[Archived] Official Announcements for the City of Alexandria: October 17 – October 23, 2009

For Immediate Release: October 16, 2009

Saturday, October 17 – FY 2011 Fall Budget Public Hearing
The Alexandria City Council invites the public to offer comments regarding the FY 2011 budget at its public hearing. The public hearing will be held in Room 2400, City Council Chambers, 301 King St., beginning at 9:30 a.m. Due to the difficult economic conditions the City faces, residents are encouraged to take advantage of an early opportunity to present their views and priorities directly to City Council and City staff.

Saturday, October 17 – Public Hearing on HOT Lanes Project
The Alexandria City Council invites the public to offer comments on the proposed Virginia Department of Transportation HOT lanes project at its public hearing. The public hearing will be held in Room 2400, City Council Chambers, 301 King St., beginning at 9:30 a.m. The HOT Lanes project, as envisioned by VDOT if approved, would expand the existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-95/395 from two to three lanes and extend two new lanes south to Massaponax.

Saturday, October 17 – Fort Ward Park History Group Meeting
The Office of Historic Alexandria formed a workgroup to help document the historic and cultural resources of the Fort Ward site, in particular, the African-American community that once existed there. The new Fort Ward Park History Group will hold its first meeting at Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, 4301 W. Braddock Rd. Members of the workgroup will be asked to record family history, identify features such as graves, document historical photographs including family and landscape images, and other projects related to the history of the site.  Those interested in participating are invited to attend a tour of the site beginning at 11 a.m., and a planning meeting will begin at noon. Dress for the weather and bring a bag lunch. For more information, please visit www.fortward.org or call 703.838.4848.

Tuesday, October 20 – Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group
The Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) will be meeting from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. There will be an open house from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. preceding the meeting. For more information, contact Valerie Peterson at 703.746.3853 or visit alexandriava.gov/PotomacYardPlan.

Wednesday October 21 – BRAC Advisory Meeting
The BRAC Advisory meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the William Ramsay School, 5700 Sanger Ave. In February of 2009, City Council created a BRAC-133 Advisory Group to serve as a forum for developing ideas and recommendations relating to transportation improvements and other issues associated with the BRAC-133 office building. For more information, contact Pat Escher at 703.746.3812 or visit alexandriava.gov/BRAC.

Wednesday, October 21 – 2010 Census Complete Count Committee
At 7 p.m. the 2010 Census Complete Count Committee meeting will be held in Room 2000, City Hall, 301 King St. William Ramsay School, 5700 Sanger Ave. For more information, contact Ralph Rosenbaum at 703.746.3859 or visit alexandriava.gov/Census2010 .

Thursday, October 22 – Public Forum on City’s Strategic Goals for Development and Economic Vitality
The City of Alexandria will host a public forum on the strategic goals for development and economic vitality, beginning at 7 p.m. in Room 2400, City Council Chambers, City Hall, 301 King St. The forum is part of a broader review of the City's Strategic Plan by the City Council. Participants who wish to speak are asked to register in advance, and those who are unable to participate in the public forum are encouraged to submit their comments online by November 3.  Information about the City Council's strategic planning process is available at alexandriava.gov/StrategicPlanning. For more information, contact Brandi Collins at 703.746.3854.

Coming soon!

Saturday, October 24 – Civil War Sesquicentennial Meeting
A second Civil War Sesquicentennial community planning meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Dr. A speaker from the Virginia Tourism Corporation will facilitate sessions to plan programs for Alexandria’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. This meeting is open to all, and public participation is most welcome. For more information, please contact the Office of Historic Alexandria at 703.838.4554.

Ongoing!

The City of Alexandria has mailed bills for the second half 2009 Real Estate Tax and Refuse Fee to all property owners and mortgage companies. If you do not receive a real estate tax bill in the mail by November 2 and do not have your real estate tax paid by your mortgage company, please e-mail payments@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3902. Property owners who changed their mailing address but did not previously report this change to the City should e-mail realestate@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4646 to ensure that future bills and correspondence are mailed to the correct address. 

Call for Artists for Alexandria Police Memorial
The City of Alexandria has issued a Call for Artists for the Alexandria Police Memorial at the Alexandria Police Department headquarters, 3534 Wheeler Ave., currently under construction. The City is conducting the search for qualified applicants through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ.) The deadline for applications is October 30 at 4 p.m. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Arts.