<sh>Advance Sign-Up for Arlington Budget
<bt>For the first time, Arlington residents can sign up online in advance to speak at Arlington's Budget and Tax Rate Public Hearings, or they can sign up in person on the night of the meetings.
The Budget Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29, and the Tax Rate Public Hearing for Thursday, March 31, in the County Board Room on the third floor of 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Both begin at 7 p.m.
The advance online sign-up process began Monday, March 14. To sign up, visit the County homepage at www.arlingtonva.us and click on "Local Government," then click on "County Board Meetings." To sign up by phone, call the County Board Office at 703-228-3130. Residents may also call the Information and Referral desk at 703-228-3000. For the hearing impaired and language translation, individuals may call 703-228-4611 and 703-228-3000, respectively Services must be requested three days before the meeting.
On two Saturdays this month, County Board staff will be at two locations in the community to help sign up persons wishing to speak at the hearings and to answer questions. On March 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., they will be at Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., and on March 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the service will be available at Columbia Pike Library, 816 S. Walter Reed Drive.
The deadline for advanced online sign-ups is Monday, March 28 at 5 p.m. for the Budget Public Hearing, and Wednesday, March 30 at 5 p.m. for the Tax Rates Public Hearing. These also are the final respective dates to cancel reservations to speak. Individuals may also register to speak the evening of the hearings beginning at 6 p.m. Visit the Information Desk outside the County Board Room. These speakers are called after those who signed up in advance in the order in which registrations were received. On-site sign up ends at 8 p.m. each evening.
Individuals and organizations may sign up to speak for two minutes or five minutes. All two-minute speakers are called first, followed by five-minute speakers, in the order their reservations were received.
Once you've signed up online, a confirmation number will be provided. Speakers should bring their confirmation number to the meeting and check in at the Information Desk outside County Board Room beginning at 6 p.m. or before they are called to speak. Speakers may call the County Board Office at 703-228-3130 the day of the hearing to learn their assigned speaker number.
Confirmation numbers are also used to cancel online up to 5 p.m. the day before each hearing, or by calling 703-228-3130.
In lieu of oral testimony, online comments may be submitted at the same registration site at www.arlingtonva.us.
County Board Clerk Toni Copeland is interested in feedback on this new process, before or after the Public Hearings are held, and requests the public's comments at tcopeland@arlingtonva.us.
<sh>Malicious Wounding
<bt>At about 11:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, a male victim was brought to a local hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Arlington County Police Department. The shooting occurred on the 2400 block of South Glebe Road. The victim was uncooperative, and the investigation continues.
<sh>Arlington's Charity Basketball Game
<bt>On Saturday, March 19, the Arlington County Police and Fire departments will face off in a charity basketball game at Marymount University to benefit tsunami relief efforts. Admission is free; donations will be collected at the door, and all proceeds will be given to tsunami relief funds.
Halftime entertainment will be provided by cheer and dance squads from Arlington Public Schools. Police and Fire Department T-shirts and other merchandise will be on sale.
The game begins at 4 p.m. at Verizon Sports Arena, Marymount University, 2807 N. Glebe Road.
<sh>Arlington's New Online Apartment Guide
<bt>Arlington County has launched a new, searchable online Apartment Guide that includes 40,000 units at aptguide.arlingtonva.us. The guide allows users to search for key features, such as apartment size, rent range, neighborhoods and amenities, or to find out if pets are allowed or whether the complex has a pool. The site also provides links to general information about restaurants and nightlife, schools, tourist attractions and county government, and provides access to information on fair housing and on tenant-landlord rights and responsibilities.
<sh>NVRPA Plans Arlington Connector Trail
<bt>The Virginia Recreational Trails Fund Program has awarded a $72,000 grant to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority to construct 480 feet of trail from NVRPA's Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington to Arlington County's Four Mile Run Trail and NVRPA's Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park trails. When completed, the connector trail will link Upton Hill Regional Park and Arlington County's Bluemont Junction and Powhatan Springs parks and the regional and county trails. The new trail segment will be 10 feet wide and will offer pullout rest areas for trail users with disabilities.
The new route is included in the Arlington Bicycle Transportation Plan and will provide pedestrians and cyclists access to Upton Hill Park and will link the regional park to two nearby senior housing communities, community parks, a community swimming pool, an elementary school, a local trail and residential areas. NVRPA officials are completing final designs.