Statement of Jay Fisette

Arlington County Board Organizational Meeting
January 1, 2002

Good morning to all you Arlingtonians out there! At this moment I am thankful for life's small pleasures....as it was not long ago that this meeting started at 8:00 a.m.

First, let me congratulate Chris and Charles on their new roles as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. I have great respect for your talents and commitment, and great confidence that, together, you will provide strong leadership for this Board and our community. I look forward to work with you both, as with Barbara and Paul.

As the Chairman has already stated, this Board has embarked on an ambitious policy agenda over the past four years...and by the sounds of it, there will be no letting up this year! Much has been accomplished. More remains to be completed.

I see five broad policy areas of special interest to me in 2002.

Public Employees/Employer of Choice

The past year, which began with the challenge of hiring a new County Manager and ended with the triple emergencies of September 11, the closing of Reagan National Airport and anthrax reinforced my faith in the public sector.

I have always believed that government SHOULD play an important and positive role in people's lives. That belief is shared by far more people today than it was four months ago. Today there is a renewed respect for the role of government and public employees. With Arlington in the world's spotlight, we witnessed a County response that made us all proud. Our employees did their jobs....they did what they were trained to do. And they do that 365 days a year. The quality of our employees is second to none. To our staff... a personal thank you.

Last Spring the Board tasked the Manager to undertake a study to provide us with policy and budget options that will ensure that Arlington continues to attract and retain the best quality workforce. I look forward to these recommendations and will also continue to advocate for affordable housing needs, such as a "live near your work" program, and domestic partner benefits. I am committed to ensuring that Arlington remains an "Employer of Choice."

Emergency Preparedness

In recent months, most of us experienced the loss of some sense of America's invincibility and of our own personal safety. We remembered that our security - both physical and emotional -- is a fragile commodity. Preparing for the unexpected is our responsibility. The County will focus on this area, and I will be fully engaged in regional Emergency Preparedness planning through my position representing Arlington on the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Board of Directors.

Technology/E-Government

The "technology tricks" at Board meetings and monthly on-line chats may be a thing of the past (which may not fully sadden all of you!)... yet I will continue to advocate the importance of investment in our technology infrastructure and creative, effective e-government enhancements. Dramatic progress has been made over the past year and an institutional awareness of the importance of technology and e-government has been created. We have turned the corner to the future- but this requires a sustained commitment on our part.

Fiscal Responsibility/Infrastructure

On taxes and budget issues, I will continue to promote fiscal discipline and accountability in balancing steady, responsible tax policies with needed public investments. Despite strong property values, the downturn in the national economy and the bleak reality of a state budget with sizeable deficits creates a level of uncertainty for our local budget planning.

Once again we have a revenue-sharing agreement with the School Board that enshrines our commitment to public education and the recognition that our children represent our best hope for the future. I will continue to promote prudent investment in our aging infrastructure -- as one-time expenditures that are clearly cost-effective in the long run and will ensure our quality of life.

Urban Village/Community Building

And finally, I would like to expound on the importance of reaffirming our attention to creating and refining our urban village. This concept was first introduced during Chris' first Chairmanship and has become a guiding vision for us in the interim.

On a walk down a commercial street in my urban village, I want to be intrigued by the store windows and my fellow pedestrians, I want to see people that look and dress differently than I, strollers and wheelchairs, and I want to feel safe day and night. There would be benches and plenty of litter cans, lots of large shade trees lining the street by day and helpful lights by night. I would cross the street in my crosswalk, as cars and many bicycles slowly rambled by. Outdoor cafes would line the sidewalks, the signage has character, and kids will be climbing on some public art or skating on the ice rink in the plaza.

Physically, we build our buildings and then our buildings help create us. They can undermine or facilitate the sense of community - the connectivity and warmth of belonging-- that is the soul of Arlington.

Fundamentally, the creation of this sense of place...this sense of community... is the most enduring aspect of the urban village concept. Arlingtonians have always understood the importance of building community, and of their individual and collective responsibility to participate in building community. It is the secret of Arlington's success.

In fact, I often cite Arlington's intangible "sense of community" as its most special characteristic. This is the "village" of the urban village. It is a village that is defined by its intimacy, its humanity, and the quality of the relationships among the villagers.

I have visited many areas of our country which have failed in creating a sense of place and sense of community. Physically, they are sprawling, barren and fragmented. Disjointed collections of intersections, fast food drive-ins, gas stations and big box retailers. Emotionally they are unconnected and lonely.

Building our urban village will happen brick by brick, planter by planter, bonfire by bonfire and PTA auction by PTA auction. It will flow from many tangible, admittedly small, discreet decisions of this County Board, staff, residents, organizations, and businesses.

As a part of our unfinished business, I look forward to receiving our Task Force's recommendations on preserving and protecting small business and neighborhood retail throughout Arlington and to making advances on our direction for historic preservation. And I appreciate our new Chairman's focus on our tree canopy and inner-Arlington transit as important initiatives to the realization of our vision of Arlington as the model urban village of the 21st century.

In the end, Arlington works because it is a balanced community and we never stop learning and improving. It is a pleasure to be an Arlingtonian and I look forward to continuing to work with you to make Arlington even better. Happy New Year.