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The Arlington County Board and Arlington County School Board are seeking applicants for a new advisory group, the Joint Facilities Advisory Commission (JFAC). The Arlington County Board and Arlington School Board will jointly appoint the members of this commission. The new commission’s mission is to provide input on capital facilities needs assessment, capital improvement plans and long-range facility planning for both the County Government and Arlington Schools (APS).
The new advisory group also will provide insights and recommendations on a series of immediate facility siting decisions related to APS and County uses in 2017 – examples include the use of the Buck property on Quincy Street and the Virginia Hospital Center Carlin Springs site. These specific sites, and others, will be included in the JFAC’s 2017 workplan, which will be finalized by the JFAC leadership, in collaboration with the new joint facilities subcommittee of the County Board and School Board. The commission members will all be “at-large,” entrusted to accommodate County and School needs within our limited land resources, and to balance the need for more immediate decisions with longer term planning. The JFAC is also charged with partnering with staff on facilitating broader community engagement on facilities issues.
“We have a wonderfully talented and engaged community,” says Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey. “We need people from different backgrounds, experiences and skillsets to help us make important decisions on how to plan for and site our County and School facilities.”
“We are enthusiastic about implementing this key recommendation from last year’s Community Facilities Study, and bringing citizen insights into these critically important facilities planning issues,” said County Board Member Katie Cristol, who serves with County Board Vice Chair Jay Fisette, School Board Vice Chair Barbara Kannenin and School Board Member James Lander on the new Joint Facilities Subcommittee of the Boards.
“This joint committee will allow us to use the collective expertise and knowledge of Arlington residents to address issues relating to capacity and capital planning,” said School Board Chair Nancy Van Doren.
Read detailed information about the JFAC mission, function and scope.
How to apply
Interested residents can apply online using the County Board application form. Residents can also apply online using the School Board’s Advisory Council application form. (Note: Applicants should fill out the General Advisory Application Form on the School Board website – not the FAC form – and select JFAC from the drop-down list.) The deadline to apply is Nov. 16. Up to 20 at-large members will be appointed. The joint boards are seeking residents with varying degrees of experience in planning, education, public finance, design and construction, and who have participated in organizations or processes sanctioned by Arlington County and/or Arlington Public Schools, or other work or community participation related to the JFAC mission.
Background
The 2015 Community Facilities Study recommended creating this commission. During October 2016, the County and School Boards received community input on the draft charter for this new advisory commission. The Arlington County Board plans to adopt the final commission charge on November 9, and the Arlington School Board at its November 15 Meeting.
