Highlights from the February 28 County Board Meeting
Published on February 28, 2017
Among the highlights from the Feb. 28 Recessed County Board Meeting:
- Building will include new church, daycare, multi-family housing, affordable housing, public art
- Robert Ball Sr. Family Burial Ground designated local historic district
- Design preserves portion of 19th century graveyard
- $3.1 million in Affordable Housing Investment Fund loan funds
- Entire 2.5-acre property will remain County historic district; separate lot created for historic Reeves farmhouse
- Community proposals to restore Reeves farmhouse unsuccessful
- Board to provide direction to County Manager at March meeting
A County investigation of complaints from residents of unusually high water bills in recent months has revealed no cluster of high water usage in any neighborhoods and no systemic problem, Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz reported today to the County Board.
County Manager Statement on Immigration
Today, Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz reinforced the County's commitment to each and every resident across Arlington. In a statement to the County Board, he acknowledged that like many communities around the country—Arlington is grappling with what recent federal actions on immigration enforcement mean for our residents and our community.
In his statement, Mr. Schwartz went on to state "Regardless of what your views are with respect to immigration enforcement and the actions being undertaken by the Administration, we must remember that at the heart of every policy debate or every government statistic are people. Members of our community — our neighbors, our friends." The County Manager clarified that our policies and practices regarding law enforcement have not changed and reinforced that the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) does NOT enforce federal immigration laws. He added that ACPD is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the public, and ACPD
will not use their trusted relationship with residents as a way for ICE to take action against them.
The County Manager also unveiled a new one-stop
Immigration Resource Website, which includes
Frequently Asked Questions, information about community and county services, and links to organizations that provide information on "Know Your Rights' and "Legal Aid.' The website is also available in
Spanish. Mr. Schwartz closed his presentation urging residents to come together as a community to embrace our strengths of diversity and inclusion during these difficult times.
VIDEO: See the full statement in English or in Spanish.