Thursday, May 25, 2006

Krupicka Council News

Welcome to the May-June 2006 Edition of Krupicka Council News.

Friends,

I have greatly enjoyed serving on the Council the past three years and I appreciate the confidence placed in me by Alexandria voters for another term. Thank you. I congratulate all of my returning colleagues and my good friend, Tim Lovain, who joins the Council in July.

I am optimistic about the next three years. Thanks to your feedback, I have a growing list of initiatives to work on. In my next newsletter, I will share my list with you, but first I'd like more feedback. If you could pick just one initiative to make Alexandria a better place, what would it be? Please send me a note with your number one priority and I'll share as many ideas as I can in my next newsletter.

In this newsletter, I will reflect on the last election and an idea to improve voter turnout. I also talk about early childhood education, green building, transportation planning, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and payday lending. I also want to encourage you to see the Godspeed when it kicks off the 400^th anniversary of Jamestown by visiting Alexandria this weekend – more information below.

A final note; as I write this the General Assembly is postponing the transportation debate until a later time. That means no new funds for transportation projects this year, no dedicated funding for metro, no resolution to one of our largest quality of life issues and increased financial pressures on local government. It is disappointing that they could not reach agreement on a transportation plan for our State. To add insult to injury, the current state budget proposals are likely to take even more money out of our local school budget. This General Assembly session will leave us with a lot more to work on.

Sincerely,

Rob

(If you would like to receive this newsletter by e-mail send a message to newsletter@krupicka.com with "Subscribe" in subject line.)

** The Election: Low Voter Participation**

The May 2nd election marked a low point in voter participation in Alexandria. Of over 136,000 people, only 15,336 came out to vote. This represents 19.7 percent of Alexandria’s registered voters -- the lowest percentage in a decade and the fewest total voters since 1973.

Some active residents told me they "forgot" to vote this year. As one of the most educated cities in America, a city that prides itself on its civic involvement, we didn't set a great example here. We are not alone. Virginia Beach had an even lower voter turnout in its May 2^nd election – only 17 percent voted.

These numbers lead me to question the way we handle local elections. As an incumbent who won re-election, I could say the system works and there is no need to question its effectiveness. As a member of the Democratic Party I could say, the process works as Democrats won every seat on the City Council.

So, why am I taking time to write about this?

Elections should be about engaging the largest possible number of residents in decisions about the future of their community. When only 15,000 people vote, it is hard to believe that is happening.

We should talk about a different way to run our elections.

Alexandria is one of a few municipalities in Virginia with spring elections. Experience tells us, though, that voters here and around the country are conditioned to fall elections. Some people told me they thought the recent city elections were a primary for next fall.

We could do a better job educating the voters or we could simply work with many people’s expectations for voting and move to November municipal elections. Maryland has always done it this way. Cities across the Commonwealth are moving away from spring municipal elections. Richmond made the change to November elections for local government a few years ago and its voter turnout jumped from 17% to 42%. In Alexandria, that would mean about 34,000 voters in a local election.

Why don't we do it?

One argument for keeping things the way they are is that November elections would bring out voters who don’t follow local government and therefore are not informed enough to make choices in local elections. I don't buy this argument. Alexandria is one of the most educated cities in America. I have met many voters who have never been to a city council meeting, but who nevertheless did research in order to vote. Having more people reading about and paying attention to local government can only help to expand interest and participation in municipal activities.

Another argument is that fall elections might take focus away from local issues by emphasizing state or national issues. If Arlington County or Richmond provides any example, there seems to be minimal impact. Instead, fall elections get more voters engaged in the activities of their local government. In a Dillon rule state like Virginia, where the state legislature has enormous powers over local government, running Delegate and State Senate elections at the same time as City Council could help emphasize the strong policy ties between state and local government.

A third argument against fall elections is that there would be too many people on the ballot. Six Council seats, nine School Board seats, delegates, governors, and federal offices all could make for a long ballot which might create voter fatigue. In Maryland, all elections occur in the fall and it does not seem to hurt their efforts. Still, we could address this concern by moving to staggered terms, where perhaps two council members and three school board members run every fall.

Staggered terms would give voters a smaller number of people to focus on, which gives voters more time per candidate and could ultimately serve to improve public debate. Getting to know six or seven school board candidates and twelve or thirteen council candidates in a few months isn't easy. Running fewer candidates at a time would facilitate greater debate and discussion. It could also ensure the City Council and School Board talk directly with voters every year.

Some appreciate the opportunity in our current system to turn over the whole Council or School Board at one time. That would certainly be desirable if either body acted so egregiously that voters wanted an overhaul. But staggered terms don't limit the ability to send a signal to our elected officials. With staggered terms, voters can send a signal to elected officials every year, rather than wait three years to let their voices be heard.

Expanding voter participation is a goal I hope we can all embrace. Moving to fall elections only requires a majority vote by the City Council. Moving to staggered terms would require a change to the City Charter approved by the House of Delegates, the State Senate and the Governor. If we moved to staggered terms, I, for one, would volunteer to cut my term short in order to start the process off.

Whatever the answer is, we should talk about more about ways to expand participation in our local affairs – the current system demonstrates there is room for improvement.

** Early Childhood Education – Governor Kaine’s Strong Start Council **

Governor Kaine recently appointed me to his Strong Start Council to explore ways to increase pre-K access in Virginia. Expanding access to preschool has been a priority of mine for some time. About a year ago, the City Council and School Board passed a joint resolution to find ways to expand access to preschool. Alexandria's Chamber of Commerce is looking into this as well. Leading business groups, educators and economists have said that preschool can play a key role in improving a student’s performance in school and creates a positive economic return for a community by reducing the number of high school drop outs, closing achievement gaps between students and decreasing the need for intervention later in a student’s life. Many other states have moved or are moving in this direction and I am looking forward to helping Virginia do the same.

** Green Building Initiatives**

With the growing challenges of global warming and rising fuel prices, Alexandria has a role to play to ensure we are setting an example and working to leave a strong legacy for our children. Alexandria should make use of the most environmentally friendly techniques for urban design and construction. Our region has some of the worst air pollution in the country and our impact on the Chesapeake Bay is significant. Ensuring our community incorporates substantial open space, energy and water efficient approaches in its planning efforts will help improve our quality of life as well as lower the long-term cost of managing our city infrastructure as green technology typically uses less energy and has positive long-term maintenance benefits.

I recently took my daughters to an exhibit at the National Building Museum about green design. The display is only going to be around for a few more days – it ends June third, but it’s a great way to spend some time. (The exhibit isn’t long and the museum also has a great room for kids to play in.) As environmental concerns continue to mount worldwide, integrating more sustainable practices and products into our lives becomes increasingly important. I encourage you to stop by for a visit. National Building Museum: http://www.nbm.org/

Legislators in DC and Montgomery County have proposed legislation to require the use of environmentally friendly planning and construction techniques. Alexandria has enacted a government policy about green building, but I think we can do more to ensure Alexandria is a leader in environmentally responsible construction and planning.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is set to endorse a goal of carbon neutrality for all city-funded buildings by 2035. The resolution, which will be voted on at the Conference's annual meeting in early June, was proposed last week at the mayors' Summit on Energy and the Environment. This is an important step and is one that Alexandria should also endorse.

The resolution outlines the first steps to help cities meet the fossil fuel reduction goals:

First, all newly constructed city buildings should be designed to consume a maximum of one half of the average fossil fuel usage for that building category as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy
Second, all renovated buildings should achieve the same 50-percent fossil fuel usage rate as new buildings

Finally, all other municipal construction should employ green building practices to the greatest extent achievable.

USCM's leadership indicated that they intend to create an Energy/Environmental Conservation Action Agenda to be issued at their June meeting. Key agenda items include:

Invest greater resources in transportation options
Promote energy efficient building in both the public and private sector and at all levels of government
Encourage automakers to increase production of energy-efficient vehicles and persuade consumers to purchase them
Provide additional incentives for investment in renewable and alternative energy
Encourage additional mixed-use development
Promote energy conservation on all levels

This is a good set of goals for any city and should be the goals for Alexandria. Alexandria is doing much of this and will continue to push to do more. See www.architecture2030.org for more information on the "2030 Challenge."

** Ad Hoc Transportation Task Force Update**

Our Ad Hoc Transportation Task Force is charged with re-writing Alexandria's transportation master plan. Our region is projected to add over two million residents in the next twenty-years. It is critical that we have a transportation plan to ensure our long-term quality of life. Regional traffic is going to have an increasing impact on our city – so we need a plan that helps us get around. Right now, among other things, the task force is looking to create a system of dedicated transit corridors along Rt. 1, Duke Street, Van Dorn and Beauregard to create convenient and fast transportation for Alexandria residents that can also integrate with similar efforts in Arlington and Fairfax. There will be more information about this in the coming months. In the meantime, if you have any questions, let me know and I will share them with the task force.

The task force is discussing a city transportation policy built around the following concepts written by task force member Poul Hertel:

Goal

Ensure that people can travel within the City of Alexandria by providing a mass transit system that combines different modes of travel into a seamless, comprehensive and coordinated effort.

Objective

As congestion increases mass transit will become more desirable if it provides a time saving. In order to ensure such possibilities, the city needs to take steps to make sure the mass transit system is quicker than the alternative modes that will be available.

§ Relative fastest

§ Most reliable

§ Most encompassing (coverage)

Policy

The City will:

§ Pursue the use of dedicated transit lanes

§ Identify the routes for dedicated lanes and ensure that any approved zoning plans and approvals do not preclude their implementation

§ Will maintain HOV-lanes and convert them to bus only lanes or dedicated transit ways

§ Work with neighboring jurisdictions to ensure that systems they are contemplating are able to integrate with Alexandria’s dedicated transit lanes system

§ Establish city transportation zones to coordinate efforts to support the system

§ Integrate existing buses with new transit system

§ Build smart stations that will serve the new system

§ Use technology and newest techniques to enhance the transportation system

This is a work in progress. Over the next year or so, the city will adopt a new transportation master plan.

** Pedestrian and Bicycle Initiatives **

Bike to Work Day and National Bike Month are gaining in popularity. National newspapers have devoted space to "bicycle-friendly" community initiatives. Recent articles such as "The Cycling Commute' Gets Chic" from The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, May 11, 2006 and "Bicycle is King of the Road as Gas Costs Rise" in the International Herald Tribune on May 5, 2006. illustrate this trend.

-- More than 80 percent of American cities plan to build new bikeways

-- Many cities now consider "bicycle-friendly" initiatives as central to their economic development strategy, as they seek to lure knowledge workers

-- According to a 2003 Transportation Research Board study, the percentage of commuters using bicycles rises a point for every mile of bike lane added per square mile

-- Relatively modest investments that tend to payoff most are bicycle lane markings and bicycle parking - including centralized bike commuter stations

-- Accident rates have dropped wherever cycling has gained momentum, as cars are forced to slow down and become more accustomed to sharing the road

Alexandria is increasing its involvement in this area as well. I'd like to see us officially listed as a Bicycle Friendly city. Let's keep moving forward with our efforts to expand bike trails and ensure Alexandria is a safe place for pedestrians and bikers.

You can help by letting us know areas of Alexandria's pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that need work. Go to http://www.alexride.org/bikeped.php and click on the "Report a Bike Trail Problem" link which helps you send a message to Alexandria’s bike and pedestrian coordinator.

** Payday Lending Update**

A recent Associated Press Article (http://www.wtop.com/?nid=111&;sid=798902) shed additional light on the problems of payday lending. These businesses create revolving doors of debt that consumers often can't get out of. The state failed to reform this business during the past general assembly session, but there is still hope something will be done next year. Councilwoman Woodson and I have been looking into this to see what we can do. The other night the Council talked about changing local business licensing rules for payday lending – we can’t do much to regulate them, but we can encourage these businesses to work closely with the community and require them to go through a formal Special Use Permit process, which they are not required to do today. There may also be ways to modify zoning to further restrict them. In addition, we are asking Alexandria's consumer affairs commission to take a look at payday lending practices with the hope that they can develop a consumer education effort.

A Roanoke Times editorial on the subject: http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/66414

** Godspeed in Alexandria**

Don't miss the kick-off of the 400^th Birthday of Jamestown. The 2006 Godspeed sail is one of ten signature events and hundreds of other community projects commemorating America's 400th Anniversary. This event is also featured in Washington D.C's American Originals summer campaign.

AMERICA'S 400th ANNIVERSARY GODSPEED SAIL
Historic Waterfront in Alexandria, Virginia
Saturday, May 27 - Saturday June 3, 2006
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday
11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Friday - Monday

The Landing Party Festival and Godspeed tours are free and open to the public. You may begin your journey at any of the following locations: Waterfront Park at the Strand and Prince Street, the Marina behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center, or Founders Park at Queen and North Union streets. Visit the interactive map and click on "The Godspeed Sail" to view an interactive site map. For an easy to print version of the site map, click here.

More Information: http://alexandriava.gov/link/redir.pxe?www.funside.com/jamestown.asp

** History Tour by Bike**

Celebrate National Trails Day with a 15-mile bike tour of a loop of the Alexandria Heritage Trail, guided by staff from the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. The ride includes some street bicycling, gravel trails, a few hills and a guided tour of some of Alexandria's lesser known prehistoric archaeological sites. The tour will stop in Old Town to see the Godspeed and for an optional lunch.

BRING: Bring a bike lock and some money for lunch.

WHO: This tour is open to the general public.

WHEN: Saturday, June 3, 2006 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

WHERE: George Washington Masonic National Memorial

101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria

COST: FREE!

INFO: Pre-registration and helmets are required. Children under 16 years must be accompanied by a participating adult. Sponsored by Alexandria Archaeology and BikeWalk Alexandria.

For more information contact the Alexandria Archaeology Museum at 703.838.4399.

** Small Business Spotlight – Belmont, Inc.**

Belmont, Inc. is an Alexandria-based communications and marketing company focused on brand creation and implementation. They help clients deliver a consistent message through multiple media platforms, including print, web, and exhibit. Belmont’s strategic creative process produces stunning and powerful visuals that support cohesive and focused content.

Belmont was founded in 2000 by local residents and husband-and-wife team Dennis and Nancy Belmont. Since then, the team has grown to nine employees including designers, illustrators, branding experts, website developers and strategic consultants. Belmont clients include commercial, retail, association, non-profit, and government firms.

This fast growing technology company is a good example of the community benefits of small business; Belmont that is not only growing our economy but its staff regularly volunteers and supports non-profit organizations in the city. And by living in the city they work in, they help keep our traffic down and quality of life up.

Business: Belmont, Inc.

(703) 519-4550

www.belmontinc.com

President & CEO: Nancy Belmont

2:02:47 PM

Re-thinking the Projects

Declining federal dollars for affordable housing will force us to think differently about hwo we build mixed-income communities.

A few ideas: http://www.cooltownstudios.com/mt/archives/000807.html

11:53:26 AM