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Description
Arlington County Board Vice-Chair Christian Dorsey's remarks at the Board's Organizational Meeting on January 2 2018.
A
Thank
you,
I'll
have
to
get
used
to
that
as
I
reflect
on
2017
I
am
mindful
of
how
grateful
I
am
that
a
couple
of
years
ago,
arlington
ian
selected
me
along
with
miss
crystal,
and
we
should
recall
with
pride
that
over
this
last
year
there
were
many
notable
accomplishments
that
we
all
made
together
just
to
highlight
a
few.
We
committed
to
investing
in
six
hundred
units.
We
call
it
affordable
units,
but
really
these
are
opportunities
for
families
to
live
in
arlington
who
otherwise
are
limited
by
their
moderate
incomes.
A
We
acquire
property,
complete
a
vision
for
the
Nok
town
square,
a
vision
that
has
been
in
the
works
for
over
a
decade,
but
that,
quite
frankly,
is
generations
late
in
being
fulfilled.
We
made
substantial
reductions
in
the
office
vacancy
rate.
It's
been
punctuated
by
Nestle's
choosing
to
operate
in
Arlington,
but,
quite
frankly,
there
were
many
other
businesses
who
chose
to
remain
here
or
to
move
here
most
without
any
taxpayer
support.
A
Additionally,
because
our
principal
program
for
affordable
housing
is
in
fact,
a
budget
outlay,
it
is
essential
that
we
stretch
those
dollars
as
far
as
they
can
go.
This
will
involve
a
rethinking
of
the
requirements,
conditions
and
the
incentives
associated
with
both
affordable
unit
rehabilitation
and
new
construction,
while
allowing
sensible
increases
in
density
and
our
efforts
toward
greater
housing.
Affordability
must
also
be
innovative
in
permitting
an
encouraging
housing
that
is
affordable
by
design
and
not
by
public
subsidy.
Currently,
the
market
for
new
construction
for
both
single
and
multi-family
properties
is
pretty
homogeneous.
A
Yet
there
exists
a
strong
demand
for
different
housing
sizes
and
types
by
better,
better
meeting
these
market
demands.
We
will,
in
my
opinion,
enhance
our
neighborhoods,
promote
environmental
sustainability
and
make
life
in
Arlington
more
attainable
for
middle-income
workers
and
families,
and
I
look
forward
to
the
proposals
that
we
are
soon
to
see
that
will
help
moderate
income,
seniors
and
persons
with
disabilities
to
remain
in
their
homes
and
proposals
that
we'll
hear
in
the
coming
weeks
to
provide
families
with
more
opportunities
to
secure
a
high
quality
at
affordable
care
for
their
children.
A
Arlington
needs
to
fill
the
void
by
creating
a
Consumer,
Protection
Bureau
that
consolidates
our
efforts
at
educating
businesses
and
consumers
and
customers
about
their
rights
and
responsibilities,
to
aggregate
and
investigate
complaints
about
illegal
and
unfair
practices
and
to
provide
guidance
to
those
who
seek
a
redress
of
their
complaints.
Now
we
frequently
hear
complaints
about
predatory,
towing,
billing
and
service
issues
with
cable
and
telecommunications
companies,
predatory
lenders,
identity,
thieves
hire
transportation
companies,
rental
housing
and
an
even
general
contract
enforcement.
A
I
believe
that
there
are
beneficial
outcomes
that
will
come
in
both
dispute
resolution
and
prevention,
that
a
consumer
protection
bureau
can
be
a
part
of
creating.
My
vision
for
this
bureau
does
not
require
substantial
new
funding.
It
can
be
achieved
by
consolidating
the
resources
that
we
already
deploy
currently
spread
across
multiple
departments
and
really
by
creating
an
online
portal
that
can
provide
consumers
with
a
way
to
easily
connect
with
the
resources
available
to
help
them
now
properly.
A
Organized
a
bureau
such
as
what
I
envision
will
be
essential
to
providing
both
consumers
and
businesses
with
the
strength
and
the
and
the
command
the
knowledge
that
they
are
participating
in
fair
marketplaces.
An
essential
to
a
business
friendly
Arlington
are
systems
that
encourage
both
faiths
and
businesses
and
promote
the
engagement
in
commerce.
A
Another
area
like
to
focus
on
our
data
and
technology,
one
of
our
managers,
key
initiatives,
is
open
data
and
he
has
done
substantial
work
already
in
making
sure
that
we
provide
data
sets
to
the
community
across
range
of
subjects
and
areas
of
work.
I,
look
forward
to
even
more
datasets
becoming
available
and
look
forward
to
efforts
to
improve
our
data
visualization
capacity,
so
that
we
can
promote
a
broader
on
standing
of
the
content
that
we
present,
but
I'd
also
like
to
see
that
work
evolved
to
harness
big
data.
A
Everything
that
is
digitized
is
data
and
organizations
that
are
able
to
capture
and
harness
that
data
and
have
the
tools
to
perform
advanced
analytics
on
those
data
are
better
equipped
to
save
time
money
and
be
more
responsive
to
their
constituents.
Whether
analyzing
transportation
impacts,
developing
budgets
or
mining
public
opinions
and
attitudes.
Harnessing
Big
Data
effectively
will
allow
us
to
better
steward
taxpayer
resources,
create
an
even
safer
Arlington
and
have
a
better
engaged
community
that
our
local
government
can
be
ever
more
responsive
to
and
speaking
of
public
engagement.
A
We
have
made
a
lot
of
progress
in
professionalizing
and
standardizing
our
public
engagement
processes,
yet
shortcomings
remain
notification
about
projects
that
are
proximate
to
interested
parties
is
not
as
reliable
as
I
would
like,
and
we
are
not
always
clear
with
the
community
about
engagement
timelines
and
how
they
can
best
participate.
Each
time
we
engage
our
community.
There
will
always
be
participants
dissatisfied
with
the
outcome.
Yet
when
our
engagement
activities
are
thoughtful
and
transparent,
even
those
who
don't
get
their
desired
result
are
enriched
through
the
process
and
committed
to
future
opportunities
for
civic
participation.
A
Miss
Krystal
spoke
a
lot
about
Metro,
so
I
will
say.
In
brief,
this
is
a
pivotal
year
for
Metro.
One
essential
truth
is
that
it
is
a
40
billion
dollar
asset
that
we
co-own
and
it
is
essential
to
not
only
what
we
are
but
to
what
we
will
someday
be.
We
cannot
allow
it
to
be
degraded
with
insufficient
funding.
Nor
can
we
allow
our
financial
contributions
to
continue
while
our
governance
role
is
limited.
Our
outgoing
governor
has
provided
a
framework
for
sustainable
funding,
which
we
very
much
appreciate.
A
A
A
Speaking
about
sustainability
in
a
different
lens
I'd
like
to
speak
about
the
environment-
and
this
is
inspired
by
my
daughter,
who
is
a
very
much
into
recycling-
and
she
got
me
thinking
about
what
we
do
on
our
County
at
large.
And
you
know,
I
was
proud
to
report
to
her
that
we
have
incredibly
high
recycling
rates
in
Arlington
and
that's
a
testament
to
the
value,
the
shared
value
that
we
all
have
toward
sustainability
and
year-round
yard.
A
Waste
collection
has
been
incredibly
important
in
putting
us
at
a
level
where
we
are
diverting
so
much
trash
away
from
landfills.
But
this
year,
I
like
for
us
to
look
at
some
gaps
in
our
recycling
program
and
study
the
efficacy
and
the
economics
around
collecting
a
couple
of
items
that
are
currently
not
included
in
our
recycling
package,
namely
polystyrene
foam
as
well
as
shredded
paper
and
while
we're
at
it.
A
Let's
make
sure
that
all
public
spaces,
both
indoor
and
outdoor,
have
trash
containers
coupled
with
recycling
containers
and
that
they
are
collected
often
enough
to
limit
detritus
that
ends
up
clogging
our
storm
drains
and
littering
our
streets
and
when
it
comes
to
stormwater
management.
I
anxious
ly
await
the
deployment
of
staff
efforts
to
assist
property
owners
with
developing
plans
and
securing
permits
to
affordably
comply
with
our
stormwater
requirements.
A
And
while
my
focus
is
squarely
on
Arlington,
we
are
not
immune
to
or
dissociated
from
issues
and
concerns
that
may
manifest
elsewhere.
Federal
legislation-
MS
Garvey,
has
been
our
principal
nudge
in
this
regard.
Principally
new
tax
laws
may
be
top
of
mind
and
we
will
have
to
be
vigilant
to
address
any
areas
of
community
need
that
may
arise,
but
I'd
like
to
think
about
talk
about
another
element
of
national
news.
A
Now,
two
years
ago,
the
well-publicized
shootings
by
law
enforcement
of
people
of
color
produced
an
internal
review
of
our
use
of
force,
community,
policing
and
body
worn
camera
policies.
This
year,
I
encourage
the
manager
to
initiate
a
review
of
our
gender
identity,
sexual
harassment
and
assault
policies.
In
addition
to
reviewing
our
administrative
regulations
for
clarity
and
sufficiency,
I
urge
that
we
prioritize
prevention
through
robust
training
of
our
employees,
to
raise
their
awareness
and
both
within
and
outside
government
and
among
adults
and
children.
A
I
encourage
us
to
be
a
catalyst
to
ensure
that
we
have
a
culture
that
doesn't
deter.
Complainants
fully
investigates
complaints
and
seeks
justice
for
victims.
Now
for
the
next
four
months,
our
focus
will
be
on
the
operating
budget
and
then
the
CIP
and
whether
anything
I
are.
My
colleagues
present
today
become
priorities
in
the
year
ahead,
we'll
be
subject
to
broader
discussion
and
community
engagement.
A
Yet
it
is
safe
to
say
that
our
needs
exceed
our
means
when
faced
with
that
reality,
many
communities
either
scale
back,
leaving
more
needs
unmet
or
they
make
taxpayers
more
vulnerable
by
spending
more
money.
I
want
us
to
continue
pursuing
a
third
way
where
we
prioritize
what
is
essential
and
inspire
our
talented
staff
to
find
creative
ways
to
deliver
more
with
less
making
dollar
stretch
further
and
producing
beneficial
outcomes
leveraged
by
modest
government
government
investments
or
through
policy
changes
that
require
any
investment
at
all.
A
Now,
just
this
past
year,
the
lubber
run
and
the
long
bridge
projects
the
creation
of
the
C
pace
program,
the
work
on
the
housing
conservation
district
and
the
accessory
dwelling
ordinance
shows
that
Arlington
is
fully
up
to
meeting
the
challenges
that
await
together
with
my
colleagues,
our
staff,
our
colleagues
at
ApS
and
the
entire
Arlington
community
I
look
forward
to
getting
to
work.
Thank
you.