Blog #67 - General Plan Accepted, New Mayor and Vice Mayor Selected

The Town Council had a busy meeting on December 1, 2010 beginning the meeting by appointing Larry Bragman as the next Mayor and Pam Hartwell-Herrero as the next Vice Mayor. Both will serve one year terms and both were unanimous votes of the Town Council. Newly appointed Mayor Bragman commented on some major themes that the Council will have to tackle in the next year. The contracting economy continues and it is affecting the public sector more than any other. Mayor Bragman stated we need a vital public sector, and we need to continue to improve efficiencies and maintain humanity and civility as the challenge of balancing the Town budget continues. Volunteer Boards and Commissions will play a key role in assisting the Town with all of the activities it needs to accomplish.

After more than ten years of drafting various elements of the General Plan the final draft was accepted by the Town Council and staff was directed to begin the environmental review process. A debt of gratitude goes out to the General Plan Advisory Committee, the Planning Commission, the Design Review Board, the Super Committee, and our indispensable consultant Larry Kennings. Our planning director Jim Moore warrants special mention as he worked for the last year and a half compiling all the comments and edits and crafted the final draft. Thank you Jim Moore for your tremendous leadership working with the grass roots committees on completing, for the first time in Town history, a fully updated final draft General Plan. Outgoing Mayor Lew Tremaine commented that bringing to fruition a final draft General Plan and serving on the Super Committee was an honor and a privilege and the major accomplishment during his tenure as Mayor.

Other actions taken at the Regular Meeting on December 1, 2010:

• Adopted a Resolution approving the negotiated Memorandum of Understanding with the Fairfax Police Officers Association for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. The MOU has no financial implications for the Town and POA employees will receive no cost of living or benefit increases of any kind.

• Adopted a Resolution in Appreciation of the contributions of Ingrid Weiss to the Town as the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce

• Adopted an Urgency Ordinance No. 756-U adopting 2011 Building Codes

• Discussed Fire Code updates and will meet on December 15, 2010 to adopt updated Fire Codes

Other notes and announcements:

• The Town Council will hold a Special Town Council meeting on December 15, 2010 to further discuss the Fire Code Updates.

• Future regular meetings of the Town Council will begin at 7:00 p.m. starting January 12, 2011

• Sustainable Fairfax/FOCAS Holiday Craft Fair, December 11th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pavilion

• Annual Holiday Caroling, Wreath Making and Potluck sponsored by the Fairfax Volunteers on December 12th, 3 to 6 p.m. at the Women’s Club

• Ice Skating at the Pavilion January 8 and 9, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Commission
• Vacancy on the Design Review Board for an unexpired term to January 31, 2011

• Two vacancies on the Planning Commission for full four-year terms to December 31, 2014

• Town Hall will be closed for regular business from December 23-31, 2010 due to the holiday schedule. Police services are open 24/7 every day of the year.