►
From YouTube: Arlington VA State of County Address 2014
Description
Arlington County Board chairman Jay Fisette delivers his 2014 State of the County Address before the Arlington Chamber of Commerce on June 24 2014.
A
I
want
to
start
in
my
brief
introduction.
It
will
be
brief,
J
this
also.
As
for
you,
I,
looking
out
over
the
crowd,
I
see
some
people
who
did
live
through
the
1970s.
Oh
I
have
a
quiz,
for
you
tell
me
what
TV
character
would
begin,
his
biography
on
the
TV
when
he
was
asked
it
all
began
at
a
5000
watt,
AM
radio
station
in
Fresno
California.
Do
you
remember
Ted
Baxter,
mary
tyler
moore
show
that
was
tense?
A
Well,
the
reason
I
bring
that
up
is
this
event
began
not
on
a
warm
day
like
today,
but
on
a
very
cold
and
windy
and
rainy
day
at
washington,
golf
and
country
club
in
February
of
2001.
Now,
besides
the
speaker
and
myself,
anybody
else
remember
being
there
at
that
event.
A
couple
couple:
we
got
a
couple:
good
Michael
foster
you
guys
over
here
great
it
was
a
wonderful
event,
so
much
so
that
it
has
continued
every
single
year.
A
Our
speaker
for
today
will
be
the
first
four-time
board
chairman
to
rotate
through
I
will
say
this
and
I've
said
this
before
Jay
and
I
have
a
little
joke.
Maybe
it's
my
joke.
Not
your
joke,
but
I
will
say
that
in
February
of
2001,
when
I
was
giving
the
introduction-
and
he
was
doing
the
board
chairman
speaking
I'm-
not
sure
either
one
of
us
thought
that
13
years
from
now
we
would
still
be
here
doing
the
same
thing.
A
We
are
in
fact
the
embodiment
of
Arlington's
Aging
in
Place
policy,
just
a
little
just
a
little
chat,
but
the
one
thing
I
say
it's
very
interesting
that
2001
was
the
first
year
because,
as
you
know,
September
11
2001
not
only
changed
the
country
and
change
the
world,
but
it
certainly
had
an
enormous
impact
on
Arlington
County
I
do
not
know
what
Jeff
visits
goals
were
before
then
it's
lost
to
my
memory.
What
I
do
know
is
that
the
world
changed
and
Arlington
came
to
the
fore.
A
Did
an
exceptional
job
I
think
it
was
the
shining
moment
of
government
for
that
time
really
stepped
up
to
the
plate,
but
it
does
show
that
even
the
best
laid
plans
can
change
because
of
events.
So
our
board
chairman
has
been
on
the
board
since
1998
he's
got
a
lot
to
say:
he's
got
a
lot
of
plans.
It's
great
that
we're
doing
this
mid-year
rather
than
in
February,
so
that
you
can
go
through
how
how
things
have
gone
and
where
you
think
they're
going
to
go
wee-wee,
please
please,
will
you
welcome
with
me
Jeff.
B
I'm
actually
bringing
my
coffee
with
me.
Thank
you
Scott,
we
all
know.
Scott
is
probably
one
of
the
best
Roasters
in
Arlington
he's
a
great
emcee
when
I'm
ready
to
go
I
want
him
on
the
panel,
just
cutting
me
up
top
to
bottom,
but
I'd
do
a
pretty
good
job
of
that
myself.
So
thanks
for
having
me
and
actually
for
taking
time
out
of
your
day
to
be
here,
I
want
to
give
a
special
thanks
to
the
chamber
and
to
all
of
those
in
the
chamber
who
selected
Kate
as
your
president
and
CEO.
Congratulations.
B
B
Those
growing
pains
that
come
with
that
growth,
so
I
want
to
talk
about
that,
but
first
I
want
to
step
back
in
time
just
a
little
bit
and
have
you
join
me
and
appreciate
some
of
the
changes
that
we've
experienced
in
the
last
couple
of
decades,
Scott
asked
who
was
here
back
in
2001
I'm,
going
to
ask
the
same
thing?
Who
was
here
two
decades
ago
or
three
decades
ago,
when
I
moved
here
in
1983,
it
was
a
somewhat
sleepy
and
quiet
little
place,
Arlington
with
a
bit
of
an
uncertain
future.
B
B
B
That
is
a
trick,
my
friends,
our
emphasis
on
moving
people
and
goods,
not
just
vehicles,
has
been
so
effective
that
today,
more
than
half
of
all
daily
household
trips
in
Arlington
and
our
urban
corridors
are
made
on
foot
bike
or
transit.
Forty
percent
of
all
transit
trips
in
the
Commonwealth
of
Virginia,
forty
percent
in
the
entire
Commonwealth
start
or
end
in
Arlington.
B
Today,
Arlington
has
the
nation's
highest
concentration
of
25
to
34
year
olds.
It's
the
home
of
the
creative
class.
Some
of
you
are
in
that
class.
Usa
Today
called
Arlington
one
of
the
best
post
college
towns
in
America,
successful
and
attracting
young
college
aged
folks
keeping
them,
and
then
they
staying
to
raise
their
families
I'm
particularly
proud
that,
through
all
that
growth,
all
that
change
we've
maintained
some
of
the
very
best
qualities
and
characteristics
of
a
small
town.
Our
crime
rate
is
low.
Our
streets
are
safe,
neighbors
help
neighbors.
B
B
Thanks
to
strong
fiscal
management,
we've
been
able
to
keep
the
tax
rate
among
the
lowest
in
the
metropolitan
region.
We've
also
maintained
our
coveted
triple
triple
a
bond
rating,
we're
only
one
of
a
handful
of
jurisdictions
in
America
with
that,
and
what
does
that
mean?
We
can
borrow
money
at
the
lowest
possible
rate
really
on
the
planet
and
that
saves
people
money
millions
of
dollars
in
financing
our
capital
projects
at
the
end
of
the
day,
it's
all
about
our
sustainability,
the
ability
to
prosper
through
change
and
think
about
that
again.
That's
why
I
said.
B
Look
back,
there's
been
a
lot
of
that
change.
Everything
we
do
should
be
judged
on
how
it
advances
our
goal
of
building
a
community
that
will
sustain
itself
for
generations
to
come.
So
I
think
we're
in
good
shape
to
confront
some
of
the
challenges
in
front
of
us
and
this
morning
I
want
to
focus
on
the
three
biggest
challenges:
growing
school
enrollment,
housing,
affordability
and
our
economic
competitiveness.
A
little
bit
on
the
first
to
first,
the
growth
in
school
enrollment
is
a
symptom
of
our
success.
When
you
agree
a
be
Noah,
it
really
is.
B
Arlington
currently
invests
over
19,000
dollars
per
pupil
as
compared
to
numbers
like
13,000,
plus
in
fairfax
just
next
door.
Arlington
taxpayers
have
repeatedly
voted
for
bonds.
Whether
or
not
you
are
one
of
the
thirteen
percent
of
adults
in
this
community
with
children
in
the
pub
like
schools.
That
is
a
civic
commitment
that
is
quite
unparalleled.
B
We
can
also
brag
about
the
results
of
that
investment
in
2014
all
for
arlington
high
schools,
ranked
in
the
top
2%
among
high
schools
in
the
united
states
and
is
patrick
here,
patrick
murphy.
There.
You
are
congratulations
on
being
superintendent
of
the
year
and
also
to
a
ps4
recently
receiving
the
most
the
prestigious
medallion
of
Excellence
Awards,
some
acknowledgments
of
their
good
work.
B
So,
to
sustain
that
effort,
we
need
to
invest
wisely.
Arlington
has
just
26
square
miles
and
is
nearly
built
out.
We
face
growing
demand
for
space,
not
just
for
schools
but
for
parkland
recreation,
community
community
facilities
and,
of
course,
for
affordable
housing.
Every
square
foot
of
public
land
is
precious
and
has
to
be
used
really
wisely.
Every
project
must
be
carefully
planned
and
creatively
designed
to
meet
as
many
community
needs,
as
is
possible.
County
board
in
the
school
board.
B
B
The
second
challenge-
housing,
affordability,
a
challenge
to
ensure
that
people
of
all
income
levels
can
continue
to
live
in
this
community.
On
this
front,
too,
I
would
say
we
are
victims
of
our
own
success
between
two
thousand
and
two
thousand.
Eleven
Arlington
lost
more
than
half
of
its
market
rate,
affordable
housing
over
11,500
units
that
were
available
and
affordable
on
the
market
without
any
subsidy,
we're
lost
to
redevelopment
or
rent
increases
to
people
in
those
middle
incomes.
B
High
housing
costs
are
squeezing
out
low
and
moderate
income
earners,
who
are
people
like
our
teachers,
our
maintenance
workers,
our
store
clerks,
our
health
care
workers.
These
are
the
folks
that
are
essential
to
the
fabric
of
this
community
and
to
the
economy
of
the
community.
We've
responded
aggressively
from
my
eight
years.
I
was
first
a
Warner
and
then
a
cane
appointee
to
the
Virginia
Housing
Development
Authority
I
know
for
a
fact
that
we
in
Arlington
what
we
do
for
housing.
Affordability
to
address
that
dwarfs
what
any
other
locality
in
this
commonwealth
does.
B
I've
said
this
before
about
5.2
percent
of
our
budget
goes
to
these
issues
and
if
Alexander
is
about
point,
9
has
a
order
of
magnitude.
Difference.
Part
of
our
strategy
is
to
leverage
funds
to
pull
outside
investment
into
arlington
for
every
local
dollar
dedicated
to
affordable
housing.
We
leverage
two
or
three
dollars
in
state
federal
or
private
dollars,
and
a
lot
of
that
local
money
comes
back
to
us
because
it's
in
a
revolving
loan
fund.
B
We
got
a
couple
of
national
awards
for
that,
because
nobody
had
seen
a
land
use
plan
of
that
magnitude
that
had
that
commitment
to
affordable
housing,
we're
looking
for
opportunities
to
combine,
affordable
housing,
as
I
mentioned
before,
with
other
facilities,
arlington
mill
being
a
very
nice
example
right
along
columbia,
pike,
the
county
manager
recently
identified
several
sites,
affordable
housing
and
school
expansions
for
consideration,
and
this
doesn't
diminish.
Take
note
please
take
note.
This
does
not
diminish
in
any
way.
Our
commitment
to
open
space
and
parkland
do
not
see
it
as
a
threat
to
that.
B
These
are
just
opportunities
that
we
will
have
much
robust
conversation
and
discussion
about
before
anything
is
decided
now.
The
third
challenge-
and
this
is
where
I'll
put
most
of
the
focus-
is
on
staying
competitive
in
really
a
very
rapidly
changing
economic
environment
and
we're
all
part
of
that
now.
You
know
the
factors
at
play:
I
will
list
them.
Other
localities,
I
would
say,
are
learning
from
our
smarter
planning
decisions,
those
we
made
for
decades.
The
silver
line
is
bringing
rail
to
tysons
and
beyond.
B
It's
coming
right
he's
coming
right.
The
Airports
Authority
go
really
breathe
a
sigh
of
relief
over
here
at
this
table.
Dc
is
revitalizing
and
creating
new
office
markets.
Federal
government
is
putting
some
lease
limits
on
federal
leases,
which
are
disadvantaging
Arlington,
probably
more
than
anyone
else,
and
then,
of
course,
on
the
flip
side
of
the
equation.
You
have
teleworking
and
you
have
hoteling
using
less
space
per
person.
We
could
even
see
job
growth
and
less
need
for
office
space
as
a
result
of
some
of
those
realities.
So
right
now
we're
in
transition.
B
Our
overall
office
vacancy
rate
hovers
around
twenty
percent
higher
than
we've
seen
in
a
while,
not
necessarily
out
of
the
norm
for
the
region,
but
higher
than
we've
seen
as
terry
wholesome
Rose
used
to
say,
we
always
got
more
than
our
fair
share.
During
those
last
decades
we
are
still
losing
federal
jobs
and
experiencing
a
structural
shift
in
office
space
with
federal
move
outs,
yet
the
business
environment
recently,
let's
hope
it
stays
that
way
after
brac
is
becoming
a
little
more
predictable.
B
Somehow,
predictable
in
light
of
this
Congress
doesn't
seem
to
work
for
me
yet
I
remain
optimistic.
We
have
proven
our
creativity
as
a
community
and
our
resilience.
Our
assets
are
durable.
Our
location
isn't
going
to
change
we're
not
moving
National
Airport
and
I'll
speak
to
that.
Maybe
later
isn't
going
away,
the
Pentagon
isn't
going
away
our
outstanding
transportation
system
and
schools
and
the
creative
class
the
workforce
that
we
have
here.
B
We
will
all
continue
to
build
on
those
strengths
and
did
I
mention
that
we're
smart
over
seventy
one
percent
of
our
residents
aged
25
and
older,
hold
a
bachelor's
degree
or
higher,
and
we've
had
for
quite
a
while.
Now
the
lowest
unemployment
rate
in
the
Commonwealth
of
Virginia,
three
plus
percent,
so
consider
who's
moving
in
anyone
here
from
the
Center
for
naval
analysis
CNA,
they
better
be
here
next
year.
B
You
can
pass
that
on
they're
coming
to
a
brand
new
building
at
Highland
and
Washington
Boulevard
in
clarendon,
built
by
penzance.
Cna
is
a
nonprofit
research
and
analysis
organization
that
will
be
bringing
600
jobs
in
175,000
square
feet.
Boeing
and
Todd
is
here.
Boeing
will
soon
finish
construction
for
their
phase,
one
of
the
regional
headquarters
in
Crystal
City,
ultimately
to
be
two
buildings
with
a
total
of
three
hundred
and
twenty-two
thousand
square
feet,
how's
500
employees
and
attract
20,000
business
travelers
annually,
Thank
You
Todd
next
month.
B
Many
of
these
projects
are
adding
amenities
and
conveniences,
three
of
them,
bringing
in
grocery
stores
into
what
are
really
booming
neighborhoods,
and
there
are
major
investments
around
the
corner
to
the
Fashion
Center
Mall
and,
if
you
add
the
bid
ballston
bid
event
last
night
to
the
ballston
mall
talk
about
exciting.
Take
a
look
at
some
of
those
pictures,
all
in
all,
with
55
projects
and
more.
A
B
Million
square
feet
of
development
in
the
pipeline.
We
have
a
lot
of
success
ahead
of
us.
So
what
have
been,
in
my
view,
I
thought
about
this
and
I
gave
a
little
preview
yesterday.
But
what
do
I
think
are
the
keys
to
our
success
and
to
our
ability
in
the
future,
to
continue
to
succeed.
So
I
want
to
highlight
for
first
having
a
vision
and
long-term
planning.
B
You
know
what
they
say:
vision
without
action
is
a
daydream.
Action
without
vision
is
a
nightmare
and
it's
true
Arlington
is
full
of
planning
geeks.
We
don't
plan
for
tomorrow
or
for
the
next
profit
and
loss
statement
or
the
next
election.
We
planet
plan
for
the
long
term,
sometimes
20
years,
30
years,
40
years
down
the
road,
we
have
always
respected
the
broader
and
longer
and
more
sustainable
view
like
our
Smart
Growth
planning
in
our
transit
quarters.
B
The
second
thing:
citizen
engagement,
the
Arlington
way.
Now
some
people
love
that
term.
Some
people
question
that
term
I
believe
that
means
that
the
means
is
just
as
important
as
the
ends
and
I
think
that's
what
that
that
tries
to
convey,
and
then
it's
worth
working
with
residents
and
businesses
towards
a
consensus
view.
Please
do
not
confuse
towards
a
consent,
consensus
view
with
unanimity.
B
They
are
different
things,
but
what
it
does
mean
is
trying
to
forge
a
broader
consensus,
a
broader
understanding
and
commitment
to
a
forward
plan.
We
have
lots
of
talent
in
this
community
a
lot
of
talent
and
we
try
to
take
advantage
of
it
and
when
we
do,
it
usually
results
in
better,
more
sustainable
products
and
decisions.
B
We
are
committed
to
expanding
arlington
as
the
hub
of
the
innovation
economy.
This
year
we
launched
tandem,
NSI
national
security.
Innovation
is
NSI,
it's
a
public-private
partnership,
an
initiative
that
will
connect
entrepreneurs
and
their
fast
growth
technology,
product
companies
with
those
in
the
federal
side,
the
national
security
agencies
and
the
defense
agencies
to
commercialize
their
best
ideas
and
create
world
changing
technologies.
All
the
pieces
are
here
right
in
our
own
community,
we're
providing
the
connectivity
and
the
glue
to
bring
them
forward
and
make
the
connections.
B
So
far,
it's
been
a
roaring
success
back
to
the
Boston
bid
event.
Last
night,
crystal
city
all
becoming
hubs
of
our
fast
growth
technology
companies.
Just
in
Crystal
City
right
here
we
had
the
announcement
of
the
50
million
dollar
crystal
tech
fund,
eventual
venture
capital
firm.
That
was
launched
a
lot
of
new
ideas,
a
lot
of
partnership
with
the
private
sector
and
a
lot
of
that
means
leveraging
resources,
both
persons,
people
and
ideas
and
funds.
And
finally,
the
fourth
thing
that
I
would
put
on
the
table
is
a
commitment
to
action
and
strategic
investment.
B
Remember
that
phrase,
action
vision
and
finally,
we
respect
our
community
process
and
plans.
We
make
strategic
investments
based
on
those
plans.
We
do
what
we
say
we're
going
to
do.
How
many
times
have
you
been
in
a
meeting
or
group
or
process?
And
oh,
the
report
comes
out
and
it
goes
on
the
shelf.
We
try
not
to
do
that,
while
others
avoid
avoid
upfront
costs
and
investments.
We
find
the
tools
we
build
the
partnerships
and
leverage
the
funds
to
ensure
a
sustainable
future.
B
Our
decision
to
build
Metro
underground
wasn't
easy.
There
was
a
quote
faster
and
cheaper
alternative.
Yet
what
about
the
return
on
our
investment?
Think
of
the
value
and
vitality
that
we
enjoy
today.
Anyone
heard
of
Connect
Arlington,
okay
connect
Arlington.
It
started
as
a
closed-loop
connection
among
all
the
county
facilities
in
schools,
high-speed
broadband
technology
with
underground
underground.
It
with
dark
fiber,
yet
looking
forward,
we
installed
additional
conduits
in
the
ground
to
enable
us
to
expand
and
then
came
up
with
a
great
idea
of
using
that
to
effect
change
in
the
private
sector
as
well.
B
Today,
connect
arlington
will
provide
businesses
the
opportunity
to
connect
at
unprecedented
levels
of
speed
and
security
beyond
anything
currently
available
in
the
Capital
Region.
We
are
talking
about
secure
collaboration
with
the
nation's
top
defense
and
research
agencies,
including
the
Pentagon
and
DARPA
universities,
research,
centers
and
federal
agencies
that
I
consider
innovation
that
I
consider
a
strong,
strategic,
important
upfront,
strategic
investment.
This
will
distinguish
Arlington,
hopefully
give
us
a
competitive
advantage,
cost
money,
but
it
will
have
a
positive
return.
B
B
A
B
Route
stretches
from
skyline
in
Fairfax,
through
columbia,
pike
to
pentagon,
city,
crystal
city
and
potomac
yard.
Today,
columbia
pike
alone
is
the
most
heavily
traveled
bus
route
in
the
commonwealth
of
virginia
600
bus
trips
daily
carrying
more
than
17,000
passenger
transit
ridership
along
this
full
streetcar
route
will
more
than
double
to
about
60,000
passengers
a
day
in
the
future.
B
Sixty-Two
percent
of
those
are
anticipated
to
use
the
the
workhorse
modern
streetcar
as
their
vehicle
no
possible
bus.
Only
system
can
handle
that
writer.
Ship
growth,
fixed
rail
is
more
comfortable
and
accessible
and
will
attract
riders.
A
modern
streetcar
will
ease
congestion
on
this
heavily
traveled
and
soon
to
be
more
heavily
traveled
quarters.
B
Streetcar
would
also
attract
about
six
thousand
new
jobs
over
the
first
10
years,
just
as
Arlington's
choice
to
underground
the
metro,
instead
of
running
it
down
that
much
cheaper
right
of
way
down
the
middle
of
I
66
and
making
that
decision
at
far
greater
cost
and
despite
much
opposition
led
to
the
bustling
RB
quarter
that
we
all
enjoy
today
and
that
funds
much
of
what
happens
here.
Streetcar
will
give
us
a
much
better
return
on
investment
that
will
help
fund
our
schools
and
other
services
around
arlington.
B
So
what
is
the
construction
funding
plan
for
the
full
streetcar
project?
It
includes
0,
homeowner
general
obligation
bond
money.
In
fact,
93%
of
the
funding
is
federal
state
and
regional
money
leveraged
by
your
12
and
a
half
cent
local
commercial
property
tax
that
was
put
in
place
back
in
about
two
thousand
eight
that
can
only
be
used
for
new
transportation
projects.
B
You
asked
me
to
leverage
outside
funds
and
we've
done
that
the
seven
percent
balance
in
the
funding
plan
comes
from
the
crystal
city
TIFF.
Anyone
here
from
Crystal
City,
yeah
I,
expect
so
Angie
good,
a
fun
dedicated
to
infrastructure
investment
in
Crystal
City.
This
tiff
is
our
county's
commitment
to
partner
in
the
revitalization
of
greater
crystal
city,
and
I
will
continue
to
defend
it.
The
streetcar
financing
is
now
an
active
part
of
the
upcoming
capital
plan.
We
adopt
one
every
two
years
and
it's
a
ten
year
capital
improvement
plan.
B
Last
week,
I
asked
staff
to
prepare
an
alternative
funding
plan
for
the
streetcar
that
would
forego
federal
dollars
in
an
effort
to
reduce
costs
and
build
this
system
more
quickly,
while
continuing
to
include
zero
home
owner
financed
general
obligation
bonds.
So
let
me
be
clear
to
tie
this
up.
I
am
committed
to
the
streetcar,
but
not
at
any
cost.
I
will
support
the
building
of
the
streetcar
only
if
it
does
not
require
Arlington
homeowners
to
take
on
bond
debt
to
pay
for
it.
I
will
walk
away
from
the
project
rather
than
violate
that
pledge.
B
B
That
requires
them
to
scrub
the
pride
for
ways
to
reduce
costs
and
speed
up
delivery.
Streetcar
is
our
next
generational
investment.
Yet
it's
not
without
some
controversy
in
recent
years
there
is
an
aggressive
effort
to
derail
heat
word
right.
Derail.
The
streetcar
and
I
often
hear
criticism
about
the
county's
communication
about
the
streetcar
and
the
benefits
of
the
streetcar
I
agree,
and
we
will
do
better.
B
So,
in
closing,
we
appreciate
our
partnership
with
the
chamber,
with
leadership
Arlington
with
the
broader
business
community
and
appreciate
all
that
you
do
to
make
our
community
better
and
to
ensure
the
economic
success
of
Arlington.
We
are
to
crossroads
and
we
must
lead
for
the
future.
As
former
county
manager,
Ron
Carlee
once
said,
we
don't
do
easy
in
Arlington.
B
We
must
choose
sound
policy
over
sound
bites,
continue
to
be
a
community
of
innovation
and
partnership,
not
shy
away
from
the
strategic
investments
that
will
continue
to
distinguish
Arlington
and
keep
our
economy
and
our
community
moving
forward.
If
we
do
so,
I
am
confident
that
Arlington
will
remain
the
place
that
other
communities
look
to
for
inspiration.
Thank
you
very
much.