting and informative evening, so let me share a summary of three hours of civic engagement. By my unscientific count, there were four issues which seemed to generate the most comments, which I would categorize as follows: Automatic License Plate Readers/Flock Cameras; the fatal police killing in May of 33-year-old Shawn Valn inside a 7-Eleven convenience store on Columbia Pike; housing issues; and international politics. 

In September, the County Board ordered the removal of all 41 Flock Safety cameras (26 license plate readers and 15 other cameras). Most commenters highlighted privacy concerns about mass surveillance, and the possible misuse of the technology. This is an issue that will not go away anytime soon. Police Chief Andy Penn, and Aaron Miller, the County’s deputy county manager for public safety, have indicated that removing the equipment takes away a tool that police have been using appropriately. As to housing issues, some comments were general in nature, thanking the County Board for their efforts. Others were more specific about a need for increased density, with an emphasis on changes to the GLUP – an awkward acronym for an important policy document. “GLUP” stands for the General Land Use Plan, which is the policy guide for future development in Arlington, charged with guiding the intensity of different land uses within the County. Then there were several speakers voicing their continued opposition to the 2023 County legislation with its own acronym issues – referred to as “EHO” for the Expanded Housing Opportunities ordinance (but also commonly referred to as Missing Middle, a phrase that was used more often during the three-year process that led up to the 2023 legislation). 

A few days prior to the Townhall, the Arlington County Police Department released body camera footage documenting the fatal police shooting in May. The speakers were passionate in their despair about the shooting (and their criticism of the police department). This is another story that will take a long time to play out, with ongoing investigations as to what transpired that day (and perhaps also what did not transpire, as one question was raised about the role of mental health specialists in such situations). Finally, there were many comments on international politics, emanating from a group that has been lobbying the County Board for quite awhile. Speakers from Arlington Apartheid Divest provided a slide show with their comments urging the County to cut ties with companies that might be connected to Israel’s military actions and policies in Palestinian territories. The Townhall also included speakers in opposition to this group. 

These four larger issues overshadowed many thoughtful comments. I appreciated the comments by a teenager who urged the County to continue their financial support for after-school programs. Another speaker highlighted the very specific problem of a traffic light on Carlin Springs Road, near a local school, that was working improperly, causing real pedestrian dangers. There was an earnest plea to avoid the proposed solution of killing deer in order to control the deer population in Arlington. Another speaker referenced the ongoing problems with transportation on Columbia Pike, raising the question as to what happened to the County promise of improved bus service after the Board killed the idea of a streetcar system on the Pike in 2014? (Some issues seem to never fade away.) I realize that there were too many good comments for me to capture in one column. So I will come back next week and highlight some healthcare concerns. And I might tackle the question, are Townhall events worthwhile?